Dubai, UAE — July 2026 — US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is directing his administration to permit US airlines to resume direct flights to Lebanon, a move that came shortly after his first Oval Office meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, praising Aoun for what he called a “remarkable job” transforming the country and expressing hope that other nations would follow Washington’s lead in restoring direct air links to Lebanon. He signed off the post with a simple “Enjoy!”
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the decision, calling it a significant opening for Lebanon’s economy and for deepening travel and diplomatic ties with the US. He said his government stood ready to move quickly on the administrative and technical steps needed to get direct flights running again.
The announcement capped a nearly two-hour meeting between Trump and Aoun, the first visit by a Lebanese head of state to the White House in almost two decades.
Aoun, who led Lebanon’s army before his election as president last year, used the meeting to press Trump on the need for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, which the Lebanese presidency said he described as essential to restoring stability and allowing the state to extend full authority through its own forces alone.
The two leaders also discussed the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, along with US support for Lebanon’s army, postwar reconstruction, economic recovery and American investment in the country.
