JOIN USWith fuel from Iran, Hezbollah steps in where Lebanon has failed
The Hezbollah militant group said it trucked more than 1 million gallons of Iranian diesel fuel into Lebanon from Syria Thursday, celebrating the move as a way of spiting the United States while bringing much-needed aid to a country nearly paralysed by fuel shortages.
With Lebanon suffering one of the worst economic collapses in modern history, Hezbollah portrayed itself as a national savior, stepping in where the Lebanese government and its Western backers had failed.
Hezbollah supporters lined roads in northeastern Lebanon as dozens of tanker trucks arrived.
The fuel delivery — which a Hezbollah official said was the first installment of more than 13 million gallons — underscored the severity of Lebanon’s crisis, as well as the government’s failure to address it. Unable to secure help from elsewhere, it has turned to war-torn Syria and economically damaged Iran.
The move appeared to violate US sanctions involving the purchase of Iranian oil, but it was unclear Thursday whether the United States would press the issue. Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the United States, is already subject to US sanctions. Although the group is part of Lebanon’s government, it appeared to be acting independently.
The US Embassy in Beirut declined to comment Thursday. But when Hezbollah announced last month that fuel was on the way from Iran, the US ambassador played down any threat of punitive measures.
“I don’t think anyone is going to fall on their sword if someone’s able to get fuel into hospitals that need it,” Ambassador Dorothy Shea told Al-Arabiya English.
The fuel arrived as Lebanon struggles through what the World Bank has called one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns since the mid-1800s. Since the fall of 2019, the national currency has lost 90% of its value, and prices for many goods have tripled.
Fuel shortages have caused widespread electricity cuts and left many Lebanese waiting in long lines to fill up their cars.
Lebanon's prime minister, Najib Mikati, who formed a new Cabinet this week and has vowed to work to ease the country’s woes, made no public statement about the fuel shipment Thursday, nor did authorities overseeing the borders.
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