Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says the US is preventing the implementation of the Iranian energy projects in Lebanon.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the Solaimani International Prize for Resistant Literature ceremony on January 17, 2023
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah spoke on Tuesday during the distribution ceremony of the Solaimani International Prize for Resistant Literature, and he addressed various regional issues, mainly pertaining to Lebanon, and hailed martyred IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani.
Martyr Qassem Soleimani, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined, is a martyr who transcends space and time. “He is not a martyr of Iraq, Iran, or Syria. Rather, he is a martyr of the world, and his influence will remain for generations.”
Martyr Soleimani was a key leader in the axis that fought against ISIS, Sayyed Nasrallah said. “The spiritual and moral strength, courage, sacrifice, strategy, and the departure from daily conflicts are part of the school of thought of Qassem Soleimani.”
“Martyr Soleimani was a great and key leader in dealing a crushing blow to the greater Israeli project,” the Hezbollah chief underlined. “The most important aspect of Hajj Qassem is the morale strength that he gave to anyone who worked with him.”
Furthermore, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that it was necessary to highlight the need to enshrine the model of martyr Qassem Soleimani, “as our nation is facing many challenges.”
No single bloc wants presidential power vacuum
Sayyed Nasrallah went on to touch on the issues facing Lebanon, expressing his understanding of why certain parties were pressuring for the election of a president, though he underlined the need to stray away from sowing sectarian discord.
“It is wrong to promote the idea of marginalizing the first Maronite position,” he explained. “No one intends to do so.”
“Everyone wants to put an end to the presidential vacuum to pave the way for the formation of a government and for affairs to go back to their natural course,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. “The real hindrance today is that there are many parliamentary blocs, and no one has a majority.”
“It is completely natural for any bloc to say it does not want a president who is close to Hezbollah,” the Secretary-General said. However, “there is no bloc that wants a presidential vacuum.”
US preventing Iranian energy projects
He also touched on the energy crisis in Lebanon, noting that all of Lebanon, regardless of sect, was suffering from an energy crisis whose repercussions are affecting the economy and people’s daily lives.”
“A few months ago, we were told to secure fuel from Iran for six months to raise the rationing hours to eight per day and put Lebanon on the track of reaching a solution,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. “We took initiative and contacted Iran. They accepted the Lebanese request for fuel, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that in Beirut.”
“The Iranian offer is still on the table,” he underlined. “The Americans are the ones preventing the offer from being exacted.”
Additionally, the Resistance leader said Lebanon had the opportunity to accept the Iranian fuel, calling on any US-affiliated party or any party close to the US in Lebanon to use their relationship with Washington to get an exception and get Iranian fuel into Lebanon.
“Bring an exemption regarding Iranian fuel from the US and I will guarantee that it reaches Lebanon,” he concluded.
Al Mayadeen conducted in August an exclusive interview with Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayyad during which he hailed the Iranian donation of energy resources amid Lebanon’s fuel and power crises that have seen people receive less than two hours of electricity a day.
Meanwhile, he dismissed fears that Beirut will face any penalties for accepting Iran’s fuel donation.
Concerning the mechanism for accepting Iran’s donation to Lebanon, the minister pointed out that it is linked to a decision made by the Lebanese government.
A month later, the Iranian embassy in Beirut told local media outlets that ships loaded with fuel would be sent by Iran within one or two weeks to Lebanon to help run the country’s power plants.
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mujtaba Amani stressed that foreign intelligence systems have been misleading public opinion on Iran protests.
In an interview with Al-Manar’s Panorama Today on Thursday, Amani said described Lebanon’s inability to accept the Iranian fuel offer as lack in Beirut’s decision in face of US pressures.
The issue of fuel offer took long time, and according to Tehran it’s over as Lebanon is incapable to accept this grant, Amani said.
As he regretted Lebanon’s lack of decision in this context, the Iranian ambassador noted that the Islamic Republic is always ready to renew such offers.
Iran Supports ‘Strong’ Lebanon
The envoy said that Iran’s official stance is to support ‘strong’ Lebanon, noting that electing new Lebanese president is an internal affair which Tehran never interferes in.
“We hope that Lebanon will triumph and be strong on levels of security, stability and economy,” the Iranian envoy said, stressing Tehran’s support to all Lebanese sides.
“Iran definitely supports the resistance, which enabled Lebanon to utilize from its wealth, and this has positive effects on the entire country,” Amani said, noting that he has been holding talks with all sides on Lebanon.
Meanwhile, he noted that meetings with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi and Progressive Socialist Party Chief Walid Jumblatt come in this context.
The Iranian ambassador also congratulated the Moroccan national football team on its win over Spain in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Anti-Iran Misleading Campaign
Commenting on the latest protests in Iran, Amani said that peaceful demonstrations frequently take place across the Islamic Republic, noting that this is a normal movement staged by the Iranian citizens.
However, he noted that some of the latest protests turned into violence and chaos, pointing to the role of foreign intelligence bodies in this issue.
Several foreign intelligence bodies have been staging misleading campaign against the Islamic Republic and circulating fabrications over the chaos taking place recently, Amani told Panorama Today.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stressed on Friday that the United States of America is behind all the woes plaguing Lebanon, adding that the Resistance, in cooperation with the patriotic parties, has confronted the US curses.
Addressing Hezbollah ceremony marking Martyr’s Day, Sayyed Nasrallah responded to the remarks made the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Asis Affairs, Barbara Leaf, who had described Hezbollah as Lebanon’s curse.
Sayyed Nasrallah recalled that all the Israeli massacres and crimes against the Lebanese were committed under the patronage of the US administration, adding that the Israeli curse was made in USA.
The US administration is the curse that has plagued Lebanon, and Hezbollah, in cooperation with the Resistance factions, expelled it, Sayyed Nasrallah said.
The US greed made Washington destroy the Middle East countries, including Iraqi and Afghanistan, through wars and invasions, according to Sayyed Nasrallah who added that USA also sent dozens of thousand of takfiri terrorists to the region.
Hezbollah as well as the Lebanese people and army confronted the terrorist curse and overcame it, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled.
Hezbollah leader emphasized the US administration was beyond the chaos which spread in Lebanon in 2019, adding that the US officials confessed that they trained and prepared the NGOs in order to destabilize the Lebanese state.
Sayyed Nasrallah noted that the anarchy plot in 2019 failed to decompose the state, but that it managed to besiege Lebanon remotely.
Washington has prevented all the world countries from helping Lebanon, according to the Resistance Leader who added that the US officials have always warned the Lebanese officials against accepting donations.
Will the Lebanese officials accept the Russian power and wheat aids? Sayyed Nasrallah asked.
Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that the US administration has prevented the Lebanese officials from purchasing Iranian fuel oil, adding that it obliged Lebanon to reject an Iranian fuel donation as well.
Iran welcomed a Lebanese technical team that visited Tehran to coordinate the fuel donation and approved the required amount, Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that the Islamic Republic intends to help Lebanon without asking for anything in return.
Regarding the maritime border demarcation, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that the US administration facilitated the indirect deal in order to shun a Middle East war and help the Zionist entity, not Lebanon.
USA knows the repercussions of a war between Hezbollah and ‘Israel’, so it accepted the demands of the Lebanese state, according to Sayyed Nasrallah, who added that Lebanon reached that indirect deal, thanks to the Resistance power and the international circumstances.
Who is preventing Lebanon from importing the Egyptian gas and Jordanian electric power? Sayyed Nasrallah asked.
Regionally, Sayyed Nasrallah said the US policy in the Middle East is even more detrimental, highlighting the Caesar Act used in order to starve Syria, adding that the Americans want to defeat Syria via siege after the failure of dozens of thousands of terrorists to reach this end.
Sayyed Nasrallah asked, “Who is responsible for all the regional woes, what is going on in Yemen and Iran ?”
Sayyed Nasrallah drew the attention of the audience to the fact that Iran has resolutely overcome the US-Israeli-Western conspiracy and even become more powerful.
Sayyed Nasrallah also noted that the US curse is beyond the Palestinian woe as well, highlighting the ongoing aggression of the Israeli enemy on the Palestinians.
Hezbollah Chief called on the Lebanese officials and political parties to confront the US policies, or that the US curse will lead Lebanon to destruction.
