LEBANON’S Hezbollah announced the arrival of a second tanker loaded with Iranian oil to the Syrian port of Baniyas today, as it continues to defy crippling US sanctions.

The latest shipment arrived in the north-western port city at around 10pm on Thursday night, the Shi’ite movement announced, without giving any further details.

Its media relations department said that lorry convoys would enter Lebanon within the next few days. 

The latest delivery was made to the crisis-stricken country on Wednesday, the fifth shipment to arrive from neighbouring Syria.

Importing fuel from Iran has dealt a major blow to the US, with its sanctions on both Tehran and Damascus made to look ineffective by Hezbollah’s actions.

The group claims to have broken the “US siege of Lebanon,” which is in the midst of the world’s worst economic crisis since the mid-19th century, according to the World Bank.

The oil was paid for by a group of Shi’ite businessmen in a deal struck with Iran last month. 

It led to a spat with newly appointed Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who accused the move of breaching the country’s sovereignty.

But Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has previously said the fuel would be distributed free of charge to hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions to alleviate the crisis. 

“Hezbollah is not looking to make a business out of this but wants to ease people’s hardships,” he said, adding that the rest of the shipment would be sold “below cost” to bakeries and private hospitals.

Lebanon’s currency has lost 90 per cent of its value in the last 18 months, pushing three-quarters of the population into poverty. 

Electricity blackouts have become commonplace, with Lebanon unable to pay for fuel due to a lack of foreign cash reserves. 

Hopes that the new administration, which was approved in a vote on Monday, would alleviate the situation were dampened as fuel prices rocketed almost instantly as subsidies ended.

It was seen a measure to appease the International Monetary Fund, with talks under way for a new economic rescue package.

Mr Mikati was in Paris today meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, whose support is deemed crucial to a bailout deal. 

The Lebanese Communist Party has rejected the new government, which it warns will make the people pay for a crisis in order to protect the interests of capital and the banks.

It has called for a popular mobilisation of progressive forces to “bring down this system” and implement real change.