Lebanon Cancels Iranian Flights Amidst Israeli Warnings, Sparking Protests and Political Turmoil

Mehdi Bazargan, Iranian Diplomacy: On Thursday, February 14th, a Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Beirut was cancelled by the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority. According to Shargh, an official at Beirut's "Rafic Hariri" airport told Agence France-Presse that "following instructions from the Lebanese Ministry of Transport, the airport informed Mahan Air that it could not accept two flights from the company scheduled for Thursday and Friday." The Jerusalem Post claimed that the decision was made following warnings from the Israeli Defense Forces to Lebanese officials. According to Saeed Challandari, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport, "The flight from Iran to Beirut did not receive the necessary landing permit from the destination." He continued that "After a short period of suspension, Iranian flights to Beirut had resumed, but again on Friday we faced a lack of permission from the destination country."

Challandari added that "Another flight from Mahan is scheduled for Beirut at 7 am tomorrow, but so far no permission has been issued for it to take place." The CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, in response to the announcement by the Lebanese Aviation Administration that a flight would be operated tonight to return Lebanese passengers from Beirut to Tehran, noted that "No official announcement has been made in this regard and no permit has been issued for this flight by the country's aviation organization." However, he stated that "The country's aviation organization is pursuing the issuance of a permit from the destination country to establish this flight."

Prior to this, on January 4th, passengers on a flight from Tehran to Beirut were subjected to intense body searches and unusual luggage inspections upon arrival at Rafic Hariri Airport. Also, Beirut airport security officials tried to inspect the luggage of the Iranian diplomatic delegation, which was met with resistance from the diplomats and created tensions.

Following this incident, Mojtaba Amani, Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, explained the reason for the cancellation of flights from Tehran to Beirut, stating that "Last night, the permits for two flights that regularly flew weekly from Iran to Beirut were cancelled by the Lebanese government." Amani, referring to the follow-ups, announced that "The Lebanese government had promised that these flights would take place, but the cancellation of these flights caused Lebanese passengers, pilgrimage caravans, to be delayed at Tehran airport."

The ambassador reminded that "The cancellation of these flights coincided with the statements of the spokesperson of the Zionist regime and his claim that these two planes were carrying illegal goods." However, the Iranian diplomat stated that "The Lebanese government has requested that another plane replace the Iranian plane; of course, we welcome the establishment of Lebanese airline flights; but not in such a way that the Iranian flight is cancelled." Amani stated that "We agree with the Lebanese government's request, provided that the Lebanese government does not obstruct Iranian flights."

Escalation of protests in Beirut

Simultaneously with the Lebanese government's action to prevent the landing of Mahan Air at Rafic Hariri Airport, the people of this country have become very angry and have launched widespread protests in the streets since yesterday. Protesters completely blocked the Salim Road, one of the main routes leading to Rafic Hariri Airport, after the flight permit of the Iranian plane carrying Lebanese pilgrims to Beirut was cancelled. These protests were in response to the Lebanese government's decision to prevent the entry of the Iranian plane into Lebanese territory.

Lebanese media also announced that the country's riot police, after most of Beirut's streets were closed by protesters, were present in the streets and firing aerial shots in an attempt to disperse the protesters and reopen the streets. News reports indicate that Lebanese protesters, whose numbers were increasing every moment, blocked most of the capital's streets.

Lebanese government statement regarding the cancellation of the Tehran-Beirut flight

The Lebanese Aviation Organization issued a statement claiming that the reason for the cancellation of the Tehran-Beirut flight, which angered the people of this country, was to maintain the safety and health of passengers. According to Eco Iran, quoting Eram News, hours after the cancellation of the Tehran-Beirut flight and the protests of the Lebanese people against this government action, the Lebanese Aviation Organization explained in a statement that the changes in the flight schedule were made to maintain the health of passengers. The statement stated that "The Lebanese Aviation Organization, in order to ensure the safety of Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanese airspace, citizens and airlines, and after coordination with the airport security forces, has implemented some measures."

The organization explained that "The measures taken are based on international laws, the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Lebanese laws." It was also stated in another part of the statement that "The implementation of these laws requires more time for some airlines, therefore the flight schedule, especially some incoming flights from Iran, has been temporarily changed until February 18 (Bahman 30). These changes were communicated to the airlines from Thursday so that they could inform their passengers and have the opportunity to change tickets." At the end of the statement, it was announced that "The Lebanese airline is planning to send a flight from Beirut to Tehran on Friday night to return Lebanese passengers."

