Joseph Aoun, freshly elected as the President, upon his arrival at the Parliament, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/ L'Orient-Le Jour Archives)
On Jan. 9, 2025, former army chief Joseph Aoun was elected president of Lebanon with 99 votes out of 128 in the second round of a thirteenth parliamentary session held since Michel Aoun's (no relation) term ended on Oct. 31, 2022. The session was scheduled on Nov. 28, 2024, by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — the day after a cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel came into effect, ending more than 13 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah, which today stands significantly weakened.A military leader and political enigma at the time of his election, Aoun enjoys strong U.S. support and now finds himself operating in a local and regional context favorable to his agenda — particularly amid a decline in Iranian influence in the Middle East and renewed U.S. and Saudi interest in Lebanon. Read more Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s new president: A...
On Jan. 9, 2025, former army chief Joseph Aoun was elected president of Lebanon with 99 votes out of 128 in the second round of a thirteenth parliamentary session held since Michel Aoun's (no relation) term ended on Oct. 31, 2022. The session was scheduled on Nov. 28, 2024, by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — the day after a cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel came into effect, ending more than 13 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah, which today stands significantly weakened.A military leader and political enigma at the time of his election, Aoun enjoys strong U.S. support and now finds himself operating in a local and regional context favorable to his agenda — particularly amid a decline in Iranian influence in the Middle East and renewed U.S. and Saudi interest in Lebanon. Read more Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s new...
