Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly conditioned any direct meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on prior progress toward a formal agreement, including Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah disarmament, and a non-aggression framework, rather than a full peace treaty. US-mediated official-level talks have continued, with the most recent round concluding in Rome in early August 2026 and the next scheduled for September, covering pilot withdrawal zones and security arrangements. Aoun has publicly urged diplomacy over renewed conflict while rejecting immediate leader-level engagement. These dynamics, alongside periodic Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets and broader regional pressures, shape trader assessments of whether a Netanyahu-Aoun conversation will occur by the market's resolution date.