Hezbollah seeks to control Lebanon’s oil and gas wealth
Despite the severe crises that are afflicting the country, some of which led to the crisis, and contributed to igniting the crises in it, Hezbollah’s ambitions in Lebanon escalated significantly, to make statements containing blatant demands, in light of the deteriorating situation in the country.
Hezbollah’s brutality not only fragmented the country’s political life, but also carried out airstrikes against the country, with the help of its first ally, Iran, now demanding a share of Lebanon’s wealth.
In the latest of these shameful ambitions, Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, demanded access to Lebanon’s oil and gas wealth and its full rights to its territorial waters, noting that Lebanon is not weak and can protect its rights.
Sheikh Qassem made the remarks during a ceremony held by Hezbollah in the al-Awza’i area of Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to a statement from the group’s media relations.
Sheikh Qassem said, “Today, we are facing a right demand related to the restoration of Lebanon’s oil and gas wealth in its own waters, which are subject to it. The promises made by some do not serve to delay the solution, and we cannot wait to pass the time to impose extraction by the Israelis as a matter of fact”.
“The equation is clear: We want our oil and our rights to be whole, and Lebanon is not weak and can protect its rights”, he said.
Sheik Qassem called for the formation of a new government, saying: “We are all concerned to achieve a government that can take us to the better. Today, the situation is exceptional, so let the government be with the least conditions, and whatever complications help some forces., Certainly having a government is better than not there, and certainly winning from the government is better than winning, with the existence of the caretaker government”.
”If the government is formed, it can be held accountable by the parliament and by those who can be the opposition”, he said. “But if it is not formed, no one in the parliament has the right to hold accountable anyone else under the rubric that he is the one to be held accountable and the other is the one to be held accountable”.
“We should not stop trying until the last moment, and we know that the United States and its allies do not want a government in Lebanon and do not want Lebanon to rest and postpone all elections until after the new presidency”, he said. “But we at home must take bold steps to form a government so that we do not remain without an administration”.
In a statement last Saturday, Hezbollah announced the launch of three unarmed marches of different sizes towards the disputed area at the Karish field to carry out reconnaissance missions.
Lebanon recently deposited with the UN a letter confirming its adherence to its rights and marine wealth, noting that the Karish field is located within the borders of its disputed exclusive economic zone with Israel.
Last April, Saadeh Al Shami, the Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon, declared the “bankruptcy of the state and the Central Bank of Lebanon”, and said that the losses will be distributed to the state, the Bank of Lebanon, banks and depositors, and there is no specific percentage. Unfortunately, the state is bankrupt and so is the Bank of Lebanon.
The Lebanese then blamed Iran and Hezbollah for the deterioration. They expressed their extreme frustration on social media, as videos and pictures circulated online showing the extent of the damage suffered by Lebanon, and pointed fingers at Hezbollah and Iran, pointing out that their interference in the affairs of their country led to the destruction of their country. One activist wrote: “Iran has never entered a state without bankrupting it or toppling it.. “Peace be upon Lebanon, which was once the bride of the Middle East”, another activist said, describing what is happening in Lebanon as “the results of the Iranian project, which destroyed all the abilities of the peoples who are suffering from it”.
The huge Iranian support for Hezbollah in Lebanon caused these results to go bankrupt, as it had been highlighted by several international reports. They held it responsible for the huge catastrophe resulting from the deterioration of the situation. Bloomberg agency, citing a special source, revealed two years ago that the Iranian funding for the Lebanese Hezbollah reaches $700 million annually, and that Iran’s ability to continue this approach has become diminished under the pressure of the American boycott. The latest episode is Washington’s decision to eavesdrop Iran’s oil exports and cancel any exemptions that were granted to some countries in the matter of continuing imports from Iran.
