Marco Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran is the main obstacle to regional stability. Tehran warns of a "devastating blow" if the US and Israel attack, while Russia offers to remove Iran's enriched nuclear material.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed at the start of the cabinet meeting that he plans to fly to Washington tomorrow. He is set to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Speaking about the attacks in Judea and Samaria, the prime minister said: "We are prepared to act more broadly against terror hubs."

Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama Hacohen ordered all public shelters opened after a new assessment pointed to a higher risk of missile fire from Iran over the weekend. At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio blasted Tehran and warned against further escalation.

Israeli defense officials believe dozens of Hezbollah operatives are trapped in a strategic underground complex in southern Lebanon. At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the group to be disarmed, saying Lebanon has no future as long as it remains armed.

A senior Iranian official says Tehran has received proposals to lower tensions and is signaling that talks with the U.S. may still be possible. At the same time, strikes are continuing, and both Israel and the United States are preparing for the possibility of a broader escalation.

The United States completed its ninth consecutive wave of strikes against military targets in Iran. In Tehran, threats around the Strait of Hormuz escalated. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "We remain open to the possibility of a diplomatic solution."

Just before *Shabbat*, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that understandings had been reached with the Lebanese government and that a framework agreement had been signed between the two countries. The IDF will gradually transfer responsibility in certain areas to the Lebanese army, while Israel will retain freedom of action until Hezbollah is disarmed.

Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, is expected in Israel tomorrow for security talks focused on Iran and Lebanon. At the same time, Washington is advancing a framework under which the Lebanese army would be required to prove control over areas cleared of Hezbollah.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the talks between Israel and Lebanon. Responding to claims from both Israel and the Lebanese government that the agreement between Iran and the United States harms them both, Rubio said: "The Lebanon file is separate from the Iran file."

Trump publicly urged restraint, but reports say Netanyahu argued that failing to respond would reward Iran and weaken U.S.-led talks

According to a Wall Street Journal report, President Donald Trump told his advisers that if American troops are harmed by fire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, it could bring the ceasefire with Iran to an end.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the negotiations with Iran. On Iran’s nuclear program, he added: "Iran must also commit to specific negotiations on transferring the enriched uranium."

Amid rising tensions in the talks between Washington and Tehran, Rubio is taking a tough line on Iran and making clear that Israel will retain freedom of action against Hezbollah. In Tehran, officials say the U.S. has backed away from prior understandings.

Contacts between the United States and Iran are moving toward a draft agreement, but major disputes remain unresolved. In Tehran, officials insist the nuclear issue is not part of the initial understandings. A senior Israeli official said, “Trump made clear that he will stand firm in the negotiations on his consistent demand to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.”

Today in Washington, the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lebanon demands that the IDF stop demolishing buildings in southern Lebanon. A Lebanese official: "This is a condition for continuing the talks"