BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday repeated pledges to import Iranian fuel should shortages across the country persist.
Nasrallah, who heads the Iranian-backed armed Lebanese group, said earlier in June Iran could give 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 sanctions.
(Reporting By Maha El Dahan and Laila Bassam; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
