Fuel oil ship anchored off Tripoli for nine months to 'leave within a few days'

A ship loaded with fuel oil and anchored for nine months off the coast of Tripoli, after being banned from unloading in Lebanon, is expected to "leave within a few days," Ahmad Tamer, director of the Port of Tripoli, confirmed Thursday to L'Orient-Le Jour. Arriving from Libya with forged papers, the ship was denied entry to the port because it did not meet the standards established by the Energy Ministry, according to a source within the ministry who requested anonymity.The cargo ship Joud, abandoned at sea since then, was reportedly intended for Syria but turned back to Lebanon after the Assad regime fell on Dec. 8, 2024, the same source explained. Former Energy Minister Walid Fayad had then refused to let this ship unload its cargo, since fuel oil imports must comply with strict standards and the ship’s contents were...