Aoun heads to Bahrain, says contacts ongoing to avoid regional fallout
President Joseph Aoun traveled Tuesday to Bahrain on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji.
Aoun is expected to discuss with the Bahraini monarch and officials 'means to enhance bilateral ties and develop them on all levels,' the National News Agency said.
The president had earlier said, in a meeting with the head of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, Reverend Joseph Qassab, that 'the current stage is critical and delicate and requires national awareness and unifying stances that preserve Lebanon's unity and protect its sovereignty and independence.'
'Contacts are ongoing to address the repercussions of what's happening in a number of regional countries to avoid their impact on Lebanon,' Aoun added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
7 hours ago
- Nahar Net
US criticizes French release of Georges Abdallah
by Naharnet Newsdesk 27 July 2025, 12:11 The United States bas criticized the release from a French prison of pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who spent more than 40 years behind bars for the alleged killings of two diplomats, one of them American. Abdallah was detained in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for his alleged involvement in the murders of U.S. military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. Earlier this month, a French appeals court ordered Abdallah's release on the condition that he leave French territory and never return. He left a prison in southwest France on Friday and later arrived in his hometown in Lebanon. "The United States opposes the French government's release and expulsion to Lebanon of convicted terrorist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement on social media. "His release threatens the safety of U.S. diplomats abroad and is a grave injustice to the victims and the families of those killed. The United States will continue to support the pursuit of justice in this matter," she added. While Abdallah had been eligible for release since 1999, his previous requests were denied as the United States -- a civil party to the case -- had consistently opposing his leaving prison. Abdallah, who is Lebanese of Maronite Christian heritage, has always insisted he is not a "criminal" but a "fighter" for the rights of Palestinians, whom he said were targeted, along with Lebanon, by the United States and Israel.
Nahar Net
7 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Three killed in Israeli strikes on south Lebanon
by Naharnet Newsdesk 27 July 2025, 12:22 The Health Ministry said three people were killed in Israeli strikes in the south on Saturday despite a ceasefire, as the Israeli military said one of them targeted a Hezbollah militant. "The Israeli enemy drone strike that targeted a vehicle" in Tyre district "killed one person," a ministry statement said. The Israeli military said that it "struck and eliminated" a Hezbollah commander who was "involved in efforts to rehabilitate the ... organization in the area of Bint Jbeil," near the border. It did not specify where the strike took place. The Lebanese health ministry later reported that another Israeli strike in Tyre district, on the town of Debaal, killed two people. The state-run National News Agency reported that it targeted a house. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment about the reported strike in Debaal. Israel has kept up its strikes on Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war. It has warned it will continue to strike until the Iran-backed militant group has been disarmed. Under the truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving the Lebanese Army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region. Israel was to withdraw all its troops from Lebanon but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic.
Nahar Net
7 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Barrack: Government and Hezbollah need to fully commit and act now
by Naharnet Newsdesk 27 July 2025, 12:33 U.S. envoy Tom Barrack on Sunday warned that 'the credibility of Lebanon's government rests on its ability to match principle with practice.' 'As its leaders have said repeatedly, it is critical that 'the state has a monopoly on arms,'' Barrack added, in a post on X. 'As long as Hezbollah retains arms, words will not suffice. The government and Hezbollah need to fully commit and act now in order to not consign the Lebanese people to the stumbling status quo,' the U.S. envoy said. He attached an English-language news story from the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper to his post. The story is titled 'Lebanese President Acknowledges 'Slow Progress' in Talks with Hezbollah on Disarmament'. Below is the full text of the news story as published by Asharq al-Awsat: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun acknowledged on Friday that negotiations with Hezbollah over its weapons are ongoing, though progressing slowly. Speaking amid heightened tensions along the southern border with Israel, Aoun emphasized that dialogue is being conducted directly with Hezbollah, not through a formal security committee, and expressed cautious optimism over a gradual breakthrough. 'There is some responsiveness to the ideas we're discussing, even if things are moving at a slow pace,' said Aoun, stressing that neither party desires war, which would carry severe consequences for all sides. His remarks come as Hezbollah issued its first public response to the recent visit by US envoy Tom Barrack, rejecting the American proposal focused on centralizing arms under the Lebanese state. Hezbollah insisted it is only concerned with implementing UN Resolution 1701, which calls for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory and a cessation of hostilities. Aoun reiterated Lebanon's demand for Israel to adhere to the ceasefire agreement and withdraw from the remaining five occupied hills in the south, noting that full army deployment remains hindered in areas still under Israeli control. During his visit to Beirut this week, Barrack pushed for a 'monopoly of arms' by the Lebanese state, declaring that the US will only support Lebanon if its government commits to ensuring that only official forces carry weapons. In a statement, he reinforced that Hezbollah, in its entirety, is viewed by Washington as a foreign terrorist organization, with no distinction between its political and military wings. He added that the responsibility now lies with Lebanon's political leadership and army to seize this opportunity and build a future free of Hezbollah's grip. Hezbollah MP Ihab Hamadeh dismissed the American initiative, affirming that the group is aligned with the stance of parliament and ally Speaker Nabih Berri and will only engage within the framework of Resolution 1701. He acknowledged a general agreement on the principle of state monopoly over arms, but argued that this must be accompanied by a comprehensive national defense strategy, especially in light of ongoing Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have intensified, targeting South Lebanon throughout the week. On Friday, an Israeli drone strike killed a Hezbollah member in Bint Jbeil, while other raids reportedly hit weapons depots and rocket launch sites. Tensions escalated further when an Israeli soldier shot a Lebanese civilian near the border. In response to repeated attacks, residents of the border town Aita al-Shaab issued a strongly worded statement condemning the government's inaction and warning that they may resort to self-defense. 'Security is not a luxury; it is our right,' the statement read.
