U.S. Secretary of State: The United States Will Directly Engage with the Lebanese Government

On June 23 local time, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated that the United States will engage directly with the Lebanese government.

Rubio stated, the United States is pushing to separate the U.S.-mediated negotiations between Israel and Lebanon from the U.S.-Iran negotiations. He emphasized that Lebanon is a sovereign nation, and the United States will negotiate and engage directly with the Lebanese government on Lebanese issues.

Rubio noted that Iran's role in the Lebanese issue is primarily reflected in its support for Hezbollah, and this factor will be discussed as part of the U.S.-Iran dialogue. However, he stressed that Lebanon's future should be determined by the Lebanese people and their elected government, and the U.S. will cooperate with the Lebanese government in the future.

When discussing future arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio stated that no country is allowed to impose tolls or other fees on international waterways, as stipulated by current international law. He mentioned that the specific handling of related issues will be raised and discussed at the appropriate time.

Currently, a new round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon is taking place in the United States. Iran has previously stated that Israel's strikes against Lebanon during the ceasefire could affect the U.S.-Iran negotiation process; Israel, on the other hand, claims that the related actions are self-defense measures against Hezbollah. (CCTV reporter Zhu Lei)