Army Commander Joseph Aoun became Lebanon's 14th president after two rounds of voting, securing 99 votes in parliament after initial 71 votes fell short. Morning session witnessed procedural disputes and heated exchanges between MPs. The two-hour break between rounds allowed for final negotiations, particularly with the Shiite duo who received reported Saudi guarantees.
Aoun's inaugural speech emphasized state monopoly over weapons and commitment to Arab relations, marking distance from previous political alignments. International recognition followed swiftly, with US, French, and Iranian statements highlighting different aspects of the transition. The defense ministry appointed Army Chief of Staff as interim commander.
Border dynamics continued in parallel, with Israeli media reporting Netanyahu's plan to maintain presence in three key locations in South Lebanon, while drones were observed over Beirut.