Rubio pressures Lebanon to confiscate Hezbollah weapons

Lebanon's president reiterates his commitment to consider all weapons under government control.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed the confiscation of explosives for use against Israel in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Lebanese Presidential Palace said.

Aoun received the call on Thursday and assured Rubio that Lebanese security forces are fully performing their duties in confiscating illegal weapons across the country.

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Last week, an explosives-laden truck carrying 780 kilograms (1,720 pounds) of explosives was seized on a highway between Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

On Thursday, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fazlullah confirmed the group's connection to the shipment, saying the materials were intended for operations against Israel.

Speaking to reporters in the Lebanese parliament, Fazullah said that Hezbollah immediately contacted the security agencies to clarify the ownership of the vehicle and the cargo and demanded the return of the materials and the release of the detained personnel.

A US State Department official told US media that Rubio called on Aoun to hold accountable those who ordered, financed and directed the shipment and warned that "returning the explosives to [Hezbollah] should not be an issue."

The official added that Rubio also supports direct military-to-military communication between Lebanese and Israeli forces "to resolve the conflict."

In response, the presidential palace reported that Aoun asked Rubio to pressure Israel to stop its attacks and destruction in southern Lebanon.

According to Israeli media, Rubio spoke separately on Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran.

On Monday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed that Lebanon would conduct an investigation to track down Hezbollah members linked to the incident.

Salam described the transport as a "criminal operation" and praised security forces for intercepting the vehicle along the strategic highway that connects Beirut to the Bekaa Valley.

For years, Hezbollah freely moved weapons in parts of the country. However, in March, the Lebanese government outlawed all of the group's military activities. Despite the government's pledge to control all weapons, the group has announced its intention to continue transporting weapons to confront Israel.

Earlier this spring, Lebanese and Israeli envoys met in Washington under the auspices of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the first direct diplomatic contact between the two countries in decades.

Despite diplomatic pressure from Washington, Israel has repeatedly violated a November 2024 ceasefire agreement between itself and Hezbollah, and Lebanon has repeatedly reported civilian casualties.

Renewal of extremely intense diplomatic friction over Israeli occupation continues across southern Lebanon, where dozens of villages have been systematically destroyed and large areas remain under Israeli military occupation, despite a framework agreement signed in June.