Iran accuses Israel of disrupting air route to Lebanon after Hezbollah smuggling claim stops flight from landing

Iran’s foreign ministry accuses Israel of disrupting flights between Tehran and the Lebanese capital, Beirut, after Lebanese aviation authorities refused to permit an Iranian passenger flight to land on Thursday.

The refusal came after Israel said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been smuggling cash to Hezbollah on civilian flights.

“The threat by the Zionist Regime to a passenger plane carrying Lebanese citizens has disrupted normal flights to Beirut Airport,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says in a statement.

Lebanese media reported that dozens of Lebanese nationals were stranded in Tehran after the Maher Air airline was informed that its flight to Beirut would not be able to land.