Hariri Will be Hosted by Trump, White House Statement Says

US President Donald Trump will meet Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Washington next week for talks on issues including refugees and combating terrorism, the White House announced in a statement.

Analysts also anticipate US aid will be high on the agenda of the July 25th talks at the White House.

"The two leaders will discuss issues of mutual concern, including the fight against terrorism, the economy, and refugees," the White House statement said.

"This meeting will serve as an important opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relationship," the statement said, adding that the talks "will encourage other international and regional partners to support Lebanon as it faces a wide range of challenges."

Hariri had left to the US on Friday on an official visit during which he will meet with Trump and other US officials, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and members of Congress as well as senior officials from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The announcement comes days after US Ambassador Nikki Haley accused Hizbullah of amassing weapons and urged the international community to dial up pressure on the powerful paramilitary organization to disarm.

There has been speculation about the possibility of a new war between Iran-backed Hizbullah and Israel, more than a decade after their last direct confrontation.

On Thursday members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced legislation aimed at bolstering sanctions targeting Hizbullah, dubbing the group a threat to Israel's security and criticizing its role as an active ally of President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.