Syria’s government barred a plane carrying Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani from using its airspace en route to Lebanon this week, forcing the aircraft to reroute over Iraq and Turkey, Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported on Thursday.
The reported flight diversion comes amid strained ties between Tehran and Damascus following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad late last year. His successor, Ahmed al-Shara, has criticized Iran’s military role in Syria as destabilizing.
Iran International could not independently verify the Israeli media report on the flight route.
Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for meetings with senior Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.
Aoun told Larijani that no group in Lebanon should bear arms or seek foreign support, warning against interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Larijani responded that Iran respects decisions taken by the Lebanese government and does not interfere in its domestic matters.
During his visit, Larijani reaffirmed Tehran’s backing for Lebanon and its “resistance” against Israel – a term he used to refer to Tehran-backed groups such as the Shi’ite group Hezbollah, and offered assistance in reconstruction efforts.
The visit came days after Lebanon’s cabinet instructed the army to present a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of August, a move Tehran has publicly opposed.
Lebanon’s foreign ministry last week condemned remarks by a senior Iranian official rejecting the disarmament plan as “unacceptable interference.”
