Lebanon’s president on Tuesday ended a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he discussed regional affairs with the kingdom’s crown prince, after which both countries said Israeli troops should withdraw from south Lebanon and only the Lebanese state should have weapons.

The visit by Joseph Aoun, the first by a Lebanese head of state to the oil-rich kingdom in eight years, improves ties between the two countries that have been cold for years over Iran’s influence in Lebanon.

Aoun visited Saudi Arabia several times when he was army commander, and many in Lebanon hope that his visit as president will open the way for lifting the ban on imports from Lebanon as well as allowing Saudi citizens to travel to the country.

Aoun was received Monday night by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Yamama Palace in the capital, Riyadh, where they discussed the situation in Lebanon and boosting relations between the two countries, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Aoun’s visit comes after the Iran-backed Hezbollah suffered severe blows during a 14-month war, sparked when the terror group began attacking Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after allied Palestinian terror group Hamas led........

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