A day after Lebanon elected Joseph Aoun as president, ending a two-year political deadlock, interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Friday plans to disarm the area south of the Litani River to ensure the Lebanese army’s full control.
Speaking from the presidential palace in Baabda, Mikati said, "Lebanon is committed to disarming the southern Litani area and establishing stability in southern Lebanon and the country as a whole."
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Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati
(Photo: Dalati Nohra/Handout via REUTERS)
Mikati emphasized the necessity of Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as outlined in the cease-fire agreement and discussed constitutional steps to form a new government. President Aoun, in his inaugural address, pledged to rebuild areas damaged in the fighting with Israel and to uphold the cease-fire agreement, while strengthening ties with Arab states and rebuilding relations with Syria.
Analysts attribute Aoun’s election to a weakening Iranian influence in Lebanon, coupled with increased Saudi involvement. Middle East expert Lina Khatib noted this marks the first time since Lebanon's civil war that a president was elected without explicit approval from Iran or Syria.
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Hezbollah’s acceptance of Aoun signals a diminished ability to dictate Lebanon’s political agenda, reflecting broader geopolitical shifts. Mikati is set to visit Syria alongside Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated Aoun and framed his election as a blow to Israel, while Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami touted advances in Iranian missile and drone technology. Meanwhile, reports emerged that Israeli forces remain active in strategic positions within southern Lebanon, despite ongoing troop withdrawals.
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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun
(Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir, AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
The IDF continues operations in southern Lebanon, uncovering weapons caches, rocket launchers and explosives. According to the IDF, these efforts are part of maintaining security along the northern border in line with the cease-fire. However, sporadic reports of Israeli forces entering villages and clashing with Hezbollah-linked operatives have stirred tensions, with Lebanon’s military beginning to assume control in evacuated areas.
Israeli officials confirm that forces will maintain a presence at three strategic points: Labbouneh Forest in the west, Jabal Balat in the central sector and Talat al-Hammamas near Metula.