Lebanese Army commander, General Joseph Aoun, held this week a series of meetings with U.S. officials as part of his visit to Washington. The talks focused on the latest developments in Lebanon and the Middle East, as well as the challenges facing the Lebanese military.

The Army chief reportedly met with U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, as well as with several members of the Congressional U.S.-Lebanon Friendship Caucus.

Aoun also held talks at the Pentagon with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown, with whom he exchanged insights on the current security situation in the Middle East, including continued aims to resolve tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border and the shared goal of avoiding regional escalation.  

“The U.S. and Lebanon share a strong commitment to pursuing durable and sustainable security and stability in the Middle East region,” noted a readout released by Joint Staff Spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey.

Aoun's interest in securing material support for his forces was mostly received positively by lawmakers, despite lingering skepticism among some House Republicans who have pressed for restricting US funding to Lebanon due to Iran’s outsized influence in the country, Al-Monitor news website reported, citing sources close to the discussions. 

Earlier this week, Axios quoted U.S. officials as saying that the Biden administration has grown extremely concerned that escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah in recent days will deteriorate into an all-out war, and that it is scrambling to prevent it.