The office of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the seizure of explosives allegedly intended for use against Israel.
According to the statement, Aoun received the call on Thursday and affirmed to Rubio that Lebanese security forces are fully carrying out their mission to seize illegal weapons nationwide.
Last week, a truck carrying 780 kg (1,720 lb) of explosives was intercepted on the highway between Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Judicial officials told the AP that the shipment included 250 kg (550 lb) of TNT and 550 lb of C4 plastic explosive.
On Thursday, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah acknowledged the group's involvement in the shipment, saying the material was intended for operations against Israel. Speaking to reporters at Lebanon's parliament, Fadlallah said Hezbollah had immediately contacted security agencies to clarify ownership of the truck and its cargo, demanding the return of the material and the release of detained personnel.
A U.S. State Department official told media that Rubio urged Aoun to hold accountable those who ordered, financed and directed the shipment, warning that "returning the explosives to Hezbollah is unacceptable." The official added that Rubio also supported direct communication between the Lebanese army and Israel "to reduce conflict."
In response, the Lebanese presidency said Aoun asked Rubio to pressure Israel to halt its attacks and destruction in southern Lebanon.
On the same day, according to Israeli media, Rubio spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran.
The explosives truck case
On Monday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed Lebanon would launch an investigation to track down the Hezbollah members involved in the incident. Salam described the shipment as a "criminal act" and praised security forces for intercepting the vehicle on the strategic highway linking Beirut to the Bekaa Valley.
For years, Hezbollah moved weapons freely through many parts of Lebanon. However, in March, the Lebanese government declared all of the group's military activities illegal. Despite the government's commitment to bring all weapons under state control, the group has continued to declare its intention to keep moving weapons in its confrontation with Israel.
Earlier this spring, Lebanese and Israeli envoys met in Washington under the auspices of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marking the first direct diplomatic contact between the two countries in decades. Despite diplomatic efforts from Washington, Israel has repeatedly violated the November 2024 ceasefire agreement between it and Hezbollah, while Lebanon has regularly reported civilian casualties.
The fresh diplomatic tensions come as heavy Israeli strikes continue across southern Lebanon, where dozens of villages have been systematically destroyed and many areas remain under Israeli military occupation, despite the framework agreement signed in June.
