Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baqaei said the incident, which disrupted civilian flights to Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, was part of Israel's continued breaches of international aviation regulations.
He urged international organizations, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to take decisive action against Israel’s “dangerous behavior” toward civil aviation security.
Earlier, The Lebanese Hezbollah movement issued a statement on Thursday after an Iranian flight was denied permission to land in Beirut due to Israeli threats, leaving several Lebanese passengers stranded in Tehran.
The resistance group’s media office condemned the situation, saying it had forced Lebanese citizens to remain abroad against their will.
Meanwhile, Lebanese citizens staged protests against the decision to block the plane’s landing. Demonstrators gathered near the airport, chanting anti-US and anti-Israeli slogans, including “America cannot rule us.” Local reports confirmed that Rafic Hariri Airport authorities had refused landing clearance for the Tehran-Beirut flight.
Videos circulating on social media showed a growing number of protesters blocking the road leading to the airport, demanding an end to restrictions on air travel.