U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israel’s prime minister in Jerusalem during a joint appearance to discuss what both called shared security priorities, including preventing a nuclear Iran and securing the release of hostages held in Gaza.

The meeting, described by the prime minister as taking place “in the wake of a historic visit to Washington,” focused on Iran’s regional influence, Israel’s campaign in Gaza, the future of Gaza’s governance, developments in Syria and the security situation in Lebanon.

The prime minister (name not specified in the transcript) said Israel and the United States “stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the threat of Iran,” adding, “We agreed that the Ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons.” He said Israel has “dealt a mighty blow to Iran’s terror axis” over the last 16 months and reaffirmed Israel’s determination to “eliminate Hamas’ military capability and its political rule in Gaza” and to “bring all our hostages home.”

Rubio, identified in the transcript as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said the United States shared those goals and pressed the urgency of securing hostages’ release. “Hostages need to come home, they need to be released … That must happen. It’s not optional,” Rubio said, adding that the U.S. and Israel were working “in very close coordination”.

The prime minister thanked the U.S. for assistance in securing the release of three hostages “yesterday,” as noted in the remarks. He also said the two discussed “president Trump’s bold vision for Gaza” and ways to implement a future for the territory; specific policy steps, timelines or funding arrangements were not specified in the transcript.

Both leaders discussed Syria, with Rubio saying the fall of President Bashar al‑Assad would be “promising and important” but cautioning against replacing one destabilizing force with another. The prime minister described long‑running Israeli operations in Syria to prevent Iranian entrenchment, saying Israel has conducted “hundreds of airstrikes, perhaps a thousand,” to prevent hostile forces from using Syrian territory opposite the Golan Heights.

On Lebanon, Rubio and the prime minister said they want a stronger Lebanese state capable of disarming Hezbollah. The prime minister referred to United Nations resolutions cited in the remarks and said those resolutions “must be fully implemented” and that “Hezbollah must be disarmed.” He added that Israel would prefer the Lebanese army perform that task but said Israel “will do what it has to do to enforce the understandings of the ceasefire and defend our security.”

Both officials criticized international institutions for what they described as bias against Israel and the United States. The prime minister criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the court had issued arrest warrants “based on other lies” and that Israel does not accept the court’s authority; he praised U.S. steps to sanction ICC officials and to restore an executive order aiming to block the ICC’s actions. Rubio said the two countries would “formulate a common strategy to deal with the threat of lawfare.”

No formal agreements, votes or dates for specific next steps were announced in the remarks. The officials framed the meeting as a reaffirmation of close U.S.–Israel coordination on regional security challenges and a commitment to pursue the stated objectives together.