Joseph Aoun

His Excellency Joseph Aoun
جوزيف عون
Aoun in 2025
14th President of Lebanon
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 January 2025
Prime Minister	Najib Mikati Nawaf Salam
Preceded by	Najib Mikati (acting) Michel Aoun
14th Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 March 2017
President	Michel Aoun Najib Mikati (acting) 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 became the 14th president of Lebanon on 9 January 2025.^[1][2] He was appointed as the 14th Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces in 2017.

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.^[3] 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.^[4][5][6]

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 became head of the army's 9th Infantry Brigade in 2015.

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.^[7][8]

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.^[9]

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.^[5] On 19 August 2017, he commanded the Jroud Dawn Operation, a successful offensive to expel the militants from their strongholds.^[10]

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.^[11]

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.^[12] 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.^[13]

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.^[14] 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.^[15]

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 their support for Aoun's election.^[16] Walid Jumblatt was the first to officially announce that the Democratic Gathering bloc, that he leads, would elect him.^[17] On 9 January, opposition groups including the Kataeb party, the Renewal Bloc, and the Lebanese Forces issued a joint statement in support of Aoun.^[18]

On 9 January 2025, Aoun was elected president in the second round of the electoral session.^[19] 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.^[20][21] He also said: "The Lebanese state – I repeat the Lebanese state – will get rid of the Israeli occupation"^[22], while also vowing that he would work "to affirm the state’s right to a monopoly on the carrying of arms".^[23]

His election was criticized by some opposition members who argued that the Lebanese constitution bars a sitting army commander from being elected president, a ban that has been waived multiple times, which prompted some MPs to place a protest vote.^[24] However, precedent has made it possible that a sitting officer is elected president, if he gets 86 votes in Parliament which is the required number of votes to amend the constitution, notably the 2008 election of Michel Suleiman.

Aoun is married to Nehmat Nehmeh. They have two children, Khalil and Nour. He is fluent in Arabic, French and English.^[25][26]

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.^[27]

Ribbon	Description	Notes	Ref.
	War Medal	Three-time recipient	[28][29]
	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