LEBANON-ISRAEL DIRECT DIALOGUE AFTER DECADES

Lebanon and Israel sat down for their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington on Tuesday, a striking opening after more than a month of war with Hezbollah — but no one is pretending a deal is near. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a “historic opportunity,” even as Hezbollah, shut out of the room and opposing the effort, appeared to intensify fire on northern Israel as the talks began. The Trump administration is pitching the meeting as a path toward a permanent framework, but with decades of hostility, Iranian pressure, and a still-burning conflict on the ground, the stakes are clear: either a fragile opening or another round of bloodshed.