DOHA, June 24. /TASS/. The Washington administration wants the Lebanese authorities to control their territory independently, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Kuwait.

"That is our hope that the Lebanese armed forces and the legitimate sovereign Lebanese government will continue to be able to control and secure more and more of their own territory, because that's who needs to control Lebanese territory, not a terrorist group like Hezbollah," Rubio said, commenting on Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's statement that the Jewish state does not intend to withdraw its troops from South Lebanon, even if the United States demands it to.

"The reason why they're involved there is because territory of Lebanon is being used to launch drones and missiles against Israel, but the more of that area the Lebanese armed forces is able to secure, the less of it's in Hezbollah's control, the less Israel will be in Lebanon. But obviously that's the process we're working through right now with these talks.

"I think that’s the core of these talks," Rubio said, referring to the Israeli-Lebanese negotiations in Washington. "And that's exactly what they're talking to the Lebanese about with our mediation."

Earlier, Iran demanded a complete ceasefire in Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli troops during negotiations with the United States, warning that otherwise Tehran would again block the Strait of Hormuz. Israel said it will not withdraw from Lebanon as long as the Jewish state perceives a threat to its northern regions from Hezbollah forces. Israeli troops continue to hold their positions in southern Lebanon and have a complete freedom of action to eliminate emerging threats.