Shia businessmen paid for Iran fuel shipment headed for Lebanon, report says

Iranian fuel shipments to Lebanon to help ease a crippling fuel shortage were all purchased by a group of Lebanese Shia businessmen, Iran’s semi-official Nournews said yesterday, Reuters reports.

The report came hours after the leader of Lebanon’s Iran-aligned Hezbollah group said an Iranian fuel shipment would set sail yesterday.

“Based on information we have received the Iranian fuel shipments that…[Hezbollah’s leader Hassan] Nasrallah mentioned today were all bought by a group of Lebanese Shia businessmen,” Nournews reported.

“The shipments are considered their property from the moment of loading,” said the news website, which is close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Hezbollah’s foes in Lebanon warned of dire consequences from the move, with Sunni Muslim politician Saad Al-Hariri, a former prime minister, saying it risked sanctions being imposed on a country whose economy has been in meltdown for nearly two years.

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