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AzerNEWS Staff

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Israeli and Lebanese military officials held productive talks in Washington on May 29, marking the first direct military engagement between the two neighboring rivals in decades, according to a senior Pentagon official, AzerNEWS reports.

The meeting, hosted at the Pentagon, concluded with both sides stating that the talks would complement upcoming diplomatic discussions.

“We had productive military discussions, which will allow for political negotiations led by the State Department next week,” said Elbridge Colby, the second-highest-ranking official at the Pentagon, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Colby added that the United States expects to meet with both parties again in the near future.

The rare engagement comes as Washington continues its broader diplomatic push in the region, including ongoing talks between the United States and Iran. Officials did not disclose specific topics discussed during the military meeting, but analysts suggest the agenda likely included border security, ceasefire arrangements, and de-escalation mechanisms.

Israel and Lebanon have technically been in a state of war for decades, with no formal diplomatic relations. The last major conflict between the two sides occurred in 2006, though cross-border tensions and skirmishes have continued periodically, particularly involving the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah operating from southern Lebanon.

The Washington meeting does not constitute formal peace negotiations but is seen as a significant step toward establishing military-to-military communication channels. The success of next week’s State Department-led political talks will likely determine whether this historic engagement leads to further concrete agreements.