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Iran's national airliner accused of flying weapons to Beirut airport for terror proxy Hezbollah: Report

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Iran's national airliner accused of flying weapons to Beirut airport for terror proxy Hezbollah: Report

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An explosive report from the Iranian dissident group the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) alleges that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s domestic airline, Iran Air, is providing support to the U.S. designated terror organization Hezbollah.

Citing a former Hezbollah member, the MEK said that flights between Iran and Beirut Airport in Lebanon often transferred Hezbollah personnel to Iran for training courses and “smuggle[d] food [and] light and medium weapons” into Lebanon. 

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That transfer was alleged to have delivered advanced light weapons from Iran to Lebanon, particularly through runway 17, which it claims “exclusively” belongs to Hezbollah. In January 2021, a Hezbollah member alleged that shipments arriving at runway 17 included anti-aircraft missiles. 

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An Iran Air plane parked at an airport terminal in Europe. (Photo by Vodjani/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Jason Brodsky, policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital that “Iran Air has a history of enabling procurement of Western products, particularly dual-use goods, for use by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] IRGC and Iran’s Defense Ministry, through Europe to Iran routes.” Brodsky explained that Iran Air gets away with these transfers by using “carry-on luggage in European airport stopovers which do not require another security check.” Brodsky said that “Iran purposely uses such civilian flights as a shield to avoid kinetic targeting by its adversaries.”

The MEK also stated that public information and intelligence obtained from inside the IRGC and Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) shows that the MOIS “has systematically used Iran Air to move MOIS agents and their equipment for terrorist activities outside of Iran.” The MEK elaborated that Iran Air had transferred “shipments and packages necessary for activities of the MOIS in Europe to Austria” while “terrorist diplomat” Asadullah Assadi who was the MOIS station chief for Europe between 2015 and 2018. 

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Assadi was sentenced to 20 years in a Belgian prison for his plot to bomb a National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) gathering in 2018. He was released in exchange for a Belgian aid worker, a Danish citizen and two dual Austrian-Iranian citizens in May and June 2023, according to Yahoo News.

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According to a former Hezbollah member, runway 17, circled in red, of Beirut Airport is used exclusively by Hezbollah. Iran Air uses the runway to transport small and medium arms and basic supplies into Lebanon. (Courtesy of PMOI/MEK)

MEK sources also issued a reminder of Iran Air’s historic ties to terror. As MEK reported, “most” of the 12 terrorists sent to Geneva to participate in an operation to assassinate Professor Kazem Rejavi, a human rights defender and member of the NCRI, on April 24, 1990, “were transported by Iran Air,” as were their weapons. The MEK alleges that the return Iran Air flight after the assassination had a “delayed departure from Geneva…so the terrorists could make the flight.” The Washington Post’s reporting from 1990 corroborates this claim.

The Treasury and State Departments sanctioned Iran Air on Sept. 10 on the basis of the shipments of equipment and aircraft parts it has provided to Russia. In its press release, the Treasury Department noted Iran Air’s “history of transporting goods on behalf of Iran’s [IRGC] and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).”

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech during a program held following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli attack and subsequent Iranian strikes at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 2, 2024. (Photo by Iranian Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Treasury and State Departments did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry about any known ties between Iran Air and Hezbollah. A spokesperson from the Treasury Department did emphasize that, per the new sanctions, “all property and interests in property of the persons above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to [the Office of Foreign Assets Control.]” 

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Following U.S. sanctions, France, the United Kingdom and Germany announced that they would likewise “cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran,” and “will also work towards imposing sanctions on Iran Air.” 

Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based NCRI, told Fox News Digital that “the clerical regime in Iran has strategically utilized the nation’s resources and recognized civil entities, including its national airline, to further its goals of domestic suppression and the international proliferation of terrorism and extremism.”

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The MEK notes that senior IRGC-Qods Force Commander Brigadier General Rostam Ghasemi, who is subject to U.S. sanctions, appointed IRGC Brigadier General Shamseddin Farzadipour to be the head of Iran Air on April 25, 2022. Prior to this role, Farzadipour was the IRCH Air and Space Force aviation operations commander.

Israeli troops display Hezbollah weapons found in south Lebanon. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)

Safavi said that Farzadipour’s appointment demonstrates “the airline’s alignment with [the IRGC’s] oppressive objectives,” which “blatantly contravenes established international laws and norms.”

Safavi has urged the international community to prohibit Iran Air from flying to its major hubs across Europe, and to designate the IRGC as a terror organization. He also called on the United Nations Security Council to reinstate sanctions against Iran.

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When asked about the Hezbollah member’s allegations, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations told Fox News Digital that “The Islamic Republic of Iran remains actively involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance to Lebanon via multiple channels and has formally expressed its preparedness to extend medical aid and receive the wounded – a proposition duly accepted by the Government of Lebanon.” 

The spokesman claimed that “Lebanon is not in need of military support. The foremost and urgent priority must center upon the establishment of a ceasefire and the facilitation of relief efforts.”

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Video: Train Crashes Into Bangkok Traffic, Killing at Least 8 People

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Video: Train Crashes Into Bangkok Traffic, Killing at Least 8 People

new video loaded: Train Crashes Into Bangkok Traffic, Killing at Least 8 People

A freight train crashed into traffic on one of Bangkok’s busiest roads on Saturday. At least eight people were killed and dozens were injured, Thai officials said.

By Jorge Mitssunaga

May 16, 2026

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WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths

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WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths

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The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa an international public health emergency on Sunday after dozens of suspected deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, the WHO said.

The declaration follows reports of 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday across at least three health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left multiple passengers and crew members sick, and caused three deaths.

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A health worker sprays disinfectant on a colleague after working at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Al-hadji Kudra Maliro/AP)

As of May 13, the WHO said 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case.

In neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala, the WHO said two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases — including one death — were reported Friday and Saturday involving people who had traveled from the DRC.

Another laboratory-confirmed case was reported in the DRC capital of Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri province.

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Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.

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Health workers wearing protective suits tend to an Ebola victim in an isolation tent in Beni, Congo, on July 13, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)

However, unlike Ebola-Zaire strains, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, which the WHO described as making the outbreak “extraordinary.”

The WHO warned the outbreak could be larger than currently reported due to the high positivity rate among initial samples and the growing number of suspected cases.

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The outbreak also poses a public health risk to other countries, the WHO said, urging nations to activate emergency-management systems and implement cross-border screening measures.

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Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. (REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)

Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease spread through bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and internal bleeding.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said Congo has a “strong track record” responding to Ebola outbreaks while announcing the release of $500,000 in emergency funding to support containment efforts.

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The WHO said it will convene an emergency committee to review recommendations for how affected countries should respond.

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Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo, on July 16, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)

The organization did not recommend border closures or travel restrictions.

Congo has now recorded 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.

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Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Brittany Miller, along with Reuters, contributed to this report.

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Iran plans Hormuz tolls; Trump warns of ‘very bad time’ over stalled talks

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Iran plans Hormuz tolls; Trump warns of ‘very bad time’ over stalled talks
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