Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday accused Turkey of cooperating with Iran to channel funds to Hezbollah, helping the militant group rebuild after losing a key ally with the fall of the Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Israeli and Iranian media outlets reported.
Israel’s Foreign Minister issues urgent warning:
Turkey is collaborating with Iran in efforts to rebuild Hezbollah. pic.twitter.com/cnyFjIA59J
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 18, 2025
“There is an increased Iranian effort to smuggle money to Lebanon for Hezbollah in order to restore its power and status, including via Turkey and through its cooperation,” Sa’ar said during a meeting with visiting US senators and Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus.
The allegations led Lebanon to suspend flights between Iran and Beirut last week, sparking a backlash from Hezbollah.
“Hezbollah demands that the Lebanese government reverse its decision of preventing Iranian planes from landing at Beirut airport and take serious measures to prevent the Israeli enemy from imposing its dictates and violating sovereignty,” the group said in a statement carried by Al-Mayadeen, a Hezbollah-aligned outlet.
Tehran has denied using commercial flights to transfer cash to Hezbollah, but Lebanon extended the flight suspension on Monday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said he had spoken with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, who assured him the decision was “technical and legal” rather than political.
Sa’ar also warned that Iran is accelerating its nuclear program in response to recent regional setbacks. He did not provide details on those setbacks or specify whether his assessment was based on public or classified information.
Citing a senior European diplomat, Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reported that Israel is prepared to launch a military strike on Iran if negotiations between Tehran and Washington fail to produce an agreement.