Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the remark at a Washington signing ceremony for a US-brokered accord between Israel and Lebanon, reached after five rounds of talks. The agreement includes a pilot plan for Lebanese troops to take control of two Israeli-occupied areas and a process to disarm Hezbollah. Rubio’s comment came as both sides hailed the deal while Hezbollah supporters protested in Beirut. The development unfolded alongside a separate escalation in the Gulf: the US and Iran exchanged military strikes after Washington accused Tehran of attacking a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran accused the US of violating their ceasefire.