Lebanon denies claims Hezbollah using Beirut port to receive smuggled weapons

Lebanese authorities have dismissed reports that Hezbollah is using Beirut’s port to smuggle weapons, following a Saudi report which claimed as such earlier this week.

During a tour of Beirut’s port, Lebanon’s public works and transport minister Fayez Rasamny said that security procedures at the facility are taken seriously, rubbishing the claims by Al-Hadath. The minister said such procedures are advancing with the same level of intensity as they did in the city’s airport, which was subject to recent searches after reports emerged that Iran transferred funds to Hezbollah in February this year.

In response to the report’s claims, Rasamny said: "We will not allow anyone to cast doubt, and we will not tolerate the talk that was circulated yesterday," adding, "if there is anything, provide us with any evidence," according to local media.

"The security issue is important and a top priority," Rasamny said following a meeting with relevant authorities at the port, where he also emphasised the need to "determine the legal status of the port as well as its board of directors, and to review, amend, and implement laws".

"Security here is held with an iron fist," he added.

The Saudi-based Al-Hadath on Tuesday alleged that the Lebanese militant group was choosing sea-based routes to smuggle weapons, as land and air courses have been hindered by Israel’s attacks, as well as factors such as the fall of ex-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the group’s ally.

The report, citing a western official, claimed Hezbollah is "reasserting control" over the Beirut port through a network of collaborators including "dock workers and customs agents," who are able to "circumvent government surveillance and bring in  funds and weapons into the country, without being checked".

The report, also cited by The Times of Israel, alleged that Hezbollah backer Iran is "relying on the maritime route to deliver weapons to the group, as many of its main routes – including Syria – have been cut off due to the ouster of the Assad regime, where Iran also had strong foothold.

The group has been urged to disarm in exchange for a halt to Israel’s strikes and complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon as part of a truce between the two, declared in November. The truce expired in February, and has hung by a thread ever since. Additionally, Israel troops have stationed themselves in five "strategic" hilltop positions, further exacerbating fears that the truce's conditions will not be upheld.

The group, however, said it was "ready to discuss" disarming with President Joseph Aoun as long as Israel withdraws fully from the country. Israel's conflict with Hezbollah weakened the group's arsenal, and killed several of its top leaders including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

The Beirut port has been subject to Hezbollah-related controversies, after the group was accused of storing weapons at the facility which caused the devastating explosion in 2020. The blast, one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history, killed more than 200 people and caused $15 billion worth of damage. Hezbollah refuted these allegations.