BEIRUT – A mass evacuation of Iranian nationals from Lebanon took place over the weekend as tensions escalate in the region, according to Lebanese security officials.
Over 150 Iranian citizens, including embassy personnel and their relatives, departed Lebanon on Saturday aboard a Russian aircraft bound for Russia, a high-ranking Lebanese security official confirmed to news agencies. An additional 20 Iranians had already left the country on Friday as fighting intensified between Israel and the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah.
An official at Iran’s Beirut embassy acknowledged that several non-critical diplomatic staff members were departing but declined to specify exact numbers.
The exodus follows renewed hostilities that have drawn attention to Iran’s support for Hezbollah, which initiated attacks against Israel earlier this week using rockets and unmanned aircraft, prompting extensive Israeli military retaliation throughout Lebanon.
Israeli military officials issued a direct warning on Tuesday through social media, stating that Iranian government representatives remaining in Lebanon should “leave immediately before they are targeted.”
The situation intensified when Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam instructed authorities the next day to detain and remove any Iranian Revolutionary Guards conducting military operations within Lebanese borders – marking the first official acknowledgment of potential Iranian military presence in the country.
However, Lebanese officials have not confirmed whether Iranian forces are actually operating on their territory. Hezbollah representative Mahmoud Qmati rejected claims earlier this week that Iranian military personnel were present in Lebanon.
Israeli warplanes targeted locations close to Iran’s diplomatic mission in Lebanon on Friday, according to two security officials. Iranian embassy sources indicated these attacks prompted the decision for diplomatic staff to evacuate.
Sources familiar with government deliberations revealed that Lebanese authorities had also been preparing action against Iranian diplomatic personnel this week, with plans to remove diplomats from the country. It remains unclear whether those who departed did so voluntarily for safety reasons or were compelled to leave by Lebanese officials.
