The Islamic Republic of Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has told a Lebanese politician that Tehran is ready to sell more fuel to new customers, after reports said an Iranian tanker reached Syria with fuel for Lebanon.
Official government IRNA news website quoted the foreign ministry that Aamir-Abdollahian spoke on phone with Gebran Bassil, former Lebanese foreign minister who thanked Iran for the shipment.
In August, Iran-backed militant Hezbollah organization announced that it has worked out a deal to bring Iranian fuel to Lebanon, which is experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis.
Hezbollah and Iran claim that Lebanese merchants paid for the fuel but this cannot be verified. Iranian officials have said they have to send assistance to allies and proxies such as Syria and Hezbollah.
Lebanese sources reported on Thursday that the first tanker had arrived in Syrian waters and after unloading its cargo the fuel would be shipped to Lebanon by tanker trucks.
Hezbollah would sell most of the fuel and make hefty profits, while appearing to help save the country from an acute fuel shortage. This would in fact be a way for Iran to send money to its most important proxy militant group in the region, amid tough US banking sanctions.
Source » iran intl