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Lebanon Denies Hamat Air Base Operates as US Military Facility
(MENAFN) Lebanon’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday strongly refuted allegations suggesting that the Hamat air base in northern Lebanon functions as a US military installation. Officials stressed that the facility remains entirely under the command of the Lebanese armed forces.
The denial came after an Iranian television outlet broadcast a report characterizing the base as a US-operated military site, a claim that surfaced amid rising tensions in the region and ongoing speculation about potential US military action against Tehran.
In an official statement, Defense Minister Michel Menassa affirmed that Hamat “is a Lebanese air base affiliated with the Lebanese army’s air force and does not fall under any other authority.”
He further underscored that the base operates solely within the framework of Lebanese sovereignty, adding: “No entity exercises powers there beyond Lebanese laws and regulations,” while dismissing circulating accounts that he said “fuel suspicion rather than clarify facts.”
Menassa emphasized that all operations conducted at the base take place under the direct supervision and authorization of the Lebanese army’s leadership.
He acknowledged that, similar to other military facilities across the country, Hamat hosts foreign training teams. However, he explained that these teams function strictly within Lebanese military regulations and are present solely to assist army units.
The minister also noted that Hamat — together with the Beirut Air Base situated within Rafik Hariri International Airport and the Riyaq Air Base in the Bekaa Valley — serves as a designated entry point for military aid allocated to the Lebanese armed forces.
The denial came after an Iranian television outlet broadcast a report characterizing the base as a US-operated military site, a claim that surfaced amid rising tensions in the region and ongoing speculation about potential US military action against Tehran.
In an official statement, Defense Minister Michel Menassa affirmed that Hamat “is a Lebanese air base affiliated with the Lebanese army’s air force and does not fall under any other authority.”
He further underscored that the base operates solely within the framework of Lebanese sovereignty, adding: “No entity exercises powers there beyond Lebanese laws and regulations,” while dismissing circulating accounts that he said “fuel suspicion rather than clarify facts.”
Menassa emphasized that all operations conducted at the base take place under the direct supervision and authorization of the Lebanese army’s leadership.
He acknowledged that, similar to other military facilities across the country, Hamat hosts foreign training teams. However, he explained that these teams function strictly within Lebanese military regulations and are present solely to assist army units.
The minister also noted that Hamat — together with the Beirut Air Base situated within Rafik Hariri International Airport and the Riyaq Air Base in the Bekaa Valley — serves as a designated entry point for military aid allocated to the Lebanese armed forces.
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