Hezbollah's reaction to preventing the Iranian plane from landing in Beirut

The public relations and media of Hezbollah Lebanon issued a statement on Thursday night regarding the plight of a number of citizens of this country in Tehran due to the prevention of the plane from landing at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. According to this report, following the crisis of Lebanese citizens who are trapped outside the country (Lebanon) due to Israeli threats to target the Iranian plane that was supposed to take them out of Iran, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, a member of the Lebanese Parliament, issued a statement and stated that "The insistence and exaggeration of the Zionist enemy in violating the sovereignty of Lebanon and the accompaniment of the international community, especially the United States of America, in this regard, has caused the enemy to continue to expand and diversify its violations." The Lebanese Member of Parliament "completely condemned this action" and stressed that this action "must be condemned and disgusted by all the people of Lebanon and must raise their voices and force the responsible international institutions and organizations to carry out their duties in order to prevent Zionist attacks against Rafic Hariri International Airport." ... This political figure continued, "The Lebanese who were hoping for the return of the activities of legal institutions now place the government in front of its responsibilities and ask it to take the necessary measures to ensure the preservation of Lebanon's sovereignty over all public facilities, especially the airport, so that the enemy does not imagine that it is free to carry out any aggression and violation of sovereignty. The Lebanese government, with all its institutions, must accept its responsibilities to end this situation and try to return its citizens to the country immediately and not give in to the threats of the Zionist regime under any title or conditions." Of course, Al-Moussawi asked the Lebanese to "have deep awareness and reason and provide the necessary space to resolve this new crisis. Because expressing opposition to these violations and aggressions of the Zionist regime against our sovereignty must be done peacefully and responsibly."

In analyzing what was said, Seyed Ali Saghaian, in an interview with "Shargh," first of all, referring to the developments in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, as well as Netanyahu's recent meeting with Donald Trump and the positions of the Israeli Prime Minister and the US President regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza, believes that "Now, in the absence of commanders and senior figures of the axis of resistance, the equations of the region are changing." Therefore, according to the former Iranian ambassador to Brazil, "Israel and the United States are trying to weaken the position and influence of Hezbollah and Iran by putting pressure on the new Lebanese government." Especially since this senior diplomat of our country states that "Beirut's attempt to prevent the Iranian flight at Hariri airport is somehow related to the funeral ceremony of Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, and such actions are taken to overshadow this ceremony."

With such an assessment, the former Iranian ambassador to Armenia completely rejects some claims of Lebanese officials or Israeli accusations and states that "Despite some claims and analyzes in expert and media circles about the weakening of the position of the axis of resistance, and especially Hezbollah, this resistance group (Hezbollah) is currently adopting a policy of patience and waiting for a suitable opportunity for the balance of power to take shape." In addition, according to this senior analyst in the field of international affairs, "Hezbollah Lebanon is now trying with a compassionate look to avoid fueling differences, tensions and internal conflicts in Lebanon so that this country (Lebanon) does not enter a civil war and the experiences of the past decades.” Because, from Saghaian's point of view, "If the government of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam continues to accept these imposed Western policies, the path will be paved for creating division, tension, conflict and civil war in Lebanon."

The former Director General of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referring to a part of the statements of Mojtaba Amani, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, regarding Tehran's prerequisite for the entry of Lebanese flights to Iran in exchange for not preventing the entry of Iranian planes to Beirut", from the perspective of diplomatic procedures, reminds that "After preventing the entry of Mahan Air to Beirut, the Lebanese had a request to send a plane to Iran to return their citizens, in this regard, Saghaian reminds that "This action must be done with an official request and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and after careful consideration, the necessary steps will be taken in this regard." However, the senior diplomat of our country describes the current process as a destructive process in the relations between Lebanon and Iran, which will certainly not be in the interest of Beirut or the trade relations between the two sides. In light of these points, the commentator in the field of foreign policy, "Considers the actions taken on Thursday and Friday by the Lebanese government as a miscalculation" which, with an optimistic view, hopes that with "The presence of some ministers of the axis of resistance and Hezbollah Lebanon in the new cabinet of this country (Lebanon), we will witness the return of logic and rationality in Beirut and the adoption of independent policies towards the West."

In continuation of these analyses, Saghaian refers to the formation of public protests during Thursday and Friday in Lebanon after preventing the entry of the Iranian plane to Beirut airport and emphasizes that "Although the axis of resistance and the Islamic Republic of Iran have no desire for conflict, tension and internal differences in Lebanon and, with a compassionate view, are fundamentally opposed to creating a platform for civil war in Lebanon." However, this diplomat addresses the new government in Lebanon that "This government must have a clear and transparent answer to the people of Lebanon, especially the supporters of the axis of resistance and Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, regarding its actions. Because otherwise, and with the continuation of imposing the demands of Israel and the West on Beirut, we will witness an increase in public protests against the government of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam." In addition, Saghaian, in the final part of his interview with "Shargh," believes that "Basically, these kinds of actions, such as preventing the entry of our country's plane to Beirut, cannot affect Iran's position and position in Lebanon, as well as the power of Hezbollah, or overshadow the funeral ceremony of Seyed Hassan Nasrallah."