Lebanon on Friday arrested a man arriving from Turkey with $2.5 million in cash bound for Hezbollah, the Lebanese Finance Ministry said.
“The detainee and the seized funds will be handed over to the investigation division at the General Directorate of General Security,” the ministry said in a statement, not mentioning Hezbollah.
Three sources with knowledge of the matter were cited by Reuters as saying that the cash was destined for the Iranian-backed terrorist group.
It was the first time such a confiscation took place, one of the sources noted.
Hezbollah was significantly weakened in its latest war with Israel, which saw its leadership slain in precise airstrikes and thousands of its operatives wounded in the remarkable communications-explosions campaign carried out by Israel’s intelligence community.
Media outlets have reported that its political influence in the country, as well as its financial resources, have waned as it struggles to rebuild its strength.
According to the ceasefire terms agreed on by Israel and Lebanon, the Lebanese Armed Forces are to deploy to Southern Lebanon and ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River. This has taken place in part only, and so the IDF has remained in five posts over the border to prevent attacks on Israeli communities near the frontier.
Last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Ankara of assisting Iran in funneling funds to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
During a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem with a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators, which included seven senators and Deputy Middle East Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus, Sa’ar warned that Tehran has intensified its efforts to finance Hezbollah, with the active involvement of Turkey.
“There is an increased Iranian effort to smuggle money to Lebanon for Hezbollah in order to restore its power and status, including via Turkey and through its cooperation,” said Sa’ar.
Allegations of cash transfers to Hezbollah and the threat of an Israeli strike on Beirut’s airport prompted the suspension of flights between Iran and Lebanon, drawing a sharp response from the Shi’ite terrorist group, which dispatched operatives to riot outside the airport. UNIFIL personnel were attacked during the protest.
Israel’s Channel 14 reported on Tuesday that it is believed that tens of millions of dollars have already reached Hezbollah through Turkey. Iran is also exploring other smuggling routes to fund its Lebanese terror proxy.
