BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has repeated pledges to import Iranian fuel should shortages across the country persist, saying that all logistical steps for that possibility were complete.
Nasrallah said earlier in June Iran could supply fuel to Lebanon in local pounds, avoiding a foreign currency crunch.
For weeks worsening fuel shortages on the back of Lebanon’s deepening financial crisis have forced motorists to queue for hours for very little gasoline.
“I want to stress that I promised and I’m still promising ... if we have to go to Iran to get gasoline and fuel oil we will, even if it causes a problem,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech.
Earlier on Friday caretaker prime minister Hassan Diab approved a decision to import fuel at a weaker Lebanese pound to dollar exchange rate, in effect decreasing the subsidy on gasoline.
“Everything is ready....all we need is permission to move,” Nasrallah said, adding that this would not be done through the central bank in order to avoid violating U.S. sanctions aimed at choking off Iranian oil exports.
Asked about how the United States would react were Iranian shipments to arrive at Beirut ports, U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea had earlier told local broadcaster Al-Jadeed earlier that that was not a viable solution to the problem.
“What Iran is looking for is some kind of satellite state that they can exploit to pursue their agenda,” she said.
The Iranian embassy in Lebanon blasted the U.S. ambassador’s meddling in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
“The arrival of Iranian oil tankers in Lebanon regardless of the American ambassador’s worthless remarks. She must not meddle in the friendly ties between the two states and nations of Iran and Lebanon,” the Iranian embassy said via Twitter on Saturday.
In his remarks, Nasrallah called on those who reject Iranian fuel shipments to find an alternative, stressing that Hezbollah will welcome any endeavor in this regard.
“If you reject the Iranian aids, why don’t you seek that of the USA or the Persian Gulf countries?” he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks,
Nasrallah rejected accusations that Hezbollah is hindering the formation of a Lebanese cabinet due to the ongoing negotiations in Vienna, which are merely focused on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
He said Iran has always rejected to include any other issue, including issues relating to Hezbollah and Lebanon, in the Vienna talks.
“The Islamic Republic does not accept to negotiate on behalf of anyone, neither the Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, Palestinians, nor the Bahrainis,” he said, adding, “Iran just helps as a friendly country upon request.”
Lebanon’s long fuel lines have caused squabbles amongst motorists where gunshots were fired in several incidents.
On Friday, Nasrallah warned of civil violence. “In all honesty, if you shoot at each other at gas stations, that doesn’t solve the crisis,” he said.
“There is a large number of crises in Lebanon but we have the blessing of security and civil peace.”
Nasrallah also touched on the U.S. seizure of website domains tied to pro-resistance media, which he said plays an important role in supporting the Palestinian cause against Israeli occupation and opposes U.S. domination, sedition and Takfiris.
The seizure of the sites, he said, exposed the U.S. administration’s false claims about democracy and freedom of speech.
On Tuesday, the U.S. seized 36 websites affiliated with the anti-Israel resistance front, including Iran’s Press TV and Al-Alam newscasters, as well as Al-Masirah TV of Yemen.