Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. He praised President Aoun’s courage in pursuing a historic opportunity for Lebanese sovereignty and national recovery. Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ full support for Lebanon’s efforts to establish a fully sovereign state that coexists peacefully with its neighbors. He emphasized that Lebanon’s bilateral negotiations with Israel are the only viable path to reconstruction, economic revival, and an end to recurring cycles of violence. The two leaders discussed the upcoming round of talks scheduled for June 23‑25 in Washington, where they aim to make substantive progress toward lasting peace. Rubio reiterated the necessity of disarming Hezbollah and restoring full governmental control over all Lebanese territory, and highlighted the importance of coordinating with regional allies to achieve these goals.
![Lebanon Crisis Threatens Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire Agreement]](https://i3.wp.com/static01.nyt.com/images/2026/06/19/multimedia/19mideast-lebanon-fghc/19mideast-lebanon-fghc-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Lebanon Crisis Threatens Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire Agreement]")
