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US mulls transporting Egyptian gas to Lebanon 

August 20, 2021 at 2:41 pm

Lebanese President Michel Aoun (R) receives Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry (L) at the Baabda Palace in Beirut, Lebanon on 7 April 2021. [Lebanese Presidency – Anadolu Agency]

The United States yesterday said it would help transfer Egyptian gas to Lebanon through Jordan and Syria, according to Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

The announcement came during a meeting between the Lebanese President Michael Aoun and American Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea.

In an official statement, the Lebanese presidency said that the US would help Lebanon produce electricity from Jordan via Syria, by transferring Egyptian gas to Jordan.

There was no immediate comment from the US Embassy in Lebanon.

Negotiations are continuing with the World Bank to finance the cost of the gas, the presidency statement said.

The US decision comes hours after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah announced that the first Iranian fuel ship was on its way to Lebanon, warning Israel and the US against “stopping the shipment.”

“I say to the Americans and the Israelis that the boat that will sail within hours from Iran is Lebanese territory,” Nasrallah said, suggesting that any action to stop it would be met with a response.

Nasrallah warned that the shipments were considered “Lebanese property from the moment of loading.”

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