Lebanon says Hamat air base solely under army control after Iranian media claim

BEIRUT, Lebanon / ISTANBUL

Lebanon’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday firmly denied claims that Hamat air base in the country’s north operates as a US military facility, asserting that the base is exclusively under the authority of the Lebanese army.

The statement followed a report aired by Iran’s Al-Alam television channel that portrayed the base as a US military site, amid growing regional tensions and speculation over a US strike against Tehran.

Hamat “is a Lebanese air base affiliated with the Lebanese army’s air force and does not fall under any other authority,” Defense Minister Michel Menassa said in a statement released by the ministry.

“No entity exercises powers there beyond Lebanese laws and regulations,” he said, dismissing what he described as circulating narratives that “fuel suspicion rather than clarify facts.”

Menassa stressed that all activities at the base are conducted under the direct supervision and approval of the Lebanese army command.

He acknowledged that the facility, like other military sites in the country, hosts foreign training teams operating strictly within Lebanese military regulations and in support of army units.

Hamat, along with Beirut Air Base located within Rafik Hariri International Airport and Riyaq Air Base in the Bekaa Valley, serves as a reception point for military assistance designated for the Lebanese army, he added.

Such assistance includes equipment, arms and ammunition delivered under official cooperation frameworks and with the oversight of Lebanese authorities, the defense minister said.

The clarification comes as Washington expands its military footprint in the Middle East, amid rising tensions with Iran and speculation over possible military action.

The issue has gained further sensitivity after Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the group would not remain neutral if Iran were attacked by the United States or Israel.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi on Tuesday urged Hezbollah to avoid involvement in any new confrontation, warning that participation in a potential US-Iran conflict could expose Lebanon’s infrastructure to Israeli strikes.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref