Lebanese minister, diplomats visit Beirut airport after allegations of weapons stockpiling

A group of senior Lebanese officials, alongside more than a dozen foreign diplomats, visited Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport on Monday, after a major British newspaper published an article alleging that Iranian weapons were stored there.

Journalists also participated in the airport tour, where Lebanese officials defended airport procedures and said reports of weapons stockpiling were false.

“The airport meets international standards,” said Ali Hamieh, the transport minister who led the visit.

On Sunday, British newspaper The Telegraph reported that the Lebanese group Hezbollah was storing weapons at Beirut airport, adding that there was an arrival of “unusually large boxes” from Iran.

The newspaper cites airport whistleblowers.

Hamieh called the reports psychological warfare, adding that it was also an attempt to damage the reputation of the country's only international airport.

This assertion by the British daily comes as cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel have intensified in recent weeks.

The United States has already indicated to Lebanon that it will support Israel if the country launches an offensive on Lebanese territory, as the risk of a possible war between Israel and Lebanon has increased since October.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire almost daily since October 8 in response to Israel's launch of its war on Gaza, but the conflict intensified after Israel killed Taleb Sami Abdullah, one of the most prominent members. important members of Hezbollah. In response, Hezbollah launched hundreds of drones and rockets into Israel.

The hostilities have displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israelis living in border areas.

Last week, the Israeli military announced that it had approved plans for an offensive in Lebanon.

The announcement comes as Hezbollah releases footage from a surveillance drone above the northern Israeli port city of Haifa, apparently a warning to Israel against starting a war.

US Air Force General CQ Brown, who heads the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned that an offensive in Lebanon “may increase the potential for a broader conflict.”

“Hezbollah is more capable than Hamas in terms of overall capability, number of rockets, etc. And I would just say that I would see Iran more inclined to provide greater support to Hezbollah,” Brown said.

For years, Israel has accused Hezbollah of storing weapons in facilities across Lebanon, including at airports. Hezbollah denies these allegations.

The British newspaper's claim also raised fears that Israel could use the claim as a pretext to attack the airport. During the 2006 war, Israel bombed Beirut airport.