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The Last Nail in the Coffin of the Wilayat al-Faqih Regime in Lebanon!
The ban on "Mahan Air" flights to Beirut Airport has sparked rapid and disturbed reactions from Iranian regime officials. The regime has resorted to intensive diplomatic moves and exchanges of messages with relevant parties in Lebanon, while simultaneously pushing its agents in the country to the streets in an attempt to exert pressure.
Iranian regime agents attempted through gatherings and protests to block the road to Beirut Airport, aiming to force local authorities and airport management to reverse the decision, but the Lebanese Army confronted them and reopened the road.
In this context, the regime's official news agency reported a statement from Lebanese Hezbollah on Sunday morning saying, "We condemn the Lebanese Army's use of tear gas against citizens… and we call on the government to retract its decision to prevent Iranian planes from landing at Beirut Airport." (IRNA – February 16)
Conversely, Agence France-Presse reported on February 15 that the Lebanese government had prevented Iranian flights from landing at Beirut Airport twice the previous week, following a U.S. warning about the possibility of Israeli targeting of Iranian aircraft. According to the report, Israel informed the Lebanese government, through U.S. officials, last Thursday that it would target the airport if an Iranian plane landed there. Washington also assured the Lebanese side that Israel was serious in its threats. Consequently, another Iranian plane was not allowed to land in Lebanon the following Friday.
In this context, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated, "The security of Beirut Airport comes before any other consideration."
According to reports from Arab media, the concern of Lebanese authorities stems from attempts by the Iranian regime to transport money and gold to the Lebanese Hezbollah forces facing significant collapse.
**Escalation in Lebanon Reveals the Iranian Regime's Strategic Defeat**
On February 15, the newspaper "Farahikhtegan," affiliated with Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior adviser to Khamenei on international affairs, published an article titled "What is the Truth Behind the Cancellation of Tehran-Beirut Flights?" The article referenced the inspection of the Iranian diplomatic delegation's luggage since last month, stating, "These measures have been intensified under the supervision of American officers following rumors about the cargo of Mahan Air flights, where the Al-Hadath network, quoting Western sources, claimed that Iran seeks to transfer millions of dollars to Hezbollah via Mahan Air flights between Tehran and Beirut."
The same newspaper adds, "The Lebanese government's decision came as a result of a combination of external pressures and internal developments following the assassination of martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, as well as attempts to adjust the balance of power in the region."
However, regional observers, along with media and regime elements themselves, view the issue of Beirut Airport as going beyond merely "adjusting the balance of power" or "the matter of transferring funds," but rather reflects a major strategic defeat for the Iranian regime in Lebanon.
Some media outlets aligned with the regime openly admit, "We have lost Lebanon." Others go further, expressing deep concern about the fate of the regime's agents in Iraq after the fall of the Syrian dictator and foresee a dark future for the Wilayat al-Faqih regime.
In this context, the government newspaper "Ham-Mihan" published an article on December 21, 2024, titled "The Consequences of Assad's Fall for Iran," stating, "The fall of Bashar Assad is not just a significant event for Syria, but it will have repercussions across the entire Middle East. However, no country will be affected by this event as much as Iran. A sudden withdrawal of Tehran from Syria will represent a major strategic and military loss for Iran."
As for the government newspaper "Setareh Sobh," it published an article on January 13, 2025, titled "Opportunities in Dangerous Days." In this article, the newspaper discussed five plans being implemented in the Middle East, which it labeled:
- Plan A - Gaza
- Plan B - Lebanon
- Plan C - Syria
- Plan D - Iraq
- Plan E - Iran
The newspaper warned, stating, "Among these five plans, the first three have been executed through the destruction of Gaza and the killing of its people, dismantling Hezbollah's infrastructure in Lebanon, and the fall of Bashar Assad. Now, it is time for the implementation of the remaining two plans!"
Mir Mohammadi
