File- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) speaks during a meeting with Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad (2R) and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter (2L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. © AFP, Oliver Contreras
The next round of Lebanese-Israeli talks are due in Washington from June 23 to 25, the US state department said on Friday.
The announcement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke by phone on Friday.
Aoun said a “comprehensive ceasefire” must serve as a “fundamental basis” for any direct negotiations with Israel. The Lebanese president also thanked Rubio for “the support of the United States for Lebanon”, according to his office.
Hezbollah ‘s chief Naim Qassem struck a defiant tone earlier on Friday, denouncing “the criminal Israeli war on Lebanon, which disregards all rules in killing civilians and children, destroying property and committing every imaginable atrocity, all in an attempt to force the resistance to its knees.”
Qassem said the “project to eliminate Hezbollah and consolidate the occupation has failed, and the Israeli will leave every last inch of our land”.
Qassem affirmed that the party is confronting what he described as the “most dangerous scheme” targeting the Resistance in Lebanon . He argued that the ongoing political, economic, and security pressures aim to dismantle the Resistance and completely remove it from the Lebanese landscape.
He also accused Israel and the US of walking back a ceasefire-type agreement after the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, believing the balance of power had shifted in their favor.
At the UN, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric welcomed reports of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Turning to Lebanon, I can tell you that we are, of course, aware of the reports indicating that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, and we welcome such developments,” Dujarric said.
“We continue to call on the parties to cease hostilities, respect existing ceasefire arrangements, and pursue dialogue as the only viable path to a long-term security and stability on both sides of the Blue Line,” he added.
Separately, Pakistan and Iran said they were seriously concerned about Lebanon, including reported ceasefire violations. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, discussed the situation with Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, in a phone call.
Talks between the US and Iran to discuss the MoU were called off on Friday after intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, officials said.
Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before talks can happen, three regional officials and a fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press.
US Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip.
Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Friday that the necessary consultations are being carried out through mediators, and that if the conditions for starting negotiations are met, an official announcement will be made.
Aljazeera
