Who is Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief elected to the presidency?

Special Who is Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief elected to the presidency?
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Lebanon’s parliament elected the army chief Joseph Aoun as president on Jan. 9, ending a two-year power vacuum. (AP)
Special Who is Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief elected to the presidency?
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Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun meeting with the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch Beshara al-Rai at the latter's headquarters in Bkerke, north of Beirut, on January 10, 2025. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
Special Who is Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief elected to the presidency?
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Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun (R) is shown receiving Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, the Grand Mufti of Lebanon, at the presidential palace in Baabda, Beirut, on January 11, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 12 January 2025
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Who is Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief elected to the presidency?

Who is Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief elected to the presidency?
  • After 12 failed attempts, Lebanon finally has a new president, ending two-year power vacuum in crisis-wracked nation
  • World and regional leaders, including Saudi Arabia, US, and EU, applaud election of “stabilizing” Aoun

DUBAI: A turning point was reached in Lebanon on Thursday when General Joseph Aoun was elected the country’s 14th president, ending a more than two-year power vacuum and restoring a glimmer of hope in the crisis-wracked nation.

Aoun’s election comes at a critical time as Lebanon grapples with its long political deadlock, economic crisis, and the devastating aftermath of Hezbollah’s 14-month war with Israel, which left vast areas of Lebanon in ruins and killed more than 4,000.

Since late November, Aoun, 61, has been a key player as the army commander in implementing the fragile ceasefire by overseeing the gradual mobilization of the armed forces in south Lebanon.




Lebanese cabinet ministers applaud newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, standing at the top, as gives his first speech at Parliament after being sworn in as president in Beirut on Jan. 9, 2025. (AP)

Under the terms of the truce, the Lebanese Army has been gradually deployed alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as Israeli forces withdraw — a process they must complete by January 26.

Widely backed by western and regional powers, Joseph Aoun is perceived as best to maintain the fragile ceasefire and strengthen Lebanon's international relations, crucial for rallying the support needed to revive the country’s depleted finances.

In a decisive second parliamentary session, Aoun gained 99 votes — enough to secure him the presidency. He became the fifth army commander to serve as Lebanon’s president — a post he will hold for the next six years.

His election reflects a critical compromise among Lebanon’s political blocs, which made notable concessions to ensure a resolution to the deadlock, after a failed first session brought Aoun 71 votes.




Mourners carry portraits of Hezbollah fighters killed in fighting with Israel, at their funeral procession in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Selm on December 6, 2024. The Hezbollah had been considered an obstacle to peace and stability in Lebanon. (AFP)

Over the past 26 months, 12 previous attempts to choose a president failed amid tensions between Hezbollah and its allies on one side and opposition parties on the other, which accused the Iran-backed Shiite militia of seeking to impose its preferred candidate.

Aoun, who like all of his predecessors comes from the Maronite Christian community, as required by Lebanon’s National Pact, replaced Michel Aoun, whose term formally ended in October 2022.

In his inaugural address before the parliament, Aoun vowed to strengthen the position of the armed forces to secure Lebanon’s borders, particularly in the south, fight terrorism, and end Hezbollah’s war with Israel.




Like all of his predecessors, Lebanon's new president, Joseph Aoun, comes from the Maronite Christian community, as required by Lebanon’s National Pact. (AFP infographic)

He also pledged to lead postwar reconstruction efforts, reaffirming Lebanon’s unity.

Aoun arrives at the presidency having built an impressive military career. He steered the military through one of Lebanon’s most tumultuous periods since taking office as Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces in 2017, a tenure that was later extended.

Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Aoun began his military career in 1983 when he volunteered for the army as an officer cadet before enrolling in the Military College.




By shielding Lebanon's army from political conflicts, including Hezbollah’s war with Israel, Aoun ensured its role as a unifying force in a deeply divided country. (AFP) 

His leadership was lauded during the army’s “Dawn of the Outskirts” operation that successfully expelled Syrian militants affiliated with Daesh and Jabhat Al-Nusra in Arsal from Lebanon’s borders.

