Following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Iran is now considering turning Beirut International Airport into its new smuggling hub and thus supplying weapons to Hezbollah by air, the Times of London reported Monday. According to the newspaper, the report is based on a Middle Eastern source "familiar with discussions taking place in Tehran."
Iran was for years Syrian dictator Bashar Assad 's main ally, along with Russia, and in exchange for sending weapons and militias to help him suppress the rebels during the civil war Damascus allowed Tehran to operate freely on its territory, both to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah and to directly attack Israel from Syrian territory. Now that Assad's opponents control Damascus, and rebel leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani promises that his country will no longer be a "threat" to its neighbors and will not allow any non-state entity to possess weapons, Tehran has lost a critical supply route for its Shiite militia in Lebanon.
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Deposed Syrian dictator Bashar Assad with Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khanenei
(Photos: Chris McGrath/Getty Images, רויטרס/Saudi Press Agency/Handout/Reuters, AFP)
The Times of London notes that flights from Tehran's international airport to Beirut resumed a few days ago, but they no longer pass through Syrian airspace. The source who spoke to the British newspaper said that Western countries "are concerned that, having lost Damascus as its main transit point in the region for arms smuggling, it will now try to turn Beirut airport into its new logistics center, just as it did in Syria." The source warned that such a move "could lead to the next escalation," and the Times noted that it would be a violation of the cease-fire agreement recently signed between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Times notes, however, that a bold step such as transferring weapons to Hezbollah through Beirut airport, an act that would mean taking over Lebanon's largest civilian airport, or alternatively by sea, would involve too great a risk for Hezbollah and Iran in their current situation, after the blows they have suffered not only militarily but also in terms of image and politics.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated Monday morning that Tehran supports Syria's sovereignty after the fall of Assad, and emphasized that Iran currently has no direct contact with the country's new rulers.
"Our principled position regarding Syria is clear," he said, "and it is the need to preserve its sovereignty and integrity and allow the Syrian people to determine their future without foreign interference." At the same time, the ministry spokesman emphasized that Syria must not become a "den of terror."
The Iranian spokesman warned against U.S. intervention in Syria, saying that its intervention in the affairs of other countries has in the past only led to division, terrorism and undermining stability and security
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A plane takes off from Rafic Hariri Airport in Beirut.
(Photo: Mohamed Azakir/ Reuters )
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"The Americans' latest statements regarding Syria reveal their intentions to control and interfere in countries. The Syrian people are capable of making decisions for themselves and determining the future of their country and its relations with other countries," he said.
At the same time, the Russian news agency Tass reported Monday morning that an official Russian delegation, led by deputy prime ministers Alexei Overchuk and Vitaly Savelev arrived in Tehran for a visit. According to the report, during the visit they will meet with anian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The delegation's visit comes against the backdrop of intensified military cooperation between the two countries, which is reflected, among other things, in the mass of drones that Tehran has supplied to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, but also the severe strategic blow they suffered with the fall of the Assad regime.
Lior Ben Ari participated in the preparation of this report