📰 6 sources 9 articles · 5 Nov 2026, 15:28 → 7 days ago

Joint statement by five embassies on weapons exclusivity and the Dahr al-Baydar explosives case

On 5 November 2026, the embassies of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan issued a joint statement as "Friends of Lebanon" affirming support for Lebanon's sovereignty, for exclusive possession of weapons by the state alone, and for the state being the sole holder of the war-and-peace decision. They took note of steps taken by the Lebanese authorities in the Dahr al-Baydar explosives case and called for a swift, independent judicial path free of political interference. The statement coincided with domestic political context involving statements by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and presidential contacts to assess the fallout of the US election results.

📍 Where things stand: The joint statement was issued on 5 November 2026, and the available articles contain no information about an official Lebanese response to it.

⏱️ Timeline

5 Nov 2026, 15:28 Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan issued a joint statement expressing their encouragement of an independent Lebanese judicial path in the "Dahr al-Baydar" case.
5 Nov 2026, 15:31 The embassies of the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan issued a joint statement as "Friends of Lebanon" affirming their support for Lebanon's sovereignty, for exclusive possession of weapons by the Lebanese state alone and for it alone to hold the war-and-peace decision. They took note of the steps taken by the Lebanese authorities in the Dahr al-Baydar case, encouraged a swift and independent judicial path away from political interference to ensure full accountability, and called on all members of parliament and political parties to make a public commitment to support the positions of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
5 Nov 2026, 15:32 The joint statement included a rejection of political interference in the work of the Lebanese judiciary in the "Dahr al-Baydar" file.
5 Nov 2026, 19:03 Al Akhbar reported that five foreign embassies in Lebanon called for endorsing the statements of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on exclusive possession of weapons by the state.
6 Nov 2026, 00:12 Al-Modon reported that the five embassies' statement coincided with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's warning against dragging Lebanon into adventures serving foreign interests, and with President Joseph Aoun's response to accusations regarding Hezbollah's role in Yemen, amid Israeli escalation in the south.
6 Nov 2026, 05:04 Lebanon 24 reported that presidential contacts in Lebanon addressed assessing the fallout of the US election results, while the "Friends of Lebanon" statement was viewed as expressing constants supportive of weapons exclusivity.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

Some coverage focused on the statement's own content (weapons exclusivity and an independent judicial path in the Dahr al-Baydar file), while other coverage linked the statement to domestic political context, such as the statements of Aoun and Salam, presidential contacts regarding the US elections, and Israeli escalation in the south.

Lebanon Debate It focused on the content of the joint statement, notably support for exclusive possession of weapons by the state, rejection of political interference in the judiciary, and the call for an independent judicial path in the Dahr al-Baydar file, specifying the statement's date as Thursday 5 November 2026.
MTV Lebanon It presented the statement as issued by the "Friends of Lebanon" embassies and highlighted its reference to the Lebanese authorities' steps and its call for a public commitment from all members of parliament and parties.
Al Akhbar It led with the point that five foreign embassies called for endorsing the statements of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on exclusive possession of weapons by the state.
المدن It linked the statement to domestic context, citing Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's warning against dragging Lebanon into adventures serving foreign interests, President Joseph Aoun's response to accusations about Hezbollah's role in Yemen, and Israeli escalation in the south.
Lebanon 24 It led with presidential contacts to assess the fallout of the US election results and viewed the "Friends of Lebanon" statement as reflecting constants supportive of weapons exclusivity.
tayyar.org It detailed the statement's clauses, highlighting strong support for the Lebanese government, the noting of the authorities' steps in the Dahr al-Baydar case, the call for a swift and independent judicial path, and the public commitment of all members of parliament and parties to support the positions of Aoun and Salam.