Israel’s UN envoy says Beirut’s port being used to arm Hezbollah

In a speech to the UN Security Council, Israel’s envoy to the world body, Danny Danon, says Israel has intelligence information according to which Iran and Syria are smuggling weapons-making equipment through Beirut’s port into Lebanon to strengthen the Hezbollah terror group.

“In the years 2018-2019, Israel found that dual-use items are smuggled into Lebanon to advance Hezbollah’s rocket and missile capabilities,” Danon says, according to quotes from his remarks released by his office.

“Iran and the [Revolutionary Guard’s] Quds Force have begun to advance the exploitation of the civilian maritime channels, and specifically the Port of Beirut. The Port of Beirut has become the Port of Hezbollah,” he charges.

The Israeli missions says in a statement following Danon’s remarks that “Iran and Hezbollah were aided by Syrian agents who purchased the equipment from foreign civilian companies and transferred the equipment to Lebanon. These agents misled the companies when they officially unloaded the equipment at the Port of Beirut, but eventually succeeded in reaching Hezbollah’s missile production facilities.”

Danon then turns to the council members and asks, “Are you absolutely sure your companies are not the ones selling dual-use equipment to the hands of Hezbollah? Are you sure your citizens know the end-users of these dual-use items?”