Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has discussed the fragile ceasefire in southern Lebanon with French President Emmanuel Macron and senior US officials, as several European countries weigh keeping troops in the country once the United Nations mission winds down.
Aoun held separate telephone calls on Tuesday with Macron, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Lebanese presidency said, with the truce treated as central to wider talks between Washington and Tehran.
In his exchange with Macron, Aoun reviewed the situation in the south following a renewed ceasefire announced days earlier. The two men agreed to stay in close contact over efforts to consolidate the truce and extend State authority across Lebanese territory.
The leaders also turned to the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose withdrawal is due to begin in early 2027. Aoun and Macron discussed the desire of several European countries, supported by Lebanon, to maintain a military presence in the area once the mission ends.
Macron would hold consultations with several partners to fix a position on a possible replacement for the force, Beirut said. The prospect points to a wider European security role in the region at a time when EU member states are under pressure to shoulder more of their own defence.
The French president restated his country’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which he also conveyed to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He called for a firm ceasefire, respected by all sides, that would allow Israel’s withdrawal and the redeployment of the Lebanese army to happen simultaneously.
Macron said France stood ready to support that process and to mobilise the international community in the coming weeks, alongside the Lebanese Government, to back its armed forces and aid displaced civilians.
The two presidents also reviewed last week’s G7 summit in Évian, France. Beirut thanked the bloc for backing Lebanon’s sovereignty, the ceasefire and efforts to disarm the Hezbollah militia.
Aoun separately addressed recent developments with Vance and Rubio, following a weekend meeting in Switzerland between US and Iranian delegations. He thanked the Trump administration for its role in ending the fighting and strengthening what he called Lebanon’s independent decision-making.
