Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (left) and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (right), on March 3, 2025, in Riyadh. (Credit: x/Saudi Press Agency)
BEIRUT — Relations between Lebanon and some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are slowly thawing after years of diplomatic strain, mainly linked to Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.The year-long war between the Iran-backed militant group and Israel inflicted severe damage across Lebanon’s southern and eastern regions, subsequently weakening Hezbollah. President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam’s government have since been working to mend ties with the GCC, and particularly Saudi Arabia – once an important ally for Lebanon – which had imposed an import and travel ban on the country in recent years. Aoun made his first official foreign visit to the kingdom in early March, becoming the first Lebanese head of state to do so in over six years. Read more Hacking Lebanese Politics #8: Why did the UAE lift its Lebanon travel ban? Aoun...
BEIRUT — Relations between Lebanon and some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are slowly thawing after years of diplomatic strain, mainly linked to Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.The year-long war between the Iran-backed militant group and Israel inflicted severe damage across Lebanon’s southern and eastern regions, subsequently weakening Hezbollah. President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam’s government have since been working to mend ties with the GCC, and particularly Saudi Arabia – once an important ally for Lebanon – which had imposed an import and travel ban on the country in recent years. Aoun made his first official foreign visit to the kingdom in early March, becoming the first Lebanese head of state to do so in over six years. Read more Hacking Lebanese Politics #8: Why did the UAE lift its Lebanon travel ban?...