Joseph Aoun

Hezbollah Reconsiders Arms as Regional Shifts and Domestic Pressures Mount

Hezbollah is reportedly reassessing its military strategy, including the potential reduction of its weapons arsenal, notably its missiles and drones, in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from disputed border areas and an end to ongoing airstrikes. According to a report by the British website UnHerd, the once-unthinkable notion of disarmament has ...

US Envoy Thomas Barrack Urges Lebanon to Seize the Moment, or Be Left Behind

US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack delivered a strong message to Lebanese leaders on Monday, urging them to “seize the opportunity” for peace and reform while the region is moving forward on the path of change and the United States remains engaged and supportive. His remarks to the press followed a meeting with President Joseph Aoun at ...

Barrack in Lebanon: The Country at a Historic Crossroads

US envoy Tom Barrack is back in Beirut this Monday – his second visit in less than a month. His goal: to secure a clear response from Lebanese authorities on the US proposal to disarm Hezbollah by November. Barrack is expected to meet with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Foreign Minister ...

When Hezbollah Clings to a Perpetual State of War

In the aftermath of one of Hezbollah’s many aimless wars in recent years, a senior figure within the pro-Iranian party delivered a speech categorizing the Lebanese people into four groups: the “noblest” – party members and loyalists who, in his words, are “resisting the occupation,” those who “collaborate with the enemy,” those who ...

Aoun to Lammy: Only LAF and UNIFIL Will Operate in South Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun announced that the Lebanese Army (LAF) will soon have 10,000 troops deployed south of the Litani River as part of the government’s efforts to reinforce state authority and comply with United Nations Resolution 1701. The announcement was made on Saturday during a meeting with visiting British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at ...

Hezbollah Ambiguous on Disarmament and Disbanding of Its Security and Financial Arms

According to Lebanese sources, the anticipated response to the message conveyed by US envoy Tom Barrack regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah is expected to align with what Barrack stated in an interview with The New York Times, specifically the application of a carrot-and-stick approach toward the group. Lebanon's official response, however, ...

Lebanon Risks Missing the Train

There was a time when the idea of Syria normalizing ties with Israel would’ve been laughed out of every Arab capital. Not anymore. Damascus is reportedly engaged in serious discussions to join the Abraham Accords. Once-controversial deals, the Accords now seem like the Middle East’s new baseline. That Syria, of all countries, is entertaining ...

President Aoun Stresses Judicial Integrity During Visit to Ministry of Justice

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited the Ministry of Justice in Beirut this morning to assess the state of the judicial sector amid the country’s ongoing challenges. During his tour, President Aoun addressed judges directly, urging them to uphold fairness and resist external influence. “Judge fairly and per the law; do not acquit a ...

President Aoun Receives Saudi Envoy Ahead of Barrack Visit

President Joseph Aoun met on Thursday with Saudi Arabia’s special envoy for Lebanon, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, at Baabda Palace. The Saudi envoy’s visit precedes the arrival in Beirut of United States envoy Tom Barrack, who gave Lebanese officials a one-week deadline to respond to the US roadmap for Lebanon – which aims, among other things, ...

PM Salam: Lebanon Intensifying Efforts to Implement UN Resolution 1701

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Wednesday that the government is stepping up efforts to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. Speaking during a session of the Economic and Social Council, Salam stressed the state’s commitment to asserting sovereignty across all Lebanese territory, curbing the illegal ...

President Aoun Meets New UNIFIL Chief, Reaffirms Commitment to Resolution 1701

President Joseph Aoun met on Monday with the new head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Diodato Abagnara, during a courtesy visit marking the start of the general’s mandate. During the meeting, President Aoun underscored the importance of UNIFIL’s continued cooperation with the Lebanese Army in southern ...

Elon Musk Expresses Interest in Investing in Lebanon’s Tech Sector

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has voiced interest in establishing a presence for his companies in Lebanon, according to a statement released on Thursday by the Lebanese Presidency. In a phone conversation with President Joseph Aoun, Musk reportedly expressed his willingness to engage in Lebanon’s telecommunications and internet sectors. The ...