Iran must supply fuel to resistance front countries to ease energy crises: Lawmaker

An Iranian legislator says the Islamic Republic must supply needed fuel to countries that are members of the resistance front, so that those states would not be harmed in this regard and could ease their energy crises.

“We must offer any help we can to the resistance bloc, so that they would not face any problem for provision of fuel, which is among the basic needs of any country,” Hadi Beiginejad, a member of the Energy Commission at Iran’s Parliament, told Iran’s labor news agency, ILNA, in an exclusive interview on Sunday.

Beiginejad, who was elaborating on Iran’s recent measure to send fuel tankers to Lebanon, added, “Selling oil derivatives and fuel, which have more customers, is easier than selling crude oil, whose buyers are limited.”

He described it as important to Iran to meet the needs of a strategic and friendly country like Lebanon.

“Countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Venezuela are very important to Iran, because they stood by our side in time of need. Therefore, we must take steps to solve these countries’ problems as much as we can,” the Iranian parliamentarian highlighted.

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“Just as [late Syrian President] Hafez al-Assad firmly stood by Iran’s side during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and did not withhold any help, we must rush to assist countries like Syria and Lebanon, which are now in trouble,” he added.

The lawmaker went on to say that several fuel-laden ships have already been sent to Lebanon and there has been no problem.

Beiginejad stressed that Lebanese traders are responsible for the security of the Beirut-bound fuel shipment, and they certainly know how to protect the cargo.

“The Lebanese nation is currently under pressure and in hardship. Therefore, we must not withhold any help to solve their problems as a friendly country and an ally,” Beiginejad underscored.

On Friday, a senior official from the Hezbollah resistance movement said shipments of fuel from Iran to Lebanon in order to ease crippling shortages there will thwart all plots that the United States has crafted in this regard.

The vice president of the executive council of Hezbollah, Sheikh Ali Da'moush, said that his group is utilizing all means at its disposal to address livelihood challenges facing the Lebanese people and alleviate their suffering, stressing that the decision to import fuel from Iran is aimed at tackling the fuel supply crisis.

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“Hezbollah's decision to import diesel and gasoline from Iran was not politically-motivated, and does not fall within the context of political or factional bickering. It was rather a decision taken on humanitarian and moral grounds,” Sheikh Da’moush said.

Hezbollah head Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said a third shipment of Iranian fuel has been agreed to ease crippling shortages in Lebanon.

“We have agreed to start loading a third vessel,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech on Friday.

“The coming days will prove those doubtful about the shipments arriving with fuel wrong … and our words will be clear when the first vessel reaches Lebanon.”

Last week, Nasrallah said the first vessel carrying Iranian fuel for Lebanon had already departed.

Oil monitor TankerTrackers.com said an oil tankers had left Iranian waters on Thursday, while another was due to depart on Friday morning.

‘Iran fuel shipments bought, paid for by Lebanese Shia businessmen’

Iran says the fuel shipments sent by Tehran to help the Lebanese people have been paid for in advance by a group of Shia Lebanese businesspeople.

“The tanker that is laden with fuel for the power grid has departed today while the other one that is loading gasoline is anticipated to depart first thing tomorrow,” tweeted the monitor on Thursday, but later said the second one will likely depart on Saturday.

It added that the first tanker left port last week, but had only left Iranian waters on Thursday, due to a “very long coastline” and “departure protocols.”

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