The new prime minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, expressed opposition to the shipment of fuel from Iran to his country, saying over the weekend that the Hezbollah organization's importation of fuel constitutes a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.   

In an interview with CNN from Beirut, the prime minister said "The violation of Lebanon's sovereignty makes me sad. But I'm not concerned that sanctions can be imposed" on Lebanon "because the operation was carried out without the involvement of the Lebanese government." 

Reuters reported that starting last Thursday, the Hezbollah organization started bringing tanker trucks carrying Iranian fuel to Lebanon in order to ease the country's serious shortage of energy. Tanker ships delivered the fuel to a port in Syria, where the fuel was transferred to tanker trucks and then transported overland to Lebanon. Syria and Iran are under U.S. sanctions.

On Friday night, Lebanese broadcasting network LBCI reported that a new group of oil tankers entered Lebanon through the area of Hamel in the northern Bekaa Valley, an area populated by Shiite Muslims who support Hezbollah.