⋯ “[Collapse will enable] Lebanon to somehow be rebuilt from the ashes, and freed from the curse of Hezbollah”, said US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, on 4 November.
In a similar strategy, the US is blocking the implementation of a joint Lebanese-Syrian-Jordanian energy project, although it had been proposed by the US to counter last year's plan by Hezbollah to import Iranian fuel.
A Lebanon-bound convoy of Iranian fuel tankers has come under attack on the Iraqi-Syrian border despite holding official and legal permits.
According to reports, two tankers were targeted by an “Israeli drone” after eight of them passed from Iraq’s al-Qa’im border.
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Report: The US and Mikati ‘fooled’ Lebanon into thinking Iranian fuel would be permitted. (The Cradle (https://thecradle.co/Article/news/18027))
Informed sources told Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar that the US has no plans to grant Lebanon sanctions-waivers to import Iranian fuel for its power plants, even if the Iranian fuel is gifted as humanitarian aid.
PM-designate Najib Mikati was allegedly aware of Washington’s true intentions, but decided to play along and “fool the Lebanese ministry of energy and Iranian officials”.
On 26 September, Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad disclosed a plan (https://t.me/LebUpdate/27546) to power around 8-10 hours of daily electricity with 600,000 tons of fuel gifted by Iran.
