Speaking to reporters during a visit to Bahrain, Rubio said the two countries are close to achieving what he described as a “commitment of intent,” signaling a possible breakthrough in efforts to ease tensions and advance dialogue between the neighboring states.

“I think we are very close in our hopes of getting a commitment of intent between the two countries,” Rubio said.

The comments come as Israeli and Lebanese officials continue US-mediated discussions aimed at addressing security concerns and reducing tensions along the border following months of conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah.

The latest round of negotiations, taking place in Washington, is the fifth direct engagement between representatives of the two countries under American facilitation.

Rubio’s remarks suggest growing confidence within the US administration that the talks could lead to further diplomatic steps and contribute to greater stability along the Israel-Lebanon frontier.

Despite the positive tone of the negotiations, sporadic security incidents have continued in southern Lebanon, highlighting the challenges that remain in achieving a lasting reduction in hostilities.

Officials from both countries have not yet publicly commented on the details of any potential agreement.

According to the report, the draft agreement also calls for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without tolls and links sanctions relief for Iran to compliance with the terms of the deal. It also outlines a framework for Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, while leaving detailed nuclear commitments for a later comprehensive agreement.

The memorandum is said to have been mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, and would be referred to as the “Islamabad agreement” if finalized, according to Axios.
Axios, citing a diplomat from one of the mediating countries and a US official, reported that both sides had broadly agreed on the text, although final approval was still pending.

The sources said Iranian leadership had given preliminary approval, though questions remained over final endorsement at the highest level.

US President Donald Trump was quoted as saying that he had halted planned military strikes after progress in negotiations and suggested that an agreement could be signed within days. However, Iranian officials told state media that no final conclusion had been reached, and said changes in US positions and new demands had delayed finalization of the text.

The draft reportedly includes provisions for a 60-day ceasefire window during which broader nuclear talks would continue, alongside mechanisms for managing Iran’s nuclear material under international supervision. It also includes financial provisions, with Iran seeking immediate disbursement of funds upon signing, while US officials reportedly favor phased release based on compliance.

Axios reported that the White House has repeatedly believed a deal was imminent over the past two months, but negotiations have previously stalled due to unresolved issues between the two sides.

The renewed offensive comes as diplomatic efforts involving the United States and Iran continue in parallel to end a wider regional conflict that has drawn in multiple fronts across the Middle East, including the Israel-Hezbollah confrontation along the Lebanese border.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said he had directed the Israeli military to accelerate operations against the Iran-backed militant group, citing continued drone attacks on Israeli positions.

“I have ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel would intensify its military campaign and increase firepower against Hezbollah.

The Israeli military subsequently launched a series of strikes across the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and targeted multiple locations in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

Lebanese media reported that at least three people were killed in separate strikes involving two vehicles and a motorcycle. Additional airstrikes were reported near the coastal city of Tyre and in other areas of southern Lebanon.

The escalation followed evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli military for residents in 10 villages in southern Lebanon. Israeli authorities accused Hezbollah of violating the April 17 ceasefire agreement through continued attacks on Israeli forces and territory.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said operations were being conducted in response to Hezbollah activities that breached the truce.
Hezbollah said it had carried out several drone attacks against Israeli military positions on Monday and later announced strikes targeting three military barracks and an additional post in northern Israel. The group described its actions as retaliation for Israeli violations of the ceasefire.

Despite the agreement reached in April, hostilities have persisted almost daily, underscoring the fragility of efforts to stabilize the Israel-Lebanon frontier.
The violence prompted visible displacement in parts of Lebanon. Residents were seen leaving neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah, following warnings of possible expanded military action.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli operations since the outbreak of fighting in early March have killed more than 3,100 people. Israel said one soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Sunday, bringing the number of Israeli military fatalities in the conflict to 23. One civilian contractor has also been reported killed.

Pressure for a broader military campaign has intensified within Israel’s governing coalition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for harsher retaliatory measures against Hezbollah drone attacks, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir advocated a return to intensive warfare and greater territorial control in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces currently maintain positions inside a security zone extending several kilometers into Lebanese territory. The military has identified the Litani River as a strategic boundary beyond which Hezbollah fighters should not operate.

Amid the escalation, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed his demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, describing the issue as non-negotiable. He also defended ongoing indirect contacts between Lebanese and Israeli officials.

The two countries, which do not maintain diplomatic relations, are scheduled to participate in talks in Washington on June 2 and 3, preceded by military-level discussions at the Pentagon later this week.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated opposition to direct negotiations with Israel and rejected calls for the group to disarm, signaling that key obstacles to a durable settlement remain unresolved.

The latest escalation highlights the challenge facing regional mediators seeking to contain multiple interconnected conflicts across the Middle East as negotiations over Iran, maritime security and broader ceasefire arrangements continue.

Aoun’s remarks came after Israeli strikes targeted several locations in southern Lebanon and the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah announced a drone attack on what it described as a military target in northern Israel.

“The framework that Lebanon has set for the negotiations consists of an Israeli withdrawal, a ceasefire, the deployment of the army along the border, the return of the displaced, and economic aid,” Aoun said in a statement.

“My duty, based on my position and my responsibility, is to do the impossible, and to choose what is least costly, in order to stop the war against Lebanon and its people,” he added.

The ceasefire, initially reached on April 17, was extended by 45 days last week following a third round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives in Washington. Hezbollah has opposed the negotiations.

Despite the truce, violence has persisted along the border. Hezbollah said Monday it launched a drone targeting an Iron Dome air defense platform at an Israeli military encampment in northern Israel, describing the strike as retaliation for Israeli ceasefire violations.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported multiple Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, while the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents in three southern Lebanese towns.

The latest escalation followed Israeli strikes on Sunday that Lebanese authorities said killed seven people, including a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in northeastern Lebanon, away from the border region.

Israeli forces have maintained operations inside parts of southern Lebanon within a self-declared “yellow line” extending roughly 10 kilometers north of the border. Israeli troops have also carried out demolitions in areas under their control.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was confronting growing threats from first-person-view drones increasingly deployed by Hezbollah against Israeli forces.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli military operations have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon since the conflict began, including more than 400 since the ceasefire took effect in April.

Leiter said Israel had agreed to begin “formal peace negotiations” with the Lebanese government, despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The talks are scheduled to open Tuesday at the U.S. State Department following contacts between Israeli and Lebanese representatives.“Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which continues to attack Israel and is the main obstacle to peace between the two countries,” Leiter said in a statement.

The position contrasts with calls from Lebanese authorities and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump for a pause in hostilities ahead of negotiations. A report citing sources familiar with the discussions said Washington and Beirut had urged Israel to halt its attacks before talks begin.

Israel launched an intensified military campaign, including airstrikes and a ground offensive in Lebanon, after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in early March, in a move linked to broader regional tensions involving Iran.

Israeli officials have maintained that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon is separate from the ceasefire arrangement between the United States and Iran, with negotiations between those two countries set to take place in Islamabad.

In the absence of a ceasefire, discussions in Washington are expected to focus on measures Israel wants the Lebanese government to take, particularly regarding efforts to curb Hezbollah’s activities.

Lebanese authorities say the conflict has killed more than 1,950 people in recent weeks, including over 350 fatalities reported on Wednesday alone, marking one of the deadliest days since the escalation began.