Former Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora: Hizbullah Has Hijacked Lebanon; Iran's Fuel Supply To Lebanon Is Only For Show – It Is Incapable Of Supplying Even Its Own People With Fuel

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said in an October 15, 2021 interview on Asharq News TV (Saudi Arabia) that Lebanon has been "hijacked" by Hizbullah and that Iran has been violating Lebanon's sovereignty. He explained that Hizbullah wants to draw people's attention away from Lebanon's problems and to make the world think that it is helping Lebanon and that it can breach the international sanctions against Iran. Siniora also said that this help is only "pretend" and that this is a way of showing off. He added that Iran has been trying to provide oil products to Lebanon, even though it is incapable of meeting its own market's oil demands. He also pointed out that Iran exports oil to Lebanon without abiding by Lebanese law and without paying the necessary taxes.

Fouad Siniora: "When trucks loaded with Iranian mazut fuel entered Lebanon, it was the epitome of undermining of the Lebanese state and its sovereignty. Hizbullah wanted to portray a certain image to the people, and to draw their attention away from Lebanon's basic problems. What I mean is that the State of Lebanon has been hijacked by Hizbullah. Hizbullah wanted to portray an image as if it wanted to help the Lebanese, and that it is showing them grace. This is the message that Hizbullah wanted to deliver to Lebanon.

"In addition, Hizbullah wanted to deliver a message to the international community that it can breach the siege laid by the international sanctions on Iran. However, this act was nothing but Iran showing off in order to accomplish these two goals.

"However, Iran knows and everybody knows that it cannot meet Lebanon's demand for oil products. Iran is incapable of supplying the oil products demanded by its own market, so this was only for show. Iran pretended to be helping Lebanon, but in fact, it breached our border, breached our sovereignty, refused to abide by the law, and entered as a new trader in Lebanon that wants to sell Iranian mazut fuel at a price lower than required for such imports. Why? Because it entered Lebanon without paying customs, and without paying the tax for oil products."