In a significant development, Lebanon’s new government, with direct support from the United States, has succeeded in reclaiming full control of Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport from forces affiliated with Hezbollah and restoring it to official state institutions. This move is seen as the beginning of a new policy aimed at curbing the influence of this Tehran-backed group within the country’s key infrastructure.
Over the past years, especially after the civil war and Hezbollah’s growing influence in Lebanon’s security and economic structures, Beirut International Airport had effectively fallen under the group’s control. Reports indicate that the airport had become one of Hezbollah’s main logistical hubs for transferring equipment, cash, and even gold from Iran.
According to an analytical report by The Wall Street Journal citing Lebanese security sources, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government has dismissed dozens of airport employees who were collaborating with Hezbollah and implemented a range of advanced surveillance measures to strengthen control over the facility.
Strict restrictions on Hezbollah
According to the report, new artificial intelligence-based monitoring systems have been deployed to combat smuggling and trace the transfer of illicit financial resources. These actions come amid mounting international pressure to reduce Hezbollah’s growing power in Lebanon.
One particularly notable outcome of these developments was the thwarting of an attempt to smuggle over 50 kilograms of gold through the airport. Lebanese officials stated that the shipment was intended to finance Hezbollah’s military wing. The smuggling operation was detected by security forces, and those involved were arrested.
Meanwhile, direct flights between Tehran and Beirut, which for years had served as logistical channels for Hezbollah’s resource transfers, were halted by order of the Lebanese government in February 2025. This decision was welcomed by U.S. and Israeli officials and has effectively blocked one of Hezbollah’s most critical financial lifelines.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told The Wall Street Journal that the government’s efforts to restore central authority over the airport have thus far been successful, leading to tangible reductions in smuggling and the reassertion of national sovereignty over critical infrastructure.
These developments are part of a broader strategy aimed at diminishing Hezbollah’s military, political, and economic influence in Lebanon. In parallel, the Lebanese army has seized control of several illegal border crossings and dismantled some of Hezbollah’s weapons depots.
Analysts believe that Hezbollah is currently facing one of the most challenging periods in its existence since its founding in the 1980s.
