King Abdullah II of Jordan welcoming the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, in Amman on June 10, 2025. (Credit: @LBPresidency/X)
King Abdullah II of Jordan has expressed his "full support" for the international conference in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces (ISF), for which a preparatory meeting is scheduled to be held in Paris on Sept. 17, the Lebanese Army reported Tuesday in a statement, two days after the meeting in Amman between the Hashemite monarch and the Lebanese Army commander-in-chief, Rodolph Haykal.
Paris will host the preparatory meeting on Sept. 17 in advance of the conference to support the Lebanese Army and internal security forces, with military delegations and experts from several countries, as well as experts and representatives from governments and international organizations in attendance, according to Lebanon’s presidency.
The announcement comes as the military institution is being called on to play a crucial role by deploying in south Lebanon and working to disarm Hezbollah. But it is also a way for France to assert its presence in Lebanon, at a time when the United States and — especially — Israel appear hostile to a French role in resolving the conflict in the South.
On Sunday, during the meeting held at the Al-Husseiniya Palace, King Abdullah II reaffirmed that Jordan stands "with brotherly Lebanon" and supports its efforts to preserve "its security and its sovereignty." The audience took place in the presence of the Jordanian joint chiefs of staff, Youssef al-Hneiti, and the king’s chief of staff, Alaa Batayneh.
Military cooperation between Beirut and Amman has been strengthened over the past year. In July 2025, Haykal had already traveled to Jordan, where the two armies emphasized their "strategic partnership," the exchange of expertise and cooperation in several fields, while the Lebanese Army chief specifically visited King Abdullah II’s special forces training center.
In January 2026, his Jordanian counterpart Youssef al-Hneiti visited Beirut, where talks focused on training, strengthening capacities and the continuation of Jordanian support to the Lebanese Army. Amman then provided food aid to the military institution.
