The Israeli ambassador to the United States on Tuesday blasted the status of peace efforts between the Jewish state and Lebanon ahead of the latest round of US-mediated talks.
Yechiel Leiter warned the issue has become a “train wreck” and questioned whether dismantling Hezbollah remains a central objective.
“This is the fifth round of talks, and I must say — we are heading toward a train wreck,” Leiter said in a statement before meeting with US and Lebanese officials in Washington. “Four rounds ago, we all boarded the same train. We sat in the same carriage and set out toward the same destination, with the United States serving as the locomotive pulling us forward.”
“That train was moving toward a very clear goal: a comprehensive peace between our countries—an Iran-free Lebanon, free from its malign influence; the dismantling of Hezbollah; and peace and security for both Lebanon and Israel,” he continued.
“Today, this train is in danger of derailing. I hope we can get it back on track.”
The US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed last week by President Trump calls for the end of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon – even though Israel was not part of the talks.
Five Israeli Defense Forces soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon within two days of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire being announced, but this week – under pressure from Trump – the fighting has largely stopped under a very fragile ceasefire.
Leiter’s unusually sharp remarks reflected growing concerns in Israel with the MOU – and that the US may be shifting away from weakening Hezbollah and toward managing tensions between the Iranian-backed terror group and Israel.
State Department Counselor Dan Holler and Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs Dan Zimmerman opened a scheduled three-day round of Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington.
“Our shared goal is to end the cycle of violence for good,” the State Department said in a statement. “We are enabling Israel and Lebanon to negotiate as two sovereign states and to find a way to have peace and security.”
“The talks will continue to advance a comprehensive peace and security agreement between the two countries.”
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Leiter argued the US-led talks were designed to separate Iran and its proxy Hezbollah from the conflict and ultimately push Tehran’s influence out of Lebanon.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday emphasized that the Lebanon-Israel track remains separate from the broader US-Iran peace negotiations.
“When it comes to Lebanon, and what’s happening inside of Lebanon, we’re going to negotiate a deal directly with the Lebanese government,” Rubio said.
Still, he acknowledged Iran’s role could not be ignored.
“There’s an Iranian issue with regards to Lebanon, and that is their support and sponsorship of Hezbollah, and so that factor will be discussed as part of our conversations with the Iranians,” Rubio said.
Previous rounds of talks focused heavily on strengthening the Lebanese government and armed forces as a counterweight to Hezbollah.
Those efforts became more complicated following the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which established a cease-fire across multiple fronts.
The US and Iran subsequently announced a new “deconfliction cell” involving Washington, Tehran and Beirut aimed at lowering tensions — but one that does not directly include Israel or Hezbollah.
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Leiter criticized the growing attention to the new mechanism, arguing that it risks obscuring the central issue.
“I fear that the concept of ‘deconfliction’ is misplaced,” he said. “The only issue is Hezbollah. Hezbollah must be defeated and removed from the equation.”
He warned the group could interpret recent diplomatic developments as a sign that pressure is easing.
“There is a danger that Hezbollah has been given encouragement,” Leiter said. “There is no doubt it feels stronger and bolder.”
Zohar Palti, the former head of Mossad’s intelligence directorate and a former Israeli Defense Ministry official, also expressed skepticism about the arrangement — particularly because Israel was not involved in creating it.
“It’s not serious,” Palti said of the deconfliction mechanism. “It’s like a wedding without the groom or the bride.”
