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Israel Threatens to Bomb Beirut Airport If Used to Deliver Iranian Weapons

A general view shows Beirut's international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)
A general view shows Beirut's international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)
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Israel Threatens to Bomb Beirut Airport If Used to Deliver Iranian Weapons

A general view shows Beirut's international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)
A general view shows Beirut's international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)

Israel raised threats on Saturday of plans to bomb the Beirut airport if the terminal gets used as an Iranian weapons smuggling route, in a situation similar to what it did in Syria.

Israeli political sources in Tel Aviv said that Israel was aware of a report broadcast by “Al-Arabiya Channel” about Iran's plans to use a new smuggling corridor for its weapons through Beirut after the failure of the Damascus corridor.

The sources said that Tel Aviv is investigating Tehran’s attempt to smuggle weapons through civilian flights to Beirut airport.

They confirmed that Israel’s intensified air raids on Syria, in recent years, have proven beneficial in thwarting most of the Iranian weapons smuggling operations to its armed militias in Syria and to Hezbollah in Lebanon and destroying a number of Iranian air bases and sites on Syrian territory.

They stressed that Israel will not be lenient with the transport of Iranian weapons through Beirut airport, threatening to carry out harsh military strikes if the terminal is used for Iranian ammunition deliveries.

Sources in Tel Aviv linked the matter to a visit made by Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah two weeks ago to Syria where he met Syrian President Bashar Assad.

They said Nasrallah discussed the difficulties faced by Iran and Hezbollah in Syria as a result of the Israeli strikes there.

In 1968, Israel bombed Beirut airport in response to an attack carried out by the "Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine" on an Israeli civilian plane. The Palestinian organization had bases in Lebanon at the time. The Israeli raid destroyed a number of civilian aircrafts belonging to Middle East Airlines.

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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD

Eid al-Fitr in Syria was charged with newfound joy this year, as thousands freely celebrated the holiday for the first time after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

From the early morning hours, crowds of men, women and children flocked to pray at Damascus's historic Umayyad Mosque in the Old City.

"This is the first time we truly feel the joy of Eid, after getting rid of Assad's tyrannical regime," Fatima Othman told AFP.

Following prayer, worshippers exchanged Eid greetings while street vendors sold colorful balloons and toys to children posing for photos with their parents.

"Our celebration is doubled after Assad's fall," said Ghassan Youssef, a resident of the capital.

A few kilometers (miles) away, on the slopes of Mount Qasyun overlooking Damascus -- a site previously off-limits to Syrians until Assad was deposed on December 8 -- a few thousand people gathered at Unknown Soldier Square for an open-air prayer.

Among them were members of the security forces and the army, dressed in uniform and armed. The road leading to the square was packed, according to an AFP photographer.

Some worshippers distributed sweets to celebrate, while the three-star Syrian flag, adopted by the new authorities, waved in the air.

Under the previous government, access to the Unknown Soldier monument was typically restricted to Assad and his close associates, who would lay wreaths there during national ceremonies.

'Celebration of celebrations!'
The memorial, where a giant screen broadcast the Eid prayer, is near the presidential palace.

There, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa prayed alongside Syria's new mufti Osama al-Rifai and several cabinet ministers in the presence of a large crowd.

He later delivered a speech emphasizing the country faced "a long and arduous road to reconstruction but possesses all the resources needed to recover".

This came two days after the formation of a new government, which faces daunting challenges in a country devastated by 14 years of civil war.

Wael Hamamiya, who had been in Sweden since the early days of the conflict, returned to Damascus to celebrate Eid with his family.

"This is my first Eid here in nearly 15 years. I truly feel the celebration in its full meaning," he told AFP, beaming.

"Everyone who has come is over the moon. This is the celebration of celebrations!"

The occasion was more somber for some Syrians, who were able to visit the graves of loved ones that had been off-limits during Assad reign, especially in former opposition strongholds.

At al-Rawda Cafe in Damascus, 36-year-old Amer Hallaq chatted with friends after returning from exile in Berlin where he ended up after dodging compulsory military service in 2014.

"For years, I thought I'd never see my family again or celebrate Eid with them," Hallaq said.

"The joy of liberation and victory is immense, but there's still a lot of work ahead. This is only the beginning of the road."