Rubio to Lebanese President: 'Returning the explosives to Hezbollah is not an option'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and made it clear that returning the confiscated explosives to Hezbollah is not an option. The conversation came after Lebanese authorities seized a massive half-ton shipment of explosives this week, including 250 kg of TNT and 250 kg of C4, which was on its way to the organization. Two passengers, including the son of a senior Hezbollah official, were arrested. A Hezbollah parliamentarian confirmed that the materials belong to the organization and were intended to confront the Israeli occupation. A source in the organization told Reuters that the materials were intended for booby-trapped drones to attack Israeli forces.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and made it clear that returning the confiscated explosives to Hezbollah is not an option. The conversation came after Lebanese authorities seized a massive half-ton shipment of explosives this week, including 250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C4, which was on its way to the terrorist organization. Two passengers, including the son of a senior Hezbollah official, were arrested. A Hezbollah parliamentarian confirmed that the materials belong to the organization and were intended to confront the Israeli occupation in the south. A Hezbollah source and a Lebanese security source told Reuters that the materials were intended for use in booby-trapped drones to attack Israeli forces. The article does not include a response from the Lebanese president or local authorities, and quotes Rubio indirectly through a State Department source.