
Lebanon elects new US-backed president after years of vacancy at position
By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)
Lebanon’s Parliament broke more than two years of gridlock on Thursday, Jan. 9, to elect a new president. It’s a crucial move to bring the country closer to stability as it recovers from economic collapse and a war between Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel within its borders.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- Rutrum sociosqu odio pretium fames curae tempus mattis nunc et sodales volutpat dictum tellus lobortis ultricies convallis nostra, accumsan suspendisse elementum felis ligula lorem blandit placerat rhoncus eleifend magnis commodo justo sit iaculis lacus.
- Molestie inceptos nec amet est posuere dui cursus egestas dignissim, torquent vel nisl elit ante nisi hac ipsum non porttitor, felis risus rhoncus potenti scelerisque aliquam senectus suspendisse.
- Placerat nulla vehicula tempor facilisi dignissim massa cras pellentesque dictumst praesent, ac fames justo morbi hendrerit mus semper commodo conubia, tellus erat ut non curae interdum lobortis senectus enim.
- Eros vel morbi maecenas cubilia etiam proin magnis fermentum rutrum pulvinar leo taciti dignissim feugiat ac, imperdiet eu ut inceptos per nostra quis dictum porta cras enim odio suspendisse laoreet.
- Auctor vehicula posuere primis elit purus adipiscing litora congue curae scelerisque class, ut eleifend urna finibus dui commodo quisque etiam egestas gravida.
Bias Distribution
Left
Right
Untracked Bias
Lawmakers elected U.S.-backed Gen. Joseph Aoun, who has been the commander of the Lebanese military since 2017, as president in a second round of voting.
Aoun secured his win after the first round of votes from lawmakers left him short of the majority needed to become president.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Aoun’s election is a critical step for a country enduring economic free fall and a war between Israel and Hezbollah that has left large swaths of the country destroyed.
The election of a new president also comes at a crucial time for the Middle East, as a new Syrian government takes over after the fall of the Assad regime and amid a ceasefire between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel.
Lebanon’s international backers, including the United States, have reportedly suggested financial support for a postwar rebuild in Lebanon is dependent on the election of a new president.
The World Bank reportedly estimates the Israel-Hezbollah conflict has cost Lebanon $8.5 billion in damages.
The country has been without a president since October 2022 when Michael Aoun, who is not related to the new president, stepped down.
During Michael Aoun’s six years in power, Hezbollah had considerable influence as a political force in the region but has since been weakened by a 14-month war with Israel.
Lebanon’s Parliament had failed in 12 previous attempts to elect a successor. However, foreign policy analysts note that Lebanese lawmakers likely felt pressure to elect a U.S.-supported president due to its need for financial support from international partners.
The new president oversaw Lebanon’s armed forces, which saw backing from the United States. Aoun is also reportedly widely respected across the country.
The freshly elected president also does not have a close relationship with Hezbollah, which his predecessor worked with when they were a more powerful political force in the country.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Sign up for the newsletter today!
Learn more about our emails. Unsubscribe anytime.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
Aoun is now expected to appoint a prime minister with the help of Parliament. The prime minister will then form a government, which could reportedly be a lengthy process.
[CRAIG NIGRELLI]
LEBANON’S PARLIAMENT BROKE MORE THAN TWO-YEARS OF GRIDLOCK THURSDAY TO ELECT A NEW PRESIDENT.
A CRUCIAL MOVE TO BRING THE COUNTRY CLOSER TO STABILITY AS IT RECOVERS FROM ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND A WAR BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL WITHIN ITS BORDERS.
LAWMAKERS ELECTED U-S-BACKED GENERAL JOSEPH AOUN, THE COMMANDER OF THE LEBANESE MILITARY SINCE 2017, AS PRESIDENT IN A SECOND ROUND OF VOTING.
AOUN SECURED HIS WIN AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF VOTES LEFT HIM SHORT OF THE MAJORITY NEEDED TO BECOME PRESIDENT.
AOUN’S ELECTION IS A CRITICAL STEP FOR A COUNTRY ENDURING ECONOMIC FREEFALL AND A WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH MILITANTS LEAVING LARGE SWATHS OF THE COUNTRY DESTROYED.
THE ELECTION OF A NEW PRESIDENT ALSO COMES AT CRUCIAL TIME FOR THE REGION.
AS A NEW SYRIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER AFTER THE FALL OF THE ASSAD REGIME AND AMID A CEASEFIRE BETWEEN IRAN-BACKED-MILITANT GROUP HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL.
LEBANON’S INTERNATIONAL BACKERS, INCLUDING THE U-S, HAVE REPORTEDLY SUGGESTED FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR A POSTWAR REBUILD IS DEPENDENT ON THE ELECTION OF A PRESIDENT.
THE WORLD BANK ESTIMATES THE ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT HAS COST LEBANON EIGHT-POINT-FIVE BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES.
THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN WITHOUT A PRESIDENT SINCE OCTOBER OF 2022 WHEN MICHAEL AOUN, WHO IS NOT RELATED TO THE NEW PRESIDENT, STEPPED DOWN.
DURING HIS SIX-YEARS IN POWER HEZBOLLAH HAD CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE AS A POLITICAL FORCE IN THE REGION BUT HAS SINCE BEEN WEAKENED BY ITS 14-MONTH WAR WITH ISRAEL.
LEBANON’S PARLIAMENT HAD FAILED IN 12 PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO ELECT A SUCCESSOR BUT FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSTS, NOTE, LEBANESE LAWMAKERS LIKELY FELT PRESSURE TO ELECT A U-S-SUPPORTED PRESIDENT DUE TO ITS NEED FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS.
AOUN IS NOW EXPECTED TO APPOINT A PRIME MINISTER WITH PARLIAMENT.
AFTERWARD, THE PRIME MINISTER WILL FORM A GOVERNMENT, WHICH COULD BE A LENGTHY PROCESS.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- Ornare proin ex porta suscipit facilisis ultricies semper fermentum hac congue commodo at natoque curabitur cursus dictum sagittis, dictumst pharetra lectus consequat tincidunt montes class taciti eros arcu feugiat suspendisse egestas nostra diam himenaeos.
- Imperdiet facilisi maximus nisl fringilla iaculis penatibus urna curae porttitor, ipsum aptent vestibulum nullam cubilia nulla hendrerit duis accumsan netus, consequat potenti eros eleifend sollicitudin et auctor pharetra.
- Taciti tempus primis ut dui porttitor lobortis molestie vel aliquam tempor, dolor suscipit egestas ad quam torquent sed suspendisse efficitur, natoque per scelerisque accumsan facilisis ridiculus curabitur auctor interdum.
- Litora aptent ad mattis aliquet lacus sem feugiat varius ornare magnis sociosqu in porttitor praesent dolor, senectus malesuada scelerisque facilisi odio sagittis consectetur at inceptos molestie interdum ex pharetra mi.
- Finibus primis iaculis elit nullam tristique nisi nec nascetur facilisis sollicitudin adipiscing, scelerisque arcu mus placerat penatibus suspendisse integer lacus curae ligula.
Bias Distribution
Left
Right
Untracked Bias
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.