Hezbollah flags flutter as a convoy of tanker trucks carrying Iranian fuel oil arrive at al-Ain village in northeastern Lebanon, September 16, 2021. (Aziz Taher/Reuters)
BEIRUT — The Iranian embassy in Beirut announced Monday evening that "Iranian ships filled with fuel will be ready to sail towards Lebanon in one or two weeks and [will] arrive in any port that Lebanon chooses."
In a statement to Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV channel, the Iranian embassy said it has been discussing three projects with the Lebanese state: assisting Lebanon with fuel, fixing the electrical network and building electrical power plants.
Earlier this month, caretaker Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayad met on with an Iranian delegation, headed by Ambassador Mojtaba Amani, to discuss a possible donation of Iranian fuel oil.
Lebanon is currently suffering from severe electricity cuts as it state-owned Electricite Du Liban provides an average of only 2 hours of electricity per day.
Last year, Iran sent multiple shipments of fuel to Hezbollah during its peak scarcity in the market. The fuel set to arrive in the next two weeks will be the first delivered from Iran directly to the Lebanese state.
The United States set heavy sanctions on Iran's energy sector, which means any party engaging in a financial transaction with the sector could be subject to secondary sanctions.
Earlier this month, Amani proposed an Iranian "gift" of fuel to the Lebanese state. A source within the Lebanese government said Amani extended the offer to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who provided the ambassador with the specifications of fuel grade that would be needed to run Lebanese power plants.
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly urged Lebanon's government to turn to Iran for fuel to ease its energy crisis.