Israel and Lebanon signed a framework peace agreement Friday after four days of negotiations in Washington, marking a major diplomatic breakthrough that sidelines Iran and its proxy terrorist group Hezbollah from the future of relations between the two longtime adversaries.
“In this performance-based trilateral framework agreement, Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in,” Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter declared during the signing ceremony.
While the full text of the agreement was not immediately released, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed it as the opening step toward restoring Lebanon after decades of conflict fueled by Iranian-backed militancy.
“The people of Lebanon have suffered tremendously now for decades as a result of outside interference in their affairs of countries trying to use the country as a launchpad for attacks, and this is not what the people of Lebanon want. That’s not what they deserve,” Rubio said.
“What they deserve to have is what they once had — and of which there is recent history of — and that is a prosperous and peaceful country, a diverse country where people of different backgrounds were able to live and coexist side by side — in many ways was the envy of the region and of the world.”
“It will take a lot of work and some time to get back to that point, but we believe today is the first step in that journey.”
SECRETARY RUBIO: "We're happy to announce a framework agreement between the sovereign government of Lebanon and the government of Israel, with the mediation and support of the United States of America." pic.twitter.com/0Zbd9HRKmh
— Department of State (@StateDept) June 26, 2026
Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hameda called the agreement a pathway toward lasting stability.
“The road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and final cessation of hostilities, enabling our people to go back to our land,” Hameda said of the framework.
The agreement follows months of shifting dynamics across the Middle East after Israel severely weakened Hezbollah’s military capabilities and the United States increased pressure on Iran during negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
BREAKING: Israel and Lebanon sign a framework agreement with the U.S. following months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Rubio says. https://t.co/d0M1lV5gd8
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 26, 2026
