Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, expressed optimism about the possibility of peace between Lebanon and Israel, emphasizing that the key to achieving this lies in eliminating terrorist organizations that pose a threat to stability.

“If we can remove terrorist organizations as a threatening factor, then we can achieve normalization everywhere. I believe Lebanon can normalize relations with Israel – real normalization, meaning a peace agreement between the two countries. It is absolutely possible,” Witkoff said in an interview with Tucker Carlson on YouTube.

The US envoy also addressed the broader Middle East dynamics, specifically touching on President Trump's ongoing attempts to avoid military conflict with Iran. Witkoff stressed that Trump had taken significant steps to de-escalate tensions, including sending a personal letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The letter, sent on March 7, urged a resumption of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program while warning of the potential for military action if talks failed to yield results.

“It roughly said: 'I'm a president of peace. That's what I want. There's no reason for us to do this militarily. We should talk,'” Witkoff said, reflecting the president's peace-driven stance.

Despite the military leverage held by the US, Witkoff stressed that it is the Trump administration, not Iran, that is leading the charge for dialogue.

“It’s him doing that,” he noted, underscoring the contrast between the US's military advantage and its push for diplomacy.

In the interview, Witkoff outlined ongoing back-channel discussions between the US and Iran, facilitated through multiple countries and diplomatic channels. He emphasized that President Trump is not only seeking to avert conflict but also aiming to restore Iran's standing on the global stage.

“He wants to build trust with them,” Witkoff said, adding that Trump is open to an opportunity where Iran could "come back to the world and be a great nation once again."