MBS invites Aoun to Saudi Arabia

President Joseph Aoun and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone late Sunday, as the Lebanese president was in Washington on an official visit.

“The latest developments in Lebanon and the Middle East were at the heart of the conversation. MBS reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's support for Lebanon in this particular period. The options chosen by President Aoun regarding Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity were also discussed,” according to statements from the Lebanese presidency on X and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The crown prince reiterated “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's determination to provide assistance in all areas Lebanon needs, in accordance with the priorities set by the Lebanese government.”

MBS also invited Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia to discuss issues of mutual interest. The Lebanese president thanked him for his support and for the measures taken to help Lebanon and strengthen its economy.

Tensions between Beirut and Riyadh have largely eased since Aoun's election. His first trip abroad as president was to Riyadh in March 2025, two months after taking office.

Relations between the two countries had deteriorated in recent years because of regional tensions involving Iran and Hezbollah, as well as the trafficking of captagon produced in Lebanon and smuggled into Saudi Arabia via Syria under Bashar al-Assad. A sign of the thaw came on June 10, when Saudi Arabia lifted a five-year ban on Lebanese imports.

The call came as the region faces a new escalation, with Iran and the United States exchanging daily strikes for nine consecutive days. Tehran has retaliated against U.S. attacks on its territory by targeting infrastructure it says is linked to the United States in Gulf countries, though those strikes have so far spared Saudi territory.