By shielding the army from political conflicts, including Hezbollah’s war with Israel, Aoun maintained his forces’ neutrality and ensured its role as a unifying force in a country of political and sectarian divides.

Additionally, he has worked to rid the military of corruption and has collaborated with other states to secure aid for army personnel after their monthly salaries dropped to less than $50.




People lift national flags as they offer sweets to passing cars in Beirut's southern village of Qlayaa on January 9, 2025, to celebrate the election of Gen. Joseph Aoun as president of Lebanon. (AFP)

Even before entering the Lebanese parliament’s main chamber and securing the necessary votes, Aoun was floated as an ideal candidate, garnering broad support on domestic, regional, and international fronts.

Washington is the main financial backer of the Lebanese Army, which also receives support from other countries including Qatar.

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Underlining Arab and international backing for Aoun, Thursday’s parliamentary session saw notable attendees, including the Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari, US Ambassador Lisa Johnson, and French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The push for consensus, marked by successive high-level visits to Lebanon by Saudi, Qatari, French, and US officials before the election, was mirrored domestically, where Lebanese opposition forces and other parliamentary blocs lined up behind Aoun’s candidacy




Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun (C-R) receiving a delegation of Lebanese Sunni Muslim religious figures headed by Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian (C-L) at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 11, 2025. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP) 

Lebanon’s Forces of Change was among the factions that supported Aoun, praising his record of restoring order when thousands of Lebanese protesters took to the streets following the country’s economic collapse in 2019.

Notably, the Shiite duo — Hezbollah and the Amal Movement — backed his candidacy, solidifying the support needed to elect Aoun in the second round of voting.

However, the Free Patriotic Movement and other independent MPs opposed Aoun’s nomination, arguing that his election was the result of international and regional dictates over a sovereign Lebanese decision.

Aoun’s presidency was welcomed regionally and internationally.


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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Aoun’s success, wishing the Lebanese people further progress and prosperity.

Qatar likewise praised Aoun’s election, calling for “stability,” while Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi wished him luck in achieving prosperity for Lebanon and stronger ties with the Gulf bloc.

Al-Budaiwi reiterated the GCC’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and stability, as well as its armed forces.

The leaders of Jordan and the UAE pledged to work with the new president to boost ties and support reforms, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Lebanon would overcome the “repercussions of Israeli aggression” under the new leadership.




Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron was among the first Western leaders to congratulate Aoun on Thursday.

“(The election) paves the way for reform and the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty and prosperity,” Macron posted on X. In a phone call with Aoun later, he said France “will continue to be at the side of Lebanon and its people,” vowing to visit the country soon.

In a statement, US President Joe Biden said Aoun “has my confidence. I strongly believe he is the right leader for this time.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the swift formation of a new government, to preserve the country’s security and stability, strengthen state authority, and advance much-needed reforms.

 

 

The UN Security Council also congratulated Aoun and affirmed “strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence of Lebanon,” while calling for a full implementation of Resolution 1701.

UNSC members also emphasized the importance of the election in ensuring fully functional state institutions to address the “pressing economic political and security challenges” of the country.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the election of Aoun as a “moment of hope” for the country. “The way is now open to stability and reforms. Europe supports this path,” she posted on X.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Lebanon’s new president was a chance for “reforms and change.”

“After many years of crisis and stagnation, this is a moment of opportunity to bring about reforms and change,” Baerbock posted on X. “Germany stands by the side of the people of Lebanon on the way forward.”




Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (R) receives Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (C) at his office in Beirut on October 23, 2024. (AFP)

Russia also welcomed the election of a new president of Lebanon, which it hopes will bring political stability to the country.

Aoun’s election “opened up the prospect of strengthening internal political stability in Lebanon and righting the country’s complex social and economic position,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The UK welcomed Aoun’s election, saying it was looking forward to working with him to support stability.

“I congratulate General Joseph Aoun on his election as president of Lebanon,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy wrote on X. “I look forward to working with his government to support Lebanon’s stability and prosperity.”

