Hezbollah supporters staged protests after airport authorities did not allow Iranian plane to land
Clashes broke out on Saturday between supporters of Hezbollah and the Lebanese army near the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, state news agency NNA reported.
Hezbollah supporters have been staging protests, mainly in front of the airport and along the road leading to it, since Thursday in response to a refusal by authorities to allow the landing of an Iranian plane. They view the decision as submission to Israeli dictates.
Protesters carrying Lebanese flags, party banners, and pictures of the group's slain former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, chanted slogans condemning Israeli and American interference in Lebanon.
A number of protesters later attempted to approach the airport entrance, but the army prevented them, leading to clashes between the two sides.
The Lebanese forces fired tear gas canisters at the protesters in an attempt to disperse them. Hezbollah supporters threw stones at army personnel in response.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held a security meeting to defuse the crisis, which also led to an attack on a convoy of the UN interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a development condemned by Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Salam, who separately met President Joseph Aoun, said the airport's safety and security were paramount, and the authorities would not tolerate any violation on this matter.
He said public and private property should not be attacked, adding that "freedom of expression has nothing to do with what is happening in the streets."
As part of the efforts to contain the escalation, Public Works Minister Fayez Rassamani said Foreign Minister Youssef Raji requested a meeting with Iran's Ambassador Mojtaba Amani to address the issue "diplomatically and find solutions to the problem as quickly as possible."
Lebanese authorities had prevented the Iranian plane from landing at the airport in Beirut on Thursday.
A day earlier, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force used the airport to smuggle funds intended for arming Hezbollah through civilian flights.
A similar incident took place on Jan. 3 when Lebanese airport authorities subjected an Iranian plane carrying a diplomatic delegation to a detailed search, triggering protests from Hezbollah supporters.
