U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday that returning a shipment of explosives seized from Iran-backed Hezbollah should be “out of the question,” according to a U.S. State Department official.
During their phone call, Rubio discussed the seizure of several hundred kilograms of explosives allegedly belonging to Hezbollah and urged Aoun to hold accountable everyone who ordered, financed, or directed the shipment.
The official said Rubio emphasized that the explosives must not be returned to the group.
A Hezbollah lawmaker acknowledged on Thursday that a 500-kilogram shipment seized by Lebanese authorities the previous week belonged to the group. The lawmaker called for the release of those arrested and the return of the explosives, describing them as capabilities intended for use against Israel.
Rubio Calls for Direct Military Communication With Israel
Rubio also discussed with Aoun a Lebanese law prohibiting direct communication with Israelis. The U.S. secretary of state argued that the restriction hinders peace efforts and called for direct military-to-military communication between Lebanese and Israeli forces to prevent misunderstandings and avoid escalation.
According to the State Department official, Rubio said such talks could help reduce the risk of miscalculation and support the phased implementation of the Trilateral Framework.
Separately, Rubio spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the official said, without providing further details about the conversation.
