US/Iran war: Hamat municipality announces closure of the airport road

The municipality of Hamat, in the Batroun district of North Lebanon, announced Saturday that it had received notification from the command of the Hamat air base that the road leading to the military airport would be closed, according to our correspondent in North Lebanon, Michel Hallak.

In a statement, the municipality said traffic would be diverted, as Iran has bombed Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in response to a U.S.-Israeli aerial offensive.

Two weeks ago, Iran’s state-run Al-Alam channel identified the Hamate base as a “potential target” in the event of a U.S. attack. Broadcasting in Arabic, the channel published images of the base on its X account as part of a list of facilities linked to the U.S. military presence. “American transport planes land at several air bases [in the region], including Hamat base. In a few months, dozens of military transport aircraft have landed there. These planes are capable of carrying up to 77 tons of equipment, indicating a large-scale logistical support operation,” the channel wrote alongside the images, describing the site as “[American] base number 9” in the region. One image showed the base through a rifle scope, accompanied by the words: “In the crosshairs…”

On Feb. 16, a suspected drone was shot down by U.S. soldiers near the base. The troops then reportedly exited the facility without prior coordination with the Lebanese army and prevented the municipality’s president and local residents from approaching the site where the drone had allegedly fallen.

A Lebanese army source told L’Orient-Le Jour that the Hamat base is Lebanese but hosts a “U.S. presence as part of American military assistance programs.” The municipality’s president added that “the presence of American soldiers at the Lebanese base is ongoing” and subject to “rotation every six months.”