Wall Street Journal: Iran is Delivering Suitcases of Dollars to Hezbollah via Beirut Airport

The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel has complained to a U.S.-led committee overseeing the ceasefire in Lebanon that Iranian diplomats and others are transferring tens of millions of dollars in cash to fund Hezbollah's reconstruction efforts. According to the report published on Friday, February 1, which has been confirmed by a U.S. defense official, Israel claims that Iranian envoys are flying from Tehran to Beirut International Airport with suitcases full of U.S. dollars. Israel also alleges that Turkish citizens have been transferring money from Istanbul to Beirut. The ceasefire committee, which is not responsible for addressing violations of the agreement, has forwarded these complaints to the Lebanese government. This committee includes representatives from Israel, Lebanon, the U.S., France, and the United Nations. Some officials from member countries of the committee have stated that they are aware of Iran's use of Beirut Airport for money smuggling or consider these claims credible. According to the ceasefire agreement, Lebanon is obligated to control the country's entries and prevent the transfer of weapons and related equipment to groups like Hezbollah, but this agreement does not specifically mention cash transfers. Hezbollah is both a militia group and a political party that controls a large part of southern Lebanon. The U.S. considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, while the European Union has blacklisted its military wing but does not classify its political wing as terrorist. The political wing of Hezbollah also has representatives in the Lebanese parliament. The Lebanese government, the country's armed forces, Iranian representatives at the UN, and Hezbollah have not yet responded to these reports. However, Behnam Khosravi, a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Lebanon, recently told Iranian state media that Tehran does not use passenger planes to transfer money to Lebanon. The Wall Street Journal also reports that Turkish officials have emphasized that any large cash transfers at Istanbul Airport are detected by X-ray machines and other security measures, and such cases have not been observed so far. They also stated that no third party has raised the issue of money transfers from Turkey with the government. The transfer of cash from Iran to Hezbollah could increase tensions between Israel and Iran and Hezbollah. During two months of intense fighting last summer, Israel targeted many senior Hezbollah leaders, killing or injuring hundreds of its members and destroying a significant portion of the group's missile arsenal. Israel has stated that it will not allow Hezbollah to be rebuilt and has even threatened to target Beirut Airport if it is used for smuggling financial aid to the group. Although the war between the two sides has stopped and the ceasefire has been in place for two months, Israel continues to carry out hundreds of airstrikes against Hezbollah positions. For instance, on Tuesday, the Israeli army conducted two attacks on vehicles that were allegedly transporting military equipment. Lebanon has described these attacks as violations of the ceasefire. After the fighting ended, Hezbollah is in dire need of cash as many of its members have been killed or injured, and the areas under its influence in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut have suffered heavy damage. The group not only has a military wing but is also considered a political party and a social organization, using funds to pay its personnel, support the families of the deceased, compensate for destroyed property, and cover the costs of its social programs. Israel is trying to cut off Hezbollah's funding routes. Last year, Israel assassinated several key Hezbollah and Iranian officials responsible for transferring money to the group. Additionally, during the fighting last fall, the Israeli Air Force targeted several sites storing money and gold belonging to Hezbollah, including branches of the Qarz al-Hassan Bank, which is known as Hezbollah's financial center and is under U.S. sanctions. While Iran is grappling with an economic crisis due to sanctions, it still views Hezbollah as a strategic ally and a deterrent against Israel and will not allow this group to weaken. Some signs indicate that Hezbollah is facing difficulties in financing its operations. A Lebanese official involved in assisting refugees in southern Lebanon has stated that Hezbollah experts have visited the area but have underestimated the costs of reconstruction. However, the Wall Street Journal cites a source familiar with Hezbollah's financial situation, reporting that the group is not facing a liquidity crisis and continues to pay heavy compensations for destroyed properties, between $12,000 to $14,000 per year for housing rent, plus additional amounts for purchasing household items. According to this individual, since the ceasefire was established in late November, the Qarz al-Hassan Bank has opened 28 new branches, and Hezbollah has used this bank to issue checks worth $500 million. This indicates that the group does not have liquidity problems, although extensive destruction in Lebanon, the limitation of support routes through Syria, and increased scrutiny at Beirut Airport will reduce Hezbollah's capacity to finance reconstruction. Previously, Iran's main route for transferring money and weapons to Hezbollah was through Syria. However, the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government last year largely blocked this route, making Beirut Airport more significant for Iran. Lebanese officials state that according to the ceasefire agreement, the airport is under the control of the Lebanese army to prevent the entry of weapons and money to Hezbollah. However, a senior Lebanese security official has warned that valuable items such as gold and diamonds may evade detection. The Wall Street Journal also cites some American officials who have recently left the government, stating that Hezbollah has enough influence in the Lebanese security forces to exempt Iranian envoys from strict inspections at Beirut Airport.