Al-Manar TV, affiliated with the Lebanese Hezbollah, said on its Telegram channel, early Friday, that the party announced the arrival of the second ship loaded with diesel from Iran to the port of Banias in Syria yesterday evening.
The party - allied with Iran - says that fuel shipments will ease a severe energy crisis in Lebanon, and for his part, the country's Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that these shipments represent a violation of the country's sovereignty.
Syria and Iran are subject to US sanctions, and opponents of Hezbollah's move to introduce Iranian fuel into the country believe that this would create a new crisis and expose Lebanon to international sanctions.
The first shipment from Iran had already arrived at the Syrian port of Banias a few days ago, and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said at the time that the party chose Banias to unload the Iranian ship's cargo in order to avoid embarrassing the Lebanese government.
Nasrallah stressed that the goal is not trade, profit, or competition with companies importing oil derivatives, but rather to help alleviate people's suffering, declaring his desire to provide several facilities and institutions - including government hospitals, nursing homes for the elderly and orphans, and the Red Cross - with their needs of diesel for a month as a "free gift." “If you so desire.
Regarding the type of ship's tonnage, Nasrallah explained that the first ship carried diesel, as well as the second ship, while the third ship will allocate its cargo to gasoline.
Hezbollah intends to sell diesel to a number of private institutions - including hospitals, ovens and owners of electricity generators - at "less than the cost price" and in pounds (the local currency), according to Nasrallah, who announced that "a certain percentage of the cost price will be borne by us and we consider it a gift, a gift and support." to the Lebanese people by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah.”
Against the background of the introduction of Iranian diesel to Lebanon, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said earlier that the Iranian fuel shipments that Hezbollah had brought into the country was a "violation of Lebanon's sovereignty," according to statements published by his office on Twitter.
And the Prime Minister's Office quoted Mikati as saying - in an interview with the American network "CNN" (CNN) - "I am saddened by the violation of Lebanon's sovereignty."
But Mikati added, "I have no fear of sanctions, because the operation took place in isolation from the Lebanese government."