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Lebanon Searches Mahan Air Plane Suspected of Carrying Funds to Hezbollah; Iranian Diplomat Resists Inspection

Jan 3, 2025, 02:54 PM

On Thursday, January 2, 2025, Lebanese authorities conducted an extensive search of an Iranian Mahan Air flight upon its arrival at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, amid suspicions that it was transporting millions of dollars from Iran to Hezbollah. Western sources had reported that Iran planned to transfer funds to Hezbollah via the flight from Tehran to Beirut. Airport security subjected the passengers to thorough searches, including manual inspection of luggage, and detained an Iranian diplomat, Behnam Khosravi, who refused to have his diplomatic bags inspected. Lebanese authorities had warned Iran that if inspections revealed the plane's cargo contained money destined for Hezbollah, the funds would be seized and confiscated by the state. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry later received a letter from the Iranian embassy clarifying that the bags contained documents and cash intended for operational expenses of the embassy, and permission was subsequently granted for their entry under the Vienna Convention. The incident triggered protests by Hezbollah supporters who gathered at the airport and outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut. Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi stated that the inspections were routine and aimed at safeguarding Lebanon's security, emphasizing that all individuals, including diplomats, were subject to the law. The event escalated tensions between Lebanon and Iran, highlighting concerns over the alleged transfer of funds to Hezbollah amid U.S. pressures to curb financial flows to the group.