Lebanon releases Iranian diplomat's cash after airport seizure

Following reports of an Iranian diplomat refusing to have his bag searched at Beirut Airport, Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry announced later that the funds in his possession were intended for embassy expenses and were eventually cleared for entry.

On January 3, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry stated that it had received an official note from the Iranian Embassy in Beirut and approved the entry of the diplomat’s bags under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Iranian media also reported that the Iranian Embassy sent a "clarification note" to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, explaining that the two diplomatic suitcases in question contained "documents and cash for operational expenses of the embassy."

Al-Alam, a news network affiliated with Iran, reported that tensions arose at Beirut Airport when security officials attempted to inspect the bags of an Iranian diplomatic delegation, prompting a standoff.

The network claimed that after the incident, dozens of Shia youths affiliated with Hezbollah on motorcycles headed to the airport, leading the Lebanese Army to block roads to the area.

The incident, the third of its kind since November, follows a series of setbacks for Iran's all Hezbollah in its confrontation with Israel, alongside a decline in its political and military influence in Lebanon. It remains unclear whether Lebanese authorities are genuinely committed to halting the flow of Iranian cash and weapons to Hezbollah or if they are taking high-profile actions to signal to the United States and Israel their intent to curb Tehran's ties with the group.

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, on Friday urged the Lebanese government to avoid actions influenced by Western countries, warning that the Beirut airport incident is under parliamentary scrutiny.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stood by the Lebanese people and government. We urge the Lebanese government to avoid any questionable actions, particularly under the influence of Western countries, given the region’s sensitive circumstances," Rezaei said.

Beirut Airport security officials had, for the second time in a week, inspected an Iranian plane and the belongings of all passengers on Thursday, January 2. Lebanese authorities had warned that any cash found on planes would be confiscated by the government.

According to reports, Lebanese officials informed Iranian representatives that any suspicious shipments arriving in Lebanon in the future would be seized.

The Al-Hadath network, citing Western sources on Thursday, claimed that Iran was attempting to transfer millions of dollars to Hezbollah through Mahan Air flights from Tehran to Beirut.

Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, previously stated in December that $50 million had been distributed to 233,500 registered displaced Lebanese households. He noted that if aid were extended to the entire population, the total would reach $77 million, adding that the funds had been provided by Iran.

According to Qassem, Lebanese families whose homes were completely destroyed received $14,000 for furniture and a year’s rent if they resided in Beirut or southern suburbs, and $12,000 if they lived outside the city.

Reports of cash transfers to Iran’s proxy groups have surfaced in the past. For example, in 2006, Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas official, revealed on Al-Alam TV that during a visit to Tehran, he received several suitcases containing $22 million from Qassem Soleimani, the late commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force.

In 2019, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that during an event preceding "Quds Day" in Gaza, Iran distributed $651,000 to Palestinian families in the territory.