Contrary to the sanctions imposed, Iran and Hezbollah transport oil to Lebanon

Oil transport was organized by Hezbollah, who receives great support from the Iranian government. According to Nasrallah, the cargo will alleviate ongoing fuel shortages in Lebanon, which have reached a critical condition.

Nasrallah's statement came a few days after the UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Najat Rochdi, warned against threatening consequences for health care and clean water availability if no "immediate solution" to the problem of oil shortage is found. Lebanon is dependent on diesel to produce electricity and its scarcity affects the ability of hospitals to work. The effects are particularly critical for patients with COVID-19 who are under respiration," the UN notes. In the meantime, power outages paralyzed Beirut's water supply network, forcing a weekly outage. The economy of Lebanon is in a state of decline and its currency has lost 90 percent of its market value since last year, as a result of its low purchasing power, prevents the purchase of fuel on its own.

To alleviate this crisis, the Lebanese Government has signed an extraordinary agreement with the Iraqi Government under which the provision of Lebanese health services with diesel will be replaced by Iraqi oil. Lebanon cannot use (Iranian) oil in its own power plants, but it will exchange it on the world market with companies that are able to supply fuel of the kind it needs. Lebanese energy minister Raymond Ghajjar estimated the value of the transaction at around $300-400 million.

Hezbollah, who acts as an almost parallel government in Lebanon, made his own deal with Iran. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced on Wednesday that many shipments of Iranian fuel would soon be on the way and warned Israel and the United States against interference in fuel deliveries carried out by Iranian tankers.

Iran's oil exports are sanctioned by the United States, and the US authorities have gone to a lot of trouble to identify and punish shipowners who carry Iranian oil. American services in the past occupied, confiscated and resold Iranian oil products.

Israel has been engaged in a secret war with Iran and Hezbollah for years, including frequent Israeli air strikes on Hezbollah positions and weapons magazines in Syria. Israeli forces reportedly also directed a series of at least a dozen attacks in Iranian tankers, damaging them, but not sinking them.

Nasrallah said that Hezbollah would treat an Iranian tanker carrying fuel to Lebanon as a "territory of Lebanon" from the moment he embarked on the road, and clearly warned America and Israel against interference. He said that the organization would not be subject to pressure to halt transports carried out in violation of American sanctions, because the issue of fuel security is "combing with the pride of our nation."

"Despite the assaults, sanctions and pressures on him, Iran has never abandoned its allies and failed its friends," Nasrallah stated.

Written by MD