Latest news with #BeirutAirport
LBCI
23-05-2025
- LBCI
Beirut Airport to open dedicated lane for public buses, sources tell LBCI
A dedicated lane for public transportation buses will soon be introduced at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport to ease passenger transfers, sources confirmed to LBCI on Friday.
LBCI
13-05-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Lebanon appoints new head of Beirut Airport
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamni appointed Ibrahim Abou Alayoui as the new head of Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. The move comes just two days after Kamel Nasreddine submitted his resignation from the role. His resignation was accepted by the minister, who assigned him to a new post as "Director of Airports." Nasreddine will continue in his long-held position as Head of Air Navigation, a role he has occupied for 14 years. The appointments were part of a broader reshuffling within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation aimed at streamlining responsibilities and reinforcing management at Lebanon's primary aviation hub.
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump and the Supreme Leader's Trap
After a 3-year break, a serial that started almost 50 years ago is expected to return to world screens with a new season: Uncle Sam wooing the Mullahs of Tehran. The new season started with a letter sent by US President Donald J Trump to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei three weeks ago reportedly inviting him for a face-to-face rendezvous. A similar letter was sent by President Jimmy Carter to Ruhollah Khomeini during his exile in a Paris suburb in 1978, delivered by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Carter wrote Khomeini another letter a year later when he had already seized power in Tehran. Delivered by Carter's national Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, at a meeting with Khomeini's Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan, the letter repeated the American desire for friendly cooperation with the new regime in Iran. Carter left the White House without getting a written answer to his letter. Instead, Khomeini authorized a raid on the US Embassy in Tehran and holding of its diplomats as hostage. Despite that, Carter's successor President Ronald Reagan tried his epistolary talent by writing a 5-page letter to Khomeini accompanied by a huge cake and a beautifully morocco-bound Bible and a Colt-45 semi-automatic pistol. Khomeini replied by ordering the taking of more American hostages, funding the attack on a US barrack in 1983 that killed 241 American military personnel near Beirut Airport. Despite all that, Reagan's successor President George HW Bush couldn't resist the letter-writing temptation and penned his own invitation to Tehran mullahs for talks based on the mantra 'goodwill begets goodwill.' Bill Clinton, as president, decided to woo the mullahs that had succeeded Khamenei by 'apologizing' to them for unspecified misdeeds by the US and flatter them as 'progressives.' In response, Tehran stepped up its 'exporting revolution' campaign by bombing various spots in the Middle East where the US military was located. President George W Bush removed the two biggest enemies of the Tehran mullahs in Iraq and Afghanistan by toppling Saddam Hussein and Mullah Omar. Tehran's answer was a sustained campaign of attacks on US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan combined with the raising and deploying mercenaries in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and among Palestinian refugees in the region and beyond. As President, Barack Obama tried a different tack: instead of sending billets-doux to the mullahs, he decided to shower them with gifts including cash smuggled to them via Cyprus and treating Iran as a power not bound by the United Nations' Charter. But that, too, didn't work. Trump's first presidency stopped the Obama scheme but revived the epistolary tradition set by Carter. Trump persuaded Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to travel to Tehran to deliver the letter to Khamenei, who refused to receive the letter and sent Abe packing after an insulting harangue. Trump retaliated by issuing a 12-point desiderata which Tehran had to fulfil or face 'maximum pressure.' Khamenei ignored the whole thing and even declared that no talking with Americans was allowed. The ephemeral Biden presidency pursued the same line as Obama, cuddling Tehran while repeating the endless American demand for 'negotiations.' Now in his second term, Trump has come back with a letter. This time, Khamenei accepted the letter and even signed a reply to it only two weeks after stating that talking with Trump was 'dishonorable.' This too may lead nowhere, but something big has already happened. For the first time in his fourth decade as ruler of Iran, he has accepted responsibility for a major decision rather than exercising power without responsibility. At the same time, he has sent the ball back to Trump by rejecting direct talks and suggesting indirect ones. If Trump accepts, the supreme leader will claim and another victory. If Trump rejects it, the supreme leader will claim that he showed goodwill but was shunned. Tehran's aim is either to derail the whole thing and blame Trump or go into slow-motion mode in the hope that the US mid-term election might puncture the Trump balloon. In such a scenario, talks about who is to be mediator could take weeks if not months. The logical option would have been to name either Switzerland, which represents US interests in Tehran, or Pakistan, which does the same for Iran in Washington. On Tuesday, however, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov hinted Moscow's interest in playing mediator. Tehran has hinted it favors Oman while Washington may think the sultanate is too close to Iran. Once, and if, a mediator is agreed by both sides, talks would be needed about what level any negotiations should be held and the location of the encounter. After that talks could take place on establishing an agenda. The next step would be dealing with the so-called 'underbrush', issues that are easy to settle. Right now, it isn't clear precisely what issues Trump wishes to include in any putative agenda for his suggested talks. Tehran, however, is keen on restricting any talks to the nuclear issue in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Tehran sources say Khamenei may agree to declaring an 18-month moratorium on his nuclear project provided sanctions are lifted and the snap-back mechanism due to be triggered at the UN Security Council in October is dismantled. The subtext in all that is Khamenei's belief that since he and Khomeini managed to play seven US presidents like a mandolin, there is no reason why it shouldn't work with an eighth one.
