Joseph aoun

US Envoy Signals Optimism for Lebanon’s Future

Tom Barrack, who arrived in Beirut last night, began his meetings with Lebanese authorities on Monday morning. He was received at Baabda Palace by President Joseph Aoun, in the presence of Morgan Ortagus and a US delegation. After the meeting, Barrack expressed optimism: “We feel hopeful, and in the coming weeks we will see progress on many ...

Hezbollah’s Threats: A Misreading of Lebanon’s Real Fabric

In a country that truly upholds the rule of law, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, would have faced prosecution for undermining national security, inciting sedition, and threatening civil peace. As the figurehead of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ outpost in Lebanon, he has reached new heights of recklessness, veering into ...

President Joseph Aoun: Hezbollah’s Weapons Are an Internal Matter for the State

The President of the Lebanese Republic, General Joseph Aoun, affirmed in an exclusive interview with Al-Arabiya channel on Sunday that “Iran is a friendly country, but on the basis of mutual respect and the preservation of sovereignty. It must be a friend to all components of the Lebanese society, not to one faction alone.” He stressed that ...

Barrack-Ortagus in Brief: Support for Government and Army, Conditions on UNIFIL Renewal

Early on Monday morning, US envoy Tom Barrack, accompanied by Morgan Ortagus, will meet with President Joseph Aoun to discuss two interlinked essential issues: the second phase of consolidating state control over all weapons, and the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate in South Lebanon at the end of this month. According to official Lebanese sources, ...

President Aoun Inspects the Presidential Guard

The President of the Lebanese Republic, Joseph Aoun, paid a visit to the Presidential Guard company of the Internal Security Forces, where he was welcomed by the unit commander, as well as several officers and other personnel. During his tour, President Aoun inspected the company's building, inquired about the progress of the missions entrusted ...

Aoun: Lebanon’s Main Problem Is Corruption, Not Bankruptcy

President Joseph Aoun on Thursday emphasized that Lebanon’s primary challenge is corruption, “because there has been no accountability.” Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Business Council in Abu Dhabi, Aoun noted that “today, there is a judiciary, cases are being opened, and there are no prohibitions or red lines ...

Iran’s Shadow in Beirut: Larijani’s Visit and Lebanon’s Tightrope Walk

On August 13, 2025, Beirut became the stage for one of the most charged diplomatic performances in years. Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived at Rafic Hariri International Airport to a reception that looked less like a state visit and more like a triumphant homecoming. Thousands of Hezbollah supporters ...

Lebanese Officials Stress Sovereignty as Iran’s Larijani Maps Out Suggestions for Lebanon

The Lebanese government’s message to Tehran was crystal clear on Wednesday: Beirut will not tolerate any interference in its internal affairs, let alone intrusions into its sovereign decisions, most notably, the state’s monopoly on arms. This unequivocal stance was delivered first by President Joseph Aoun and then by Prime Minister ...

Commercial Leases: Latest Amendments to Law No. 11

Law No. 11 was adopted in December 2023 and has already been challenged twice before the Constitutional Council: first by the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, and then by thirteen MPs. Parliament passed its latest amendments on Thursday, July 31, 2025, hoping this version would be definitive and escape further ...

Aoun: No One Is Above the Law in the Fight Against Corruption

President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday reaffirmed that “no one is above the law” as the government moves to combat corruption, warning that some actors are intent on destroying Lebanon. Addressing a delegation of students from the Maronite Foundation for the Diaspora, Aoun said the government’s priority is to restore confidence between the ...

Hezbollah and the Monopoly of Arms: A Political Tug of War

Lebanon’s long-standing dispute over weapons has moved from political debate to decisive state action. Following a landmark Cabinet ruling, Hezbollah’s legal justification for maintaining arms has been revoked, forcing the group to either disarm peacefully or face consequences. Since the 1989 Taif Agreement, Hezbollah has refused to hand over ...

Aoun Offers Condolences to Wadi Zebqine Blast Victims, Checks on Wounded Soldiers

President Joseph Aoun visited on Monday Minister of Defense Maj. Gen. Michel Menassa and Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal at Yarze to extend condolences for the soldiers killed in the Wadi Zebqine incident and checked on wounded troops. At Geitaoui Hospital, Aoun checked on the condition of a wounded soldier, met the medical team and the ...