Iranian Ambassador: Tehran Set To Give Oil to Energy-starved Lebanon

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic was prepared to donate fuel oil to Lebanon. “Iran is keen to provide complete support for Lebanon. Our country is ready to donate fuel oil for Lebanon upon the approval of the Lebanese government and the official visit of a delegation to Tehran for direct coordination on this matter,” Lebanon’s National News Agency quoted the ambassador as saying during a meeting with Ali Youssef Hejazi, secretary-general of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party in Lebanon. Lebanon’s economy is buckling under an economic and financial crisis unprecedented in modern times. Due to low foreign currency reserves, it has been unable to import enough oil to alleviate the severe energy shortages that plague the country. Last September, the Lebanese Shiite Hizbullah group arranged for the import of Iranian gas and oil to ease the shortages, but concerns were raised that the US might impose sanctions on Beirut for its oil imports from Iran.