Lebanon’s new president and former army commander Joseph Aoun has maintained a low profile. Those who know him say he is no-nonsense, kind and averse to affiliating himself with any party or even expressing a political opinion — a rarity for someone in Lebanon’s fractured,

The parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state, filling the vacant presidency with a general who has U.S. support and showing the weakened sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.

STORY: Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun as the country's new president on Thursday.The move elevates a general who enjoys U.S. approval and underscores the diminished sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group following more than a year of devastating war with Israel.