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His ExcellencyJoseph Aoun
جوزيف عون
Aoun in 2025
14th President of Lebanon
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 January 2025
Prime Minister	Najib Mikati
Preceded by	Michel Aoun
14th Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 March 2017
President	Michel Aoun Himself
Preceded by	Jean Kahwaji
Personal details
Born	(1964-01-10) 10 January 1964 (age 61) Sin el Fil, Mount Lebanon, Lebanon
Spouse	Nehmat Nehmeh
Children	2
Education	Lebanese American University (BA)​ Lebanese Army Military Acad.
Military service
Allegiance	Lebanon
Branch	Lebanese Army
Service years	1983–present
Rank	General
Wars	Lebanese Civil War Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon

Joseph Khalil Aoun (/aʊn/; Arabic: جوزيف خليل عون; born 10 January 1964) is a Lebanese politician and general who has been serving as the 14th president of Lebanon since 9 January 2025. He has also served as the 14th Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces since 2017.

Early life and education

Aoun was born on 10 January 1964, in the Beirut suburb of Sin el-Fil in the Metn District, the child of Hoda Ibrahim Makhlouta and Khalil Aoun. He completed secondary school at the Collège des Frères Mont La Salle. His family is originally from the town of Al-Aaishiyah, Southern Lebanon.

Aoun enrolled at the Lebanese American University to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science and international affairs, which he earned in 2007. He also holds a bachelor's degree in military science from the Lebanese Army Military Academy.

Military career

Aoun joined the Lebanese army in 1983. He trained abroad, especially in the United States and Syria. He also underwent counter-terrorism training in the United States in 2008 and Lebanon in 2013. He has headed the army's 9th Infantry Brigade since 2015.

Lebanese Civil War

In 1990, Aoun served as a lieutenant under the command of the Lebanese Army's Fawj al-Maghaweer (Arabic: فوج المغاوير, The Commando Regiment) under leader Bassam Gergi at the Adma barracks. During the Adma Battle in the Civil War's Liberation War's Elimination War, Gergi was killed and Aoun took over leadership within the Maghaweer group.

Commander of Lebanese Armed Forces

In 2015, Aoun was appointed commander of the 9th Brigade deployed on the border with Israel. On 8 March 2017, the Lebanese government appointed him commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), replacing Jean Kahwaji.

Aoun led battles against the Islamic State campaign in eastern Lebanon, where hundreds of Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front militants were entrenched on the border with Syria. On 19 August 2017, he commanded the Jroud Dawn Operation which was a successful offensive to expel the militants from their strongholds.

Following protests in Lebanon and the political deadlock, General Aoun spoke out on 8 March 2021 criticising the Lebanese liquidity crisis and its impact on the military. His speech went viral on social media.

On 15 December 2023, the Lebanese parliament voted to extend Aoun's term for one year which was mainly endorsed by the Lebanese Opposition, the Amal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party. During this time, he led the LAF through the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. On 28 November 2024, parliament voted to extend his term a second time.

Political career

Aoun's possible presidential candidacy was first raised by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in July 2022 who suggested that he would make a good successor to Michel Aoun. Qatar declared support for his candidacy during a visit by officials as they vowed to support the army with financial and military aid; the United States followed with support.

In December 2022, a five-nation group was formed by the Doha envoy which involved the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to hold talks and resolve the presidential vacancy in Lebanon in which most countries affirmed its support for Aoun's election. Walid Jumblatt was the first to officially announce that the Democratic Gathering bloc, that he leads, would elect him. On 9 January, opposition groups including the Kataeb party, the Renewal Bloc, and the Lebanese Forces issued a joint statement in support of Aoun.

Presidency (2025–present)

On 9 January 2025, Aoun was elected president in the second round of the electoral session. In his inaugural address, he vowed to fight the mafias, drug trafficking, interference in the justice system, corruption, poverty, and sectarianism. He also stated that he would promote economic, political, and judicial reform. In addition to that, he declared: "The Lebanese state – I repeat the Lebanese state – will get rid of the Israeli occupation". However, his election was heavily criticized by some opposition members who argued that Lebanese constitution bars a sitting army commander from being elected president, though the ban has been waived multiple times, which prompted some MPs to place a protest vote.

Personal life

Aoun is married to Nehmat Nehmeh. They have two children, Khalil and Nour. He is fluent in Arabic, French and English.

He is not related to Michel Aoun, his predecessor as both President of Lebanon and Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, although both are Lebanese Maronite Christians. Under the National Pact, the President and the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces are always selected from the Maronite community.

Edward M. Gabriel, a former Ambassador of the United States to Morocco and current president of the nonprofit organization American Task Force on Lebanon, described Aoun as a humble and deeply religious man and a leader "who inspires loyalty by his hard work."

