Witkoff denies report on Israel talks, says Lebanon takes own decisions

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has denied a media report about alleged discussions with “an unnamed Lebanese official in Doha” as “baseless, false and misleading.”

“Peddling rumors and fake news only sows confusion and erodes the credibility of media outlets,” Witkoff’s office said in a statement.

“Lebanon is an independent nation that will make its own sovereign decisions; we trust this government’s ability to do so,” the statement added.

“The Trump Administration has made clear publicly and privately, that the United States supports the Lebanese government, under the leadership of President (Joseph) Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as they work to extend state sovereignty across all of Lebanon, and implement reforms to strengthen state institutions, and deliver on the demands of the people of Lebanon,” the statement said.

The report, published Wednesday in An-Nahar newspaper, had quoted Witkoff as saying that his administration is not satisfied with “the Lebanese officials’ performance in dealing with Hezbollah.”

“Lebanon will be asked to head to direct and face-to-face political negotiations with Israel and to task a civilian figure with this mission, while the latter will be represented by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is the closest to Benjamin Netanyahu’s mentality,” the alleged Lebanese figure quoted Witkoff as saying in the published report.