Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati attends Friday prayers before meeting with Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, at a mosque in Beirut, Lebanon September 10, 2021. REUTERS./

DUBAI, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Iranian fuel shipments imported by the Hezbollah movement constitute a breach of Lebanon’s sovereignty, according to comments published by his office.

“The violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty makes me sad,” Mikati told CNN in an interview, his office said in a posting on Twitter.

He added: “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.”

The Tehran-aligned group on Thursday began bringing tanker trucks carrying fuel from Iran, a move it says should ease a crippling energy crisis in Lebanon. A tanker ship carried the fuel to Syria and from there it crossed into Lebanon. Both Syria and Iran are under U.S. sanctions.

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(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli, Editing by William Maclean)