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Coronavirus: Lebanese analysts question Qatar Airways Tehran-Beirut flight

A weekly scheduled Qatar Airways flight arrived in Beirut from Tehran on Friday night with Lebanese authorities claiming it was carrying cargo, raising suspicions among analysts as the Rafic Hariri International Airport is currently in lockdown due to the coronavirus. Coronavirus
The airport is currently closed to commercial traffic until March 29 as part of the nation’s coronavirus lockdown, but it is open to cargo flights, and UNIFIL staff and diplomats are still allowed into the country.
Lebanon’s directorate general of civil aviation said the flight was a regularly scheduled weekly cargo flight. Flight trackers show that the QR8320 flight that landed at 9:43 p.m. is a cargo plane.
https://twitter.com/haningdr/status/1241175047479451654
The manager of the Beirut airport said the flight that originated in Doha first unloaded at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran before flying to Beirut to load some livestock.
Local outlet MTV reported that the flight typically crosses Iranian airspace before landing in Lebanon to load sheep.
Speaking on Al Arabiya’s sister channel Al Hadath, Lokman Slim said this is not convincing given the history of illicit trade and activity between Iran and it's proxy Hezbollah, which, according to Slim, has partial control of the Beirut airport. Coronavirus
“If the headline was that a cargo plane landed in Beirut then there’s no issue since cargos planes are the only ones allowed into Lebanese airspace. However, in this case, the links between airports in Iran to Doha to Beirut are highly suspicious and this is so for several years now,” Slim told Al Hadath.
“This is a narrative which we heard before in July 2018 when several Iranian Qeshm Air which landed in Beirut via Doha and several reports revealed that they were holding weapons and military gear for the Hezbollah militia,” Slim said.
The same narrative about transporting livestock was used in July 2018 and it was later revealed the plane contained weapons and military gear for Hezbollah.
‘Who control’s Rafic Hariri International Airport?’
Slim also questioned who was in control of Beirut’s international airport, given recent incidents showing Hezbollah militants and leaders at the airport welcoming recent arrivals from Iranian flights.
On March 11, Lebanese news outlet Janoubia reported Hezbollah security accompanying party figures at the airport. Coronavirus
“Despite the continuation of the corona epidemic in Lebanon… an Iranian plane was received this evening at Rafic Hariri International Airport at 08:39 with 150 Lebanese passengers on board, while sources indicated from inside the airport that these passengers are now at home and have not been subjected to any isolation measures,” Janoubia said in its report.
Lebanese customs data show that livestock trade between the countries does happen. Lebanese exports of livestock to Iran accounted for 2 million Lebanese lira, or $1,322, in 2019, according to state data. levant
source: Lauren Holtmeier levant
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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