Sayyed Nasrallah: Hezbollah Wants New President in Lebanon to Be Courageous, Refrain from Backstabbing Resistance
Hezbollah Secretary General indicated that all the Lebanese political parties reject the presidential vacuum, adding, however, filling this vacuum must not be away from the required specifications.
Sayyed Nasrallah added that the Lebanese presidency is an important post which concerns all the Lebanese, not just the Christians or the Maronite, calling for more political efforts to reach an agreement in this regard.
Bilateral and trilateral meetings can replace the dialogue session, called for by House speaker Nabih Berri and rejected by some parties, according to Sayyed Nasrallah.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that Hezbollah wants the new president must be able to protect the national strengths, led by the Resistance, noting that this is a strategic issue related to that national security.
Sayyed Nasrallah added that this Resistance is always under fire, noting that the US remarks confirm this notion and pointing out that the US scheme aims stirring sedition in Lebanon and provoking the Lebanese army to fight Hezbollah.
in light of the shameful US intervention in the Lebanese internal affairs, the Resistance and its supporters have the right, as a large segment of the Lebanese people, to say that they want a courageous president who reassures the resistance, Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Frankly speaking, we want a courageous president who does not shudder and get scared when the US embassy threatens him, Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that the new president must not be a person who accepts to be bought and sold.
Sayyed Nasrallah recalled the experience of the two former Presidents Emile Lahoud and Michel Aoun who reassured the Resistance and refrained from backstabbing it, adding that all the military achievements of the resistance in 2000, 2006 and 2017 benefited from thus presidential support.
Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that Hezbollah does not need the new president to protect it, adding what is important is that the new president does not back stab the Resistance.
Sayyed Nasrallah clarified that President Aoun did not grant Hezbollah any extra influence on the Lebanese state, adding, had Hezbollah been able to rule the government, it would have approved the Iranian fuel donation.
Sayyed Nasrallah noted that the other presidential elections are also important, but that the basic requirement of the presidential candidate is reassuring the resistance.
US Midterm Elections
Hezbollah leader indicated that the US elections will not change the strategic policies of the United States based on launching wars, plundering fortunes, and supporting ‘Israel’.
All the US governments resort to different tactics, but preserve the same criminal principles, according to Sayyed Nasrallah who added that the United States is responsible for the Israeli crimes and massacres against the Lebanese, Palestinians and all the Arabs.
Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that, in face of the US schemes, the national unity in the region must be sustained in order to protect the resources and fortunes.
Israeli Knesset Elections
Hezbollah leader indicated that the result of the Knesset elections, whcih gave the Right Coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, does not make any difference with respect to Lebanon.
Sayyed Nasrallah said, “All Israeli governments since that which was led by Ben-Gurion have been similar. Things will not change despite far-right coalition’s win.”
Lebanon will not be affected even if Netanyahu chooses insane figures to be in his government, thanks to the Resistance power, according to Sayyed Nasrallah, who added such a step will just deteriorate strife in the Zionist society.
Sayyed Nasrallah also indicated that Netanyahu will not be able to revoke the indirect maritime deal with Lebanon, adding that the Resistance power guarantees Lebanon’s rights in this regard.
Hezbollah Martyr’s Day
Sayyed Nasrallah started his speech by reciting Quranic verses which praise martyrdom, adding that the Resistance Party has chosen November 11 to mark Martyr’s Day because, in 1982, it witnessed the immense martyrdom operation carried out by martyr Ahmad Kassir against the Israeli enemy.
Martyr Kassir’s operation, which destroyed the Israeli military command headquarters in Tyre and killed over 100 Zionist soldiers and officers, immensely shocked the Zionist enemy, Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that martyr Kassir’s operation has been the most enormous in face of ‘Israel’ so far, hoping there will be more immense operations against the usurping entity.
His eminence underscored that the martyrs’ families played a vital role in their heavy sacrifices by guiding them to the battlefield, just as the case of Karbala.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that preserving and appreciating the sacrifices of the martyrs and the families sustains our power, adding that Hezbollah is trying its best to retrieve bodies of martyrs missed in battlefields.
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that Hezbollah has witnessed a phenomenon of having trans-generational martyrdom-grandfather, father, and son, adding that this confirms failure of soft warfare aimed at morally perverting “our young generation”.
In this regard, Sayyed Nasrallah cited the scene of the young Resistance fighters who display commitment and enthusiasm in the battlefield, adding that this has surprised the Israeli enemy in Lebanon and Palestine as well.
Sayyed Nasrallah also warned against the plot aimed spreading the moral degeneration enhanced by the telecommunication devices, calling on the families to look after their children.
Sayyed Nasrallah addressing the ceremony held in Beirut’s Dahiyeh, South Lebanon, Bekaa, and Mount Lebanon
لا يحتاج الأمر إلى تحليل ونقاش لاستنتاج محورية قطاع الكهرباء في أزمة لبنان المالية، فأزمة المازوت هي فرع من أزمة الكهرباء، ومتى توافرت الكهرباء تراجعت الحاجة للمازوت إلى أقل من الربع، وتأمين الكهرباء يستدعي زيادة الإنتاج، وهذا يتطلب تمويلاً لإنشاء المعامل ومثله لتشغيلها، ومن دون زيادة الإنتاج فإن تشغيل المعامل القائمة يستدعي توفير الوقود اللازم، وهذا يحتاج للتمويل، والتمويل بالعملات الصعبة، والدولة ومصرفها المركزي لم يعد لديهما القدرة على تأمين هذا التمويل، وشراء العملات الصعبة من السوق سيرفع سعر الصرف ويدفع بالدولار إلى أسعار مقلقة تعني مزيداً من الانهيار، والذهاب لتمويل عبر القروض بلا أفق، لأنه تراكم لديون لا يملك لبنان جواباً عن كيفية سدادها، وعندما يجري البحث بتمويل معامل جديدة من قروض خارجية سواء عبر صندوق النقد الدولي أو سواه، مهما كانت ميسرة ومؤخرة، تبقى كلفة التشغيل بقروض كمثل قرض البنك الدولي المفترض لتمويل استجرار الغاز المصري وشراء الكهرباء من الأردن، وهي قروض قد تتوافر لجزء من الحاجة وجزء من الوقت، لكنها لن تتوافر لكل الحاجة وكل الوقت.
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أمام لبنان طريق وحيد لتفادي السقوط، وهو أن يحصل على وقود التشغيل بطريق يشبه المساعدة العراقية، ولا يبدو أن الحكومات العربية الأخرى التي تملك قدرات نفطية جاهزة للسير على خطى العراق، لكن إيران سبقت الجميع وقالت بلسان مسؤوليها مراراً، وكرر الأمين العام لحزب الله السيد حسن نصرالله التأكيد على جاهزية إيران لتأمين المحروقات التي يحتاجها لبنان، بما فيها وقود تشغيل معامل الكهرباء بالليرة اللبنانية، وهذا العرض الذي لم يلق الاهتمام اللازم تحول إلى مبادرة مباشرة من حزب الله بجلب سفن كسر الحصار، التي قدمت حلاً لجانب من أزمة فقدان المازوت من الأسواق، وأصابت سلم تسعير الاحتكارات التي فرضت معادلات تتحكم بموجبها بالتسعير والسوق، وإذا كانت معامل توليد الكهرباء التي يسعى لبنان لتأمينها تحت شعار زيادة التغذية ثم زيادة التعرفة، لوضع حد لخسائر كهرباء لبنان، فهذا يستدعي ربط التعرفة الجديدة للكهرباء بسعر الدولار، الذي سيضرب سقوفاً قياسية إذا بقي تأمين الوقود اللازم للتشغيل مرتبطاً بتمويل يعتمد على شراء الدولارات من السوق، وهذا يعني الانتقال “من تحت الدلف لتحت المزراب”.
