Rubio says Israel-Lebanon talks are a historic opportunity
The US secretary of state says the ongoing Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington are a historic opportunity, and while every complexity will not be resolved in the coming hours, he hopes the parties will begin to move forward.
What to know about the Israel-Lebanon direct talks in the US
The negotiations were scheduled to begin at 11am Eastern Time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday at the US Department of State headquarters in Washington, DC.
The US is brokering the talks, with Nada Hamadeh, Lebanese ambassador to the US; Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the US; Marco Rubio, US secretary of State; Michel Issa, US ambassador to Lebanon; and Michael Needham, State Department counsellor, attending.
The primary points of discussion include securing a ceasefire, disarming Hezbollah and exploring a broader peace arrangement.
Israel is attending the talks with instructions “not to agree to a ceasefire”, according to Israeli media reports, with PM Netanyahu having explicitly stated that Israel wants “the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons”.
Beirut views the Washington talks strictly as a “preliminary meeting” to secure a pause in military activity, according to Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame.
Hezbollah has fiercely condemned the negotiations, with Secretary-General Naim Qassem calling them a “free concession” to Israel and the US.............
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/4/14/iran-war-live-trump-claims-tehran-wants-a-deal-amid-us-blockade-of-hormuz
