Lebanon picks U.S.-backed Aoun as president in shift from Iran

Lebanon lawmakers elected army commander Joseph Aoun as the country’s first president in more than two years, picking a U.S.-backed candidate in a sign of Iran’s waning influence in the region.

More than two-thirds of politicians voted for Aoun to begin a six-year term, clearing a hurdle that hadn’t been met in several recent failed attempts. His win ends a lengthy power vacuum and represents a pivot by Beirut toward the West, with Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah weakened by last year’s bruising conflict with Israel.

Lebanon’s dollar bonds, which the government defaulted on in 2020, extended their big rally of recent weeks, as investors welcomed the sign of stability in the crisis-hit nation.

Aoun, who turns 61 on Friday, has led the army since 2017 and will be responsible for the daunting task of maintaining a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah while working on reforms to resolve a crippling economic crisis. First, he must name a prime minister to help shape the nation’s future after years of crises and isolation, typified by the default on more than $30 billion of Eurobonds five years ago.

Those notes traded almost 10% higher after news broke of Aoun’s election to the highest level since October 2021, accounting for some of the biggest gains among emerging-market peers. That was on top of the 16% returns they had generated since the start of 2025 through Wednesday, the best in the asset class, after a 114% rally last year.

“By securing the borders of Lebanon and regaining the trust in the public institutions, Lebanon can be put on the path of recovery with the help of the supporting countries like Saudi Arabia,” said Najat Aoun Saliba, an independent member of parliament.

After being sworn in, Aoun pledged to strengthen Lebanon’s rule of law and security, saying only the state should bear arms — a reference to the military powers of Hezbollah. He also said he would work to secure Lebanon’s borders and focus on reconstruction and the economy.

“We are living in a crisis of governance and of rulers,” Aoun said, urging lawmakers to work closely with him on what he described as difficult tasks ahead.

Israel severely weakened Hezbollah during an intense offensive by air and land lasting more than two months, killing the U.S.-designated terrorist group’s longstanding leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and depleting its weapons stockpile. That limited the ability of the organization, which is also a political party that holds significant sway in parliament, from sabotaging the electoral process.

Aoun failed to win in a first round of votes without the support of Hezbollah and its allies, though the group eventually expressed support for the “national consensus” and voted for the new president.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed Aoun’s victory, saying he hoped it would lead to “good neighborly relations” between two countries that don’t formally recognize each other.

U.S., Saudi Backing

Aoun, the fourth consecutive military man to hold the presidency, had the backing of Washington partly due to its support for the Lebanese armed forces. Amos Hochstein, one of President Joe Biden’s main Middle East envoys, was in Beirut this week. Other visitors included a delegation from Saudi Arabia, which also supported Aoun’s bid, and France.

Optimism is running high across Lebanon as Aoun’s election suggests a return to the Arab and international fold. Fouad Makhzoumi, an MP who seeks the prime minister role, expects Saudi Arabia to strongly back a reformist government.

“We will see an opening exactly the way it used to be in the nineties,” he said, referring to a time marked by enormous aid flows from Riyadh to Lebanon. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman congratulated the new president.

Aoun will succeed Michel Aoun, who stepped down in 2022. He’s no relation.

Lebanese lawmakers have in the past repeatedly blocked reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund to unlock billions of dollars in aid. These include repealing a banking-secrecy law and implementing a comprehensive audit of the financial system.

“It all boils down to political willingness on the part of the political elites,” said Sumru Altug, an associate fellow at the Beirut-based Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs. “Do they think they can muddle along for a few more years after electing a president, or are they ready to implement financial-sector reform” and “dismantle the cartels that allow them access to all aspects of the Lebanese economy?”