Secretary State Rubio meets with Egypt’s Foreign Minister amid Israeli and Lebanese talks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty at the State Department on Tuesday (April 14).

Earlier, Rubio hosted a rare meeting between Israeli and Lebanese envoys in Washington, saying he hoped the two countries would agree to a framework for a peace process, even as Israel pressed its war on Hezbollah.

The two countries went into their first direct negotiations since 1983 with conflicting agendas, with Israel ruling out discussion of a ceasefire and demanding Beirut disarm Iran-aligned Hezbollah.

But the presence of Rubio, President Donald Trump's top diplomat and national security adviser, signaled Washington's desire to see progress.

-Eva Weininger/Reuters