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خيار لبنان الوحيد الإنقاذي الذي ربما لا ينتبه له المسؤولون، أو يخافون أن ينتبهوا له، هو أن يكون لدى لبنان من يزوده بالوقود اللازم لتشغيل معامل الكهرباء بالليرة اللبنانية، فذلك هو الطريق الوحيد الذي يمنع إسهام الطلب على الدولارات اللازمة لشراء الوقود في التسبب برفع متواصل لسعر الصرف وبالتالي سعر التعرفة، وصولاً لحد الانفجار، وتأمين الوقود بالليرة اللبنانية يقع في صلب العروض الإيرانية المتكررة، والعرض الذي أعاد تقديمه وزير الخارجية الإيراني حول بناء معامل الكهرباء يستحق من يناقش تفاصيله مع الجانب الإيراني، لأن لا نقاش حول الجوانب التقنية وأهلية الشركات الإيرانية وقد قامت بإنهاض قطاع الكهرباء في بلادها، وصولاً لتحقيق فائض تبيعه إيران لباكستان والعراق وعدد من دول آسيا الوسطى، وحالياً لأفغانستان وفقاً للتفاهم الجديد بين الحكومتين الإيرانية والأفغانية، ومسؤولية الحكومة اللبنانية كبيرة اليوم في أن تحمل العرض الإيراني بمضمونه التفصيلي لجهة الاعتماد على تمويل بالليرة اللبنانية، وأن تذهب للمعترضين داخلياً وخارجياً وتقول إنه الحل الوحيد الذي يناسب لبنان، وعلى من يعترض أو يرفض أو يهدد بعقوبات أن يقول لا تشتروا من إيران فنحن جاهزون لتزويدكم بالمثل بذات الشروط والأسعار وبالتسعير بالليرة اللبنانية، وما لم نحصل على مثيل فالأمر يستحق المخاطرة بالتعرض للعقوبات، لأنه طريق وحيد لعدم الانهيار، فما نفع الموت وأنت غير معاقب طالما أمامك فرصة العيش ولتكن معاقباً، وعندها تعرف العدو من الصديق.
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تجربة سفن كسر الحصار تقول إن حكومة تملك بعض الشجاعة تستطيع أن تستفيد من العروض الإيرانية لتحفيز الآخرين لعروض مقابلة، أو على الأقل للاستثناء من العقوبات.
Lebanon’s media outlets reported entrance into the United States-sanctioned country of a fifth shipment carrying Iranian fuel as announced earlier by the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.
The shipment was passing through the Syrian border into Lebanon carrying fuel residue, al-Mayadeen reported.
According to Lebanese sources, the consignments were passing into Lebanon through the Hermel-al-Qasir border area.
The shipments have been reaching Lebanon in the face of the US’s sanctions targeting both the Islamic Republic and the country.
The US re-imposed its sanctions on Iran in 2018 after illegally leaving a historic nuclear accord between the Islamic Republic and world countries.
It has been enforcing similar measures against Lebanon for more than a year to pressure the country over influence wielded in its political and military sectors by Hezbollah. In the 2000s, the movement fought off two major wars on Lebanon that had been waged by the Zionist occupation regime, Washington’s most treasured ally in the region.
The sanctions have taken huge toll on the Lebanese economy, leading to acute shortage of staples, including gasoline and diesel.
Hezbollah has, however, vowed that the country would keep importing Iranian fuel, pledging not to allow Washington to further interfere with the Lebanese people’s livelihoods.
During his speeches, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has identified the American Embassy in Beirut as the “operation room” devising sabotage plots against the country’s economy.
Announcing pending arrival of the third and fourth consignments on September 12, Sayyed Nasrallah said some had hoped and speculated that the ‘Israeli’ regime would intervene and target the shipments.
The speculations, however, simply served propagandist media purposes, His Eminence said, adding, “It became finally clear that such remarks are false.”
Beirut – A month since Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah promised that no Lebanese will be humiliated in the pursuit of their everyday needs and amid the worsening economic situation in Lebanon, the Resistance group has held onto its part.
Hezbollah has broken the economic siege enforced by the United States on Lebanon. Iranian fuel transferred to the country via Iranian ships is being distributed in ALL Lebanon in a bid to ease the suffering of the Lebanese.
However, this step has put the US in an embarrassing situation forcing it to allow the transfer of energy to Lebanon. Out of the blue, Lebanon will be receiving Egyptian natural gas and Jordanian electricity!
By bringing Iranian fuel to Lebanon and distributing it for free or low in cost to the Lebanese, Hezbollah has once again falsified the American rhetoric internal US allies were trying to sell the Lebanese.
Confidence in Hezbollah has never subsided among the group’s supporters. If this was the case, American and “Israeli” think-tanks wouldn’t have issued studies targeting social and monetary institutions belonging or linked to Hezbollah.
Now, the US is in cross hairs. It can either admit its failure in weakening the Resistance group or keep on trying relentlessly in an attempt to achieve something.
As usual, the US has a trick up its sleeve.
By failing in the economic war and its refusal to get into a military war, the US will turn to soft power and dirty diplomacy.
It will definitely use its leverage with the “Israeli” entity and put pressure on a newly formed Lebanese government that is so much in need of support.
The US, knowing that the new Najib Mikati-led government badly needs funds from the international community to prevent Lebanon from total collapse, will pressure it to succumb to American will and try to “rein in” Hezbollah.
Another thing the US will try to exploit is to make Hezbollah’s narrative of resistance void of meaning, forcing the group to disarm.
However, the group has vowed to liberate the entire Lebanese territory, including the Lebanese Shebaa Farms – a hill town at the intersection of the Lebanese-Syrian border and the “Israeli”-occupied Golan Heights – from the grip of the “Israeli” regime. A promise Hezbollah plans to keep! This being said, disarming is not an option on the table for the group.
In the meantime, the administration of US President Joe Biden will try to destabilize security in Lebanon. The “Israelis” are worried that Hezbollah can use the Shebaa Farms to spy on them.
At this point, the US will give the “Israeli” entity guarantees that the hill town would not be used by the entity’s enemies for espionage purposes.
Here, to give the entity guarantees that Hezbollah would not use the strategic location to threaten them, UNIFIL forces deployed in Shebaa should be given the right to inspect private property, thus ensuring that Hezbollah could not spy on the entity.
Still, Hezbollah has long understood something that the US and its allies haven’t: soft power.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah has always been and always will be a champion for the Lebanese, as Sayyed Nasrallah assured Lebanese will not be humiliated, saying in his speech on the 10th of Muharram, “We refuse that our people be humiliated… We refuse to be humiliated neither in a military war, nor in a political war, nor in an economic war. When we are presented with choices of this kind, the whole world knows our decision and our resolve”.
Hezbollah has brought Iranian fuel to Lebanon to ease the people’s suffering and end their humiliation making up unending lines at gas stations all across the country.
The achievement dealt a blow to the US-led sanctions. But although the resistance movement considers it a necessity and a duty as it has always been in charge of serving its people, the measure has stirred a wave of commentaries, whether positive or not, in this regard.
In an opinion piece penned by Anchal Vohra, the Foreign Policy published the following:
Less than one month ago, Hezbollah chief [His Eminence Sayyed] Hassan Nasrallah announced that an Iranian oil tanker was on its way to aid fuel-starved Lebanon, daring the United States and ‘Israel’ to stop it. On Thursday, 20 trucks, each carrying 50,000 liters of Iranian fuel, entered northeastern Lebanon through Syria. The trucks duly went to the region of Baalbek, where it was reportedly stored at gas stations run by the Al Amana fuel company—a company with ties to Hezbollah and which is under US sanctions.
Sources told Foreign Policy the fuel would next be transported with smaller vehicles to Al Amana pumps in neighborhoods across the country, including Dahiye, a Beirut suburb.
In one sense, Hezbollah was defying US sanctions on Iranian oil. But this also represented Nasrallah as a savior for a country in deep economic crisis. At a moment when power outages are shutting down businesses and threatening the lives of patients at hospitals, most Lebanese are willing to show some ‘measure of allegiance’ to whomever can deliver a reprieve, according to the Foreign Policy.
“Ahlan wa Sahlan,” or “welcome,” chanted a Hezbollah supporter as he filmed the convoy of trucks passing through streets flanked with posters of [Sayyed] Nasrallah, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and former general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Qassem Soleimani. Men and women waved Hezbollah flags, while others showered rice and flower petals on the trucks. On one stretch a group of women chanted that they wouldn’t bow down to anyone but death.
On another passage trucks drove on laminated printouts of US and ‘Israeli’ flags pasted on the roads— to arouse pride among the crowd and accuse ‘Israel’ and the United States of plotting Lebanon’s domestic crises.
