Iran denies funneling cash to Hezbollah via airport

Israel has accused Iran of pumping millions of dollars to Hezbollah through Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport. According to the allegations, Iranian diplomats and Turkish citizens have transported suitcases full of U.S. dollars in support of Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon.

In turn, Iran and Hezbollah have denied the reports outright. Hezbollah described the reports as baseless, claiming they were part of a broader campaign to tarnish the group’s image and provide a pretext for targeting Lebanon’s infrastructure.

The Lebanese government has also denied these charges, underlining that Beirut’s airport is under the tight control of the Lebanese army, which would not allow any illegal activities, including transferring money or weapons to Hezbollah. As one high-ranking Lebanese security official said, smuggling large sums of cash is already hard because of increased security, but small valuable items might get through.

The accusation has come in the wake of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Fears in Israel have been that such Iranian financing would enable Hezbollah to rearm and consolidate a powerful position in the region. Out of those fears, the report says that Israel has issued threats to attack Beirut Airport should that airport be used in smuggling activities.

Yet uneasy, all parties continue to view with keen eyes as events roll on. Still tense, the world waits and watches how all these accusations and denials could make a potentially precarious Middle East balance even further precarious.