Overview
- Lebanese security forces intercepted a truck carrying about 780 kilograms of explosives, including TNT and C-4, and arrested two suspects after a checkpoint seizure on the highway from the Bekaa Valley to Beirut.
- Hezbollah publicly acknowledged owning the explosives and said they were intended for use against Israeli forces, then pushed Lebanon to release two detained members and recover the shipment.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told President Joseph Aoun that returning the explosives to Hezbollah must be off the table and urged Lebanon to hold those who ordered, financed, and directed the consignment accountable.
- President Aoun told Rubio that the Lebanese army and security services will enforce laws, prevent armed displays, and let the judiciary decide on prosecutions, while also asking the U.S. to press Israel to curb strikes in southern Lebanon.
- U.S., Lebanese and Israeli military officers are set to meet at CENTCOM next week to discuss implementation and deconfliction tied to the stalled U.S.-brokered Trilateral Framework that links LAF authority, militia disarmament, and phased Israeli withdrawals.