 

 

Aoun faces the daunting task of restoring stability and naming a prime minister able to lead reforms demanded by international creditors to save the country from its economic crisis, described by the World Bank as one of the worst in modern history.

The challenge lies in whether Lebanon’s diverse political forces can unite around Aoun’s leadership and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to form a consensus government.




Lebanese Parliament leaders led by Speaker Nabih Berri acknowledge army chief Joseph Aoun's election as the country's president at the parliament building in Beirut on January 9, 2025. (Reuters)

Even if shaped by the traditional “quota-sharing,” such a government must demonstrate the capacity to address Lebanon’s pressing challenges with a comprehensive and shared national vision.

The success of Aoun’s cabinet hinges on prioritizing the Lebanese people’s interests and leveraging parliamentary cooperation to ensure the nation’s recovery, navigating the nation out of the turmoil that has long overshadowed its potential.


 


Hamas says Israeli block on diggers affecting extraction of hostages’ bodies

People walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 30, 2025. (REUTERS)
People walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 30, 2025. (REUTERS)
Updated 15 sec ago
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Hamas says Israeli block on diggers affecting extraction of hostages’ bodies

People walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 30, 2025. (REUTERS)
  • Of the 251 hostages Hamas seized in its unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, 76 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military has confirmed are dead

GAZA CITY: Hamas on Friday said Israel’s blocking of heavy machinery entering Gaza to clear rubble caused by war was affecting efforts to extract the bodies of hostages.
“Preventing the entry of heavy equipment and machinery needed to remove 55 million tonnes of rubble ... will undoubtedly affect the resistance’s ability to extract from under the rubble the dead prisoners (hostages),” said Salama Marouf, spokesman for Hamas’s media office in Gaza.
Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of slowing down aid deliveries expected under the terms of the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, including key items such as fuel, tents, and heavy machinery for clearing rubble.

FASTFACT

Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of slowing down aid deliveries expected under the terms of the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza.

The Israeli government and COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, have rejected the accusation.
Of the 251 hostages Hamas seized in its unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, 76 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military has confirmed are dead.
Hamas’ armed wing released the names of three captives it said would be freed on Saturday in a fifth hostage-prisoner swap as part of an ongoing agreement with Israel.
“Within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood deal for the prisoner exchange, the (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades have decided to release” the three hostages, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the armed wing, said on Telegram.

 


Khamenei warns against negotiating with US

Khamenei warns against negotiating with US
Updated 6 min 37 sec ago
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Khamenei warns against negotiating with US

Khamenei warns against negotiating with US
  • Trump, who returned to the White House on Jan. 20, reinstated on Tuesday his “maximum pressure” policy toward Iran over allegations the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons

TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on Friday that there should not be negotiations with the US, days after US President Donald Trump called for a new nuclear deal.
“You should not negotiate with such a government. It is unwise, it is not intelligent, it is not honorable to negotiate,” Khamenei said during a meeting with army commanders. The US had previously “ruined, violated, and tore up” a 2015 nuclear deal, he said, adding that “the same person who is in power now tore up the treaty.”
On Wednesday, Trump suggested striking a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Iran, adding in his social media post that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump, who returned to the White House on Jan. 20, reinstated on Tuesday his “maximum pressure” policy toward Iran over allegations the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.
Following the policy’s reinstatement, Washington on Thursday announced financial sanctions on entities and individuals accused of shipping hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian crude oil to China.
Tehran on Friday condemned the sanctions as “illegal,” saying they were “categorically unjustified and contrary to international rules.”
“We must understand this correctly: they should not pretend that if we sit down at the negotiating table with that government (the US administration), problems will be solved,” Khamenei said.
“No problem will be solved by negotiating with America,” he said, citing previous “experience.”
Khamenei also warned of reciprocal measures if the US threatened or acted against Iran.
“If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they carry out this threat, we will carry out our threat. If they attack the security of our nation, we will attack their security without hesitation,” he said.
During President Trump’s first term, which ended in 2021, Washington withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal that had imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Tehran adhered to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action deal until a year after Washington pulled out but then began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the agreement have since faltered.
Khamenei said Iran was “very generous” during the negotiations culminating in the deal, but it “did not achieve the intended results.”
Iranian political expert Afifeh Abedi said Khamenei’s remarks highlight “a serious concern” that negotiations “will result in the US breaching its commitments.”
“Iran understands that Trump’s willingness to negotiate is a disingenuous, reactionary move driven by other objectives rather than a genuine commitment to reaching an agreement,” she said.
Iran has repeatedly expressed a willingness to revive the nuclear deal, and President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for an end to the country’s isolation.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently said that the new US administration should work to regain Tehran’s trust if it wants a new round of nuclear talks.
Western sanctions, especially since the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, have taken a toll on millions of Iranians struggling to make ends meet amid high inflation and a plunging currency.
Khamenei acknowledged this on Friday, saying, “almost most segments of the population have some problems,” but adding they could be solved internally.
The current “respected government can reduce the people’s livelihood problems,” he said.
Without directly mentioning Gaza, Khamenei said on Friday the US administration was trying “to change the map of the world.”
“Of course, it is only on paper, it has no basis in reality,” he said.

 


Scholz vows support for ‘free and safe’ Syria

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (AP)
Updated 19 min 49 sec ago
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Scholz vows support for ‘free and safe’ Syria

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (AP)
  • German Chancellor stresses ‘importance of the fight against terrorism’

BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Friday that Berlin was ready to support the transition to a “free and safe” future after the ouster of Bashar Assad.

Scholz expressed Berlin’s “willingness to support the reconstruction of Syria so that Syria can become a free and safe home for all” in an hour-long conversation with Al-Sharaa, the chancellor’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said in a statement.
In his first call with the new Syrian leader, Scholz “congratulated the Syrian people on their success in ending the Assad regime’s reign of terror.”
Al-Sharaa was appointed as Syria’s president at the end of January after militants toppled Assad, ending more than five decades of the family’s iron-fisted rule.
Scholz told the new Syrian leader he needed to lead an “inclusive political process ... that allows all Syrians, regardless of their ethnic or religious group,to participate.”
The chancellor also stressed “the ongoing importance of the fight against terrorism for security in Syria,” according to the statement.
Scholz said that Germany would work with European and international partners in this regard.
Al-Sharaa has been invited to visit Germany, his office said on Friday following the phone call.
The invitation came two days after Al-Sharaa’s office announced he had been invited to visit France.
Scholz and Al-Sharaa agreed on Syria’s need for an inclusive political process that allows the participation of all Syrians and provides rights and protection, the German spokesperson said.
“The Federal Chancellor underlined the ongoing importance of the fight against terrorism for security in Syria, the region and worldwide,” the spokesperson added.
Al-Sharaa has made a push to rebuild Syria’s diplomatic ties since his Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS, spearheaded the overthrow of Assad.
However, the country faces a difficult transition amid unresolved territorial and governance challenges. Armed forces in the south, including from the Druze minority, have responded cautiously to the new authority in Damascus.
Also on Friday, Human Rights Watch warned that US aid suspensions could worsen “life-threatening conditions” in camps holding relatives of suspected extremists in northeast Syria, urging Washington to maintain support.
Kurdish-run camps and prisons in the region still hold around 56,000 people with alleged or perceived links to Daesh, years after the extremists’ territorial defeat.
They include suspects locked up in prisons, as well as the wives and children of Daesh fighters held in the Al-Hol and Roj internment camps.
“The US government’s suspension of foreign aid to non-governmental organizations operating in these camps is exacerbating life-threatening conditions, risking further destabilization of a precarious security situation,” HRW said in a statement.
The rights group said the aid freeze could “limit the provision of essential services for camp residents,” citing international humanitarian workers.

