- Lebanon has had no head of state since 2022
- US, French and Saudi envoys urged Aoun’s election, sources say
- The outcome shows the loss of influence by Iran-backed Hezbollah
Lebanon’s parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state on Thursday, filling the vacant presidency with a general who has U.S. support and showing the weakened sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.
In a speech to the chamber, Aoun, 60, vowed to work to ensure the state has the exclusive right to carry arms, drawing loud applause as lawmakers from Hezbollah — which runs its own military forces — sat still.
He pledged to restore South Lebanon and other regions he claimed Israel had destroyed, while also vowing to protect Lebanon from future Israeli assaults. This promise comes as the country grapples with severe economic and political turmoil. “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in Lebanon’s history,” he declared.
His election signified changes in the power dynamics within Lebanon and the broader Middle East. The Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah suffered greatly from last year’s conflict, and its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, was overthrown in December.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar congratulated Lebanon, saying on X he hoped Aoun’s election would contribute towards stability and good neighbourly relations.
U.S. ambassador Lisa Johnson, attending the session, told Reuters she was “very happy” with Aoun’s election.
The presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system, has been vacant since Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022, with deeply divided factions unable to agree on a candidate able to win enough votes in the 128-seat parliament.
Joseph Aoun fell short of the 86 votes needed in a first round vote, but crossed the threshold with 99 votes in a second round, after lawmakers from Hezbollah and its Shi’ite ally the Amal Movement backed him.
Hezbollah lawmaker Mohammed Raad said that by delaying their vote for Aoun, the group had “sent a message that we are the guardians of national consensus”.
On Wednesday, momentum gathered for Aoun after Hezbollah’s long-favored candidate, Suleiman Frangieh, withdrew and endorsed the army commander. Meanwhile, French and Saudi envoys actively engaged politicians across Beirut, advocating for Aoun’s election, according to three Lebanese political sources.
A source close to the Saudi royal court said French, Saudi, and U.S. envoys had told Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, that international financial assistance – including from Saudi Arabia – hinged on Aoun’s election.
