Third Iranian fuel tanker nears Suez Canal en route to Lebanon

The third Iranian fuel tanker set for Lebanon has reappeared on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and has entered the Gulf of the Suez Canal, TankerTrackers.com announced on Friday. 

TankerTrackers said in the tweet: “The third tanker carrying Iranian gasoil or gasoline for Hezb'Allah's distribution in Lebanon (via Baniyas, Syria) has now re-appeared on AIS,” and the tanker is named Fortune. 

The third tanker carrying Iranian gasoil or gasoline for Hezb'Allah's distribution in #Lebanon (via Baniyas, Syria) has now re-appeared on AIS. Her name is FORTUNE (9283746) and has entered the Gulf of Suez from the Red Sea. FAXON, FOREST and FORTUNE visited Venezuela in 2020. pic.twitter.com/17fD0VqjZP

— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) October 1, 2021

The controversial deal between Iran and Lebanon, organised by Hezbollah, involves a total of three Iranian oil tanker shipments into Lebanon. The first shipment arrived on 16 September. 

Hezbollah has said that some of the fuel will be given to orphanages and public hospitals which are in critical condition as the fuel shortages have prevented lights and equipment from working. 

The rest of the fuel would be sold to other businesses but is yet to be priced. “We have no choice but to take whatever decision that reduces the burden on us and citizens,” a private business owner in Lebanon told Al Jazeera. 

Lebanon is gripped by one of the world's worst economic crises since the 1850s, according to the World Bank, and is struggling with shortages of fuel and other necessities, amid a black market plunge in the local currency of more than 90 percent.