The United States has said it wants UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon to take on an expanded mission and investigate alleged violations by Hezbollah militias in the area.
The UN Security Council is set to vote on renewing the UN interim force in Lebanon - UNIFIL - later this month.
The US envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, yesterday said she will seek "significant improvements" to its mandate.
More than 300 Irish soldiers currently serve in Lebanon as part of the international force.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has informed the Security Council that he intends to look at ways in which UNIFIL could beef up its efforts "regarding the illegal presence of armed personnel, weapons or infrastructure inside its area of operations."
"We share the secretary-general's strong desire to enhance UNIFIL's efforts to prevent the spread of illegal arms in southern Lebanon," said Ms Haley in a statement.
"These arms - which are almost entirely in the hands of Hezbollah terrorists - threaten the security and stability of the region."
"UNIFIL must increase its capacity and commitment to investigating and reporting these violations," she added.
The Secretary-General is expected to discuss UNIFIL's mission when he pays his first visit as UN chief to Israel and the Palestinian territories later this month.
Set up in 1978, UNIFIL was beefed up after the 2006 war and now has 10,500 troops on the ground monitoring the ceasefire and helping the Lebanese government secure its borders.
