The United States has reportedly asked Lebanese authorities to hand back an unexploded munition used in a recent strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Resistance commander Haytham Tabbatabai was assassinated by Israel.
The weapon, identified as a U.S.-manufactured GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, was found largely intact after it failed to detonate. Reports indicate that the bomb still contains sensitive guidance components, including classified navigation hardware and software. Washington is said to be concerned that the technology could be accessed by hostile actors, given that the weapon falls under long-standing U.S. military supply arrangements with Israel. It is unclear whether the device is currently in the custody of the Lebanese Armed Forces or held by Hezbollah.
The GBU-39 is designed for highly accurate strikes intended to limit surrounding damage. It uses a GPS-assisted guidance system and is compact enough that four of the bombs can be deployed in the space normally taken by a single 2,000-pound conventional bomb.