(Reuters) – The Iranian embassy in Beirut told Lebanese TV Al-Manar on Monday that Iran was ready to send fuel-laden ships to Lebanon within a week or two to help run its power plants, while a Lebanese delegation visited Tehran to discuss energy cooperation.
A spokesman for the Lebanese energy ministry said the ministry didn’t know if an agreement had been reached to import fuel, but said his country would welcome any “gift” from anywhere.
Two government sources told Reuters this month that Iran had previously proposed providing fuel to the Lebanese state in the form of a “gift” in an effort to avoid US sanctions on the Iranian energy sector.
The embassy said Lebanon and Iran are also discussing the construction of new power plants and the repair of power grids.
If the fuel deal is completed, it will be the first thing Iran will send directly to the country, after sending some to its ally, Hezbollah, a powerful armed movement participating in Lebanon’s coalition government.
Lebanon has suffered from power outages for decades, but the economic slump since 2019 has drained state finances, slowing fuel imports for government stations.
This involved accessing state-supplied electricity for only an hour or two a day, which forced families to rely on subscriptions to private generators, the prices of which have risen as international prices rise. fuel.
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