Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped to act as a mediator in talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
If they get Lebanon more on board with holding Hezbollah in check, that could incapacitate another avenue of Iranian terror and an organization involved in killing at least hundreds of Americans. As Rubio said, it was about putting a "permanent end to 20 or 30 years of Hezbollah's influence," and the damage they've caused. He helped to get them to meet for the first time in decades.
🚨 SEC. MARCO RUBIO JUST MADE HISTORY!
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 14, 2026
He got Israel and Lebanon to sit down at the table to discuss peace, directly, for the first time in multiple DECADES
This guy does his job well. 🇺🇸
RUBIO, center of room: "This is about bringing a permanent end to 20 or 30 years of… pic.twitter.com/C5e8lcKDos
If they can pull that off—neutralizing Iran as a threat or even turning it from an adversary into a partner—they will have accomplished something extraordinary, potentially reshaping the Middle East toward peace and a more favorable relationship with the United States.
The Lebanese government understands that they're being attacked because of Hezbollah. In March, they finally took a big step against Hezbollah.
“We declare our rejection of any military or security operations launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of legitimate institutions.”
The prime minister said all Hezbollah military activities are “illegal” and called upon the security forces to “prevent any attacks originating from Lebanese territory”.
“We declare our commitment to the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of negotiations,” he added.
Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli Ambassador to the US, shared some good news from the talks.
Yechiel Leiter, Israeli Ambassador to the US: These talks with Lebanon were a victory for sanity, responsibility and peace
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) April 14, 2026
👇For more news and updates, visit our official website👇https://t.co/4eQnhFUouN pic.twitter.com/363Sb2Ey4z
"We discovered today that we're on the same side of the equation," Leiter explained. "That's the most positive thing we could have come away with. We are both united in liberating Lebanon from the occupation power dominated by Iran, called Hezbollah."
He said Israel was suffering from the Hezbollah attacks across the border. He declared the talks "a victory for sanity, for responsibility, and for peace." He detailed how Hezbollah warned the Lebanese government not to participate in the talks, but the government did anyway. He said Lebanon and Israel were committed to getting rid of this "malign" Iranian proxy.
That's a pretty major statement after years of conflict. He also said that President Trump played a big role in getting the talks going.
France had already tried to insert itself into the situation, taking the same position as Iran, that Lebanon had to be included in the ceasefire agreed to between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. and Israel said it wasn't included. Leiter's comment when asked about France was absolutely hilarious.
Putting this on repeat because a) it’s hilarious b) it’s true c) it’s applicable to almost any national security, foreign policy issue pic.twitter.com/D1LxuJKjgP
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 14, 2026
"We certainly don’t want the French anywhere near these negotiations; we’d like to keep the French as far away as possible from pretty much everything, particularly when it comes to peace negotiations," Leiter responded. 'They're not needed. They're not a positive influence, particularly when it comes to Lebanon."
That is so on target and so well-earned. Sounds like everyone has France's number. We saw how our "ally" France wouldn't even let us fly over their airspace, appeared to cut some kind of deal with Iran to let a French-connected ship through the Strait of Hormuz when Iran was trying to control it, and blocked an effort by Bahrain to get a resolution through the United Nations to help open up the Strait by means that could include force.
READ MORE: Ships Making It Through Strait Raise Another Big Question About France
Report: Our 'Ally' France Just Made Another Incredible Move Regarding the Strait of Hormuz
France has a history in Lebanon, but without them there, the two governments have a much better chance of coming together to get rid of Hezbollah.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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