In response to the US relaying ‘serious’ warnings about a possible bombing of Beirut airport, the Lebanese authorities have blocked Iranian flights from coming in to the Beirut airport
i24NEWS
The Lebanese government prevented two Iranian planes from landing in Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport last week, after receiving warnings from the United States about possible Israeli strikes on the airport, AFP reported Sunday morning.
On Thursday, the Lebanese authorities warned their Iranian counterparts that a plane bound for Lebanon would not be allowed to land. “Through the Americans, Israel informed the Lebanese state that it would target the airport if the Iranian plane landed in Lebanon,” a source told AFP, adding that the Americans emphasized the Israeli threat was “serious.” A second flight from Iran to Beirut was cancelled on Friday.
This intervention follows the revelations on Wednesday by Avichay Adraee, Arabic spokesperson for the IDF, outlined the recent exploitation of the Beirut airport by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force and Hezbollah. “These organizations use civilian flights to smuggle funds intended to strengthen Hezbollah and carry out terrorist operations against Israel,” he said.
The IDF has indicated that it is in contact with the ceasefire monitoring mechanism and is transmitting relevant information to counter these smuggling operations. However, the Israeli army believes that despite these efforts, some money transfers have managed to get through.
This tension around the Beirut airport illustrates the complexity of relations between Lebanon, Iran, and Israel, as Hezbollah continues to represent a significant threat to Israeli security, particularly through its funding from Iran.