Lebanon’s Sanctioned Oil Scandal Exposes Links to Global Shadow Fleet
Lebanon‘s energy sector has been rocked by revelations of a massive oil scandal, exposing links between local fuel suppliers and a global shadow fleet network under western sanctions. The scandal, which allegedly cost the country tens of millions of dollars, has triggered multiple investigations in Lebanon, further shedding light on the scale of the case.
The National’s previous investigation pieced together how energy-starved Lebanon imported overpriced Russian fuel since 2023 to operate its ageing power plants. Certificates of origin were allegedly falsified to present the sanctioned fuel as Egyptian or Turkish, allowing it to be sold at market prices and generating hefty margins at the expense of the Lebanese state.
New Documents Reveal Companies and Vessels Involved
The new documents obtained by The National reveal for the first time the names of companies and vessels involved in the alleged scheme to deliver oil from suppliers since placed under western sanctions. The scandal has now triggered investigations in Lebanon, further exposing the scale of the case.
A year after The National’s initial investigation exposed parts of the alleged scheme, Lebanese judicial documents and sources confirmed that two additional legal cases have been opened to investigate the companies involved, bringing the total to at least three. The documents provide an in-depth look at how the oil network allegedly operated, using vessels tied to Russia’s alleged shadow fleet and front companies that have since been sanctioned over suspected ties mainly to the 2Rivers Group.
Investigations Underway
Beirut has opened separate investigations into international suppliers that delivered Russian fuel. The UK imposed sanctions on 175 companies linked to the 2Rivers oil group, formerly known as Coral Energy Group, and 48 shadow fleet oil tankers in February 2026 as part of a wider package against Russian interests.
The National found that at least eight companies involved in Lebanon‘s fuel supply chain between 2023 and 2025 were subsequently sanctioned for their ties with the 2Rivers oil group as part of the 2026 UK package. It also found that 15 vessels directly involved in Lebanon’s fuel supply chain were later sanctioned.
Energy Minister Responds
Joseph Saddi, Lebanon‘s Energy Minister since February 2025, told The National he was not personally aware of the alleged price-cap violations before the scandal became public. He added that his ministry had “immediately” amended the tender specifications to prevent similar irregularities from happening, while suspected violations from before his tenure had been referred to the judiciary.
“Every time there were suspicions, we asked the judiciary to investigate,” he clarified.
Vessels Under Sanction
Based on open-source data and shipping documents, The National also found that at least 15 vessels directly involved in Lebanon‘s fuel supply chain between 2023 and 2025 were later sanctioned by western governments for transporting Russian oil. Among the newly sanctioned vessels is the Vietnam-flagged TM Hai Ha 568, which The National previously investigated, tracing its 2025 route to Lebanon via Cyprus and Egypt after ship-to-ship transfers.
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control considers ship-to-ship (STS) activities involving sanctioned vessels as a violation of sanctions.
Original Article: Lebanon’s sanctioned oil scandal exposes links to global shadow fleet and leads to new inquiries — Thenationalnews