Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter announced Tuesday that both nations discovered mutual objectives during their first face-to-face diplomatic discussions in over three decades, with both countries united in opposing Hezbollah’s influence.
Following the Washington meeting, Leiter stated: “We discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation. That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with. We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah.”
The historic diplomatic session, facilitated by American officials, commenced at 11 a.m. Eastern Time and continued for two hours. Secretary of State Marco Rubio participated in the discussions along with Leiter and Lebanon’s US Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad.
Before the meeting began, Rubio warned against anticipating quick breakthroughs. He characterized the initiative as a “process, not an event” and commented: “This is a historic opportunity,” while acknowledging that “we’re working against decades of history and complexities” that cannot be rapidly resolved. Rubio expressed that the Trump administration is “very happy” to facilitate these conversations.
Israeli officials have rejected any ceasefire before negotiations, maintaining their goal is Hezbollah’s complete disarmament and potentially reaching a peace accord with Lebanon. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated Tuesday that Israel’s conflict is not with Lebanon directly, emphasizing that “the problem is Hezbollah.”
Leiter indicated Israel anticipates Lebanon will “completely” distance itself from Iran and Hezbollah, noting that “the Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah and Iran has been weakened; Hezbollah is dramatically weakened.” He characterized the current circumstances as “an opportunity.”
Before the discussions, Lebanon had demanded a ceasefire as a requirement for talks. President Joseph Aoun declared Monday: “Israel’s destruction of Lebanese territories is not the solution, nor will it yield any results,” stating that “Diplomatic solutions have consistently proven to be the most effective means of resolving armed conflicts globally.”
Hezbollah rejected participation in the talks and was excluded from representation. Wafiq Safa announced the organization would not honor any resulting agreements, while Secretary-General Naim Kassem advocated for returning to a 2024 framework involving indirect negotiations mediated by the US, France, and United Nations peacekeeping forces.
