Rubio urges Lebanon not to return seized explosives to Hezbollah
The US secretary of state pressed President Joseph Aoun for accountability over a seized shipment and direct military communication with Israel. Aoun sought US pressure to halt Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, 15 October, not to return explosives seized from Hezbollah, a US State Department official said. Their call put a disputed shipment at the centre of Lebanon’s efforts to bring weapons under state control amid continuing tensions with Israel.
Rubio called for those who ordered, financed and directed the shipment to be held accountable, the official said. He also urged direct communication between Lebanese and Israeli forces to reduce the risk of military miscalculation. The National reported that the official linked such contact to the phased Trilateral Framework for restoring Lebanese state authority, disarming militias and withdrawing Israeli troops from Lebanese territory.
Aoun’s response to Rubio
Aoun told Rubio that Lebanon’s army and security forces were carrying out decisions to confiscate illicit weapons, prevent armed displays and combat smuggling, according to the Lebanese presidency. He asked Washington to press Israel to halt attacks on southern Lebanese towns and villages. The two governments’ accounts thus focused on different immediate demands: control of the seized explosives and an end to attacks in the south.
What Lebanon seized
Lebanese security forces intercepted a truck on the highway between Beirut and the Bekaa Valley last week. Judicial officials told The Associated Press it carried 780kg of explosives, including TNT and C4. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the transport a ‘criminal operation’ and said on Monday, 12 October, that Lebanon would investigate links between Hezbollah members and the shipment.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah acknowledged the group’s connection to the cargo and said it was intended for operations against Israel, Al Jazeera reported. He said the group had contacted security agencies to demand the explosives’ return and the release of detained personnel. Separately, Reuters reported that a Hezbollah official and a Lebanese security source said the explosives were meant for drones targeting Israeli troops; that account of their intended use remains attributed to those sources.
Disarmament and Israeli withdrawal
Lebanon’s government declared Hezbollah’s military activities illegal in March, while Hezbollah has said it will not disarm as long as Israeli forces remain on Lebanese land, Reuters reported. The dispute over this shipment therefore sits within a wider disagreement over who may hold weapons and the sequence of disarmament and Israeli withdrawal. Lebanon has not announced a final decision on the seized explosives.
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Sources and context
- Rubio presses Lebanon on confiscation of weapons from HezbollahAl Jazeera (reporting credited to AP and Reuters)
- Rubio urges Lebanon to not return confiscated explosives to Hezbollah, US official saysAl-Monitor (Reuters)
- Rubio speaks to Lebanon’s Aoun about explosives seized from Hezbollah | The NationalThe National
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.