US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington are "completely separate" from talks with Iran.
Moreover, he stated, "Lebanon is a sovereign country with a government we are talking to in order to reach an agreement," noting that "what happens inside Lebanon concerns only the Lebanese state."
In statements to reporters, Rubio added that "Iran only cares about Lebanon because it sponsors the Hezbollah group, so there will be talks in this regard with Tehran. Beyond that, however, we will discuss matters with the Lebanese because the future of Lebanon belongs to its people."
Earlier on Tuesday, the fifth round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations kicked off in Washington, as part of following up on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached in the previous round under US mediation.
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