The leader of Lebanese political group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said on Sunday that it would import fuel from the Islamic Republic of Iran as the government failed to provide them.
"I assure you, yes, God willing, we will definitely bring diesel and gasoline from Iran," Nasrallah stated, cited by Reuters.
He also noted that Tehran had assured him that it would support Lebanon, and criticized the official Lebanese government and American influence for not responding to Iran’s petrol offer.
According to him, the issue is "settled," and a timeline will be announced in the next two to three days.
The statement came shortly after a massive blast of a gas tanker occurred in Akkar, northern Lebanon, with reports claiming that the explosion was triggered during a fight between some 200 people attempting to fill cans with petrol.
Earlier, Hezbollah announced that all necessary logistics for importing gasoline and diesel from Iran are complete and that the transmission can begin, bypassing the Lebanese central bank so as to avoid violating US sanctions.
Following the planned suspension of subsidies, Lebanese authorities raided a number of gas stations to reduce illegal gas hoarding made earlier in anticipation of price increases. Authorities said confiscated fuels would be distributed to people for free.