Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said any meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should come only after meaningful progress is achieved in negotiations, stressing that high-level encounters between adversaries are typically the culmination, not the starting point, of diplomatic efforts.

Aoun, according to a ministerial source cited by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, made clear in contacts with U.S. officials that talks must be preceded by a firmly established ceasefire and should not take place under military pressure. He conveyed the same position to U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who were said to have shown understanding of his reluctance to meet Netanyahu at this stage.

The president emphasized that, under established international practice, the level of representation in negotiations evolves as talks progress, with any summit-level meeting serving to seal a broader agreement. Such an outcome, if reached, would aim to end the war without necessarily constituting a formal peace treaty, and would remain within the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative endorsed at the 2002 Beirut summit.

The stance comes as Lebanon faces a growing internal divide over who should represent the country in U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel. A majority of political forces back Aoun’s call for direct talks, while the so-called Shiite duo — Hezbollah and the Amal Movement — has escalated its opposition, insisting that any negotiations remain indirect. 

This camp is also betting on parallel U.S.-Iran talks, reportedly mediated by Pakistan and hosted in Islamabad, in the belief that Lebanon’s fate will be tied to a broader regional settlement. Aoun has rejected that linkage, insisting on separating the Lebanese track from the Iranian one.

His position has drawn wide domestic, Arab, and international support, including from Sunni lawmakers led by Beirut MP Fouad Makhzoumi, reinforcing his push to proceed with direct negotiations in the absence of viable alternatives, particularly a military option.

According to the ministerial source, Lebanon has formally informed Washington that it opposes linking its future to U.S.-Iran negotiations, a position relayed by the American delegation to Iran through Pakistani mediation. Beirut is now relying on U.S. diplomatic efforts to convene a third preparatory meeting between Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Mouawad and her Israeli counterpart Yechiel Leiter to launch direct talks.

Washington is pushing to host the meeting later this week, possibly on Thursday, though its timing hinges on Israel’s willingness—under U.S. pressure—to commit to stabilizing a ceasefire, in exchange for Hezbollah refraining from rocket fire.

The diplomatic effort comes against the backdrop of continued fighting in southern Lebanon, where a fragile truce has repeatedly collapsed. The situation has fueled fears that Hezbollah could turn the south into a pressure point akin to a “second Strait of Hormuz,” using it as leverage in Iran’s negotiations rather than engaging with Aoun’s initiative.

The source said that restoring a sustained ceasefire requires agreement from both sides in the conflict zone, which has been largely depopulated. Evacuations have extended beyond areas south of the Litani River to include villages to the north, particularly in the Nabatieh and Zahrani districts, as Israel continues to warn residents to leave.

Aoun is also seeking to contain internal tensions over the negotiations, working to narrow differences with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who remains aligned with Hezbollah. The group has repeatedly signaled that it does not consider itself bound by any outcomes of the talks, arguing that it is not a party to them and will not be responsible for implementing them.

At the same time, Berri has urged observers to keep “eyes on Islamabad,” according to a source within the Shiite duo, citing reassurances from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Lebanon would be included in ongoing U.S.-Iran discussions.

The source said a U.S.-Iran agreement could be reached before the end of May, possibly ahead of a planned visit by Trump to China. However, uncertainty remains over how such developments would affect the situation in southern Lebanon—and potentially Beirut and its southern suburbs—particularly if expectations of a deal are not met.