Lebanese authorities seized $2.5 million in cash from a man arriving from Turkey on Friday, in what sources say is the first such confiscation of funds allegedly intended for Hezbollah. The Lebanese finance ministry confirmed the seizure but did not reference Hezbollah in its official statement.
“The detainee and the seized funds will be handed over to the investigation division at the General Directorate of General Security,” the ministry said. Officials have not yet disclosed the identity of the suspect or provided further details on the source of the funds.
Sources told Reuters that the confiscated money was meant for Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group that has been engaged in hostilities with Israel and remains a dominant force in Lebanese politics.
David Daoud, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News that the confiscation was “unprecedented” and aligned with Israeli claims that Iran is using Turkey as a conduit to transfer more funds to Hezbollah. “This does track with Israeli claims that Turkey is being used as a conduit by the Iranians to get more funds to Hezbollah,” he said.
Lebanon recently suspended flights from Iran after Israeli intelligence alleged that Tehran was smuggling money into the country via civilian aircraft to bolster Hezbollah’s financial resources. The move sparked protests from Hezbollah supporters and led to clashes, including an attack on a United Nations convoy.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire agreement by continuing to smuggle weapons and money. On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a drone strike in Lebanon’s Hermel District, killing Mohammed Mahdi Ali Shaheen, whom Israel described as a key Hezbollah operative involved in arms procurement.
