US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a rare Washington meeting between Israeli Ambassador to the US
By Sammy,
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a rare Washington meeting between Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh as an initial step toward a broader effort to establish a lasting peace framework. "This is a process, not an event," Rubio said, stressing that the goal extends beyond immediate issues and focuses on ending decades of Hezbollah's influence. A US official echoed that stance, saying Washington backs the full disarmament of Hezbollah and adding that Iran "will not be allowed to dictate the future of Lebanon."
The talks, which lasted about two hours and were brokered by the United States, marked the highest-level direct engagement between the two sides in decades. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed hope the meeting could signal the beginning of relief for civilians, calling for the Lebanese Army to take full control along the border without involvement from other actors.
Speaking after the meeting, Leiter said the discussions "went about as well as it could have," pointing to what he described as a shared position with the Lebanese side. "We discovered today that we're on the same side of the equation," he said, adding that both sides recognize the need to remove Hezbollah's influence. He noted that Lebanese officials showed "a strong will... to disarm Hezbollah" and said the broader vision includes a clearly defined border and eventual civilian ties, where interactions would be limited to "business suits... or... bathing suits."
At the same time, tensions remained high on the ground, as Hezbollah increased rocket fire toward northern Israel during the meeting, triggering sirens across the Galilee. No immediate injuries were reported.
Topics: Iran, Lebanon & Hezbollah, Missile Defense & Alerts
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.