[Sayyed] Nasrallah said the fuel would be donated to government-run hospitals, orphanages, water stations, and the Lebanese Red Cross free of charge while sold to private hospitals, medicine factories, and bakeries at cheaper than the market rate. He promised not to discriminate based on religion or sect, and to supply the entire country. It isn’t yet clear exactly which institutions will benefit, but according to sources Hezbollah has already made a list of beneficiaries who will call Al Amana fuel pumps directly to organize procurement.
Initially, Iran and Hezbollah critics had hoped that the United States and ‘Israel’ might stop the Iranian tanker before it docked in the Syrian port. But that was perhaps seen as too risky. Farzin Nadimi, an associate fellow at The Washington Institute and an expert in security and military affairs of Iran and the Gulf, said it was possible the United States did not stop the tanker because it wished to avoid confrontation with Hezbollah, but also because there is little legal basis for doing so.
“I believe the US policy on the subject at the moment is to avoid unnecessary tensions, considering the precarious situation the Lebanese people are in right now,” Nadimi said, and since Hezbollah is framing the latest shipments as help for the Lebanese people, “the US is cautious.” Nadimi added that this incident will likely set a precedent and encourage Hezbollah to bring Iranian fuel directly to Lebanon next time. He described it as “a show of force by Hezbollah,” and a blow first to ‘Israel’ and then to the United States.
The show of force by Hezbollah has so far gone unchallenged both by ‘Israel’ and the United States, said the Foreign Policy. ‘Israel’s’ intervention would have proven much more controversial since it has been at war with Lebanon, and any action by ‘Israel’ might have united the Lebanese against ‘Israel’ and behind Hezbollah. But the United States’ inaction is harder to explain. Former Lebanese Army Gen. Elias Farhat said the United States is unlikely to sanction Lebanon.
The American response to Hezbollah’s purchase of Iranian fuel was to announce the facilitation of gas and electricity from Egypt and Jordan through Syria to Lebanon. But Hezbollah was faster. A few in the country will refuse the fuel it provides.
شكل حدث دخول قافلة صهاريج المازوت إلى البقاع اللبناني عبر الأراضي السورية، والذي استورده حزب الله المقاوم من الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية، شكل محط اهتمام العالم، حيث احتلّ صدارة الأحداث المحلية والعربية والدولية، لما له من أهمية ونتائج هامة على الصعيد اللبناني الداخلي، وعلى صعيد العلاقات اللبنانية السورية، واستطرادا على صعيد العلاقات اللبنانية الإيرانية…
الثمرة الأولى، تكريس كسر الحصار الأميركي وإسقاط أهدافه التي كانت تستهدف خنق اللبنانيين ودفعهم للانقلاب على مقاومتهم التي أثبتت مرة جديدة أنها أمَلهم في تخفيف معاناتهم الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والمعيشية، كما كانت املهم في تحرير معظم الأرض من رجس الاحتلال عام الفين، ومن ثم في صد عدوان تموز عام 2006, وفرض معادلات الردع في مواجهة العدو الصهيوني وبالتالي حماية لبنان من اعتداءاته وأطماعه. وبهذا المعنى فإنّ نجاح المقاومة في كسر الحصار يشكل انتصارا جديدا في مواجهة الحرب الاقتصادية الأميركية.
الثمرة الثانية، إحداث انفراج وتحسّن ملموس على المستويات الخدماتية والنقدية والاقتصادية والمعيشية:
ـ استيراد المازوت أدّى ويؤدّي إلى تحسين التغذية بالكهرباء بالتزامن مع وصول أول شحنة من الفيول العراقي…
ـ كسر الاحتكار بإجبار الشركات والمحتكرين على بيع ما لديهم من كميات المازوت قبل بدء حزب الله بعملية توزيع وبيع المازوت الذي أحضره من الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية بسعر أقلّ من السعر الرسمي، وذلك خوفاً من أن يخسر المحتكرون المزيد من الأرباح غير المشروعة.
ـ تراجع الطلب على الدولار لاستيراد المازوت من الخارج، وهذا أدّى، الى جانب تشكيل الحكومة، الى تحسّن سعر صرف الليرة، وانخفاض سعر الدولار بما يتجاوز الخمسة آلاف ليرة لبنانية.. الأمر الذي ستكون له انعكاسات إيجابية على مستوى القدرة الشرائية ومعيشة المواطنين، من خلال انخفاض أسعار المواد والسلع الاستهلاكية، وخفض فاتورة مولدات الكهرباء.
4 ـ تنشيط عملية الإنتاج، الصناعي والزراعي، وخفض أكلافه.
الثمرة الثالثة، إنهاء المقاطعة بين لبنان وسورية، وتدشين تطبيع العلاقات اللبنانية السورية، والتأكيد ان المقاومة اليوم تسهم، من خلال قرارها كسر الحصار، بإعادة وصل العلاقات المميّزة بما يحقق التكامل والمنفعة بين البلدين ويضع حدا لسياسة القطيعة التي أراد الأميركي فرضها، وإثبات انّ سورية إنما هي الرئة التي يتنفس منها لبنان، واللبنانيون.
الثمرة الرابعة، إسقاط حملة التحريض التي تقوم بها بعض القوى السياسية التابعة لواشنطن، ضدّ إيران، بتصويرها عدوا للبنان وتسعى إلى فرض الهيمنة عليه بوساطة حليفها حزب الله، وانهما السبب في الأزمات التي يعاني منها اللبنانيون.. والتأكيد انّ حزب الله الذي حرّر الأرض ويحمي لبنان من العدوانية والأطماع الصهيونية، إنما يوظف علاقاته مع إيران ـ الثورة، لأجل حلّ أزمات اللبنانيين، في حين انّ الدول التي تدّعي أنها تقف مع لبنان تمتنع عن تقديم أيّ مساعدة للبنانيين، لا بل تقف وراء الحصار الجائر الذي يفرض عليهم منذ ما قبل عام 2019..
هكذا يتبيّن للبنانيين ان المقاومة التي قدمت الشهداء والتضحيات الكبيرة لتحرير أراضيهم من الاحتلال الصهيوني، تسهم اليوم في مساعدتهم على التخلص من معاناتهم التي تسبب بها الحصار الأميركي وقوى الاحتكار في الداخل..
In light of Lebanon’s current energy and unprecedented economic crises, Hezbollah’s decision to import Iranian oil to aid Lebanon led the US into a state of confusion, thus limiting its options.
Foreign Policy: The United States has no active plan to rescue the country
Lebanon’s economic crisis is a book with many authors. This is a tale of a country that plunged into poverty, dragging down a large percentage of its population.
The Lebanese are desperate, as the economic situation in the country worsens. So, the hopes of some Lebanese were pinned on the United States, which issued several statements and expressed some reactions, but made no solid actions. In other words, the United States never intended to provide an action plan to help the country out of its crisis.
It is worth mentioning that one factor of the country’s economic crisis is the siege that the US has put the country under.
The opening; oil ships to Lebanon
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in a speech on August 20, stated that the “Caesar Act on Syria was not only meant to besiege Syria alone but also Lebanon.” The country is isolated from all directions, Syria from the north and east with the longest borderline, and Palestine since its occupation in 1948.
During the same speech, Sayyed Nasrallah announced, “We agreed with the Iranians to start loading the third ship of oil derivatives,” adding that Lebanon will need more than 3 ships to face the forthcoming stage of the crisis.
He emphasized that there are no aims for trade or profit, “our aim is to alleviate the suffering of the people.”
International politics and its game rules dictate that there is no clear agenda on the table, especially when it comes to western agendas in West Asia. However, history can sometimes speak for itself.
During a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Sep 24, 2020, former US Under Secretary of State, David Hale, revealed that the United States has spent $10 billion in Lebanon, on security forces and the army on one hand, and on the civil society represented mostly by non-governmental organizations on the other, throughout several years.
He continued to say that Washington’s support for the Lebanese army comes within the US strategy to confront Hezbollah’s “terrorism”, explaining that the Lebanese army is “capable of carrying out its tasks.”
Back in 2010, July 8, the former US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman revealed that after Lebanon’s 2006 war, the US invested $500 million to demonize Hezbollah’s image using the media and to drive people away from the party.
