Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said today (Friday) that Iranian fuel shipments to Hezbollah are a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
In an interview with CNN, the Lebanese prime minister explained that he was "saddened by the breach of Lebanese sovereignty, but afraid of sanctions because the operation was completed separately from the Lebanese government."
Regarding Hezbollah's participation in his government, Mikati said: "I am a practical man and the government includes most of the ethnic groups in Lebanon. It is impossible to reform and negotiate with the International Monetary Fund without everyone's consent and support. Hezbollah represents some Lebanese in parliament."
Mikati further stressed: "The main task of the government is to stop the collapse and put the country on the road to recovery towards addressing the issues of living, earning a living and the economy."
As you may recall, yesterday dozens of trucks with fuel tankers arrived in the Lebanese city of Balabach.
This is after the cargo of the first Iranian ship was unloaded at a port in Syria.
In the future, four more tankers are expected to arrive.
Lebanon is suffering from a fuel crisis that is leading to ongoing power outages.
Since the civil war in Syria and the explosion in the port of Beirut, masses of foreign and Lebanese investors have withdrawn their money from banks in the land of cedars following Hezbollah's involvement in the war in Syria and despair over the situation in the country.
As a result, the corrupt government is already entering an unprecedented deficit and unable to import fuel and other basic products.
Against this background, Hezbollah's secretary general promised to provide fuel to be used in hospitals and nursing homes.
