Lebanese authorities tighten grip on Beirut Airport
Shafaq News/ Lebanon has tightened security at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport in a bid to curb Hezbollah-linked smuggling operations, drawing cautious approval from US and Israeli officials, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Thursday.
The overhaul includes mandatory security checks for all flights, the suspension of incoming flights from Iran since February, and the dismissal of airport employees reportedly linked to Hezbollah, according to senior Lebanese security and military officials cited by the report.
Additionally, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told the WSJ that the country is making rare progress in confronting smuggling networks. 'You can feel the difference,' he affirmed. 'We're doing better on smuggling for the first time in the contemporary history of Lebanon.'
The report also revealed that Lebanese authorities recently intercepted an attempt to smuggle over 50 pounds of gold through the airport, allegedly destined for Hezbollah.
A senior US official involved in monitoring the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah described the reforms as promising. 'It has only been six or seven months, and we have stepped to a place that I am not sure I thought was achievable back in November.'
Despite the improvements, Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon have continued, with Israeli officials saying the group remains in violation of the ceasefire agreement reached late last year, the WSJ added.
Responding to the allegations, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Mousawi stated that the group had suffered losses but suggested rearming efforts were ongoing. He dismissed claims that Hezbollah controls the airport, saying the group is 'part of the system, just like any other Lebanese constituency.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
38 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq's butchers bear the brunt of CCHF Crisis
Shafaq News/ In 2025, Iraq has recorded at least 96 cases of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), including 13 deaths, according to the latest data from the Public Health Directorate at the Ministry of Health and Shafaq News tracker. Official statements emphasize that the outbreak remains under control. However, health officials familiar with the situation told Shafaq News—on condition of anonymity—that the true number of infections is likely much higher than reported, citing underreporting in rural areas and limited diagnostic capabilities. Nearly all confirmed infections are concentrated among high-risk occupational groups: livestock breeders, animal transporters, and especially butchers. Within this vulnerable segment, butchers face a compounded risk—not only from direct contact with potentially infected animals but from the deteriorating infrastructure that forces them to operate outside official and sanitary channels. 'We Are Forced Outside the System' Muhammad Ali, a butcher in Babil Province with more than three decades of experience, described the daily hazards of his profession. 'We try to follow the laws and health instructions,' he explained, 'but the reality is we're often forced to slaughter outside official abattoirs—not because we want to break the rules, but because there simply aren't enough slaughterhouses.' Ali points to a chronic lack of facilities, especially during high-demand seasons such as Eid Al-Adha, when families sacrifice an animal—typically a sheep, goat, or cow—and distribute the meat to family, relatives, and people in poverty. 'The few slaughterhouses that do exist are overwhelmed. We wait for hours. Work becomes unbearable, customers get angry, and the delay sometimes ruins the meat. Then we are blamed, even though the fault lies in the system's inability to serve us.' He warns that the legal risks butchers face for so-called 'unauthorized slaughter' ignore the economic and logistical pressures that push them into these situations. 'We're not criminals. We're surviving.' Ali calls for urgent interventions: more licensed slaughterhouses, mobile abattoirs for underserved areas, and even temporary legal alternatives supervised by health authorities. 'Without keep working in the shadows—and we'll keep getting sick.' A Nationwide Gap in Slaughter Infrastructure Dr. Thaer Sabri Hussein, Director of the Epidemiology Department at Iraq's Veterinary Authority, confirmed the infrastructure crisis. 'There are only 52 official slaughterhouses in Iraq, and most are in poor condition,' he told Shafaq News. 'We need at least 300 to meet current demand. The few modern facilities we do have are negligible.' The Ministry of Agriculture has submitted a formal request to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to approve the construction of modern abattoirs. As a temporary measure, the Ministry of Environment has been tasked with rehabilitating defunct facilities. However, officials acknowledge that these efforts fall short of addressing the scale of the problem. Cities most affected by unregulated slaughter include Baghdad, which houses more than 10 million people, and now records the highest number of infections (29,) followed by religious hubs like Karbala and Najaf, where massive pilgrimages frequently overwhelm municipal services. 'These areas are hotspots not only for illegal slaughter but also for potential disease transmission,' Hussein warned. Although Iraqi law restricts animal slaughter to official facilities under Article 105 of the 1983 Veterinary Code, enforcement is lax. Hussein admits, 'In reality, controlling unregulated slaughter is extremely difficult. That's why we're focusing on awareness campaigns to educate livestock handlers and the public about the importance of safe practices.' Fighting Disease with Incomplete Tools To curb the spread of CCHF, the Ministry of Agriculture conducts two national anti-tick spraying campaigns annually, targeting the blood-sucking parasite responsible for transmitting the virus. When an infection is confirmed in a specific area, it is classified as a 'disease hotspot,' triggering emergency spraying and a halt to animal movement until livestock are examined and treated. Yet these reactive measures are constrained by limited reach and chronic underfunding. Without systemic reforms—especially in slaughterhouse availability and enforcement mechanisms—such interventions remain insufficient.
Shafaq News
38 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq's CF pushes post-Eid legislative overhaul
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Coordination Framework (CF) is preparing a legislative package to amend key laws immediately after the Eid al-Adha recess, a political source confirmed on Wednesday. One proposal involves revising the electoral law to allocate 80% of party list votes to lead candidates and 20% to others—an adjustment the CF, a governed alliance of predominantly Shiite political parties in Iraq, claims would enhance political cohesion and limit vote dispersion, particularly in Baghdad. The source stressed, however, that the change is procedural and will not disrupt the electoral commission's preparations for the November vote. To advance the agenda, CF leaders have instructed their lawmakers to coordinate with other blocs to secure quorum and fast-track debate on the amendments. The initiative follows months of debate among Iraqi factions and pressure from senior figures critical of the current electoral framework. MP Raad al-Maliki submitted earlier a parallel draft that proposes treating each province as a single electoral district—except Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul, which would be split in two—and limiting party lists to the number of seats available in each district to curb over-nomination. The bill also suggests lowering Iraq's modified Sainte-Laguë divisor from 1.7 to 1.5 to improve representation for smaller parties and enhance electoral competitiveness. To mitigate conflicts of interest, the proposed changes include an automatic resignation clause for sitting lawmakers seeking local office and for governors or provincial council members running for Parliament. Separately, the bloc plans to revisit Iraq's oil and gas law to reinforce federal authority and ensure more equitable revenue distribution across provinces, in addition to pursuing revisions to the Administrative Structure Law, although specifics remain unclear.
Shafaq News
38 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq clinches major China oil deal as exports to Asia hold steady
Shafaq News/ Iraq secured the world's second-largest energy deal in May through an agreement with China, while crude exports to top Asian buyers remained broadly stable, official and industry data showed on Wednesday. The South Basra Integrated Project will raise output at the Tuba oil field from 20,000 to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) and includes a 200,000-bpd refinery, a 620,000-ton petrochemical plant, a 520,000-ton fertilizer facility, and two power stations with a combined capacity of 1,050 megawatts. The deal follows recent high-profile investments, including a BP-led initiative to develop four oil fields in Kirkuk. In February, Iraq and Saudi Arabia led global crude deals, ranging from export contracts to asset acquisitions. Analysts view the streak of agreements as a bid to monetize energy assets and diversify Iraq's economy. Despite volatility in global markets, Iraq's crude shipments to Asia have also remained steady. Customs data showed China imported 1.11 million bpd in May, up 22,000 bpd from the same period last year. India followed with 931,000 bpd, down slightly from 959,000 bpd year-on-year.
