The leading candidate is Lebanese army commander Joseph Aoun, no relation to the former president. He is widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose assistance Lebanon will need as it seeks to rebuild after a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Following tense scenes early in the session, the first round of Thursday's vote concluded with 71 votes for Joseph Aoun, the widely supported army commander. View on euronews

Lebanon’s parliament voted Thursday to elect the country’s army commander, Joseph Aoun, as head of state, filling a more than two-year-long presidential vacuum.

Lebanese government bonds extended their three-month-long rally on Thursday as the crisis-ravaged country's parliament voted in a new head of state for the first time since 2022.

Lebanese lawmakers are set to meet in an attempt to elect a president - a position vacant for more than two years - but the chances of success are far from certain. Lebanon, which has been suffering from an economic and financial meltdown since 2019,

Lebanon’s parliament chose a U.S.-trained general as president, ending a two-year vacancy in a sign of Hezbollah’s waning influence.

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Friday the formation of a new government would not be delayed, indicating a very positive atmosphere in discussions over its composition.

STORY: Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun as the country's new president on Thursday.The move elevates a general who enjoys U.S. approval and underscores the diminished sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group following more than a year of devastating war with Israel.

The Lebanese parliament finally voted on a new president on Thursday following two years of deadlock. Joseph Aoun the head of the country's armed forces won a majority of the votes.

The selection of Mr. Salam was seen as a blow to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group and political party that has acted as the real power in Lebanon for decades.

Lebanon’s new president and former army commander Joseph Aoun has maintained a low profile. Those who know him say he is no-nonsense and averse to affiliating himself with any party or even expressing a political opinion.

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s parliament convened Thursday to make yet another effort to elect a president, filling a vacuum that’s lasted for more than two years. A first round of voting showed ...