Joseph Aoun

Syrian FM visits Beirut after Trump suggests Damascus should fight Hezbollah

The Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani in Beirut, Lebanon, July 2, 2026.
Representations of the Israeli and Lebanese flags at a memorial near the Israel-Lebanon border, outside Metula, Israel, after Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement following US-mediated talks, June 27, 2026.

The new US-Israel-Lebanon deal reshapes the fight against Hezbollah - opinion

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location in this still image obtained from a video released December 5, 2025; illustrative.

Hezbollah chief Qassem rejects Israel-Lebanon agreement, calls it a humiliation

 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025.

US, Israel, Lebanon agreement is ‘first step to restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty,' Aoun says


Lebanese army chief meets US counterparts to boost military support

Lebanon’s army chief, Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, met US officials this week to strengthen military support and discuss efforts to disarm Hezbollah amid ongoing regional tensions.

This photograph taken during a press tour organised by the Lebanese army shows Lebanese soldiers standing atop a military vehicle in Alma Al-Shaab, near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on November 28, 2025.

Lebanon moves forward with disarmament plan, despite ongoing Israeli strikes

Lebanese President Aoun insists on continuing disarmament efforts, despite Israeli airstrikes. The Lebanese army has gained control south of the Litani River, but challenges remain.

 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025.

Diplomatic effort continues to ward off 'specter of war' with Israel, Lebanon's Aoun says

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said "our diplomatic contacts have not stopped to ward off the specter of war" with Israel, noting that "the specter of war is still there."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025.

France, US, Saudis to meet Lebanese army chief to push Hezbollah disarmament plan

Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024, ending more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that severely weakened the Iran-backed terrorists.

This photograph taken during a press tour organised by the Lebanese army shows a military convoy heading to an abandoned tunnel (unseen) said to have been used by Hezbollah, in a mountainous valley on the outskirts of the southern village of Zibqin, on November 28, 2025.

Lebanon is on a dangerous, slippery path toward civil war - opinion

Lebanon has not had a government in decades that truly sought the country’s rehabilitation and a genuine disengagement from Iranian patronage.

SMOKE BILLOWS from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of al-Mjadel on December 4. The IDF said it would strike what it described as Hezbollah military infrastructure in southern Lebanon and warned people in two villages to evacuate immediately.

Ceasefire talks aim primarily at halting Israel's hostilities, Lebanon says

He also told a visiting UN Security Council delegation that Lebanon welcomes any country willing to keep forces in the south to support the army after UNIFIL withdraws.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025.

The Lebanese 'reset': Hezbollah may survive in more limited, but dangerous, form - opinion

The Lebanese government's equivocation means that Hezbollah could yet survive in perhaps a more limited, but still highly dangerous, form.

LEBANESE PRESIDENT Joseph Aoun receives a letter of credence from incoming US Ambassador Michel Issa at the presidential palace in Baabda last month. Aoun is opposed to creating a distinct Hezbollah entity within the army, says the writer.

Israel, US 'running out of patience' on Hezbollah disarming, may lead to war, officials warn

“Hezbollah is recovering day by day, and patience - both Israel’s and America’s - is beginning to run out, which may lead to an escalation in activity,” the officials said.

A Hezbollah terrorist walks beside coffins at a funeral for assassinated military chief Haytham Ali Tabatabai, in Beirut, Lebanon, November 24, 2025

Israel must take opportunity to open ties with Lebanon, Syria to confront Hezbollah - editorial

The two adversaries are signaling openness to a different relationship with Israel, and it is imperative that Jerusalem grasp the opportunity with both hands.

A Hezbollah supporter holds a Palestinian flag and a cutout image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at a ceremony held by Hezbollah to commemorate the first anniversary of Nasrallah's killing by Israel, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, September 27, 2025.

Aoun promises army control in south, but Lebanon still can’t disarm Hamas or Hezbollah - analysis

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun announced that the army will launch a peace initiative in southern Lebanon, taking control of additional positions along the border.

Palestinians celebrate the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, in Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon January 19, 2025.