Israel sanctions UK-registered Coral Oil over fuel supplies to Hezbollah company

The terrorist organization requires fuel distillates to move weapons and military components and to run generators and other infrastructure.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz sanctioned Coral Oil after an Israeli counterterror financing investigation determined that the British-registered energy company provided approximately 130,000 liters of fuel to a Hezbollah-owned distributor in Lebanon, the Defense Ministry said.

The National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBCTF) identified the recipient as Al-Amana, also known as Al-Amanah.

Israel designated the fuel distributor, which is owned by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, as a terrorist organization in 2020.

The shipment included both gasoline and diesel, according to the ministry.

Coral Oil is owned by Lebanon’s A. Yamin Group S.A.L. Although registered in the United Kingdom, the company conducts most of its operations from Beirut.

In explaining the sanctions, the Defense Ministry said fuel supplies help sustain several elements of Hezbollah’s operational network.

The terrorist organization requires fuel distillates to move weapons and military components and to run generators and other infrastructure.

Fuel also supports Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure, the ministry said. As a result, supplying it to a Hezbollah-owned company helps maintain the terrorist organization’s operational capabilities against Israel.

Hezbollah primarily obtains oil illicitly imported from Iran through Syria. The terrorist organization relies on those supplies for its military and infrastructure network while also employing oil as a means of increasing its political influence in Lebanon.

Hezbollah runs illegal oil and liquefied petroleum gas trafficking operations with support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The networks conceal sanctioned crude shipments through intermediary companies and indirect maritime routes, generating millions of dollars that are directed to Hezbollah’s operations.

Within Lebanon, the terrorist organization has also brought Iranian diesel through Syria during periods of energy shortages.

Hezbollah has supplied the discounted fuel to hospitals and local communities, allowing it to operate outside Lebanese state institutions while expanding its influence among recipients.