Billboards bearing the Lebanese flag and the slogan 'Lebanon First' line the road to Beirut's airport, after being defaced and following the removal of posters expressing solidarity with Iran, according to a report Monday. The vandalism occurred amid tensions over Lebanon's framework agreement with Israel.
New video footage circulating Monday afternoon shows defaced billboards bearing the Lebanese flag and the slogan 'Lebanon First' lining the road to Beirut's airport, in the city's southern suburbs. The signs were erected after the removal of posters expressing solidarity with Iran, including banners thanking Iran's supreme leaders, which had decorated the same route in recent weeks. The vandalism occurred overnight Sunday into Monday, following the burning of remaining billboards earlier Sunday.
This is the latest escalation in an ongoing struggle over public messaging in Lebanon. As The Zioneer reported on Thursday June 25 at 11:56 Jerusalem, the Lebanese interior minister ordered the removal of 'Thank You Iran' banners from the Beirut airport road. By Saturday June 27 at 19:37 Jerusalem, those banners had been replaced with 'Lebanon First' signs. On Sunday June 28 at 10:02 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Hezbollah supporters had burned the remaining 'Lebanon First' billboards in Beirut overnight Sunday, following earlier vandalism of similar signs. The new footage now shows the remaining billboards have been defaced.
The vandalism reflects the deep divide between the Lebanese state's effort to project sovereignty and the Iran-backed Hezbollah's opposition to the country's framework agreement with Israel. As The Zioneer reported on June 15 at 09:22 Jerusalem, a Hezbollah-affiliated outlet had emblazoned the Iranian flag on its front page with the headline 'Iran forces the end of the war in Lebanon,' signaling the narrative Tehran-backed sources are advancing as a regional deal takes shape.
The footage comes from a single source and has not been independently verified. It remains unclear who defaced the billboards and whether the act was coordinated. No group has claimed responsibility, and the extent of the damage across all billboards is not yet confirmed.
4 developments
- DevelopingLebanon removes Hezbollah billboards, replaces with 'Lebanon First' signs
- DevelopingLebanese interior minister orders removal of 'Thank You Iran' banners from Beirut airport road
- DevelopingBeirut airport road decorated with thank-you banners for Iran's supreme leaders
- DevelopingCommentator: Israeli and Lebanese flags side by side shapes minds in Lebanon, Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake