Supporters of Hezbollah attend a protest organized by them against what they said was a violation of national sovereignty, near Beirut international airport, Lebanon, Feb. 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Emilie Madi

Lebanon’s cabinet on Monday extended a suspension of flights to and from Iran, previously set to expire on Tuesday, with no set date for resumption.

The decision followed Beirut’s barring of an Iranian Mahan Air flight last week. Lebanon’s ban came after Israel accused Tehran of using civilian planes to smuggle cash to Beirut to arm the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and warned of possible military action against such flights.

In response on Friday, Iran barred Lebanese planes from repatriating dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in the country, saying it would not allow Lebanese flights to land until its own flights were able to land in Beirut.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Israel had threatened a passenger plane carrying Lebanese citizens from Tehran, “which caused a disruption in the country’s normal flights to Beirut airport.” He also condemned the alleged Israeli threat as a violation of international law.

The standoff has left dozens of Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran for days after attending a religious pilgrimage.

In a post on X/Twitter last week, Israel’s military spokesman Avichay Adraee said Iran’s elite Quds Force, which is responsible for overseeing the Iranian regime’s terrorist proxies abroad, and Hezbollah had previously used civilian flights to smuggle arms and money to Beirut.

“The IDF will not allow Hezbollah to arm itself and will use all means at its disposal to enforce the ceasefire understandings in order to ensure the security of the citizens of the State of Israel,” Adraee said.

Sources told the Israeli news outlet Ynet that Israeli intelligence had identified millions of dollars in cash aboard the Iranian aircraft, reportedly intended to help Hezbollah recover from its military losses to Israel over the past year.

The ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, which was struck in November and stopped a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah, stipulates that only “official military and security forces” in Lebanon can carry arms and that the Lebanese government must prevent any transfers of arms or related material to non-state armed groups.

In Lebanon, the flight ban sparked protests from pro-Hezbollah supporters, who blocked roads leading to Beirut’s airport and attacked a UN convoy.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, leader of the Shiite Amal movement and an ally of Hezbollah, called for direct negotiations between Iran and Lebanon to resolve the issue.

“We cannot allow the enemy to dictate our decisions as they are trying to do,” Berri said. “We are not an Israeli colony, and we will not become one.”

Last week, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Joe Raggi told Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed that his ministry was working to resolve the issue with Iranian counterparts.

On Monday, Israel said it would keep troops in several posts in southern Lebanon past the Feb. 18 ceasefire deadline for their withdrawal, as Israeli leaders sought to reassure northern residents that they can return home safely.

Tens of thousands of residents in northern Israel were forced to evacuate their homes last year and in late 2023 amid unrelenting barrages of rockets, missiles, and drones from Hezbollah, which expressed solidarity with Hamas amid the Gaza war.

Last fall, Israel decimated much of Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, which ended with the ceasefire. Under the deal, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese army and UN forces are supposed to enter and provide security as Hezbollah disarms and withdraws away from Israel’s northern border.