A protester holds a framed portrait of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of the Lebanese movement Hezbollah, before Lebanese Army soldiers during a Hezbollah-organised rally to block the road to Beirut International Airport over a decision to bar two Iranian flights from landing there, in Beirut . AFP
Hezbollah had announced the funeral of its longtime leader will take place on 23 February, five months after he was assassinated in a series of targetted Israeli airstrikes in a southern Beirut suburb.
"We will participate in this ceremony at a high level," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, without specifying who would attend Sunday's ceremony in Beirut.
The announcement came as Lebanese authorities cancelled flights from Tehran to Beirut over security concerns.
Hezbollah's current leader, Naim Qassem, accused Israel of being behind the cancellations, saying Lebanon's government was "implementing an Israeli order".
Qassem also called for widespread participation in Nasrallah's funeral as a demonstration of the group's strength.
Speaking at an event marking the anniversary of Hezbollah's slain leaders, Qassem said, "The martyr leaders followed one path, the path of Islamic resistance."
"Jihad is necessary to confront and defeat falsehood, and for our leaders, fighting the Israeli enemy was always a priority," he added.
Regarding Israel's withdrawal from disputed border areas, Qassem reiterated that "the Lebanese state must not accept partial withdrawals or conditions. There is no justification for any continued occupation, and Lebanon's stance must be firm and decisive."
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