The Lebanese army has fired tear gas at supporters of Hizbollah protesting against an Iranian flight being barred from landing in Beirut, as tensions increased between the government and the Shia militant group.
Hizbollah supporters blocked roads leading to Beirut’s international airport on Friday and Saturday, condemning what the group called “Israel’s intervention, imposing of conditions and violation of national sovereignty”. The Israeli military has accused Tehran of using civilian planes to smuggle cash to help arm the militants.
Hassan Fadlallah, a Hizbollah MP, accused the army of an “unjustified attack . . . on women and children who were protesting peacefully”.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the elite Revolutionary Guards, said on Sunday that the protests by Hizbollah were “an ultimatum to the new Lebanese government, which has been following the directives from the US embassy to obstruct” the funeral of slain Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, scheduled for February 23.
The friction comes as Iran-backed Hizbollah reels from its weakened position in Lebanon’s government, with the party largely sidelined after a new government was appointed this year. Its conflict with Israel has also greatly diminished the group’s military wing.
The rising tensions also come as a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah is due to enter a new phase with the withdrawal of Israeli troops on Tuesday. Israel has indicated that it may retain some strategic positions inside Lebanon.
As protesters gathered on Friday, a convoy of UN peacekeepers heading to Beirut airport was attacked. One vehicle was set on fire and the force’s deputy commander injured, the Unifil mission in Lebanon said.
The US state department said the attack was “reportedly by a group of Hizbollah supporters”. Hizbollah and Amal, an allied Shia movement, both condemned the incident, for which dozens of people have been arrested.
Hizbollah urged the army to open an investigation into the treatment of protesters and called on the Lebanese state to protect peaceful protesters and allow Iranian planes to land.
The protesters gathered after the Lebanese government revoked permission for a passenger plane to fly from Tehran to Beirut on Thursday, leaving dozens of Lebanese travellers stranded.
The decision to block the flight came after Israel’s military on Wednesday accused Iran of attempting to smuggle money intended to arm Hizbollah on civilian flights into Beirut airport. That evening Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier, causing a sonic boom in the Lebanese capital.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Friday that the Iranian plane carrying Lebanese passengers had been threatened, though it did not provide details of the threat.
Efforts to repatriate the Lebanese citizens stuck in Iran, many of whom are pilgrims, have been impeded by a stand-off between Lebanese and Iranian authorities over the flights.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said Lebanese authorities had requested that Iranian flights to their airport be suspended until February 18, the ceasefire expiration date, due to security conditions in Beirut.
Lebanese officials have proposed bringing the passengers home on Lebanon’s national carrier via a third country, but Iran has rejected this, insisting that Iranian flights be permitted.
“You cannot cancel Iran’s flights and replace them with Lebanese flights,” Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, told Iranian media on Friday. “This matter can be resolved provided Iranian flights resume.”
