U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, October 16, 2026, to hold accountable those behind a seized truck carrying 780 kilograms of explosives and warned against returning the material to Hezbollah as regional diplomatic tensions mount.
Lebanese security forces intercepted the transport last week at a checkpoint along the highway connecting Beirut to the eastern Bekaa Valley. The vehicle contained approximately 780 kilograms—or about 1,720 pounds—of military-grade materials, specifically 250 kilograms of TNT alongside C-4 plastic explosives. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the transport as a criminal operation
and confirmed that authorities launched investigations to track down all Hezbollah members linked to the shipment.
Washington Demands Accountability Following Bekaa Valley Interception
During a telephone call on Thursday, October 16, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed President Joseph Aoun to ensure that everyone who ordered, financed, and directed the explosive consignment faces justice. A State Department official briefed journalists that Rubio explicitly underscored that returning explosives to Hezbollah should be out of the question.
He urged Aoun to hold accountable all those who ordered, financed, and directed the shipment, and underscored that returning explosives to Hezbollah should be out of the question.
Unnamed State Department official, via Axios and Al Jazeera
In response to the U.S. outreach, Aoun assured Washington that the Lebanese army and security forces are strictly enforcing decisions to dismantle armed displays, seize illicit munitions, and stop smuggling. The presidential office emphasized that judicial authorities will show zero leniency toward anyone involved. No one will be released unless he is innocent,
Aoun told Rubio, according to a Lebanese official.
Hezbollah Lawmaker Claims Ownership of Confiscated Shipment
In a rare public admission, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah acknowledged that the confiscated shipment belonged to the organization. Speaking to reporters at the Lebanese parliament, Fadlallah maintained that The vehicle and its cargo belong to the resistance
directed against Israel. Fadlallah demanded the immediate release of two detained personnel and the return of the confiscated materials.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has stated that the state will no longer tolerate any possession of illegal weapons, vowing that authorities will identify all individuals involved in the criminal operation and those who ordered it. Having fought two conflicts against Israel beginning in 2023, Hezbollah now finds itself diminished from the days when it exerted dominant influence over Lebanese political affairs.
President Aoun Pressures Washington Over Southern Border Attacks
While discussing domestic security compliance, Aoun turned the diplomatic conversation back toward Israeli military actions in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese president urged Rubio to pressure Israel to halt ongoing attacks, stop bulldozing and land-clearing operations, and allow local farmers to access their agricultural fields safely. After speaking with Aoun, Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the State Department declined to comment on that conversation. Meanwhile, the U.S. official reported that Rubio also advocated for direct military-to-military communication between Lebanese and Israeli forces for deconfliction
.
The diplomatic friction unfolds against a backdrop of broader legal and regional disputes. During their conversation, Rubio also raised Lebanon’s 1955 Boycott Law regarding a recent court complaint filed against Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad. The diplomat faced prosecution for calling her Israeli counterpart after his son was wounded in a West Bank terror attack, a statute Rubio argued is routinely used for politicized prosecutions that deter steps towards peace with Israel.
Pursuant to an agreement brokered through American diplomatic efforts, Beirut committed to stripping Hezbollah of its arms, a step intended to prompt a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory. However, Hezbollah has refused to disarm as long as Israeli forces remain on Lebanese land, and Israel has continued striking southern Lebanon, where U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks have killed thousands and displaced millions.
