Rubio hopes for Israel-Lebanon security agreement, criticizes NATO allies

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said Tuesday that he hopes Israel and Lebanon, engaged in talks for the second consecutive day, will reach an agreement on regional security and a peace system.

"The leaders of the legitimate government of Lebanon and the government of Israel are meeting at the State Department for the second day in a row," Rubio said, appearing at hearings in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. "Hopefully, today they will come out with a joint statement and action plan regarding the direction of their country's security."

The "legitimate government of Lebanon" was interpreted as referring to the official government, not the pro-Iranian armed group Hezbollah.

Rubio said the joint statement and action plan to be issued by the two governments would be "independent of Hezbollah and of malign influence." The "malign influence" appeared to refer to Iran.

"They had a similar meeting last week at the Pentagon," Rubio added.

The ambassadors to the United States from Israel and Lebanon resumed their fourth direct dialogue on Monday at the State Department building in Washington D.C., aiming to halt armed conflict in Lebanon and conclude a peace treaty.

This mediation by the United States comes as the U.S.-Iran peace talks, which are seen as nearing their conclusion, have become a variable.

Rubio pointed out that Hezbollah, about two weeks ago, had proposed a cessation of hostilities with Israel, but then violated it by attacking and subsequently claiming it was a "mistake," thus failing to build trust.

Rubio stated that the handling of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU) is the core of the peace talks, saying, "That issue is clearly addressed in the documents exchanged (between the two sides)." He added, "However, as of this morning, we have not yet received final approval from their (command) structure."

Rubio emphasized that the "Operation Grand Fury" against Iran has ended, defining the U.S. neutralization of most of Iran's military capabilities and weapons production facilities as a "victory (in war)."

Regarding recent exchanges of attacks between the U.S., Gulf states, and Iran, he explained, "When a merchant ship that hasn't paid a toll moves, that ship is attacked by (Iran's) drones, and we, in some cases, not only shoot down the drone but also strike the drone launcher." He continued, "Then Iran retaliates by firing two or three missiles at a base in the region. This is the situation that has been repeated for the last three days."

He stressed that the peace talks should involve a quid pro quo of Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. lifting its maritime blockade on Iran, Iran disposing of HEU and limiting its enrichment program, and partial lifting of sanctions.

Rubio said that President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the NATO summit in Turkey next month and will once again demand NATO reform and increased defense spending from European allies.

He strongly criticized NATO countries for their "lack of cooperation" in responding to U.S. requests for troop deployment, use of bases in Europe, and overflight permissions during the war with Iran, asking, "Where are these alliances?"

"All these issues will clearly be raised at the NATO summit. We are still part of NATO, but NATO needs significant changes, and the President has made that clear," he emphasized.

However, he explained that the reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Germany was "merely returning the troop numbers to the 2022 level," and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Poland was "only a withdrawal due to short-term rotational deployment."

He added, "Everything we are doing is not a shock or surprise to NATO allies. They are being notified step-by-step throughout the process."

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Rubio said, "So far, neither side has shown the willingness to make the necessary concessions for peace, especially on the Russian side."

In response to the suggestion that the U.S. might be indirectly supporting Russia's war funding through its actions against Iran, Rubio countered, "We are clearly on one side (Ukraine)."

"Frankly, we are not a neutral mediator in that war," Rubio said. "We do not provide weapons to Russia, only to Ukraine. We do not impose sanctions on Ukraine, only on Russia," he emphasized.