Desitdown News(Iran accuses Israel of disrupting Lebanon flights amid rising tension)

Описание: Iran Accuses Israel of Disrupting Flights Amid Standoff with Lebanon

Iran has accused Israel of interfering with flights from Tehran to Beirut after an Iranian plane was denied permission to land in Lebanon’s capital.

On Friday, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Israel had threatened a passenger plane carrying Lebanese citizens from Tehran, which led to disruptions in Iran’s normal flights to Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Baghaei condemned Israel’s actions as a violation of international law and called on the International Civil Aviation Organization and other global bodies to intervene and stop Israel’s “dangerous behavior” against civil aviation’s safety and security.

Later that day, Iran retaliated by blocking Lebanese flights from repatriating dozens of Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran. Tehran stated that Lebanese planes would not be allowed to land in Iran until Iranian flights were permitted to land in Beirut.

Iran’s Ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, confirmed this stance in an interview with Iranian state television, saying that Iran would only permit Lebanese planes to land if Iranian flights were granted access to Beirut.

The dispute has left dozens of Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran after attending a religious pilgrimage.

While Baghaei did not specify the exact nature of the threat from Israel, the statement follows claims by an Israeli military spokesperson that Iran’s Quds Force and the Lebanese group Hezbollah have used civilian flights to smuggle funds into Beirut. Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have denied these accusations, particularly allegations that Rafic Hariri International Airport was used to arm Hezbollah. Israel has previously targeted the airport during its military operations against Hezbollah.

In response to growing tensions, Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced on Thursday that it had “temporarily rescheduled” certain flights, including those from Iran, due to new security measures. These measures are set to remain in place until February 18, coinciding with the deadline for the full implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.

The situation further escalated on Thursday night, when Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon blocked roads leading to Beirut's airport and set tires on fire in protest against the new flight restrictions.
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