Passengers pushing their luggage at Beirut airport, on Jan. 8, 2024. (Credit" Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Iran on Friday accused Israel of disrupting its air traffic with Lebanon, after two Mahan airplanes were banned from landing at Beirut airport on Thursday evening, which created a heated controversy and provoked demonstrations by Hezbollah supporters.
According to statements reported by IRNA, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Beqaei spoke on Friday about Israeli "threats" against a passenger plane carrying Lebanese citizens, which "disrupted normal flights to Beirut airport." This constitutes a "continuous and flagrant violation of international law and Lebanon's sovereignty," added the spokesman, who called on the international community, and in particular the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to "put an end to Israel's dangerous behavior concerning aviation security."
Israeli accusations targeting the AIB
On Thursday evening, Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani announced that the Lebanese government canceled permits for two flights that operated weekly between Iran and Lebanon. Amani linked the decision to accusations earlier this week by Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force and Hezbollah had “used the IAF in recent weeks, through civilian flights, to smuggle funds to arm” Hezbollah.
Tel Aviv has repeatedly accused Iran of sending weapons to the party via the airport. The party and Lebanese officials have denied the accusations, but on several occasions in recent weeks, since the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect in late November, tensions have flared at Beirut airport amid searches of Iranian planes and officials.
'Diligent' monitoring to repatriate Lebanese stuck in Tehran
Reacting to this case, the press office of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport said it was following this file "assiduously."
"The Minister of Public Works and Transport is following this file directly, in perfect coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Middle East Airlines (MEA) company, to ensure a rapid and dignified return of the Lebanese" stuck in Tehran, the ministry said in a statement.
He added that "it is possible for those who wish to return" to go through neighboring countries, depending on the possibilities, and without additional costs, affirming a "direct coordination with the Lebanese ambassador to Iran to finalize the procedures and resolve any possible problem."
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues its contacts with the Iranian authorities to facilitate an immediate return." The ministry "will spare no effort to take appropriate measures to ensure the return of flights between Lebanon and Iran in accordance with the international standards in force." The ministry now headed by Fayez Rasamny, which falls under the quota of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), also stated that "guaranteeing the regularity of the functioning of the AIB according to the highest international standards is one of its priorities."
Earlier, Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji said that his ministry was working to ensure the return of Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran, speaking to al-Jadeed about "intensive contacts with the Ministry of Transportation, Civil Aviation, the MEA and the Lebanese embassy in Tehran, to ensure the return of the Lebanese to Beirut as soon as possible." He had also said that the ministry "is closely following the case of Iran's refusal to allow the landing of two Lebanese planes on its territory and is seeking a solution on the political level, while the MEA is dealing with the technical aspect of the file."
Refusal to allow MEA to repatriate Lebanese
A source contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour specified that Beirut requested authorization from the Iranian authorities, via the Civil Aviation Authority, to send two MEA flights to Tehran this Friday to repatriate the stranded Lebanese, but they refused.
This development on Thursday evening in the ban on landing two planes from the Iranian company Mahan Air in Beirut provoked the anger of Hezbollah supporters, who closed roads in the southern suburbs of the capital, forcing the Lebanese army to intervene.
An open war pitted Hezbollah against Israel from September to November 2024. The group emerged weakened after its leadership was largely decimated by Israel.
This affair also prompted MP Ashraf Rifi (North Lebanon), a well-known opponent of Hezbollah, to once again demand from the authorities, in particular President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Rasamny, the opening of Qleiaat airport in North Lebanon. This demand has been made for years, while opponents of the party criticized its control over the airport, located in the southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.