Feltman’s testimony, one of many, reveals that the US wanted to assist and support Lebanon after the war by “reducing” Hezbollah’s appeal to Lebanon’s youth. To this end, the US rushed to invest millions of dollars through USAID and the Middle East Partnership Initiative.
“Hizballah’s persistence as a well-armed terrorist group within Lebanon, as well as its robust relationships with Iran and Syria, and the transfer of increasingly sophisticated missiles and rockets to Hizballah, threaten the interests of the United States, Lebanon, and our partners in the region, especially Israel,” Feltman stated.
US policy in stalemate
There are two moves to play here, either to impose sanctions on Hezbollah or to intervene militarily directly or by proxy. Sanctions were already pushed to their limits, while war looks costly under the current balance of power, with an intrinsic possibility of insurmountable losses.
Following its policy of maximum pressure, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah. The three parties were the main players in the current oil transportation route, but sanctions were already there years back. Starting from when the ship set sail from Iran, reaching Syria’s Baniyas port, and then ending on Lebanese territories, America’s siege was considered broken and the US reached stalemate.
Sayyed Nasrallah clearly and purposely emphasized that the oil ships will indeed reach Lebanese territories. In other words, he was stressing that any attack on the ships would be considered a violation of Lebanese national sovereignty, which will rationally lead to retaliation. Since the other party does understand this simple algorithm, the question is: Is the US ready for escalation?
For a closer look, take a few steps back to August 6. On that day, in response to Israeli raids on Lebanese territories, the Resistance responded.
Hezbollah fired rockets in response to the raids on open areas in Al-Jarmaq and Al-Shawakir, noting that the bombing was carried out with about twenty 122mm rockets.
In light of talks that Hezbollah would import Iranian oil to Lebanon, a delegation of four US senators announced that the US is looking to help Lebanon overcome its crisis, but warned against importing Iranian oil.
Senator Richard Blumenthal added that there should be no reason for Lebanon to depend on Iran because there are plenty of “other sources” that could be relied on.
Following Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech, in which he announced that Iran would be sending oil ships to Lebanon, the US ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, revealed that the Biden administration is ready to facilitate Jordanian surplus electricity and the export of Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon via Syria.
It is worth mentioning that the announcement about exporting Egyptian gas was made over a month ago, but the facilitation of the process was hastened right after Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech that without a doubt created a rush of speculations and catalyzed the reactions in the political arena.
This announcement by the Biden administration seems to unintentionally benefit Hezbollah’s plans to aid Lebanon. Needless to mention that the gas they said they will help to export will pass through Syria, a country that is already under a US siege imposed by the Caesar act. It looks like the Americans will have to seek Syria’s help in this regard.
Zugzwang; the compulsion to move
The US created a corridor that defies the point behind the siege, which it has imposed on Lebanon, thus forcing it to waiver sanctions on Damascus. As such, the US is forced to either rehabilitate the infrastructure in war-torn Syria or to give it funds to do so in order to use the electric transmission line and gas pipelines, which both need repairs.
Moreover, Hezbollah welcomed the plan that offers aid to Lebanon, whether from Iran, Jordan, or Egypt, as long as it serves the country. Stability after all appears to serve the interests of the Lebanese party more than its foes’.
The US policy for Lebanon could be easily marketed as a fierce competition with Iran,but the US plancould nevertheless assist Lebanon out of its crisis, regardless of its real intentions, thus, a win-win situation for Hezbollah that is after stability in its home country. The US, on the other hand, seems to only judge Lebanon primarily through the lens of Israeli interests.
In sum, just as the Foreign Policy wrote, “The United States has no active plan to rescue the country—nor is there any indication that one is in the works,” adding that, “the United States has only offered ad hoc support, doing the minimum to keep the country from utter collapse.”
Lebanese Hezb Allah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasr Allah warned the US camp earlier this year: ‘If you come to kill me, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you.’ Whether metaphoric or for real, the man is nicknamed ‘The True Promise.’
Today, Thursday 16 September 2021, and as the chief promised, the first delivery of Iranian oil imported through the Syrian port of Baniyas arrived in Lebanon carrying a relief cargo for the oil-strangled country, effectively breaking the US-led embargo on the Iranian oil exports, on the Syrian oil handling, and on the oil-deprived Lebanon.
The ship had to be unloaded in the Syrian port of Baniyas in order to ‘avoid embarrassing the US agents in Lebanon’ who are threatened by the US Treasury they will be sanctioned if they do not follow the US instructions which are very harmful to the ordinary Lebanese people.
The convoy to break the embargo enters Al-Hermel City in Lebanon
Syria, known for its history of challenging the US plots in the region, accepted the request of the Hezb Allah chief to help facilitate the delivery of the oil, the Syrian authorities not only offered to unload the shipment from the ship at the Syrian port, a direct challenge to the US blockade, storing it in temporary containers and then loading it onto the oil tankers that would drive south to deliver each tanker to its destinations in Lebanon, but it also provided the whole process free of charge, including the tankers, that’s how allies work, allies do not leave their allies behind when needed or exert pressure on them to squeeze out more concessions from them, they empower each other.
The first ship, out of several others, carried diesel and other oil derivates most needed to keep hospitals, bakeries, and electricity generators running. It is not enough, the Lebanese resistance is not oil traders, this is part of a relief shipment with the main purpose is to break the US and Co. embargo on Lebanon and opens the possibility for imports, especially as the winter is approaching fast, and it is cold in the Lebanese mountains.
In addition to the ship that arrived and unloaded and started the delivery of its cargo, there are two other ships due for arrival soon, all carrying oil and derivatives bought from Iran. And above that, the step by Hezb Allah also broke a decade-long boycotting by Lebanese officials from communicating with Syria, their only land neighbor whereas some were tasked to go to the extreme in their enmity to Syria by facilitating the US-led war of terror against the Syrian people, there’s also the theft of tens of billions of dollars worth of deposits by Syrians in Lebanese banks, the propaganda campaign against the Syrian people and their armed forces, and preventing of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon from returning to their homes in Syria.
A top Lebanese delegate of ministers visited Damascus on the 5th of September seeking Syria’s approval to allow the imports of electricity from Jordan and gas from Egypt through Syrian territories.
The convoy to break the embargo enters Al-Hermel City in Lebanon
Syria, known for its history of challenging the US plots in the region, accepted the request of the Hezb Allah chief to help facilitate the delivery of the oil, the Syrian authorities not only offered to unload the shipment from the ship at the Syrian port, a direct challenge to the US blockade, storing it in temporary containers and then loading it onto the oil tankers that would drive south to deliver each tanker to its destinations in Lebanon, but it also provided the whole process free of charge, including the tankers, that’s how allies work, allies do not leave their allies behind when needed or exert pressure on them to squeeze out more concessions from them, they empower each other.
The first ship, out of several others, carried diesel and other oil derivates most needed to keep hospitals, bakeries, and electricity generators running. It is not enough, the Lebanese resistance is not oil traders, this is part of a relief shipment with the main purpose is to break the US and Co. embargo on Lebanon and opens the possibility for imports, especially as the winter is approaching fast, and it is cold in the Lebanese mountains.
In addition to the ship that arrived and unloaded and started the delivery of its cargo, there are two other ships due for arrival soon, all carrying oil and derivatives bought from Iran. And above that, the step by Hezb Allah also broke a decade-long boycotting by Lebanese officials from communicating with Syria, their only land neighbor whereas some were tasked to go to the extreme in their enmity to Syria by facilitating the US-led war of terror against the Syrian people, there’s also the theft of tens of billions of dollars worth of deposits by Syrians in Lebanese banks, the propaganda campaign against the Syrian people and their armed forces, and preventing of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon from returning to their homes in Syria.
A top Lebanese delegate of ministers visited Damascus on the 5th of September seeking Syria’s approval to allow the imports of electricity from Jordan and gas from Egypt through Syrian territories.
That is not all, the announcing by Hezb Allah Chief Sayyed Nasr Allah that the first ship carrying the oil from US-embargoed Iran through US-embargoed Syria into US-embargoed Lebanon, also pushed the US ambassador to Lebanon to call the Lebanese President (literally, she called him on his phone) to tell him that she approves the imports of electricity from Jordan and the gas from Egypt through Syria into Lebanon. The US ambassador basically told the Lebanese president that her country is responsible for the blockade on Lebanon that caused all the Lebanese people to suffer for months, and also the isolating of Lebanon from its natural geography, something the US denied for many years and accused the Lebanese resistance of.
