Report: Trump convinced of Aoun and Salam's conduct, believes peace deal more important than disarmament

U.S. President Donald Trump is still convinced of the actions being taken by President Joseph Aoun and of what the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has achieved and intends to achieve, according to “exclusive information” obtained by the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper.

Trump has informed U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus of “the necessity of urging President Aoun and PM Salam to complete what they have started. He also informed the new U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, of the need to convince Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri of the necessity of securing the interests of the Shiite community in Lebanon in the post-Hezbollah phase,” the daily said.

The report also said that Washington is not enthusiastic about removing Hezbollah's weapons as an initial step. “Instead, it believes the priority is for signing a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which would practically end the impact, role and narrative of retaining Hezbollah’s weapons,” the report added.

“From this standpoint, Washington is pressuring the Lebanese political decision to move towards a peace agreement under its sponsorship and guarantee, while personally assuring President Joseph Aoun that peace means an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory and the empowerment of the Lebanese Army,” Nidaa al-Watan said.

The newspaper also learned from U.S. sources following the meeting between Berri and Issa that the parliament speaker “does not object to reaching a peace agreement” with Israel. Berri, however, is “not reassured by the American promises,” the sources said.

Berri instead stipulated to Issa that Israel publicly declare a halt to the attacks against Lebanon as “the sole gateway to expanding the negotiating delegation and including Shiite, Sunni and Druze figures alongside Ambassador Simon Karam to confer a national consensus on the peace steps with Israel.”

However, according to the sources, Issa has not yet received clear Israeli answers regarding Berri's condition.

According to the sources, the drums of war went silent after the Americans “sensed a serious change in Berri's position, especially after he was able to obtain Iranian permission to distance himself from Hezbollah to prevent jeopardizing the interests of the Shiite community in Lebanon and to make room for advanced negotiations in the Sultanate of Oman between the Americans and the Iranians.”