Lebanon Blocks Iranian Flight Under Israeli Pressure, Iran Responds

Tehran (Quds News Network)- Iran refused to allow two Lebanese evacuation flights to land in Tehran on Friday after Lebanon, under Israeli pressure, blocked an Iranian civilian plane from landing in Beirut. The crisis left dozens of Lebanese citizens stranded.

Earlier this week, Lebanon prevented an Iranian Mahan Air flight from landing at Rafik Hariri International Airport. This came after Israel claimed that Tehran uses civilian flights to transfer funds to Hezbollah. The claim, widely seen as part of Israel’s ongoing disinformation campaign, was denied by Lebanese officials and Hezbollah.

In response, Iran announced it would not permit Lebanese planes to land until Beirut respected Iranian aviation rights. Iranian officials condemned Lebanon’s decision as an act of submission to Israeli threats.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, blamed Israel for the crisis, accusing it of violating international aviation laws. He revealed that Israel had directly threatened a Lebanese passenger plane departing from Tehran, disrupting normal flights between Iran and Beirut.

Kanaani denounced Israel’s “repeated aggression against Lebanon’s sovereignty” and urged international aviation bodies to take action against its “reckless and illegal behavior.”

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed, without evidence, that Iran was smuggling funds to Hezbollah through Beirut airport. He threatened that the Israeli military would “use all available means” to prevent Hezbollah’s armament, reinforcing Israel’s long-standing policy of aggression toward Lebanon.

Lebanese officials and Hezbollah dismissed the allegations as baseless propaganda aimed at justifying Israeli interference in Lebanon’s airspace and security decisions.

Following Lebanon’s ban on the Iranian flight, Beirut sent two Middle East Airlines planes on Friday to evacuate Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran. Iran, however, refused to let them land, insisting on fair treatment for Iranian aviation.

Iran’s ambassador in Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, emphasized that Iran would not tolerate double standards. “Lebanon’s request will be accepted only if they respect Iranian aviation rights and stop disrupting our flights,” he told Iranian state media.

Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Mousawi called on Lebanon’s government to “defend its sovereignty, especially over its airport.” On Thursday night, dozens took to the streets, blocking roads around Beirut’s airport in protest against Lebanon’s submission to Israeli dictates.

Tensions over Iranian flights are not new. In January, Lebanese authorities, under US and Israeli pressure, conducted an unjustified search of an Iranian plane carrying a diplomatic delegation. In September, Israel threatened Lebanon’s air traffic controllers with force if they allowed an Iranian flight to land, once again violating Lebanon’s sovereignty with impunity.