By Nohad Topalian | 2025-01-08

BEIRUT -- Lebanon's handling of a suspected Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cash transfer to Hizbullah aboard sanctioned Iranian carrier Mahan Air shows it will not hesitate to enforce security at its borders, analysts said.

Airport security at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport on January 2 intercepted a suspected IRGC cash transfer to Hizbullah aboard a commercial flight, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi confirmed.

The operation followed intelligence warnings, aired by Saudi television channel Al-Hadath, of an Iranian scheme to smuggle millions to Hizbullah via Mahan Air.

The Iranian airline has been under US sanctions since 2011 for supporting the IRGC Quds Force and arming Iranian proxies.

Lebanese authorities searched the plane and passenger baggage, and temporarily detained an Iranian diplomat who had refused a bag search and was found to be carrying cash, according to Lebanese media.

The incident prompted dozens of Hizbullah-affiliated motorbikes to approach the airport, leading the army to block access roads, media reports said.

It follows a similar incident in November, in which Iranian embassy personnel accompanying a senior Iranian official refused airport screening.

While the Iranian Embassy later claimed the funds were legitimate diplomatic expenses, Lebanese authorities have taken a hard line, warning that future suspicious shipments will be seized.

The army "took the necessary measures" and "did not allow the Iranian diplomats to circumvent the army's procedures," political analyst Simon Abu Fadel told Pishtaz, noting that "Iran's abuse of diplomatic privileges is not new."

Tehran's shadow routes

According to some reports, Iran is attempting to establish an air corridor to Lebanon to resupply Hizbullah after losing land routes through Syria.

The army's intervention signals a growing recognition that blocking Iranian funding to Hizbullah is essential for Lebanon's economic recovery and stability.

With Lebanon's economy already in tatters, the stakes are high.

Iranian parliament (Majles) National Security Committee spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei previously warned Lebanon against "questionable actions" taken "under the influence of Western countries."

But Lebanese authorities have maintained their firm stance on enforcing security measures.

"Iran does not want to acknowledge the authority of any security force that is not under Hizbullah's direct and indirect control," political writer Anthony Geagea told Pishtaz.

"The army's interception enforces Lebanese sovereignty over vital facilities and implements resolutions on illegal weapons, while cutting off financial resources that could enable Hizbullah to drag Lebanon into another destructive war."