A Proxies War: How Tehran is Using Hezbollah to Sabotage Lebanese Stability

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon is fundamentally achievable in the near future. Rubio emphasized that there is no inherent problem between the two governments or their people, but rather a structural issue caused by a third party. "The problem between Israel and Lebanon is not Israel or Lebanon, it is Hezbollah," Rubio stated, identifying the terrorist organization as the primary barrier to regional stability.

The Secretary of State noted that the Lebanese government reportedly desires a permanent agreement to end the cycles of war, though it has hesitated to use the specific phrase "peace treaty" in public. Rubio explained that Hezbollah continues to operate from Lebanese soil, attacking Israelis while simultaneously causing immense damage to the Lebanese people themselves. He characterized recent Israeli military actions as reactive measures against ongoing threats and strikes launched by the Iranian-backed group.

Rubio laid out a clear requirement for diplomatic progress, stating that the international community expects to see a Lebanese government and military with the actual capacity to challenge Hezbollah. "What needs to happen in Lebanon is a government with the ability to act against Hezbollah and dismantle it," he remarked. This disarmament, particularly of weapons supplied by Iran, is viewed by both the United States and Israel as a mandatory condition for any lasting settlement.

Connecting the situation to broader regional issues, Rubio accused Tehran of being the source of instability, calling Hezbollah a "branch of the Iranian will." The U.S. remains committed to bringing both nations to the negotiating table through American mediation, but Rubio admitted the process is far from simple. He noted that the struggle against Iranian proxies has been ongoing for a long time and warned that achieving a total resolution will be a complex and difficult endeavor.

The White House is currently leaning on a diplomatic channel led by figures like Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to explore these possibilities. Rubio believes that the current pressure on Iran will eventually weaken its proxies, potentially opening a window for the Lebanese state to reclaim its sovereignty. For now, the U.S. position remains firm: peace is waiting on the other side of Hezbollah’s total dismantling and the removal of Iranian influence from Beirut.