Security officials at Beirut's international airport detained an Iranian Mahan Air plane on suspicion that it was transporting funds intended for Hezbollah, according to reports from Lebanon.
Airbus A340-300 Mahan Airlines © Mena Today
Security officials at Beirut's international airport detained an Iranian Mahan Air plane on suspicion that it was transporting funds intended for Hezbollah, according to reports from Lebanon.
Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi confirmed that the plane is currently under inspection. Local authorities have stated that any money discovered onboard will be confiscated and transferred to the Lebanese state.
In a related incident, a diplomat from the Iranian embassy in Lebanon was detained in the airport's passenger hall after refusing to allow security personnel to search his bag. The diplomat’s resistance has raised further speculation regarding the nature of the flight’s cargo and its intended purpose.
Mahan Air, a prominent Iranian airline, has faced allegations in the past of being used to transport funds and weapons for groups supported by Tehran, including Hezbollah. This latest development adds to ongoing tensions surrounding the airline's operations and Iran's influence in Lebanon.
The incident is likely to heighten scrutiny over alleged financial and logistical support networks for Hezbollah, which remains a deeply divisive issue in Lebanon’s domestic and international relations.
Authorities are expected to release further details as the investigation progresses.
Iran's huge Pars gas field was hit on Wednesday in a major escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war that sent oil prices shooting higher, and Tehran struck Qatar and fired missiles at Saudi Arabia after vowing attacks on oil and gas targets throughout the Gulf.
The Israeli military announced Wednesday the elimination of Hassan Ali Marwan, commander of Hezbollah's Imam Hussein Brigade, killed in an overnight airstrike in the Beirut area, just one week after his predecessor was eliminated in the same role.
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles that were launched toward Riyadh on Wednesday, the Defence Ministry said, just ahead of a meeting of regional and Islamic foreign ministers in the Saudi capital.
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