Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has summoned Nawaf Salam, head of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to appoint him as prime minister after a majority of lawmakers nominated him on Monday. The move deals a significant blow to Hezbollah, which accused its opponents of attempting to marginalize the group.
Salam’s selection reflects a major power shift among Lebanon’s sectarian factions. This comes after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shia group, suffered setbacks in last year’s war with Israel and its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was ousted.
According to the presidency, Salam, who is currently abroad and scheduled to return on Tuesday, received the support of 84 out of the 128 lawmakers in parliament. President Aoun has called on Salam to form the new government.
Salam has the backing of Christian and Druze factions, as well as prominent Sunni Muslim lawmakers, including both allies and opponents of Hezbollah. Critics of the group have long argued that its powerful arsenal undermines the state.
However, Hezbollah and its Shi’ite ally, the Amal Movement—who hold all parliamentary seats allocated to Shia Muslims—did not nominate any candidate. This signals their intention to stay out of Salam’s government, raising concerns of a potential sectarian divide if they remain absent from the cabinet.
Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Mohammed Raad, whose group supported incumbent Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s continuation in the role, accused opponents of pursuing fragmentation and exclusion. Raad claimed that Hezbollah had sought unity by backing Joseph Aoun’s election as president, only to be met with hostility.
“Any government that undermines coexistence has no legitimacy,” Raad said, adding that Hezbollah would act cautiously and prudently in the interest of the nation.
The election of General Aoun, the U.S.- and Saudi-backed army commander, marked another shift in Lebanon’s political landscape, where Hezbollah has long been dominant. It also reflects a resurgence of Saudi influence in Lebanon, which had been eclipsed by Iran and Hezbollah in recent years.
Aoun’s election and Salam’s designation are seen as steps towards restoring Lebanon’s government institutions, which have been paralyzed for over two years, leaving the country without a president or a fully empowered cabinet.
Sunni lawmaker Faisal Karami, aligned with Hezbollah, also nominated Salam, citing a desire for “change and renewal” and pledges of Arab and international support for Lebanon. Christian lawmaker Gebran Bassil praised Salam as a “face of reform,” emphasizing that “hope lies in change.”
The new government faces enormous challenges, including rebuilding areas devastated by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hezbollah and implementing long-overdue reforms to revive the economy and address the root causes of Lebanon’s 2019 financial collapse.
President Aoun expressed hope for a swift government formation, citing “great opportunities abroad,” referencing pledges of international support.
Hezbollah MPs Arrive Late
Under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Maronite Christian, and the parliamentary speaker a Shia Muslim.
Hezbollah lawmakers reportedly delayed their meeting with President Aoun on Monday, arriving later than scheduled as momentum behind Salam’s nomination grew. According to a Hezbollah source, the group believed there was a prior political agreement to re-elect Mikati as prime minister before they supported Aoun’s presidency last week.
Salam currently leads the ICJ, based in The Hague, which recently began its first hearing in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza—a claim Israel has dismissed as unfounded.
As army commander, Aoun played a key role in implementing a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The agreement requires the Lebanese army to deploy in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces and Hezbollah withdraw.
