Lebanon · 29 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Nawaf Salam Presses Marco Rubio for Timetable to Implement Lebanon-Israel Framework Agreement
Salam met Rubio in Washington to press for timetable and framework implementation. Talks stalled amid Israeli elections and limited progress on security framework.
Whether US message targets Hezbollah and Iran.
8 of 9 outlets skipped it: IDF destroyed over 600 Hezbollah sites in Mansouri.
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Malay Mail
“The United States stands with a sovereign Lebanon, free from Hezbollah and Iranian influence,”Read the original ↗
Malay Mail emphasises US backing to remove Hezbollah and Iranian influence, while Al-Monitor stresses generic US support and implementation timeline.
Rubio meeting pushes timetable
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington and pressed for the activation of the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, calling for a timetable to implement obligations on both tracks. Salam’s office said he stressed moving to the activation phase of the trilateral framework and translating reciprocity and gradualness into practical steps and tangible on-ground results, leading to the full restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese soil. The framework agreement, concluded on June 26 after five direct negotiation rounds under American auspices, provided for the disarmament of Hizballah and the gradual withdrawal of the State of Israel from the lands it occupies in southern Lebanon.
The agreement also called for the deployment of the Lebanese Army starting from the “experimental” areas, and the Lebanese army deployed in July in the town of Zotar al-Gharbi after Israeli forces withdrew from its outskirts. Salam said the delay in implementing the agreement came as another round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel was postponed to October.
Verification and Hezbollah weapons
Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Lebanon and its institutions, while Salam called for a credible verification mechanism to monitor implementation and ensure compliance with commitments. Salam’s office said he “stressed the need to move to the stage of implementation of the tripartite framework” and to translate reciprocity and phased implementation into practical steps and tangible results on the ground. Rubio posted on X that he reaffirmed “strong US support as Lebanon implements the Trilateral Framework – the only path to a durable peace with Israel,” and he added that “The United States stands with a sovereign Lebanon, free from Hezbollah and Iranian influence.”
The sources said the agreement involves the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south starting in test areas known as “pilot zones,” and the US ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa visited one of those pilot zones earlier this month to assess conditions and challenges. The sources also said Hezbollah refuses to lay down its weapons and Israel still carries out strikes on Lebanon and occupies a swath of its south despite the agreement.
Mansouri operation and next risks
Lebanon reported a large explosion set off by the Israeli army in the southern town of Mansouri, with the military saying it had completed an operation there and dismantled Hezbollah infrastructure. The Times of Israel said the Israeli military completed a large-scale operation to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in Mansouri, and it reported that troops of the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade destroyed over 600 Hezbollah infrastructure sites, including eight tunnels. The Times of Israel said the brigade-level operation aimed at preventing Hezbollah from “reestablishing itself in the security zone,” and it added that troops opened fire on two suspects who entered the IDF’s buffer zone in southern Lebanon earlier Monday.
The sources said the framework’s next phase depends on implementation order and verification, with Salam pressing for a clear timeline and Rubio reaffirming US support as Lebanon implements the tripartite framework. The sources also said the process remains stalled as Israeli bombing continues in southern Lebanon and Lebanon has failed to disarm Hezbollah, leaving the agreement’s security sequencing unresolved.