Iranian fuel shipments announced by Hezbollah were purchased by Lebanese businessmen, the semi-official Iranian Nour News agency reported on Thursday.
According to the news agency, the shipments, meant to alleviate the fuel crisis in Lebanon, were purchased by a group of Lebanese Shiite businessmen.
“Based on information we have received, the Iranian fuel shipments that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah mentioned today were all bought by a group of Lebanese Shi’ite businessmen,” it said in a report following Nasrallah’s announcement that the first fuel shipment was hours away from departure.
“The shipments are considered their property from the moment of loading,” the report added. The agency stressed that the shipments were neither paid for by the Lebanese government nor offered for free.
This comes amid warnings that Lebanon could face repercussions due to the import of fuel from Iran, which is sanctioned by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The first Iranian fuel shipment to Lebanon would set sail on Thursday, Nasrallah had said. It is expected to arrive in Lebanon in two weeks.
Notably, hours after Hezbollah‘s announcement, President Michel Aoun revealed that the U.S. had decided to help Lebanon obtain electricity from Jordan with the help of the World Bank.
