Caretaker Minister of Public Works Ali Hamieh. (Credit: NNA)
Caretaker Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh said on X Thursday that "before, during, and after the war, all Lebanese state facilities, border crossings, seaports and the airport remain under the authority of the state and its laws."
His comments come after British newspaper The Times reported on Sunday that Iran is considering the possibility of smuggling weapons to its ally, Hezbollah, through direct flights to Lebanon following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, which had served as a key land corridor for arms transfers to the group.
"We have full confidence in the Lebanese Army, all security agencies, and customs, which are fulfilling their roles at the crossings in accordance with the law," Hamieh added.
According to the Times' report, flights between Tehran and Beirut have resumed but no longer pass through Syrian airspace, potentially making Beirut a central logistical hub for Iranian military supplies.
The use of this potential air route would violate the recent cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, risking the ignition of a new conflict in the region.
The Times added that despite Iran's diminished influence in Syria following Assad's fall, Tehran is seeking to bolster its remaining allies in the region, including militias in Iraq and Yemen, as well as Hezbollah.
In a speech on Dec. 14, the first one since Assad was ousted, Hezbollah head Naim Qassem acknowledged that the party had lost its arms supply route through Syria. He however dismissed it as a "detail," adding that the group "could look for other ways" to acquire weapons.
