Qatar sends Aoun confirmation of support for the army

BEIRUT — Qatar praised the Lebanese Army for what it said was its role in "maintaining security and stability," in a message to President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday.

The message from Qatari Ambassador Saud bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani included "confirmation" of Qatar's support for "Lebanon’s national institutions, foremost among them the army."

"Aware of the scale of the responsibilities it assumes during this sensitive period, we support the missions it undertakes, especially those that contribute to the implementation of United Nations Resolution 1701, which forms the basis for maintaining stability in Lebanon and the region," Thani's statement reads.

The Lebanese Army has been tasked by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's government to carry out the state's ambitions toward achieving a monopoly on arms, with Hezbollah's disarmament at the forefront. Already, since November 2024, the army has been deployed throughout southern Lebanon, dismantling Hezbollah weapon infrastructure and decommissioning weapon stockpiles.

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The new UAE ambassador to Beirut, Salem Fahd al-Kaabi, also arrived in the capital on Tuesday, welcome by Consul Rodrigue Khoury on behalf of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, according to a report from the state-run National News Agency.

In 2021, the UAE — alongside Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait — closed its Beirut embassy and recalled its ambassador over tensions with Hezbollah and its allies and following remarks from the Information Minister Georges Cordahi about Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen, of which it stands accused of war crimes.

In January of this year, following Hezbollah's weakening during the 2024 war, the UAE announced it would reopen the embassy again and Kaabi was appointed in early September by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Defense Minister Michel Menassah and army intelligence chief General Kahwaji have traveled to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to attend the International Cybersecurity Forum 2025. According to al-Markaziya news agency, their program does not include political meetings, notably the conference in support of the army.