From the Liveblog of
Monday, September 11, 2023
Gallant says Iran is building an airport in southern Lebanon ‘for terror purposes’
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reveals that Iran is establishing an airport in southern Lebanon, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border, which is being used “for terror purposes.”
Speaking at an annual conference of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy (ICT) at Reichman University in Herzliya, Gallant says the airport is being built in the Qalaat Jabbour mountain region.
“In the pictures, you can see the Iranian flag flying over the runways, from which the ayatollah regime plans to operate against the citizens of Israel,” Gallant says.
“In other words: The land is Lebanese, the control is Iranian, and the target is Israel,” Gallant says.
“If it comes to a conflict, we will not hesitate to activate the lethal force of the IDF. Hezbollah and Lebanon will pay heavy and painful prices,” he warns.
