Marco Rubio met Libyan Deputy Commander Saddam Haftar on Monday. The meeting took place as the United States intensifies diplomatic efforts to resolve Libya's political crisis. Rubio and Haftar discussed unifying Libya's military, economic and political institutions and identified possible avenues for cooperation to promote unity and peace, according to a State Department statement. The Secretary expressed appreciation for Libyan leaders' efforts to overcome divisions and move toward unity, the statement added. The United States will continue to support Libyan unity and work toward a democratically elected government, the statement said. In April the United States helped broker an agreement that aligned public sector wages and the National Oil Corporation between the two competing Libyan governments. The United States is also pursuing military cooperation between the eastern and western authorities, following joint exercises with US forces in Sirte in 2023. Libya has been divided since 2014, when a parliamentary body lost recognition by a Tripoli court and relocated to the east, where it aligned with the Libyan National Army under Khalifa Haftar. The LNA, which consolidated control in the east after 2016, attempted to capture Tripoli in 2019 but was repelled. A ceasefire was reached in 2020, yet the country remains split and sporadic clashes continue. Saddam Haftar, the LNA's heir apparent, has met with Egypt's defence minister and French President Emmanuel Macron in recent weeks. White House adviser Massad Boulos said the Libyan parties could be invited to Washington to sign a final agreement in the presence of President Donald Trump, if an agreement is reached. Boulos reiterated US support for the Libyan people, who have endured 15 years of war and division.