 


Syrian jailed over death of migrant girl

Syrian jailed over death of migrant girl
Updated 26 min 38 sec ago
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Syrian jailed over death of migrant girl

Syrian jailed over death of migrant girl
  • The child, accompanied by her mother, was one of three girls aged three to five who were airlifted to a hospital in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, after being found unconscious during a major rescue operation. She died the following day
  • Under Cypriot law, the maximum penalty provided for causing death through negligence is four years in prison

NICOSIA: A Cypriot court sentenced a Syrian man who captained a migrant boat from Lebanon to three years in prison over causing the death of a young girl from dehydration, authorities said on Friday.
A statement by the Cypriot prosecution service said the Famagusta Criminal Court sentenced the Syrian national, 47, after finding him guilty of negligence resulting in the death of a three-year-old Syrian girl, who died from dehydration.
The young girl was among 60 “distressed and dehydrated” Syrians rescued from a crowded wooden boat off the coast of the Mediterranean island on Jan. 24, 2024.
According to the prosecution service, which did not name either the victim or the perpetrator, the “convicted individual had taken on the role of captain of the wooden boat that transported the Syrian migrants.”
Under Cypriot law, the maximum penalty provided for causing death through negligence is four years in prison.
The child, accompanied by her mother, was one of three girls aged three to five who were airlifted to a hospital in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, after being found unconscious during a major rescue operation. She died the following day.
The court said the accused failed to ensure the vessel’s safe navigation and take necessary safety measures for the passengers against potential dangers at sea.
It added that he lacked the qualifications for such a journey, as he attempted to navigate an overloaded boat that did not meet the minimum technical and structural specifications.
“When the boat’s engine broke down, it drifted for six days in open waters, exposed to harsh weather conditions, lacking direction, food, and drinking water.
There were 15 children on the boat, including five unaccompanied minors.
The migrants took off from Lebanon — about 168 km from Cyprus — on Jan. 18, 2024.
Cyprus had for years said it had the highest number of asylum seekers per capita in the EU, but the government has recently reported a drastic drop in migrant arrivals.

 


Slain deputy chief of Hamas armed wing given Gaza burial

Slain deputy chief of Hamas armed wing given Gaza burial
Updated 38 min 20 sec ago
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Slain deputy chief of Hamas armed wing given Gaza burial

Slain deputy chief of Hamas armed wing given Gaza burial
  • Issa’s coffin, draped in the green Hamas and Palestinian flags and adorned with pictures of the slain deputy, was carried aloft by fighters during the procession
  • Friday prayers before the burial were held in a sports stadium in the camp

BUREIJ, Palestinian Territories: Hundreds of Hamas fighters and onlookers gathered in the Gaza Strip’s Bureij refugee camp on Friday for the funeral of Marwan Issa, the slain deputy leader of the movement’s armed wing.
Brandishing assault rifles, their eyes the only visible feature behind black masks, fighters from the group’s armed Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades packed the narrow streets of the central Gaza camp for the funerary procession.
The Israeli military had said it had killed Issa in a March 2024 air strike, but his death was only confirmed by Hamas on January 30 amid an ongoing ceasefire with Israel in Gaza.
The group also announced the death of Al-Qassam’s military chief Mohammed Deif, who Israel had said it had killed in a July airstrike, as well as a number of other fighters and commanders.
Issa’s coffin, draped in the green Hamas and Palestinian flags and adorned with pictures of the slain deputy, was carried aloft by fighters during the procession. Friday prayers before the burial were held in a sports stadium in the camp.
“Do not think that the resistance has ended with the assassination of the great leader Marwan Issa,” said a fighter from the militant group Islamic Jihad, whose members were also out in force at the funeral.
“We have many resistance fighters and heroes, and we are constantly preparing for you,” he added.
Israel had accused Issa of being one of the organizers of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which started the Gaza war.
In a hostage handover on Saturday, as part of the terms of the ceasefire deal, scores of Hamas fighters carried pictures of the slain commanders in a show of strength in Gaza City’s port.