Beirut: The Lebanese army fired tear gas on Saturday to disperse Hezbollah supporters protesting near Beirut airport. The demonstration erupted in response to Lebanon blocking an Iranian flight to Beirut earlier this week, following Israeli military claims that Tehran was using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash intended to arm Hezbollah.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah condemned the use of force against the demonstrators and demanded accountability from the army.
“The Lebanese army and government should have held immediate meetings to prevent the Israeli enemy from imposing its dictates on the airport and from continuing its occupation of Lebanese territory … instead of using force against a peaceful sit-in on the airport road,” Fadlallah stated.
The standoff between Lebanon and Iran escalated further on Friday when Tehran barred Lebanese planes from repatriating dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran. Iranian authorities cited what they described as an Israeli threat to attack, adding to tensions between the two nations.
Also Read | Zelenskyy: ‘No Decisions on Ukraine Without Ukraine’ at Munich Security Conference
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held a phone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart to discuss the issue. Both officials “declared their readiness for constructive talks,” according to Iranian state media, though further details were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused Israel of threatening a passenger plane carrying Lebanese citizens from Tehran. He denounced the alleged Israeli actions as a violation of international law and blamed them for disrupting flights to Beirut airport.
