US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the resumption of direct flights between the United States and Lebanon, marking an end to a suspension that has been in place for over 40 years. The direct air route was halted in 1985 during the administration of US President Ronald Reagan, following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.
The significant announcement came after President Trump hosted Lebanese President Michel Aoun at the White House earlier on Tuesday. President Trump shared his decision on his Truth Social platform, stating, "I am hereby directing my Administration to allow all US airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land."
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam lauded Trump's decision, emphasizing its potential benefits. Salam stated that the move "represents a significant opportunity to enhance travel and connectivity between Lebanon and the United States, and to support the Lebanese economy."
During their meeting, President Trump conveyed his support for Lebanon to President Aoun. "Lebanon had been a very badly treated place and country and we’re going to have it properly treated and treated with the respect it deserves," Trump told Aoun, adding, "We’re gonna help it a lot," though he did not provide specific details on the assistance.
President Aoun's visit to Washington, D.C., was the first by a Lebanese president since 2009. He traveled to the US capital with the objective of appealing for a longer-term, more stable peace in his country, which has been grappling with months of conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed, Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.
Beyond the reinstatement of direct flights, authorities in Beirut are hopeful that the discussions in Washington this week could lead to an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Israeli ground forces currently occupy swathes of territory in the region as part of their campaign against Hezbollah. President Trump commented on this, claiming Israel's military was "in the process of doing that. They’re in the process of redeploying," without elaborating further.
Israel maintains its presence in southern Lebanon, asserting it is an effort to safeguard northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks. Hezbollah is recognized as a terror group by the US, Germany, and several other countries.
For his part, President Aoun expressed high praise for Trump, calling him a "great president" whose "vision is peace." Trump jokingly responded, "I do agree with that," and went on to describe Aoun as handsome and someone who "knows how to get to me." He concluded the lighthearted exchange by saying, "Now he can have anything."
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