Lebanon’s Living Crises Worsen, Long Queues Return after Elections

Lebanese people wait in front of a bakery in Beirut, Lebanon (EPA)
Lebanese people wait in front of a bakery in Beirut, Lebanon (EPA)
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Lebanon’s Living Crises Worsen, Long Queues Return after Elections

Lebanese people wait in front of a bakery in Beirut, Lebanon (EPA)
Lebanese people wait in front of a bakery in Beirut, Lebanon (EPA)

Lebanon’s living crises resurfaced only two days after the parliamentary elections were held. Long queues of people waiting in front of bakeries and gas stations returned, electricity supply declined due to fuel shortages, and the exchange rate of the dollar against the local currency rose to record levels not seen in five months.

In hopes of curbing the spike in exchange rates, Lebanon’s central bank released a statement confirming it will continue to allow banks to purchase dollars with no ceiling via the bank's Sayrafa exchange platform until the end of July.
Moreover, authorities rushed to intervene in securing fuel for power production plants.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday received a phone call from the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who congratulated him on the holding of the parliamentary elections. He also notified him that Iraq will continue to supply Lebanon with the fuel needed to produce electricity.

Nevertheless, Lebanon’s national electricity company said that it will cut its output further in the coming days, after burning through most of its fuel supplies during Sunday’s election.

EDL wrote that it “consumed its fuel reserves at a faster pace” during “the period of the parliamentary election”.

Lebanon was witnessing a host of renewed crises on Wednesday against the backdrop of a continuous surge of the dollar exchange rate on the black market.

For the first time in five months, the exchange rate hit LBP 31,000 to the dollar.

The hike confused Lebanon’s markets and increased speculation with some shops closing their doors in the suburbs of Beirut to prevent additional losses.

“Gasoline is available in the depots of the companies and in ships present at sea. We are not in a fuel crisis in Lebanon, because the issue is related to some delay in the completion of bank transactions aimed at providing the importing companies with dollars through the Sayrafa platform,” said a top member of the fuel station owners syndicate of Lebanon, George Brax.

“The issue should be solved quickly… Companies are distributing gasoline in limited quantities and some stations ran out due to the delay in gasoline deliveries,” Brax added.



Jordan Outlaws Muslim Brotherhood, Confiscates Assets, Offices

The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)
The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)
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Jordan Outlaws Muslim Brotherhood, Confiscates Assets, Offices

The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)
The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)

Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood and confiscated its assets on Wednesday after members of the group were found to be linked to a sabotage plot, Interior Minister Mazen Fraya said.

Jordan said last week it had arrested 16 Muslim Brotherhood members, saying they were plotting attacks involving rockets and drones on targets inside the kingdom. Jordan also attributed a foiled plot in 2024 to a Muslim Brotherhood cell in Jordan.

According to Reuters, Fraya said all the activities of the group would be banned and anyone promoting its ideology would be held accountable by law.

The ban includes publishing anything by the group and closure and confiscation of all its offices and property, he added.

Fraya said Muslim Brotherhood members had planned attacks on security targets and sensitive locations in the kingdom, aiming to destabilize the country, but did not disclose what these targets were.

Security forces said last week they had found a rocket manufacturing facility alongside a drone factory where short-range rockets were being developed, with at least one missile ready to be launched.