BEIRUT – The new Lebanese government is strictly adhering to Washington’s instructions by banning an Iranian airplane run by Mahan Airlines from landing at Beirut airport. 90% of its passengers were Lebanese.

Reportedly, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam directly ordered Fayez Rasamni, the Minister of Public Works and Transport in the new government, to temporarily ban any Iranian airplane to Lebanon until dissecting the issue on Monday.

Sources told the Tehran Times that Iranian airlines – official and private – are expected to be permanently banned from flying to Lebanon.

The provocative decision was issued based on allegations by the Israeli army that Hezbollah and Iran “use Beirut airport to smuggle money”, demanding banning any Iranian plane from landing “otherwise they will be forced to deal with the matter [militarily]”.

Sources told the Tehran Times that Iranian airlines – official and private – are expected to be permanently banned from flying to Lebanon.

While Lebanon’s new government is busy drafting the ministerial statement, the atmosphere surrounding its formation will inevitably be reflected in its work.

This shameful act is intended to gain the approval of the United States as the mother of political terrorism in the world, coinciding with its threat to impose sanctions soon against Lebanese figures and entities allied or linked to Hezbollah.

Washington is encircling the Lebanese Shiites militarily, economically, and socially as the US and Israel failed to eliminate the Hezbollah resistance movement and prevent it from having ministers in the cabinet now that Joseph Aoun has been elected president.

The only goal is to ignite sectarian strife coinciding with giving the green light to Israel to maintain its direct occupation of some Lebanese territories.

This coincides too with the Shiites being busy rebuilding what was destroyed during the US-led Israeli attacks on the country and what was destroyed by successive pro-American corrupt governments and oligarchs.

It is an open war on the Lebanese Shiites, who have for decades stood up to malicious imperialist projects.

Undoubtedly, Washington is benefiting too from the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria. It has already directed the Al-Julani (Ahmad al-Sharaa) government to implement its anti-Hezbollah agenda.

Al-Julani has repeatedly announced his commitment to preventing Hezbollah from using Syrian territory to purportedly transit money or weapons.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has already taken practical measures on the border with Iraq and on the border with Lebanon.

Washington is encircling the Lebanese Shiites militarily and economically as the US and Israel failed to defeat the resistance front.

At a delicate time, Al-Julani’s government has suspiciously announced that it is not ready to demarcate the land and sea borders between Syria and Lebanon; not ready for the return of displaced Syrians (especially as 90% of Syria’s 1.5 million refugees are in extreme poverty); and unable to control the eastern borders in the northern Bekaa Valley that are under Hezbollah’s influence.

One of Washington’s top priorities is to push Salam’s government to impose measures that prevent any money from reaching Hezbollah, especially from Iran or Iraq, to ensure that Hezbollah does not receive any support.

Washington further aims to press Salam’s government to make the reconstruction of what was destroyed during the September-October attacks its exclusive responsibility and prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding the destroyed villages.

Most likely this will be accompanied by declaring a decision to close Hezbollah’s Al-Qard Al-Hassan banking institution to obstruct it from helping reconstruct the demolished building or compensate the affected families.

Knowing that Hezbollah is exercising the highest degree of self-restraint to preserve internal peace and prevent deterioration of the internal security in Lebanon, President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam must both assume direct responsibility and not allow matters to go towards the option of collision.

Simply put, there is no priority now that comes before the priority of protecting Lebanon’s civil peace by defying the US-Zionist hegemonic ambitions as the free people of Lebanon, especially the Shiites, will not allow Lebanon to be an Israeli colony by any means and no matter the sacrifices.