The issue of Lebanese citizens stranded at Tehran airport is about to be resolved. Middle East Airlines will charter a flight on Thursday night to bring them back to Beirut on Friday, according to the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (GDCA).
Lebanon banned a plane from the Iranian company Mahan Air to fly to Beirut, on Thursday. This measure caused turmoil in the Lebanese capital. Hezbollah supporters blocked the roads leading to the airport using burned tires, which forced some travelers to continue on foot to avoid missing their flights. Clashes were reported between protesters and the military, which was trying to reopen the roads. The protest movement gradually intensified. Hezbollah supporters blocked Salim Salam Street, while others drove in convoys on their motorcycles through the streets of Beirut, chanting slogans hostile to Israel and the United States.
Hezbollah, for its part, condemned the ban. In a statement, he accused Lebanese officials of "succumbing to the pressures of Israel and the United States," saying it was "an attack on Lebanese sovereignty."
The problem erupted when a group of Lebanese claimed they had been stranded at Tehran airport for over eight hours, blaming the Lebanese authorities for not giving their plane, a Mahan Air aircraft, permission to fly to Beirut.
A video filmed by one of the passengers shows a man shouting and accusing Beirut of blocking them in Iran. The video's author also criticized the Lebanese authorities, accusing them of "trying to please Israel and the United States."
The flight was supposed to arrive at the airport at 6:00 PM. The concerned authorities did not respond to this matter and were unreachable by late afternoon.
In the evening, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation announced that the Mahan Air flight had been postponed as part of a flight rescheduling, motivated, according to the text, by the upcoming Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon on February 18.
"To ensure the safety of the airport, Lebanese airspace, and all passengers, and after coordinating with the airport security service, additional security measures have been taken in accordance with international standards and protocols established by the International Civil Aviation Organization," the DGCA said.
"Given that the proper implementation of these procedures requires time for some airlines to fully comply, the schedules of some flights arriving in Lebanon have been temporarily adjusted, including those coming from the Islamic Republic of Iran, until February 18, 2025," according to the statement which highlighted that "all concerned airlines were informed of this modification yesterday (Wednesday), and passengers have been notified as well to avoid any confusion."
This incident occurs amid growing suspicions over Iranian efforts to funnel funds to Hezbollah, potentially violating the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
Mahan Air is close to the Pasdaran, who use its planes as part of their operations.
Israel has repeatedly accused Iran of using Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport to fund Hezbollah.
According to pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, airport security has implemented stricter measures for flights from Iraq, subjecting them to thorough checks in an attempt to prevent funds from reaching Hezbollah.
“The procedures for flights from Iraq have become similar to those for flights from Iran,” the report added.
On Wednesday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee reiterated the accusation, stating that Iran and Hezbollah have been exploiting the airport to secretly transfer funds via civilian flights intended to arm Hezbollah.
“The Quds Force (an elite unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and Hezbollah have been using Beirut International Airport for several weeks to covertly transfer funds meant for Hezbollah’s military operations against Israel,” Adraee wrote on his X account.
Adraee also clarified that while the Israeli military is cooperating with international monitoring mechanisms to enforce the ceasefire, it believes some funds have successfully reached Hezbollah.
“The Israeli military will not allow Hezbollah to strengthen its military capabilities and will use all available means to ensure the terms of the ceasefire are upheld, guaranteeing the safety of Israeli citizens,” he concluded.
If the denial of the Mahan Air flight is confirmed, it would be consistent with broader efforts to restrict Iran’s financial support for its military wing in Lebanon.
In response to the ongoing situation, a group of Hezbollah supporters attempted to block the road to the airport, but the military quickly reopened it.
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