BEIRUT, JUNE 24 :  Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah stores a huge amount of Iranian weapons, including missiles and explosives, at Beirut’s main civilian airport, The Telegraph newspaper reported, citing sources.

Airport staff reportedly told the newspaper that they spotted “unusually big boxes” arriving from Iran and the increased presence of high-level Hezbollah commanders.

“Wafiq Safa is always showing up at customs,” a source was quoted as saying by the newspaper on Sunday.

The report added that military supplies allegedly include Iranian-made Falaq artillery rockets, Fateh-110 short-range missiles, laser-guided anti-tank missiles, huge quantities of Burkan short-range ballistic missiles and cyclonite explosives.

Airport workers also expressed concerns that the airport could become a primary military target, the report read.

Later on Sunday, Lebanese Minister of Labor and Transport Ali Hamieh called the newspaper’s article false and invited all media outlets and ambassadors or their representatives to visit all parts of the airport “tomorrow” to verify that there are no weapons there.

“I have contacted the prime minister and we will file a lawsuit against The Telegraph newspaper for false accusations and damaging the reputation of Beirut Airport,” he added.

The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border worsened after the start of hostilities between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas in October 2023. The Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, who support Palestine in the conflict with Israel, have regularly exchanged fire across the border since then. On Tuesday, Israel said it approved and validated operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon.(UNI)