LBCI
01-04-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Lebanon's Public Works Minister: Beirut Airport remains well-secured
Lebanon's Public Works and Transport Minister, Fayez Rasamny, affirmed that Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport remains well-secured, emphasizing that airport security is a top priority for the ministry. He stated that security measures are continuously implemented in coordination with relevant authorities, alongside ongoing diplomatic efforts to safeguard the airport against potential threats. In an interview with Al-Hadath, Rasamny dismissed concerns over smuggling attempts, asserting that the airport's security forces operate with an iron grip. He highlighted several foiled smuggling operations that had been publicly reported, insisting that the airport is under the sole authority of the Lebanese state, with no external influence over its management. Regarding reforms at Beirut Airport, the minister noted the restructuring of administrative leadership, with separate directors now overseeing civil aviation and the airport itself. He also revealed plans to enhance airport security with advanced technology to reduce reliance on human personnel in the coming months. On the issue of Iranian aviation, Rasamny confirmed that the ban on Iranian flights landing in Lebanon remains in effect, with no ongoing negotiations on the matter. "We have not requested anything from the Iranian side, and there are no discussions underway," he said. The minister also reiterated that all entry and exit operations at Beirut Airport are under strict supervision, adding that smuggling is not a concern due to heightened monitoring measures. Discussing the plan to revive René Moawad Airport in Qlayaat, northern Lebanon, Rasamny said that the ministry had commissioned the engineering firm Dar Al-Handasah to conduct a feasibility study. The study, expected to be completed in the coming months, will assess costs and potential operational models. He suggested that the airport might be operated through a public-private partnership rather than by the state alone. He dismissed claims of political obstacles, asserting that the decision to reactivate the airport has been made and is progressing smoothly. "Lebanon cannot rely on a single airport," he said, describing Qlayaat as a secondary facility to support Beirut's airport. Regarding the status of Beirut's port, Rasamny confirmed that parts of its operations are managed by the private shipping company CMA-CGM. He added that the ministry is reviewing legislative proposals in parliament and is working toward establishing an independent regulatory authority or management board to oversee the port's operations.
Asharq Al-Awsat
01-03-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lebanon Foils Money Smuggling Operation from Iran to Hezbollah via Türkiye
Lebanese airport security intercepted an attempt to smuggle $2.5 million in cash from Iran to Lebanon via Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Türkiye. The funds were believed to be destined for Hezbollah after Lebanon banned Iranian civilian aircraft from landing in Beirut and imposed strict inspections on flights arriving from Iraq. Authorities at Beirut Airport seized the cash from a Lebanese national, identified as (M.H.), upon his arrival on a Pegasus Airlines flight from Sabiha Gökçen. A security source stated that customs officers discovered the undeclared funds in a suitcase and immediately confiscated them under judicial orders. The detainee admitted that he had traveled from Beirut to Türkiye on Thursday night, spent several hours in the duty-free area, and received the money from an Iranian national before returning to Lebanon. This operation highlights Hezbollah's shift to alternative funding channels after Lebanon closed its airspace to Iranian civilian aircraft and tightened border controls on land routes through Syria. Increased scrutiny on passengers arriving in Beirut has further complicated traditional smuggling methods. A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the confiscation of the funds was carried out under judicial orders. The source explained that the money was seized because the individual carrying it had failed to declare it in advance or provide a legitimate reason for bringing it into Lebanon. The source emphasized that Beirut Airport security enforces legal financial regulations, which prohibit carrying more than $50,000 in cash without prior declaration and a stated purpose. Any unjustified smuggling of funds falls under the category of money laundering.
