Tehran flares up in Beirut following the decision by Lebanese authorities to stop Iranian planes from landing at Rafiq Hariri International Airport on Thursday
Many people took them to the streets around the airport on Thursday night, denounced the cancellation of civilian flights from Tehran to Beirut.
Angry protesters set tyres on fire and created obstacles amid a clash with the troops that were trying to reopen the roads.
Protesters chanted slogans against the US and Israel.
They accused the Lebanese government of implementing the measure under the influence of Tel Aviv and Washington.
Said Chalandri, chief executive of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, told MEHR news agency that Mahan Airlines flight to Beirut was cancelled before takeoff as Lebanon had not given permission to land.
Dozens of Lebanese nationals were stranded in Tehran after Maher Airline was informed that flights to Beirut would not be able to land.
This situation caused widespread confusion among the Lebanese.
The move comes after Israeli forces accused Iran of exploiting civilian flights to Beirut airport to smuggle cash into the Hezbollah Resistance movement. The administration has failed to provide evidence to support its claim.
Last month, another Mahan Airlines flight was flagged and searched under unfounded claims. The decision sparked rage, guided protesters and arranged a sit-in near the airport.
Lebanese media reports that Iranian Airlines’ Mahanair and its national flagship airline, Iranian Airlines, are prohibited from flying to Beirut.