During a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was “desperate” to resume negotiations but warned that Washington would not return to the table unless Tehran was prepared to take meaningful steps.
Trump said the United States has no interest in holding talks with Iran unless its leadership is willing to engage seriously and make substantial concessions. “If we walk away from the fighting with Iran now, it will take them 20 to 25 years to recover,” Trump said. “We are nowhere near finished with the job. We are not prepared to leave at this stage. Any site where they’re even thinking about nuclear — we’ll be hitting it very, very powerfully.”
President Aoun’s visit marked the first visit by a Lebanese president to the White House in 17 years and came less than a day after the launch of the pilot phase of the IDF’s withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese Armed Forces moving into the area.
Opening the meeting, Trump described Lebanon as a country that had suffered for decades. “Lebanon has been treated very badly for a long time,” he said. “There are incredible people there. I know people who live in Lebanon who refuse to leave despite hearing explosions constantly. They love their country, and we’re going to help them a lot. We’ll solve many of their problems and make sure they receive the respect they deserve.”
Asked about the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror organization, Trump said he was willing to speak with anyone if it could produce results.
“I have no problem talking to Hezbollah. I talk to everybody. I’m willing to speak with people many think I shouldn’t speak to, and things work out,” he said, while stressing that “well-developed plans” were already in place to deal with the group.
Additionally, Trump was asked about Houthi threats to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, saying it remained to be seen what would happen if the strategic waterway were blocked.
The Future of the Abraham Accords
Turning to the future of regional diplomacy, Trump expressed confidence that the Abraham Accords will continue to expand, describing the landmark normalization agreements as “a tremendous success.”
“Very soon you’ll see many more countries joining,” Trump said. “The first group of countries saw enormous economic success. Not one of them has walked away—not even during this conflict.” Trump added that he believes Lebanon also has “a very important place” in the region’s future, hinting that Beirut could eventually become part of the expanding normalization process.
With the Abraham Accords remaining intact despite months of regional conflict, Trump suggested the next phase of normalization may already be taking shape.