President Joseph Aoun stressed Tuesday that “there is no siege on the Shiite sect as some are promoting” and that “the measures taken against Iranian airlines are linked to the (international) sanctions imposed on them.”

Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced Tuesday that flights from and to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport will be suspended from 12pm to 4pm Sunday, during the funeral of slain Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar claimed Tuesday that “Iran is exerting huge efforts to restore Hezbollah through offering financial aid.”

A statement issued Tuesday by President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said “Lebanon has the right to use all means” to secure Israel's full withdrawal from south Lebanon, after Israeli forces withdrew from southern border towns but retained five strategic hills near the frontier.

An emotional Wafiq Safa appeared Monday evening on pro-Hezbollah al-Mayadeen, saying with tears in his eyes "we are human and we are attached to our leaders," as he described slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as a humble, kind and loving person.

Head of Hezbollah's Liaison and Coordination Unit Safa, like many other Hezbollah leaders, was targeted in October in Israeli airstrikes on buildings in Beirut. The strikes killed 22 people and wounded 117 others, but Safa appeared unscathed Monday, and claimed that his assassination attempt was more American than Israeli. "The U.S. has asked Israel to kill me," he said.

Hezbollah on Monday condemned the vandalization of a statue honoring President Joseph Aoun in the Jarmak-Aishiyeh area in the Jezzine region, calling it a “suspicious attack” and “seditious act.”

The Israeli army will stay in five points inside Lebanon, reportedly strategic hills near the border, after its withdrawal from southern towns in line with the February 18 deadline, an Israeli political official told the Israel Hayom daily.

An Israeli official meanwhile told The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity that Israel is planning on withdrawing from Lebanon on Tuesday.

Speaker Nabih Berri has said that the latest crisis over Iranian flights should be addressed “responsibly, wisely and away from the media and furor.”

Druze leader Walid Jumblat has noted that “the previous equation in Lebanon has changed due to the political and military circumstances,” adding that “it has been agreed on the need to implement U.N. resolutions.”

President Joseph Aoun stressed Monday that “the army is responsible for protecting the border and it enjoys readiness.”