US President Donald Trump pledged support for Lebanon on Tuesday during talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun but offered no timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, saying only that Israeli forces were “in the process” of redeploying.

Speaking alongside Aoun at the White House, Trump was asked whether there would be a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from areas it continues to occupy in southern Lebanon.

“They’re in the process of doing that. They’re in the process of redeploying to other sections,” Trump said, without providing further details or announcing any new US policy.

The meeting came as Washington continues to back a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel under which the Lebanese Armed Forces would deploy to areas vacated by Israeli troops while ensuring there is no armed Hezbollah presence.

Aoun praised Trump’s role in the process, describing the agreement as a “historic achievement” aimed at ending “the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever”.

The Lebanese president appealed for continued American support for Lebanon’s armed forces, describing them as “the backbone of security and stability” and urging greater political backing as the country seeks to extend state authority across its territory.

Trump reiterated that Washington would continue assisting Lebanon.

“We’re going to help it. We’re going to help it a lot,” he said, adding that the country had been “badly treated” for decades.

The US president also suggested that Syria could play a role in efforts to weaken Hezbollah, saying Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa “would like to come in and do something with Hezbollah” and describing such a move as “very effective”.

Asked what concrete support the United States would provide to Lebanon following the meeting, Trump replied only, “You’ll find out.”

He also said he would be willing to engage directly with Hezbollah if requested by the Lebanese president.

“I would speak to Hezbollah. I speak to everybody,” Trump said. “If the president wanted me to speak to Hezbollah, and if the president wanted me to speak to Hezbollah, I would.”

Hezbollah has criticised the Lebanese government’s direct engagement with Israel and opposes the US backed framework, while Aoun has repeatedly insisted that the Lebanese Armed Forces must become the country’s sole armed force as part of efforts to strengthen state institutions and restore stability.