Rafik Hariri International Airport. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/OLJ)
On Friday at around 11:30 p.m., an Iranian airplane landed at the Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA) with an Iranian diplomat on board, and his personal bag was searched without any objection, according to local television channel Al-Jadeed. The channel also reported that a U.S. diplomat also underwent standard screening procedures at the airport on Friday.
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi stated on MTV that "the Iranian Mahan Air plane is now being searched at Beirut Airport, bag by bag." This measure followed a report earlier in the day by the Saudi Al-Hadath channel, citing Western sources, claiming that Iran "intended to transfer millions of dollars to Hezbollah via a Mahan Air flight."
Local media reported that Lebanese authorities had informed Iran they would prevent the plane from landing if the search was blocked. They also indicated that any suspicious cargo would be confiscated.
Diplomatic suitcases
According to Dubai-based Erem News, citing Lebanese and security sources, Beirut authorities acted "swiftly" after the information leak, with "intense contacts taking place with Iranian authorities on the matter."
An informed source confirmed that airport security has been "reinforced" since the war and that all planes are "thoroughly inspected," except for those carrying diplomats. For this reason, the Iranian embassy confirmed that the two suitcases in question were "diplomatic bags," allowing the diplomats carrying them to retrieve them without issue.
According to Joseph Habbouche, Washington correspondent for Al-Arabiya, an Iranian diplomat "refused to allow his luggage to be searched upon landing in Lebanon Thursday evening."
After the incident, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry received a message from the Iranian Embassy in Beirut regarding the contents of two "small diplomatic suitcases" carried by an Iranian diplomat aboard the Jan. 2, 2025, Mahan Air flight.
According to the embassy, the suitcases contained "documents and banknotes intended to cover operational expenses exclusively for embassy use," the statement said. The embassy added, "As a result, the entry of the suitcases was authorized in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."
Article 27, Paragraph 3 of the Convention stipulates that "the diplomatic bag shall not be opened or detained."
"RHIA, Tel Aviv Airport"
In response to the incident, a video circulated on social media Thursday evening showing a man angrily shouting that Beirut's airport had "become Tel Aviv Airport." According to local media, the individual was a Lebanese passenger from the Iranian flight, expressing frustration over the inspections, searches and delays.
The event sparked a wave of reactions. Videos posted online showed individuals on motorbikes waving Hezbollah flags parading near the road leading to RHIA in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The Lebanese Army reportedly closed the route leading to the area, according to local outlets.
Journalist Rami Naim, a vocal Hezbollah opponent, described the search of the Iranian plane as a "historic event" that he claimed "proves Hezbollah is finished." Writing on the X platform Thursday evening, he alleged that Hezbollah official Wafic Safa had unsuccessfully attempted to obtain the phone numbers of the Lebanese officers involved.
"The airport will not be a gateway for Iranian money or weapons. The Lebanese Army makes us proud. This is the Lebanon we want," he wrote.
In contrast, pro-Hezbollah journalist Souheil Diab accused the Saudi-owned Al-Hadath channel of orchestrating the "operation" through a "leak of information" about the plane's contents.
Security analyst Riad Kahwagi noted on X that "handing over airport security to the army was the only way to prevent it from being bombed by Israel and shut down during the war."
He added, "As a reminder, this war is not over, and we are currently in the cease-fire phase of the agreement negotiated and approved by Hezbollah. Any Iranian attempt to smuggle weapons or money through this airport could lead to it being bombed and closed. The choice lies with them."
Neither RHIA director, Fadi al-Hassan, nor officials from the Interior or Foreign Ministries were immediately available for comment.
