Nearly 120 Iranians evacuated from Lebanon on Russian plane amid regional tensions
Around 117 Iranians, including diplomats and embassy staff, were evacuated from Beirut overnight on a Russian aircraft, a Lebanese official told AFP on Sunday. The official requested anonymity.
According to the source, the Iranian embassy coordinated the operation with Lebanese authorities at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. The destination of the flight was not disclosed. The plane also carried the remains of an Iranian diplomat killed in the ongoing regional conflict, along with those of his spouse and three children.
The airport, located near southern suburbs of Beirut that have been targeted by Israeli airstrikes since Monday, remains operational, though most commercial flights are now handled by the national carrier, Middle East Airlines.
The evacuation comes amid escalating tensions linked to Hezbollah, which has drawn Lebanon into the Middle East conflict. Israeli forces targeted a Beirut seaside hotel in a strike described as aimed at key commanders of the Al-Quds Force, the elite foreign operations branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The attack killed four people and injured ten, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Earlier in the week, the Lebanese government had implemented stricter measures concerning Iranian nationals in the country, calling for the arrest or expulsion of individuals linked to the Revolutionary Guard.
The operation highlights ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region and the precautions taken by Iran to safeguard its citizens abroad amid escalating military confrontations.
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