BEIRUT, Lebanon: US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have reaffirmed Washington’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, according to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received a phone call from Vance and Rubio, during which they discussed the latest developments related to the situation in Lebanon and the aftermath of Pakistan and Qatar mediated US-Iran talks in Switzerland.
“Vance and Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ support for the positions of the President of the Republic and the Lebanese government in their orientations toward extending the authority of the legitimate state and strengthening its national sovereignty over all its territories through its army and security forces alone, and enabling it to fulfil its commitments in this regard,” the Lebanese Presidency statement reads.
The statement added that Vance and Rubio emphasised the United States’ follow-up on the implementation of what was agreed upon in Switzerland, including the formation of a cell comprising the US, Lebanon and Iran to consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon and monitor its implementation.
“They noted that studies are currently underway regarding the arrangements related to the cell’s operations and the manner of its formation,” the statement adds.
تلقى رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون اتصالاً هاتفياً بعد ظهر اليوم من نائب الرئيس الاميركي جي دي فانس ووزير الخارجية الاميركية ماركو روبيو تم خلاله التداول في آخر التطورات المتصلة بالوضع في لبنان ومرحلة ما بعد اجتماعات سويسرا. واكد السيدان فانس وروبيو على دعم الولايات المتحدة…
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) June 23, 2026
Lebanon president rejects Israeli occupation
Chairing a meeting, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rejected Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon and other foreign interference.
“We accept nothing less than an end to the Israeli occupation and at the same time, the fall of foreign tutelage, because our only option is our national sovereignty and our sole wager is on the Lebanese state,” Aoun said, according to his office.
He has also expressed hope that the new round of talks will be “decisive along the path of achieving what we seek for the good of our nation and people”, namely “the full restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty over every grain of its soil”.
رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون ترأس بعد ظهر اليوم اجتماعاً حضره قائد الجيش العماد رودولف هيكل وأعضاء الفريق الاستشاري المواكب للمفاوضات اللبنانية-الأميركية-الإسرائيلية في واشنطن، وذلك لمتابعة مداولات اجتماع الوفد اللبناني الدبلوماسي والعسكري في الجولة الخامسة من المفاوضات.…
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) June 23, 2026
Meanwhile, the fifth round of talks between Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday started at the State Department in Washington, DC, Al Jazeera reported.
Lebanon is being represented by Ambassador Nada Mouawad, while the Israeli delegation is headed by Ambassador Yehiel Leiter. US officials are also participating in the talks.
The Lebanese President also said the new round of talks could be decisive.
The latest talks follow US-Iran negotiations that resulted in a ceasefire agreement on June 19 and the creation of a “Lebanon de-confliction cell” tasked with supporting efforts to maintain the cessation of military operations in Lebanon.
