Al-Masri warned the consequences of violating these laws, even under the conditions of economic crisis, could be severe. While, economics expert Walid Abu Suleiman, warned US sanctions could be ruinous for Lebanese entities. Abu Suleiman was quoted as citing the Jamal Trust Bank which was “closed by the stroke of a pen” after the US imposed sanctions on the organisation, as an example. The move comes after Iran said the state was ready to supply Lebanon with fuel sent on ships, similar to the Islamic Republic’s trade deal with Venezuela. Meanwhile pro-Hezbollah media outlets, including the Lebanese daily Al-Akbar called on the government to “breach the American economic blockade” by accepting Iranian imports. The report stressed the need to open up “to Iranian support by accepting the offers presented”. As the economic situation in Lebanon has deteriorated in recent weeks, citizens have taken to Facebook to barter and exchange clothes and furniture for food, with pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets across the country surfacing on social media. The local currency, the Lebanese lira, has lost more than 80 per cent of its value since October, and is now trading at approximately 9,000 lira to $1. While, power outages have become increasingly frequent amid soaring food prices and unemployment.