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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in talks between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday (local time) in Washington DC, a US State Department official said.
The negotiations, set to take place at the United States Department of State, will also include US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and State Department counsellor Michael Needham as part of the American delegation, according to CNN. The Israeli and Lebanese sides will be represented by their respective ambassadors, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh, respectively. CNN said a US State Department official said the talks would focus on advancing dialogue aimed at ensuring long-term security along Israel's northern border, while also supporting Lebanon's efforts to reassert full sovereignty over its territory and political system. "This conversation will scope the ongoing dialogue about how to ensure the long-term security of Israel's northern border and to support the Government of Lebanon's determination to reclaim full sovereignty over its territory and political life," the official said. The official added that despite ongoing hostilities, the conflict is between Israel and Hezbollah, not Lebanon as a state, underscoring the rationale for continued diplomatic engagement between the two neighbouring countries. He added, "Israel is at war with Hezbollah, not Lebanon, so there is no reason the two neighbours should not be talking." Earlier, on April 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is open to entering into a "real" and enduring peace agreement with Lebanon, even as he intensified his criticism of Iran and its regional proxies, asserting that his government will continue military operations against what he termed a "terrorist regime". In a post on X, Netanyahu wrote, "Under my leadership, Israel will continue to fight against Iran's terrorist regime and its proxies, in contrast to Erdogan, who aids them and even slaughters his Kurdish citizens." According to reports by Al Jazeera, Israel has agreed to begin formal negotiations with Lebanon next week following weeks of intense cross-border hostilities and a ground incursion into parts of Lebanese territory. Netanyahu reiterated that Israel seeks an enduring peace arrangement with Lebanon, while maintaining that such an agreement must ensure long-term security guarantees. In a video address, Netanyahu said Israel is open to a peace deal with Lebanon, but only if it is long-lasting and conditional upon the "dismantling" of Hezbollah's military capabilities. Meanwhile, earlier in the recently concluded Islamabad talks, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Tehran was in constant contact with Beirut to ensure that the ceasefire commitments in Lebanon are upheld, as reported by Iranian media Fars news agency. According to Fars, Baghaei, speaking from Islamabad at that time, where formal US-Iran negotiations were underway to end the ongoing conflict in West Asia, at that time said the Iranian delegation had already engaged with Pakistani officials and clearly conveyed its positions and demands. Fars further reported that Baghaei noted instances of ceasefire violations on Saturday, underscoring the fragile nature of the situation on the ground. (ANI)
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