The Hezbollah chief said on Thursday that an Iranian ship loaded with fuel was preparing, despite US sanctions against Tehran, to set sail for Lebanon, a collapsing country facing serious shortages of power, gasoline. and diesel.
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A few hours later, the Lebanese presidency announced for its part that the United States had
"decided"
to help Lebanon to alleviate its shortages as it sank into one of the worst economic crises in the world since the middle. 19th century according to the World Bank. Power outages now peak at more than 22 hours a day and, in the absence of fuel, neighborhood generators, which usually take over, are also rationing homes.
Hassan Nasrallah announced Thursday morning the imminent departure of a
“first ship”
of Iranian fuel destined for Lebanon, in a speech delivered on the occasion of the Shiite commemorations of Ashura. He warned
"Americans and Israelis"
that from her departure
"until her arrival in the waters of the Mediterranean"
this ship
"will be considered Lebanese territory",
while several ships linked to Iran or to Israel have been left behind. target since February of sabotage in Gulf waters.
Last month, Hassan Nasrallah announced that Hezbollah was ready to import fuel from its Iranian ally.
A decision that the Lebanese government could not, according to him, take due to pressure from Washington which imposes severe sanctions on Iran.
The cargo of this ship should be used to supply
"hospitals, factories producing food and medicine, bakeries and generators"
, said the head of Hezbollah.
American "decision"
Neither the Iranian government nor the Lebanese immediately confirmed the words of the Shiite leader, who did not explain where and how this cargo would be unloaded. When the ship is in the Mediterranean,
"we will discuss the technical details
," he said. The delivery of Iranian oil abroad
"is prohibited by the sanctions (...) which represents a danger for Lebanon"
which risks being
"sanctioned or attacked"
, underlines the expert in oil resources Laury Haytayan .
In an apparent response to the Hezbollah chief's remarks, the Lebanese presidency announced on its Twitter account that it had been approached by the United States' ambassador in Beirut, Dorothy Shea, about the energy crisis.
“President (Michel) Aoun received a phone call from the Ambassador (...) informing him of the US administration's decision to help Lebanon bring electricity from Jordan through Syria »
, Indicated the Lebanese presidency. The United States are also leading
"negotiations with the World Bank to ensure the financing of Egyptian gas"
and its transport to Lebanon, via Syria, as well as maintenance work, according to the presidency.
No official statement has been issued by the US Embassy in Beirut, but reacting to the announcement by Hezbollah leader Dorothy Shea told pan-Arab channel Al-Arabiya that her country was discussing
"with the Egyptian and Jordanian governments ( ...) and the World Bank to achieve real and lasting solutions ”
to the energy problem in Lebanon.
A source familiar with the matter told AFP that
“Lebanon had been negotiating with Egypt for more than a year to deliver electricity and gas via Jordan and Syria (...) but the negotiations have been interrupted because of US sanctions against Syria ”
.
Exemption from sanctions?
Lebanon was also negotiating with the World Bank the financing of such a project
"but feared that Washington would put pressure on the
World Bank
(...) for the same reasons linked to the sanctions against Syria"
, she added.
Thursday's announcement of the Lebanese presidency and the remarks of the United States ambassador mean that Washington could soften its position on these sanctions by
"exempting"
Lebanon in the event of energy transit via this border country, continued the source.
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Meanwhile, the economic crisis in Lebanon continues to worsen. Hospitals, restaurants, shops and industrialists have been sounding the alarm for several days, some having closed their doors for lack of power, while the country is plunged into total darkness. It is aggravated by an endless political crisis: the country is still without a government since the resignation of the outgoing cabinet a year ago, in the aftermath of the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut. The political class, of which Hezbollah is an influential component, is deeply divided, trapped in personal and patronage interests. It fails to agree to form a government capable of launching reforms, a sine qua non condition for unlocking international financial aid, representing billions of dollars.
