Lebanese PM receives Iranian ambassador in official meeting

ByNews Desk- The Cradle

The meeting comes one day ahead of the Iranian Foreign Minister's visit to Beirut

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati received Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Seyed Mohammad Jalal Firuznia, on 5 October to discuss relations between the two nations.

The meeting comes one day before Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is due to arrive in Beirut for an official visit.

The Lebanese Prime Minister said in a recent interview that he has been waiting for the “big Arab brothers” to provide aid for his country, adding that none had contacted him so far.

Iran has been instrumental in providing aid to Lebanon, specifically for the country’s dire energy crisis that has reached critical levels in recent days.

Over the past few weeks, Iranian fuel acquired by Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has been making its way into Lebanon via Syria, defying harsh US economic sanctions.

The ninth convoy of trucks carrying Iranian fuel made its way into Lebanon on 4 October. According to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, at least three other ships are expected to arrive from Iran soon.

However, Lebanon’s political elite have decried the fuel aid provided by Tehran and Hezbollah. A few weeks ago, Mikati described it “an affront on the country’s sovereignty.”

Lebanon has been mired in a severe political and economic crisis since 2019, a crisis that has been exacerbated by unilateral US sanctions preventing the country from dealing with its most important trade partner, Syria.

As a result, the country’s power grid is nearing a complete shutdown, according to officials, as citizens struggle to find fuel, medicine, and other basic necessities.