Furthermore, if all of the above was already not enough in breaking the US will in the region, a green light was finally given for the birth of the Lebanese government after stalemating for almost 14 months which crippled most of the Lebanese economy, the government which was born on the 10th of September and headed by billionaire Najib Mikati instead of billionaire Saad Hariri who succeeded billionaire Fouad Siniora and was putting obstacles against any other candidate to form a government and in the face of the government of (not a billionaire) University Professor Hassan Diab at the request of Saudi Arabia.
Sayyed Nasr Allah has a long history of keeping his promises, the latest rolling events in the past month are not an exception, the Lebanese resistance chief supported by his allies managed to break a year-long US-Saudi led embargo on his country, and even made the United States of America break its own blockade on Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, how so?
It is no secret, anymore, that the Pentagon and its axis of evil: other NATO member states, Israel, Saudis, and most of the Gulfies, have pledged to establish Greater Israel, a neo-con project that serves the empire in an attempt to keep it holding on for a few more years before its final demise. They have destroyed and destabilized and ruined countries by wars they directly waged: Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon – several times, by proxy terrorists: Syria, Iraq again, the Horn of Africa, Sudan; by puppet regimes installed in a number of countries: Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Ukraine, Sudan again, to name a few, and by economic blockade and regimes of sanctions: Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Venezuela, Cuba, even Russia, and China, and others.
It is also no secret that to achieve its goal in crushing the resistance the evil US-led camp has spent billions over billions of its hard-earned taxpayers’ money to finance its military and terrorist adventures, its mass media propaganda for demonizing, personality assassinating its targets while glorifying rebels (Al Qaeda, ISIS, HTS…) only in the targeted countries whereas crushing less-harming rebellion within its own camp, and for bribing politicians.
We have wealth of examples of each of the above including testimonials from former US politicians and also sitting US politicians like US presidents, NATO officials, MPs, you name it.
What the US has built over many years to distort the image of the resistance spearheaded by the Hezb Allah and mainly the image of its chief Sayyed Hassan Nasr Allah, the latter dismantled within days, the humiliating withdrawal of NATO from Afghanistan helped, however, the main help was the mutual understand, ultimate respect, superior support the axis of civilization gave each other, from China in the far east to Venezuela, through Iran, Syria, Cuba, the resistance in Iraq, and the resistance factions in Gaza, despite all the losses, suffering, and hard work, now we see the approaching demise of the axis of evil, those who now want to take the war directly against China and Russia after failing against Syria and Iran, we can’t wish them good luck there, the officials of NATO and Co must be held accountable for all the crimes they committed against humanity and now they’re committing by oppressing their own people.
‘Those who came to our region vertical and didn’t leave will leave our region horizontal.’
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Now that the Iranian fuel has arrived to Lebanon via Syria – under the care, sponsorship and protection of Hezbollah – and now that it is available in the Lebanese market at the preferences identified by His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as free or low-cost and to be distributed according to clear standards, it is the duty of every observer whether concerned or not [the unconcerned is definitely concerned but prefers not show it] to say what should be said neutrally. He should express his opinion objectively, if he could, about this achievement that has neither been fulfilled by Lebanon nor any other state with the challenges it carries. Of course, the challenges are not intended for internal parties who are completely ineffective and their words are nothing more than mere dust. But rather, the challenges confront regional and international parties which have been and still are laying a siege and pressuring major countries, and are somehow succeeding in that.
At first and foremost, the challenge facing the United States – which bet, through unprecedented economic and political pressure – that Lebanon and its entire component would surrender, in such a way that the Lebanese would yell at Hezbollah: “Enough! Yield to what the Americans want and engage in the game of subservience, normalization and surrender. Withdraw from the regional equations that you support or you had shaped, and have mercy on your people who are on the verge of collapse and have entered the tunnel of hunger, thirst and disease”.
The second challenge faced “Israel”, which also bet on Hezbollah’s reluctance to dare to transport the Iranian fuel, not only because that’s against Washington’s will, but also in transporting it via a sensitive sea route fraught with high risks, where “Israel” and its allies militarily control a large section of it to some extent, between the Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. “Israel” thought that Hezbollah would be afraid of launching even one ship in this sea route where it has frequently assaulted many Iranian ships. It was surprised by Hezbollah’s boldness, and what shocked it even more was when Hezbollah considered the ship or the ships that will transport Iranian fuel to Lebanon as a “Lebanese Territory” and the rules of engagement will apply to it just as they apply to the Lebanese land and facilities; asserting that any attack on it after it is loaded with fuel even if it is still docked in Iranian ports are tantamount to an attack on Lebanese territory.
The other challenge, despite lacking the importance and influence and does not pose any military danger such as the challenges confronting Washington or “Israel”, is the challenge facing some internal parties who bet – as usual – on the stances of Washington and “Israel”, believing that both would at least impede the transport of the Iranian fuel to Lebanon and ease the siege on the country. These parties remained at ease until they were certain that Iranian fuel had started flowing to Lebanon via the Syrian tankers. As they gasped its sweet scent, they were dumbfounded, silenced and tongue-tied, after being vocal and bold about the impossibility of Iranian fuel arriving.
It’s normal for these tongue-tied parties – after smelling the scent of Iranian fuel and hearing Sayyed Nasrallah’s detailed plan of fuel distribution to all the Lebanese; surely, those who desire and not by force, because oil by force has huge health and psychological repercussions – to keep their mouths shut, not to react positively with the event and never thank Hezbollah for this achievement. It’s typical of them because these people with their masters in the region and in the west attacked and conspired against Hezbollah when the latter was shedding blood in confronting the “Israeli” occupation or Takfiri terrorism in order to defend and protect the sons of these contingent and ungrateful people.
What’s worth noting in the reaction of these ungrateful parties is that their media refrained from reacting and appropriately reporting this event. Rather, they abided by the orders of their masters, benefactors and sponsors and overlooked broadcasting Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech regarding the details of transfer and distribution.
Last but not least, the event of the Iranian fuel will end soon and may stay for a little longer if the new government delays in carrying out its basic duties, but Hezbollah will always remain Lebanon’s safety valve and right hand to its legitimate military forces, if the political authorities fail to carry out their duties in protecting the country and its economic security. Accordingly, part of the contingent and ungrateful Lebanese will remain pawns and mouthpieces of their foreign masters, just the way we are used to them being.
Since Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced in his Ashura speech that the first fuel ship set off from Iran, the opponents of the Resistance Party in Lebanon, the region, and the whole world desperately tried to underestimate its fuel import plan.
Anti-Hezbollah forces launched a propaganda that depreciates the Resistance endeavor to confront the US siege by importing the Iranian fuel. That propaganda was based on misleading information about Hezbollah intentions and Iran’s ability to provide Lebanon with diesel and gasoline.
After Sayyed Nasrallah announced the arrival of the first oil ship, all the efforts of Hezbollah foes went in vain.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah called Wednesday for avoiding popular gatherings in Baalbek-Hermel area during the passage of the fuel cisterns convoy.
In a statement, Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that his eminence checked out the ongoing media and popular preparations in Baalbek-Hermel area to welcome the fuel cisterns convoy on Thursday, appreciating the sincere interaction of the inexorable people with this step.
Sayyed Nasrallah thanked the Baalbek-Hermel locals for this interactions and embrace over decades, urging the residents, especially Hezbollah commanders in the area, to avoid the popular gatherings during the passage of the fuel cisterns convoy to preserve locals’ safety and facilitate its movement.
Upon Sayyed Nasralla’s orders, Hezbollah command in Bekaa canceled all celebrations which had been scheduled to be held.
Sayyed Nasrallah announced on Monday that the first fuel ship, which Hezbollah decided to import from Iran, arrived in Banyas seaport early Sunday finished unloading its cargo, adding that the cisterns transferring the diesel load will enter Lebanon on Thursday.
The diesel will be stored in specific tanks in Baalbeck city before distributing it over the various Lebanese areas, Sayyed Nasralalh said.
