The Lebanese army fired tear gas on Saturday at Hezbollah supporters protesting around Beirut airport against Lebanon blocking an Iranian flight to Beirut this week after the Israeli military accused Tehran of using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash to Beirut to arm the Lebanese group.
A woman reacts to tear gas, as supporters of Hezbollah attend a protest organized by them against what they said was a violation of national sovereignty, near Beirut international airport, Lebanon, February 15, 2025. Reuters/Emilie Madi
The Lebanese army fired tear gas on Saturday at Hezbollah supporters protesting around Beirut airport against Lebanon blocking an Iranian flight to Beirut this week after the Israeli military accused Tehran of using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash to Beirut to arm the Lebanese group.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah called on the army to hold those who fired at the protesters to account.
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 added in a statement.
Iran barred Lebanese planes from repatriating dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran on Friday, in a standoff between the two countries following what Tehran described as an Israeli threat to attack it.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke to his Lebanese counterpart by phone on the matter and both "declared their readiness for constructive talks," state media said, without elaborating.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Friday had said that Israel had threatened a passenger plane carrying Lebanese citizens from Tehran, disrupting flights to Beirut airport. He condemned the alleged Israeli threat as a violation of international law.
Reporting by Laila Bassam and Ahmed Tolba
President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not negotiate with the U.S. while being threatened, telling President Donald Trump to "do whatever the hell you want", Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.
Israel said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold talks to demarcate its border with Lebanon, adding it would release five Lebanese detainees held by the Israeli military in what it called a "gesture to the Lebanese president".
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed efforts to achieve "sustainable fair, and comprehensive" peace in Ukraine, according to a joint statement published on Tuesday by the Saudi state news agency (SPA).
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