Trump says he would speak to Hezbollah if Lebanese president wanted it

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would speak to Hezbollah if Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked him to do it.

Trump said during a meeting with Aoun at the Oval Office that he is willing to engage with people others might oppose speaking to.

“I would speak to Hezbollah. I speak to everybody. I’ll speak to people that a lot of people think I shouldn’t be speaking to, and things work out,” said Trump. “I would say this: if the president wanted me to speak to Hezbollah, you know he’s lived with Hezbollah for a long time, and if the president wanted me to speak to Hezbollah, I would.”

Asked about a full withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanon, Trump said Israeli forces were redeploying.

“They’re in the process of redeploying to other sections, and again, they get along very well. That was a great agreement they signed with Lebanon, and they’re redeploying,” he said.

Trump said Lebanon had been mistreated for a long time and deserved greater respect.

“Again, it’s been a very badly treated place and country, and we’re going to have it properly treated with the respect that it deserves,” he added.