Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Following President Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and with Lebanon and Israel slated to hold their next round of U.S.-mediated talks on August 4 in Rome, the CSIS Middle East Program invites you to a virtual discussion examining Lebanon's prospects.
As Beirut seeks to restore state sovereignty, end conflict and occupation, advance economic reforms, and reposition itself within a rapidly changing Middle East, important questions remain about the country's security, diplomatic, political, and economic trajectories.
Bringing together leading experts in regional affairs, public policy, and economics, this discussion will explore questions including:
What strategic opportunities—and risks—does the Lebanon-Israel Trilateral Framework create for Lebanon? What can we expect in the next round of talks?
How is the Israel-Lebanon dynamic impacted by the escalation--or negotiation--between the US and Iran?
How has the regional strategic and diplomatic environment shifted, particularly as relates to Gulf countries, Syria, Egypt and Turkey, and what does this mean for Lebanon?
What did the Trump-Aoun meeting achieve, and how might it reshape U.S.-Lebanese relations and Washington's approach to Lebanon?
Beyond immediate security challenges, what should be the Lebanese government's governing priorities over the coming year?
Can Lebanon finally deliver the banking, fiscal, and governance reforms needed to restore economic confidence and unlock international support?
How can Lebanon capitalize on emerging regional economic connectivity—from Syria and the Gulf to the Eastern Mediterranean—to support long-term recovery and growth?
Join us on Monday, August 3 at 9:00 AM EDT for an expert panel featuring:
Maha Yahya, Director, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Joseph Bahout, Director, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut
Alia Moubayed, Managing Director, Fixed Income Strategy, Jefferies
Mona Yacoubian, CSIS Middle East Program Director and Senior Adviser, will provide opening remarks and Paul Salem, CSIS Middle East Program Non-resident Senior Associate, will moderate the discussion.
This event is made possible by generous support to the CSIS Middle East Program from the embassies of Canada, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and Ray Debbane, Nijad Fares, and Joe Geagea.
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Visit csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges.
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Following President Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and with Lebanon and Israel slated to hold their next round of U.S.-mediated talks on August 4 in Rome, the CSIS Middle East Program invites you to a virtual discussion examining Lebanon's prospects.
As Beirut seeks to restore state sovereignty, end conflict and occupation, advance economic reforms, and reposition itself within a rapidly changing Middle East, important questions remain about the country's security, diplomatic, political, and economic trajectories.
Bringing together leading experts in regional affairs, public policy, and economics, this discussion will explore questions including:
What strategic opportunities—and risks—does the Lebanon-Israel Trilateral Framework create for Lebanon? What can we expect in the next round of talks?
How is the Israel-Lebanon dynamic impacted by the escalation--or negotiation--between the US and Iran?
How has the regional strategic and diplomatic environment shifted, particularly as relates to Gulf countries, Syria, Egypt and Turkey, and what does this mean for Lebanon?
What did the Trump-Aoun meeting achieve, and how might it reshape U.S.-Lebanese relations and Washington's approach to Lebanon?
Beyond immediate security challenges, what should be the Lebanese government's governing priorities over the coming year?
Can Lebanon finally deliver the banking, fiscal, and governance reforms needed to restore economic confidence and unlock international support?
How can Lebanon capitalize on emerging regional economic connectivity—from Syria and the Gulf to the Eastern Mediterranean—to support long-term recovery and growth?
Join us on Monday, August 3 at 9:00 AM EDT for an expert panel featuring:
Maha Yahya, Director, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Joseph Bahout, Director, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut
Alia Moubayed, Managing Director, Fixed Income Strategy, Jefferies
Mona Yacoubian, CSIS Middle East Program Director and Senior Adviser, will provide opening remarks and Paul Salem, CSIS Middle East Program Non-resident Senior Associate, will moderate the discussion.
This event is made possible by generous support to the CSIS Middle East Program from the embassies of Canada, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and Ray Debbane, Nijad Fares, and Joe Geagea.
---------------------------------------------
A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world.
Visit csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges.
Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve
Follow CSIS on:
• Twitter: twitter.com/csis
• Facebook: facebook.com/CSIS.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/csis
