U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday to ensure that hundreds of kilograms of explosives seized from Hezbollah are not returned to the Iran-backed group and called for those responsible for the shipment to be held accountable, a U.S. State Department official said.

During a phone call with Aoun, Rubio stressed that Lebanese authorities must identify and hold accountable everyone who ordered, financed and directed the transportation of the explosives. Returning the seized materials to Hezbollah, he said, “should be out of the question.”

The conversation came after Lebanese security forces intercepted a shipment of explosives last week at a checkpoint on the highway linking Beirut to the eastern Bekaa Valley. Reports put the cargo’s weight at approximately 780 kilograms, although other accounts cited a figure of around 500 kilograms. The shipment reportedly included TNT and C-4 plastic explosives, and two men were arrested in connection with the seizure.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah acknowledged on Thursday that the seized shipment belonged to the group, in a rare public admission of its ownership of the explosives.

“The vehicle and its cargo belong to the resistance,” Fadlallah said, claiming that the explosives were intended for use against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Fadlallah called for the immediate release of those arrested in connection with the shipment and demanded that the seized materials be returned, describing them as capabilities used by Hezbollah against Israel.

Aoun Defends Lebanese Security Measures

Aoun told Rubio that the Lebanese army and security forces were fully implementing government decisions aimed at preventing unauthorized armed activity, confiscating weapons and ammunition, and combating smuggling, according to the Lebanese presidency.

He said measures taken in recent days were part of those efforts and stressed that judicial authorities were pursuing the cases referred to them. Aoun also underscored that those responsible would face the law without favoritism.

“No one will be released unless he is innocent,” a Lebanese official quoted Aoun as telling Rubio.

The Lebanese president also asked Washington to pressure Israel to halt its ongoing attacks on towns and villages in southern Lebanon and to comply with the agreements governing its military presence.

According to the presidency, Aoun called on Israel to stop bulldozing and land-clearing operations and allow farmers to return to their fields without fear of being targeted.

Israel has continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah positions and infrastructure.

Washington Calls for Direct Military Communication

Rubio also urged Lebanon and Israel to establish direct military-to-military communication to prevent misunderstandings and reduce the risk of escalation, the State Department official said.

The official said such communication would help avoid miscalculations and advance the phased implementation of the Trilateral Framework, which is intended to establish security arrangements between Lebanon and Israel.

Rubio also raised Lebanon’s 1955 Boycott Law, which prohibits contact with Israelis, arguing that it was being used for politically motivated prosecutions that discourage steps toward peace with Israel.

The issue arose amid a complaint filed against Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, over allegations that she contacted Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, to inquire about his son’s condition after he was wounded in an attack in the occupied West Bank.

Rubio described the law as impractical and warned that its use in politicized cases could undermine efforts to advance peaceful relations between the two countries, the U.S. official said.

After speaking with Aoun, Rubio also held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The State Department declined to comment on the contents of that conversation.