Hezbollah has finalized preparations to receive Iranian fuel in the northeastern city of Baalbeck, local media reported on Tuesday.
Hezbollah’s Al-Bekaa command has finalized logistic and technical preparations to receive tanker carrying the Iranian fuel oil, which will arrive in Baalbeck this week.
Mass ceremony will be held in the Lebanese city when the tankers will arrive next Thursday, local media reported.
Between70 to 80 tankers carrying fuel oil are on their way to Baalbeck from the Syrian port of Baniyas, where the first Iranian vessel docked in the past days.
The tankers are carrying nearly three million liters of fuel oil, according to local media.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced on Monday that the Iranian fuel oil will arrive in Lebanon on Thursday.
His eminence said that Hezbollah will be distributing the fuel oil on governmental hospitals and other vital facilities for free.
The fuel oil will also be distributed for low cost on other institutions across the country, according to Sayyed Nasrallah.
Hezbollah S.G. said a second ship with fuel oil would arrive in Baniyas in a few days, with a third and fourth, respectively carrying gasoline and fuel oil, also due.
Daily life has been almost paralyzed in Lebanon as fuel dries up because the country lacks the dollars to pay for it.
The state-owned power company is generating only minimal electricity, leaving businesses and households almost entirely dependent on small, private generators that run on fuel oil.
Lebanese economist Ziad Nasreddine comments on the potential ramifications of Hezbollah’s ongoing efforts to ship Iranian fuel to Lebanon, an effort announced by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah a day earlier.
Source: Al-Manar TV via Kalam Siyasi (YouTube) Date: August 20, 2021
Mr. Ziad, some say: what could (the ships) change, how could a ship or two coming from Iran constitute a solution for the stifling crisis we are experiencing, and the approach of (opening up to) the East must be done in a different way, and as long as it is not an exchange between a state and another (i.e. not from the side of Hezbollah as a party), the economic value of this action will be intangible, the Lebanese people who are experiencing the most severe siege won’t feel (any difference).
Ziad Nasreddine, Lebanese Economist:
Firstly, as for the issue of Iran, when we talk about the Islamic Republic of Iran, we are talking about a country that owns 10% of the world’s oil reserves, and 15% of the world’s gas reserves, and so it has a substantial surplus. Today (Iran) is providing power and electricity to Armenia, and a certain amount to Afghanistan, and a certain amount to Iraq and Pakistan as well. Therefore, there are many countries whose economies are tied to Iran and can deal with it.
Now when we talk about the internal affairs of Lebanon, today we can actually say that we have took a first step towards the East, and this first step is a fruitful step; it is not a matter of a ship or two, it is a matter of a strategic decision (concerning) the economic (affairs of Lebanon). Today, there is a real conflict between the East and West. The main question is ‘who needs the other, the East or the West?’. Today, the East has promising economies and great capabilities, and all the states surrounding (this geopolitical region) are allowed to deal with it and make strategic agreements, except for Lebanon.
The question today is, about a month ago, Saudi Arabia headed towards the East, specifically to China, and signed strategic agreements that might reach $90 billion, the UAE signed strategic deals with China, Jordan is also about to make agreements, and even the Israeli enemy is (doing so), yet (we are made to believe that) restrictions only (apply) to Lebanon?! Therefore, the fundamental and highly important depth of any economic rescue (project) for Lebanon must start, and will start, from Syria, and reach the depth of Asia and Iran.
Iran today plays a central role, today there are 14 states who have requested to get fuel and gas from Iran, so, we have entered a new phase. The fear (of US allies in Lebanon) today is not because of the diesel oil and gasoline coming to Lebanon, the fear is tied to this first step which forms a starting point for (the implementation of) major reforms related to the issue of electricity. The way it was accepted today – and it will be accepted by the Lebanese public, they will accept that we need diesel and gasoline, and this state (i.e. Iran) provided us (with those needs).
Tomorrow, we might return to (pre-existing) Iranian offers for the building of (power) plants in Lebanon as well, plants powered by gas. Let us talk in numbers: today we have, since the November (2019) crisis till the present day, spent $15 billion, between covering (government) subsidies and (taking into account) money that came in (to Lebanon) and money (that was) smuggled (abroad). This is while we actually only need $1 billion to build (power) plants and get rid of the entire (country’s) electricity (shortage) crisis! We spend $15 billion for (government) subsidies and to smuggle money abroad and many other things, yet we do not spend $1 billion to end (Lebanon’s) electricity problem!
We pay $3.5 billion yearly because we do not have electricity run on gas, nor have we built electricity plants for producing power. Today, this is the main problem, through which they (i.e. the US) were able (to harm Lebanon) via the electricity problem, (as) we had tied diesel oil to all our production sectors and (enabled a) a siege (to be imposed) on Lebanon. Lebanon was exposed to…what happened today (i.e. Nasrallah’s announcement) is that (a step was taken) to confront the economic siege, Lebanon was being exposed to an economic invasion just through (the exploitation) of diesel and gasoline. Therefore, all the sectors, during the months of September and October (2021)…there were plans in place to collapse Lebanon’s phone and internet (networks), (and plans were in place) to prevent the new academic year from starting (on time)…
All of this is because everything is tied to diesel oil (for everyday operation), hospitals are tied to diesel oil, bakeries are tied to diesel oil, schools, telecommunications, internet, and all these things today (depend on diesel oil). This crisis was expected to continue until we fall into a greater crisis after September and October. What is happening today is that we are carrying out an actual rescue of the (Lebanese) economy, we are saying that we want to put an economic plan on the table and consider it seriously, and that we (as a country) must not be a part of the projects of others anymore.
Beirut – Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave a televised speech on the 10th of Muharram to commemorate Ashura.
During his speech on Thursday, Sayyed Nasrallah tackled various local and regional issues, notably the fuel crisis in Lebanon and the US defeat in Afghanistan.
His Eminence began his speech by offering his heartfelt condolences to the Islamic nation as well as its Leader His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei on the martyrdom of Imam Hussein [AS].
First and foremost, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed, “The top of our priorities is facing the Zionist entity occupying Palestine and some lands in Syria and Lebanon,” and asserted that “Our firm and endless position is to support Palestinians in their right to return their land from the sea to the river despite all pressures and normalization attempts”.
“We are looking forward to the day when the Zionist invaders will leave Palestine, because this is the end of all invaders,” His Eminence said.
The SG called on the protection of the religious sites and said, “To confront the threats that Al-Quds and its holy sites are facing, we urge the establishment and afforming a regional equation that protects these holy sites”.
“We call for making the protection of the holy sites the task of the entire Resistance Axis, not just the Palestinian sites,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Moving to Iraq, Sayyed Nasrallah renewed Hezbollah’s thanks to the Iraqi factions for expressing their readiness to protect the holy sites in Palestine.
The SG hailed the cooperation among the Resistance forces in the region alongside the resistance in Palestine and stated that this cooperation “will increase the hope in liberating Palestine”.
Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted what the United States represents to the world and explained, “The successive US administrations represent the head of tyranny and injustice in the world”.
His Eminence assured that the “Sovereignty in our region over its resources, water, oil and land must be to its peoples and countries”.
Sayyed Nasrallah also noted that, “After the American defeat in Afghanistan, eyes are focused on the US occupation in Iraq and Syria”.
His Eminence further said, “The Zionists fear any Iraqi role in any grand war,” highlighting that, “Iraq has decided that the US combat forces should leave its soil at the end of the year, and this is an important issue on the way of achieving Iraqi sovereignty”.
“The Iraqis should take into consideration the issue of American advisors by looking at the experience of Afghanistan,” the SG added.
Sayyed Nasrallah also explained, “What constitutes a real guarantee for Iraq in the face of Daesh [Arabic acronym for ‘ISIS’ / ‘ISIL’] and the Takfiris is the Hashd Shaabi [PMU]”.
“The Hashd Shaabi resembles one of the greatest manifestations and embodiments of the response to the fatwa [a ruling on a point of Islamic law given] of the religious authority in Holy Najaf ,” His Eminence stated.
The Resistance leader has a firm stance regarding the American presence in the Middle East, vying for their withdrawal, “The US forces must leave the Tanaf area [in Syria], because there are no Daesh forces there”.