Honors

Ribbon	Description	Notes	Ref.
	War Medal	Three-time recipient
	Medal of the Wounded	Two-time recipient
	Medal of National Unity
	Medal of the "Dawn of the South"
	Military Valour Medal, Silver
	Member 1st Class of the Order of Merit	Promoted from 2nd Class, and before that from 3rd Class
	Officer of the National Order of the Cedar	Previously decorated as Knight of the Order

References

1. "جوزيف عون هو رئيس لبنان التاسع منذ 9 يناير 2025". Shufu News (in Arabic). 9 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
2. "جوزاف عون: انتخاب قائد الجيش اللبناني رئيساً للجمهورية بعد نيله ثلثي أصوات المجلس النيابي". BBC News عربي (in Arabic). 9 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
3. "A memorial service held to honor Mrs. Hoda Ibrahim Makhlouta, the mother of the LAF Commander General Joseph Aoun". الموقع الرسمي للجيش اللبناني. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
4. "Joseph Aoun". en.majalla.com. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
5. ^ العلي, محمد داود. "الرئاسة اللبنانية على صفيح ساخن.. جوزيف عون "مرشح الضرورة"". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
6. "From Academia to Army, an Interview with General Joseph Aoun". magazine.lau.edu.lb. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
7. "والد أحد الضباط الشهداء: وصول العماد جوزيف عون لقيادة الجيش يعني وصول ولدي". elnashra (in Arabic). 25 September 2017.
8. "هذا انا جورج نادر.. معركة ادما والمغوار الذي يموت واقفاً ولا ينحني − الحلقة الرابعة عشر". lebanondebate (in Arabic). 3 March 2016.
9. Joseph Aoun | Official Website of the Lebanese Army
10. "Operation 'Jroud Dawn': Lebanon begins assault on Islamic State". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
11. "ماذا قال قائد الجيش اللبناني بشأن الوضع السياسي في البلاد؟". سكاي نيوز عربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
12. Prentis, Jamie (15 December 2023). "Lebanese Parliament votes to extend army chief's term by a year". The National. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
13. "Lebanon's parliament renews army chief's term in first session after ceasefire". Associated Press. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
14. "Lebanon army chief emerges as potential candidate for president". Arab News. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
15. "Report: Qatar calls for meeting of five-nation group on Thursday". Naharnet. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
16. "Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun seen as a president-in-waiting after Doha visit". Gulf News. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
17. "Présidentielle : Pour Bassil, Geagea est celui qui « bénéficie de la légitimité populaire »" [Presidential election: for Bassil, Geagea is the one who 'has popular support']. L'Orient–Le Jour (in French). 31 December 2024.
18. Abi Akl, Yara (9 January 2025). "Tout le monde devant le fait accompli : le soutien à Joseph Aoun presque unanime" [Everyone presented with a fait accompli: almost unanimous support for Joseph Aoun]. L'Orient–Le Jour (in French).
19. "Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun elected president". Al Arabiya. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
20. "Joseph Aoun, elected president, wants Lebanese state to invest in its army to protect its borders, combat smuggling, terrorism, Israeli aggression | Our live coverage of the parliamentary session". L'Orient Today. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
21. "انتخاب جوزيف عون رئيسا للبنان". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 January 2025.
22. Qiblawi, Tamara (9 January 2025). "US-backed army chief elected Lebanon's president, ending years-long stalemate". CNN. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
23. ^ Sewell, Abby (10 January 2025). "Who is Joseph Aoun, a low-profile army chief who is now Lebanon's president?". Washington Post.
24. "Commanders". 7 March 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
25. "Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun, a man with a tough mission". France 24. 29 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
26. "Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun, a man with a tough mission". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
27. "Joseph Aoun | الموقع الرسمي للجيش اللبناني". www.lebarmy.gov.lb. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
28. "Foreword of LAF Commander General Joseph Aoun". الموقع الرسمي للجيش اللبناني. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

v t e Leaders of Arab League member states
Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune Nadir Larbaoui  Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Salman  Comoros Azali Assoumani  Djibouti Ismaïl Omar Guelleh Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed  Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Moustafa Madbouly  Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani  Jordan Abdullah II Jafar Hassan  Kuwait Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah  Lebanon Joseph Aoun Najib Mikati  Libya Mohamed al-Menfi Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh  Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Mokhtar Ould Djay  Morocco Mohammed VI Aziz Akhannouch  Oman Haitham bin Tariq  Palestine Mahmoud Abbas Mohammad Shtayyeh  Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani  Saudi Arabia Salman Mohammed bin Salman  Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Hamza Abdi Barre  Sudan Transitional Sovereignty Council* Osman Hussein*  Syria Mohammed al-Bashir  Tunisia Kais Saied Kamel Madouri  United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum  Yemen Rashad al-Alimi* Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak

v t e Commanders of the Lebanese Armed Forces
Fuad Chehab (1945–58) Toufic Salem (1958–59) Adel Shehab (1959–65) Emile Boustany (1965–70) Jean Njeim (1970–71) Iskandar Ghanem (1971–75) Hanna Saïd (1975–77) Victor Khoury (1977–82) Ibrahim Tannous (1982–84) Michel Aoun (1984–89) Émile Lahoud (1989–98) Michel Suleiman (1998–2008) Jean Kahwaji (2008–17) Joseph Aoun (2017–)

• Commanders of the Lebanese Armed Forces
• 1964 births
• Living people
• People from Mount Lebanon Governorate
• Presidents of Lebanon
• Lebanese Maronites
• Lebanese generals
• Independent politicians in Lebanon
• Lebanese expatriates in the United States
• Lebanese expatriates in Syria
• People of the Lebanese Civil War
• Lebanese American University alumni
• 20th-century Lebanese military personnel
• 21st-century Lebanese military personnel
• 21st-century Lebanese politicians