'This will be your legacy': Aoun seeks financing for Lebanon, pressure on Israel

'This will be your legacy': Aoun seeks financing for Lebanon, pressure on Israel Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Tue, 07/21/2026 - 18:21 In return, Trump allows US airlines to fly to Lebanon for the first time in decades US President Donald Trump laughs while shaking hands with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun during their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on 21 July 2026 (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Off Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday largely steered clear of the potential minefield that comes with being in front of the press alongside US President Donald Trump, as the two leaders met for the very first time at the White House. The sit-down is a highly coveted opportunity for Aoun, who assumed office just two weeks before Trump's inauguration in January 2025. The last Lebanese president to sit in the Oval Office was Michel Sleiman in 2009, with former President Barack Obama.