Is Beirut Airport Under the Zionist Regime's Sovereignty?

An analyst of regional strategic issues strongly criticized the Lebanese government's performance in recent developments in Beirut, writing that Lebanon has been affected by threats from the Zionist regime.

News ID: 85736

Date: 16 February 2025 - 14:41

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Abdul Bari Atwan, a regional affairs analyst, in his latest article for the electronic publication Rai Al-Youm, referred to the recent developments at Beirut Airport. He noted that the Lebanese government's recent move to prevent Iranian planes from landing is a submission to the Zionist regime, sarcastically writing: We did not know that Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Zionist regime's cabinet, is the current ruler of Beirut International Airport, as the Lebanese Ministry of Public Works and Transport immediately complied with his warnings to prevent the landing of two Iranian planes.

Atwan pointed out that this is not the first time the Lebanese sovereignty has displayed embarrassing behavior. Approximately 42 days ago, Lebanese authorities conducted a thorough and provocative inspection of an Iranian plane, most of whose passengers were Lebanese. That incident also occurred after similar threats from the Zionist regime.

He described the Lebanese people's protests and marches against this unprecedented move as natural and an inevitable reaction, emphasizing that while he does not condone violence or road closures, these reactions were proportionate to the humiliating provocations by the Lebanese government.

This international affairs expert stated that the arrest of those inciting violence and the perpetrators of the attack on UNIFIL vehicles, from which Hezbollah has distanced itself, is the right of the Lebanese government. At the same time, he posed this question to the Lebanese sovereignty and the commanders of international forces: When the Zionist regime attacked one of UNIFIL's positions in southern Lebanon, killing 3 of their soldiers with bullets and injuring dozens more, why was there no reaction from them?

The report adds: Another question is why the Lebanese government and UNIFIL have not reacted to more than 1,500 violations of the ceasefire resolution over the past two months, especially when Zionist regime warplanes launched a missile attack on the Ainata area in Bint Jbeil on Saturday, burning homes and martyring several people.

Another question is why the Lebanese army and international forces have not reacted to the presence of drones and aircraft of the Zionist regime, which, despite the ceasefire, are intensively flying in Lebanese airspace and the capital, breaking the sound barrier?

Atwan further emphasized: We do not know what Iran's crime is in sending aid to the war-displaced in southern Lebanon. Has the Lebanese government, which prevented this aid, provided any assistance to the displaced to alleviate their hunger and meet their basic living needs? What have the U.S., France, and other Western countries, who shed crocodile tears for the Lebanese people, as well as other Arab countries that insisted on forming a new Lebanese government, done in this regard?

Atwan wrote that these provocations and the new Lebanese government's submission to France, the U.S., and the arrogance of the Zionist regime, despite the regime's insistence on remaining in 5 strategic points in southern Lebanon even after a possible withdrawal on February 18, will certainly prompt the Islamic Resistance led by Hezbollah to preserve the remaining pillars of Lebanon's territorial integrity and end the Zionist regime's arrogance in this region, liberating the border strip—just as happened in 2000 and the July 2006 war.