Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is set to meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Washington today, as pressure builds for Beirut to disarm Hezbollah, Israel’s key condition before withdrawing from south Lebanon.

It comes a day after the United States, which has sponsored negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, announced the start of the implementation of an agreement granting the Lebanese army control over “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon.

These zones are primarily located just outside the lands Israel occupied after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the West Asia war in March.

-AFP