BEIRUT: The embassies of the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan on Thursday called on Lebanon’s political parties and lawmakers to publicly support the state’s exclusive authority over weapons and decisions on war and peace, amid growing tensions over an investigation into explosives belonging to Hezbollah.

In a joint statement published by the US Embassy in Beirut, the five countries reaffirmed their backing for the Lebanese government’s efforts to establish a state monopoly on weapons and restore its sovereignty across the country.

The embassies said it was essential for all members of parliament and political parties to publicly support declarations by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam that only the Lebanese state has the authority to decide on war and peace.

They also called for an independent investigation into the Dahr Al-Baydar explosives case, which has sparked a political dispute over the government’s efforts to curb Hezbollah’s military activities.

The embassies welcomed steps taken by Lebanese authorities in the case and urged a “swift, independent judicial process, free from political interference” to ensure accountability.

They reaffirmed their support for the “full restoration of effective Lebanese sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory.”

The statement came as a Lebanese military judge issued arrest warrants on Thursday for two suspects detained in connection with the seizure of a truck carrying approximately 780 kg of explosives at a checkpoint on the main road linking Beirut with the Bekaa Valley on Oct. 5.

First Military Investigating Judge Ghada Abu Alwan questioned suspects Ali Al-Kurdi and Haitham Amhaz before issuing the warrants, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.

The development followed charges filed on Oct. 30 against 13 people accused of offenses including illegal possession of explosives, membership of unauthorized armed groups and undermining state security.

Hezbollah has acknowledged ownership of the seized explosives, saying they were intended for use against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. The group has demanded the return of the shipment and the release of the detainees.

The case has intensified divisions within Lebanon’s government over Hezbollah’s weapons, with Justice Minister Adel Nassar pushing to refer it to the Judicial Council, which handles cases involving threats to state security.

The Cabinet postponed a decision on the referral on Oct. 22 pending further investigations, prompting objections from ministers who demanded stronger action against unauthorized weapons.

Salam has repeatedly stressed that the Lebanese state alone has the authority to bear arms and make decisions on war and peace, calling on Hezbollah to comply with government decisions.

The government declared Hezbollah’s military activities illegal in March after the group launched rockets into Israel, triggering a new war that killed thousands in Lebanon and resulted in Israeli forces occupying parts of the south.

Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons before Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory and ends its military operations.

Under a US-brokered framework agreement reached in June, Lebanon and Israel agreed on a process linking Hezbollah's disarmament and the deployment of Lebanese government forces to a gradual Israeli withdrawal.

However, progress has stalled, with the latest US-mediated security talks in October failing to produce a breakthrough.