Recently in a statement, the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the need to separate talks between Israel and Lebanon from the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, despite Iran’s insistence on bringing up the Israel-Lebanon issue during the discussions.
Rubio, who is currently visiting the Persian Gulf region and meeting with allies in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain, aims to ensure that the opinions of U.S. allies are taken into consideration in advancing the U.S.-Iran negotiations.
“This is a separate issue because Lebanon is a sovereign country,” Rubio stated upon arriving in the United Arab Emirates, adding, “When it comes to Lebanon and its internal situation, we will engage in negotiations and discussions directly with the Lebanese government.”
He also highlighted the Iran-related issue concerning their support and funding for Hezbollah in Lebanon and noted that this factor would be discussed in dialogue with Iran, but ultimately Lebanon’s future lies in the hands of the Lebanese people and their sovereign elected government.
Currently, the latest round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is ongoing at the U.S. State Department. Iran has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the U.S.-Iran negotiations, citing Israeli attacks on Lebanon during the nominal ceasefire period. Israel, on the other hand, claims these attacks are defensive actions against Hezbollah.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran on June 17 has now officially come into effect. Rubio highlighted that issues related to Iran’s missile program and its support for armed proxies are crucial topics in the region and will definitely be addressed in the discussions.
Rubio stressed the importance of addressing these issues in the memorandum to ensure the comprehensive end of hostilities in the region, emphasizing that actions by Iranian proxies and involvement in terrorist activities like Hamas and Hezbollah must cease for hostilities to come to an end.
Regarding his trip’s purpose, Rubio mentioned that the main goal is to listen to the opinions of allies rather than make statements. He expressed the importance of understanding allies’ economic and security concerns post the Swiss talks last weekend to ensure their viewpoints are considered in every decision, as they are key partners.
Rubio also mentioned that all allies support achieving peace, while acknowledging that the details of the peace plan under consideration will determine the outcome.
The Secretary of State emphasized that progress is being made in laying a solid foundation over the past 72 hours but acknowledged that there is still a lot of work ahead to be done.
Rubio clarified that he will not be requesting financial support from allies for a proposed $300 billion Iran reconstruction fund, stating that this matter will need time to be addressed in the future.