King Abdullah II
King Abdullah IIReuters

Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Sunday received Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Amman and said his country will stand by the small nation and its people during its worst-ever economic crisis, The Associated Press reported.

The visit to Jordan by Mikati is his first to an Arab country since he formed his Cabinet last month. It comes after the premier's trips to France and Britain, as Mikati seeks their help.

It also comes a day after Lebanon suffered a massive power outage after fuel shortages forced its two largest power stations to shut down.

On Sunday, the Lebanese army gave emergency supplies of fuel to the two plants and they resumed work, according to Electricity Minister Walid Fayad.

Jordan’s Royal Court quoted the king as telling Mikati that “Jordan will always stand by the side of Lebanon and its brotherly people.” It gave no further details but said the two officials discussed regional affairs as well.

The power outages come amid the continued fuel crisis in Lebanon which has paralyzed the country.

Dozens of trucks carrying Iranian diesel recently arrived in Lebanon, the first in a series of deliveries organized by Hezbollah.

The overland delivery through neighboring Syria violates US sanctions imposed on Tehran after former President Donald Trump pulled America out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

The shipment is being portrayed as a victory by Hezbollah, which stepped in to supply the fuel from its patron, Iran.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati criticized the Iranian fuel shipments imported by Hezbollah, saying they constitute a breach of Lebanon's sovereignty.

Last Thursday, the United States denounced Hezbollah's deliveries of Iranian fuel to Lebanon as a “public relations stunt” and warned that Tehran remained under sanctions.