BEIRUT - In Lebanon’s political history “presidential vacuum” is a recurring case. The current one dates back to October 31, 2022, after the end of the term of former President Michel Aoun.

In a sceptical manner, and amid the raging US-Israeli genocidal war, the issue of electing a president has been brought back to the forefront as it is being proposed as a condition for stopping the aggression, in addition to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Obviously, what the US is pushing for is not electing a president but accepting a president who satisfies the wishes of Washington and the imperialist West.

Currently, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been entrusted with managing the entire Lebanese political file, along with the provocative pressure exerted by US envoy Amos Hochstein. In parallel, US Secretary of “War” Lloyd Austin has requested his Israeli counterpart, “War” Minister Yoav Galant, to “move from military operations to the diplomatic track quickly.”

Washington is pressuring at all levels to elect Army Commander Joseph Aoun as President of Lebanon. In an interview with Lebanon’s MTV (anti-resistance channel), Hochstein has highlighted Washington’s desire for “the presidential election to be held quickly.” This demonstrated Washington’s conviction that “Israel” is quite reluctant to proceed with its ground invasion of Lebanon. Hochstein’s statement has revealed Washington’s intention to create a buffer zone at the Lebanese-Palestinian border as soon as possible in fear of escalatory operations by Hezbollah in the upcoming weeks.

Lebanon’s elite and ordinary citizens fully realize that the United States is the main and only party concerned with stopping the aggression and that it has proposed this condition of “surrender” to blackmail the resistant people.

According to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, Washington spent no less than $22.76 billion on military aid to the occupying colonial entity between October 7, 2023 and September 30, 2024 (the largest recipient of US aid since World War II / the cumulative value of US aid to date is approximately $251.2 billion).

According to an agreement concluded under the Obama administration for the period 2019-2028, the Israeli occupation regime receives $3.8 billion annually in US military aid, including $500 million allocated to fund missile “defence” systems. However, this announced figure is not the actual value of US support; neither the Pentagon nor the State Department have provided comprehensive lists of the aid delivered to the occupation entity, as was the case with regard to the transfer of weapons to Ukraine.

Historically, the Israeli army has provided intelligence to the Israeli army and largely helped it economically, militarily, and diplomatically along with developing its arms industry. During the 1960s, the Kennedy administration was keen to increase this military aid as the US administration considered the occupation entity a strategic ally against the Soviet Union. After the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1978, military support increased steadily.

In March 2024, The Washington Post revealed that the Biden administration had concluded at least 100 arms deals with the occupation entity without informing Congress of the details of the deal. The quantity and type of arms are unknown.

Besides, in August 2024, the Biden administration announced other agreements worth $20.3 billion to be implemented through the Foreign Military Sales program, including 50 Boeing F-15 fighter jets at a cost of $18.8 billion. According to the Washington Post, the deals, which were not reported to Congress, include thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, tunnel-busting bombs, and other lethal military aid.

In 2026, the Financial Times estimates the world’s 15 largest arms companies will receive cash flows of at least $52 billion (nearly double the amount they received in 2021). $26 billion to 5 major arms companies in the US due to increased military spending allocated to Ukraine and the colonial Israeli entity.

In this context, the US is making futile attempts to impose a president on the Lebanese as Washington is frightened that Hezbollah is regaining the momentum of its heroic operations in defence of Lebanon’s sovereignty and Iran has taken strenuous steps in defence of the Lebanese people.

Washington has just imposed new sanctions on Tehran in response to the legitimate military action carried out by Iranian forces against strategic targets in the occupied Palestinian territories.  Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei described the operation as a legal measure in accordance with international law and consistent with the exercise of the inherent right to self-defence.

The current war has exposed Washington’s bloody face; its constant incitement against the Lebanese resistance has failed. Washington has not learnt from previous historical experiences that the foolish ambition to eradicate any resistance movement is a failed behaviour. Further, the upcoming days will show that the international community’s -especially Islamic and Arab governments- procrastination will have a reactionary effect; their people will undeniably emulate the honourable resistance method of the Lebanese as the only legitimate path to freedom.