Lebanon Denies Diplomatic Bag Inspection at Beirut Airport
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Lebanon's Foreign Ministry clarified that it adhered to the 1961 Vienna Convention and did not inspect diplomatic bags carried by an Iranian diplomat, contrary to reports from some Arab media outlets.
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Friday, addressing an incident at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport the previous night.
The statement clarified that the Ministry had received an explanatory note from the Iranian Embassy regarding two small diplomatic bags carried by an Iranian diplomat aboard a Mahan Air flight on January 2, 2025. The note confirmed that the bags contained documents, materials, and cash intended for embassy operational expenses.
Based on this explanation, Lebanon's government stated that it had complied with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and did not inspect the bags.
The incident had been reported by Lebanon's Al-Manar TV, which said passengers on a flight from Tehran to Beirut had been subjected to intense physical searches and unusual baggage inspections upon their arrival.
The report mentioned that airport authorities had manually opened all bags for inspection, causing significant delays and frustration among passengers.
An informed source told the Tasnim News Agency that the incident ended without any inspection of the Iranian diplomat's bag.
