Aoun Extends Condolences on Death of Sultan Qaboos

President Michel Aoun extended his condolences on Saturday over the passing of Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said.

Expressing “sadness at the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed,” Aoun said: "Sultan Qaboos was a brother and friend of Lebanon in all stages and the difficult circumstances it passed through supporting its rightful issues, stability, security and the aspirations of the people."

“With the passing of Sultan Qaboos, the Arab world loses the man of dialogue, wisdom and peace who has long worked for Arab reunification and the promotion of its solidarity,” he added.

Aoun sent his letter to Oman's culture minister Haitham bin Tariq who has been sworn in as royal ruler after the death of his cousin Qaboos.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said died Saturday at the age of 79.

He was the Mideast's longest-ruling monarch who seized power in a 1970 palace coup and pulled his Arabian sultanate into modernity while carefully balancing diplomatic ties between adversaries Iran and the U.S.