TEHRAN - Israel is stirring the pot and causing trouble in Lebanon in line with its attempts to demonize the Hezbollah resistance movement.

Lebanon has recently experienced protests following the authorities' decision to stop two Iranian flights from landing at the Rafik Hariri International Airport.

One of the flights had been scheduled for Thursday and another for Friday. 

The Lebanese Roads Minister ordered the cancellation under pressure from Israel. 

Citing a private warning from the United States, a Lebanese security source claimed that Israel would target the airport should the aircraft land.

According to AFP, the White House had also warned Lebanon that Israel could shoot down the two Iranian flights. 

The regime has accused Iran of using civilian planes to smuggle cash to Hezbollah without providing any evidence to back up its claim. 

Dozens of Lebanese nationals were stranded in Tehran after Mahan Air was informed that its aircraft to Beirut would not be able to land.

The refusal to let Iranian planes to land in Beirut sparked protests in the Mediterranean nation. Protesters took to the streets to condemn the cancellation of the civilian flights.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against the United States and Israel.  

The Lebanese army clashed with protesters on Saturday. Security forces threw tear gas at protesters who had staged a sit-in on the airport road. 

They were angry at the government for enforcing the ban under the influence of Tel Aviv and Washington. 

A UNIFIL convoy in Beirut was also attacked. Israel and the United States put the blame on pro-Hezbollah protesters. But the resistance movement condemned the attack on the international peacekeeping force.

Hezbollah said in a statement on Sunday it “affirms its firm rejection of any targeting of [UNIFIL] as well as any harm to public and private property.”

The resistance group criticized the army for clashing with demonstrators urging Lebanon’s government to “assume its responsibility in protecting the peaceful protesters.” 

It called on the Lebanese government to “reverse its decision to prevent Iranian planes from landing at Beirut Airport, and take serious measures to prevent the Israeli enemy from imposing its dictates and violating national sovereignty.”

Hezbollah characterized the protests as “a peaceful movement and a civilized expression of popular opposition to unjustified submission to foreign dictates.”

Israel and Hezbollah began exchanging cross-border fire on October 8, 2023. That was a day after Israel launched war on Gaza. The Lebanese resistance movement struck strategic military sites in Israel

with drones and missiles in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the enclave. 

On September 23, 2024, Israel launched a massive bombing campaign on Lebanon. The regime martyred Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut days later. The Israeli army also sent its troops into southern Lebanon on October 1. But the regime was compelled to sign a ceasefire with Hezbollah in late November after failing to meet its military objectives. 

Prior to the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel had killed nearly 4,000 people in Lebanon. 

Besides, Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, killing civilians and army soldiers. 

The Lebanese army, however, has been unable to take any tough measures to retaliate against Israel for its crimes. 

Based on the ceasefire deal, Israel must withdraw its troops from Lebanon, but the regime has been spinning a tale to provide justifications for remaining in southern Lebanon.

Israel invaded Lebanon in June 1982 and occupied parts of the country until it was driven out by Hezbollah in 2000.

In 2006, Israel also launched a full-scale military offensive against Lebanon. Hezbollah, however, humiliated the regime and forced its military to retreat in disgrace. 

Israel has failed to defeat Hezbollah militarily. The regime is now seeking to spark unrest in Lebanon to pit people and the government against each other. 

Israel is further attempting to sabotage a funeral that is set to be held for martyr Nasrallah this month. 

The funeral is scheduled to take place on February 23 in Beirut.

Israel is concerned that the significant attendance of Lebanese individuals at the ceremony, along with the increasing support for the resistance movement, will underscore the Tel Aviv regime’s military setbacks.