In a parallel notion, “The Hashd Shaabi must be strengthened, because it is a great guarantee for Iraq,” Sayyed Nasrallah asserted, warning that “US forces facilitate the development of Daesh and help it move from one region to another”.
“The American forces must leave east of the Euphrates, and the goal of their presence is to steal the Syrian oil,” the SG said, adding that “the fate of the American occupiers in Syria is to leave so that the land and its oil will return to Syria”.
Tackling the war on Yemen, Sayyed Nasrallah said, “The US-Saudi aggressive war on Yemen must stop, and this aggression will not be able to achieve its goals”.
“We stand with the oppressed people of Bahrain, who are prevented from expressing their opinion and expressed their readiness to support Palestine,” His Eminence said regarding Bahrain.
“Let no one make wrong calculations,” the Resistance leader warned, saying that “‘Israel’ is the anxious party these days”.
On the Lebanese arena, Sayyed Nasrallah said, “We reiterate to friends and foes that the Resistance in Lebanon is strong”.
On the issue of the Lebanese government formation, His Eminence called for “the formation of a government in Lebanon and we reject vacuum”.
Sayyed Nasrallah added, “We wait for the results of the meetings between President of the Republic and the Prime Minister-designate over the government’s formation”.
“We believe more than ever in the correctness of our decision, in the resistance, and that we’re close to victory,” the SG announced.
However, His Eminence cautioned, “There are those inside and outside who are trying to hold us responsible for the failure to form the government, and this is not true,” adding, “Some accuse us of not exerting enough pressures on our allies and friends, but this is meaningless”.
Regarding the fuel crisis Lebanon is facing, Sayyed Nasrallah said, “Our first ship will sail from Iran within hours, carrying the needed material, and we give priority to the fuel”.
His Eminence assured, “More ships will also come from Iran, not only this ship”.
On this issue, Sayyed Nasrallah issued a firm warning to the Americans and “Israelis”, “The ship that will sail in a few hours will be from the first moment a Lebanese territory”.
Sayyed Nasrallah also said, “Whoever imposed this decision on us is the one who imposed the economic war on us”.
Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered on Friday, June 25th, 2021 a speech in which he tackled the latest developments on the Lebanese arena.
At the beginning of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah reflected deep and warm condolences to Imad Hawila who has lost this week his wife and four daughters in a car accident that was caused by traffic of cars waiting their turn in front of a gas station on South Lebanon-Beirut highway. His Eminence also condoled the family of the deceased relative, Hussein Zein, who was driving them to Beirut when the accident happened, for the loss of their son.
Labelling Washington’s banning of websites in the region as an evidence on the fake claims of the US administrations, Sayyed Nasrallah denounced the American aggression against media outlets that majorly belong the culture of resistance.
Moving to the home front, Sayyed Nasrallah blasted the US media provocation targeting the Lebanese people against each other, underscoring that “the real goal behind the American rhetoric is to incite the people of resistance through making the fortifying of the Lebanese Army a suspicious matter.” Nevertheless, Sayyed Nasrallah made clear that Hezbollah always calls for fortifying the Army even if the US is the side in charge.
“When the US attempts to justify its logistic aid to the Lebanese Army it says that it is to confront Hezbollah,” His Eminence said, pointing, however, to that “even in Hezbollah’s practical behavior, we sought support for the Lebanese Army from friendly countries.”
The Hezbollah leader highlighted that “We find the establishment of the Lebanese Army as the real guarantor for Lebanon’s security, stability and unity,” adding that “in our culture, the Lebanese Army is a main part of the golden equation of Lebanon’s strength; which is the Army, the people, and the Resistance.”
Sayyed Nasrallah also explained that the US administration fears that the Lebanese Army would be in a serious and true position to confront the ‘Israeli’ enemy.
Ruling out any Iranian involvement in the Lebanese affairs, Sayyed Nasrallah stated that Iran refuses to discuss any issue other than its nuclear program in the Vienna Talks: “Neither does Iran negotiate on the ballistic missiles, nor on the regional issues.”
Additionally, in the entire course of the Saudi-Iranian talks, the Lebanese issue was not discussed, Sayyed Nasrallah assured citing Iranian allies whom he referred to as “people who don’t hide facts from us.”
The aforementioned talks, Sayyed Nasrallah said, “focused on bilateral ties, and not on the Lebanese issue that doesn’t make any difference in the Saudi-Iranian understandings.”
“Iran doesn’t negotiate on behalf of any side,” His Eminence emphasized, pointing to that it is ready to offer any help when asked to by a friend.
The resistance leader blasted some sides in Lebanon that seek to take advantage of any incident to defame others and settle political accounts and said: “Some sides insist in their political stances to hold Iran and Hezbollah responsible for not forming the Lebanese government, and the Americans are trying to link the Lebanese issue with the negotiations with Iran, but Tehran is the side that is rejecting it.”
While describing the practices of accusing Hezbollah of hindering the formation of a new Lebanese government as a calumny, deception and aggression, Sayyed Nasrallah shifted to an advise saying that “all efforts should consolidate at home to confront the government and lead the country to exit this impasse.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Sayyed Nasrallah hailed the initiative of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri which he said has led with different sides to reach an important point which is agreeing on the number of ministers.
Additionally, in comments on the Free Patriotic Movement’s Leader, Gibran Bassil’s proposal, and the reactions that followed, Sayyed Nasrallah slammed the political Takfirism, and sectarian and racial language that have been heard.
“The campaign that was launched after Bassil’s speech is a clear evidence that those who are responding to him don’t listen, and when they listen, they don’t understand, and if it happened that they understood, then they will deny it,” His Eminence explained.
“We started responding to Bassil’s call, we open our hands for help, and we defend the rights of every Lebanese person who has a right; this is our duty,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Then he went on to explain Bassil’s use of the word ‘judge’ which he said expresses trust and not the literal meaning of the word, adding that the judge needs to be accepted by either side; this is not suggested and I, myself, am not in place of playing this role, His Eminence noted.
On the level of the humanitarian crisis, Sayyed Nasrallah said that “what we are witnessing on the level of fuel, food, and medicine should be an ethical point of pressure on those concerned with forming the government.”
“We are not neutral regarding the issue of the government, we rather take the stand that supports righteousness, and on the level of the governmental crisis, we have been and we will always be by the side of righteousness,” the resistance leader made clear.
All administrative and logistic introductions to import gasoline and diesel oil from Iran to Lebanon and distributing it have been done, and this promise is still valid, Sayyed Nasrallah underscored, then reiterated the promise he has given a few days earlier that when the state fails to secure the shortage of oil derivatives, then Hezbollah will seek buying oil from Iran.
Expressing that Hezbollah’s perceptions didn’t ever include being involved in the sector of importing gasoline and diesel oil, Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized, without any hesitation, that “we are even ready to work as dustmen for our society and people to preserve their honor and dignity.”
He then addressed those who block paths towards solutions, and advised them to go to their Saudi, Gulf and American friends to help Lebanon in solving the problem of gasoline, diesel and fuel, telling them “we will wish you luck!”
Asking why doesn’t the state establish oil refineries and secure a huge share of the Lebanese market’s needs with lower costs, Sayyed Nasrallah uncovered that there is a company which is ready for this project and just needs an [official] signature.
Elsewhere on the livelihood crisis, Sayyed Nasrallah considered that the finance card could help many Lebanese families to survive amid the crisis.
Sayyed Nasrallah warned that the continued blocking of roads will lead to another line of humiliation aside from that of waiting for gasoline and medicines. “People should pay attention in this stage because vandalizing public facilities & blocking roads harm people & increase their pains.”
Despite the many crises in Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah said we have a blessing of security, stability, and civil peace, however, there are some sides that want to push the country to a blast, those are the ones serving the enemy.
His Eminence also mentioned that the Lebanese Forces don’t spare any occasion to attack Hezbollah, but the resistance movement doesn’t respond to them.
Sayyed Nasrallah underscored, from a religious perspective, that burying discord inside the country is the most important thing to do.
Before the end of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah didn’t miss the opportunity to thank Iraq and every side that would contribute to helping Lebanon overcome its crises.
Sayyed Nasrallah finally hailed the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah resistance group for joining the equation he has launched in a previous speech about being part of the front that is responsible for defending the holy occupied city of al-Quds in Palestine.
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 