Fadlallah denounces inspection of Iranian plane at Beirut airport, Lebanese Forces welcome it

The Shiite cleric Ali Fadlallah on Saturday denounced the way Lebanese nationals coming from Iran were "treated in a humiliating search process" at Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA), reported the state-run National News Agency (NNA). A measure that the Lebanese Forces (LF) on their part welcomed.

An Iranian commercial plane was subjected to security inspections at RHIA on Thursday night, after information published by local medias claimed that the aircraft was carrying money for Hezbollah, which outraged passengers.

After the incident, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a message from the Iranian embassy in Beirut regarding the contents of two "small diplomatic suitcases" carried by an Iranian diplomat on board the plane. According to the embassy, the suitcases contained "documents and banknotes intended to cover operational expenses for the exclusive use of the embassy."

"We were and still are among those who call for the implementation of laws that protect the sovereignty of the State and preserve airport security," declared Fadlallah. "Is this the best way to enforce the law and protect sovereignty?" he asked, while expressing his fear that "this decision may have domestic origins or be subject to foreign dictates."

He warned against the grave repercussions on Lebanon "of this inhuman behavior," cautioning that it could harm Lebanon's relations with neighboring countries.

Lebanese Forces

Commenting on the incident, the Lebanese Forces (LF) party asserted on Saturday that caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, caretaker Minister of the Interior Bassam Mawlawi, and airport security agents "acted in accordance with the requirements of the supreme national interest and existing laws."

"All parties, forces, and sovereign personalities must support those who took this measure and endorse them," emphasized the LF press office in a statement.

"No country can send money in this manner to a specific Lebanese sectarian party, especially if that country is Iran, which is subject to international sanctions and has been directly interfering in Lebanese affairs for three decades, fueling conflicts in Lebanon," denounced the LF.