Lebanon’s Army Chief Vows to Safeguard Security

Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun (Army website)
Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun (Army website)
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Lebanon’s Army Chief Vows to Safeguard Security

Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun (Army website)
Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun (Army website)

Lebanon’s Army Chief vowed on Friday to safeguard the country’s security saying the military will never let “sedition and chaos infiltrate the internal arena.”

“We will never allow security to be shaken, we will never let sedition and chaos find a way into our internal arena, in the hope that political solutions capable of saving the country and preventing its collapse are reached,” said General Joseph Aoun in his Order of the Day marking the 77th Army Day.

The Army Chief said that Lebanese youth should regain their trust in their homeland which is in dire need of their capabilities and potential to rise again.

“Let the dream of rebuilding Lebanon be stronger than the dream of immigration,” he said.

Aoun’s name is being circulated as a presidential candidate to succeed President Michel Aoun whose term ends on October 31.

Addressing the military, Aoun added: “You live in exceptional circumstances, and you, like our people, suffer from the economic crisis that began about three years ago. This crisis, which worsened recently, led to paralysis in most of the state's sectors and institutions. This produced negative repercussions in various fields. Only the military institution is still cohesive and ready to assume its full responsibilities towards its homeland and its people with determination, will, and conviction.”

“Sacrifice is at the core of our motto,” stressed Aoun, adding that “no matter how harsh the circumstances and intense the challenges, the army will remain a pillar of Lebanon's structure.”

Citing Israeli threats against Lebanon and other challenges facing the country, Aoun urged the military to “remain ready to face all dangers: the Israeli enemy and its constant threats and ambitions in our natural resources on the one hand, and terrorism that is waiting for the chance to regain its activity on the other hand.

“We should not forget the danger that threatens our society and the future of our youth, which is drugs. The pursuit of its dealers and promoters will remain a priority,” emphasized Aoun.

"Our commitment to formal positions is imperative, especially the maritime border demarcation issue. Our commitment to international resolutions and strengthening cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is an absolute necessity...What concerns us, is the cohesion of the institution and its continuity in performing its tasks, as well as the security and stability of Lebanon," he concluded.



Lebanon Bans Dealing with Hezbollah Financial Entity

A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo
A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo
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Lebanon Bans Dealing with Hezbollah Financial Entity

A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo
A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

Lebanon's central bank has banned banks and brokerages from dealing with a Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution, according to a circular, a sign of the group's diminished sway over state affairs since its devastating war with Israel.

Keeping up military pressure on the Iran-backed group, Israel on Tuesday launched some of its heaviest airstrikes since a ceasefire in November, saying it hit training camps and weapons depots in east Lebanon. A security source in Lebanon said 12 people were killed, five of them Hezbollah fighters, Reuters reported.

Hezbollah has faced mounting pressures since the war, including financial ones.

In the circular, dated July 14 and reviewed by Reuters, Banque du Liban prohibited all licensed financial institutions in Lebanon from dealing directly or indirectly with unlicensed entities and listed Hezbollah's Al-Qard Al-Hassan as an example.

The US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on Al-Qard Al-Hassan in 2007, saying Hezbollah used it as a cover to manage "financial activities and gain access to the international financial system".

Bolstered by its powerful arsenal, Hezbollah had long exercised decisive influence over Lebanese state affairs, but it was unable to impose its will in the formation of a post-war government in February.

Al-Qard Al-Hassan, founded in 1983, describes itself as a charitable organisation which provides loans to people according to Islamic principles that forbid interest. Israel struck some of its branches during its war with Hezbollah last year.

Operating as a not-for-profit organisation under a licence granted by the Lebanese government, it has more than 30 branches, mostly in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

SHADOW ECONOMY

A Lebanese official said the central bank move had been in the works for months, and reflected US pressure on Lebanon to take action against Hezbollah's financial wing.

Nassib Ghobril, chief economist at Byblos Bank, said Lebanese banks were already careful to avoid dealing with Al-Qard Al-Hassan because it is under US sanctions.

"The important point is that finally the authorities are addressing the shadow economy in Lebanon, which is the real problem," he said, adding that authorities had long failed to address its "toxic effects".

In June, the European Commission included Lebanon in an updated list of high-risk jurisdictions presenting strategic deficiencies in their national anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

Last year, global financial crime watchdog FATF placed Lebanon on its "grey list" of countries under special scrutiny.