In neighboring Syria, an untested new government is attempting to chart a path forward and rebuild after years of civil war. The fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the defeat of Hezbollah mean a sudden loss of power for their patron, Iran.
Lebanon’s international backers, including the United States, have implied that postwar financial support is contingent on the election of a president. According to the World Bank, the Israel-Hezbollah war, which has been suspended during a fragile 60-day cease-fire, has cost Lebanon $8.5 billion in damages.
Since October 2022, when Michel Aoun stepped down as president at the end of his six-year term, the Parliament has failed in 12 previous votes to elect a successor. But Hezbollah, long a dominant political force in Lebanon, was deeply weakened by the war with Israel and analysts noted that the group likely felt it had to make concessions because of the scale of Lebanon’s financial need.
-The new president, who is not related to Michel Aoun, is considered by analysts to have U.S. backing and is widely respected in Lebanon. He has led the country’s armed forces since 2017, a role that placed him at the helm of the single national institution that enjoys cross-sectarian support.
“He is seen as an acceptable figure by all of Lebanon’s political elite,” said Lina Khatib, an associate fellow at Chatham House, a London-based research organization. “This is tied to the perception in Lebanon that the Lebanese army is an institution working in the national interest.”
