AL-AIN, Lebanon (AP) — A convoy of tanker trucks carrying Iranian diesel crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon early Thursday, the first in a series of deliveries organized by the militant Hezbollah group to ease crippling fuel shortages in the crisis-hit Mediterranean country. It was portrayed as a victory by Hezbollah, which stepped in to supply the fuel from its patron, Iran, while the cash-strapped Lebanese government grapples with months-long fuel shortages. There was no immediate comment from Lebanese or US officials on the Iranian fuel delivery. Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, announced last month that Iran was sending fuel to Lebanon to help ease the crisis. He said three other tankers carrying diesel and one carrying gasoline are to arrive in the coming weeks.

Source: Egypt Independent September 16, 2021 13:18 UTC