First Iranian oil tanker enters Venezuelan waters
The first of five tankers carrying Iranian fuel entered Venezuela's exclusive economic zone on Saturday evening local time.
According to Reuters, ship tracking data collected by Refinitiv ICON shows that the Iranian-flagged tanker Fortune entered Venezuelan territorial waters at 7:30 p.m. local time.
Venezuelan state television also broadcast images of a Venezuelan naval ship and fighter jets welcoming the tanker "Fortune".
Four other Iranian tankers, the Petunia, Forrest, Faxon, and Clavel, have passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and are heading towards the Caribbean Sea.
In this context, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, in response to a US official's statement regarding a possible US action, said on Wednesday that the country's military would escort Iranian oil tankers as they entered the exclusive economic zone.
Tariq Al-Essimi, the Venezuelan president's vice president for economics and recently appointed oil minister, tweeted, "The first Iranian tanker is now in our exclusive economic zone."
According to an assessment by the Tanker Trackers website, these five tankers are carrying a total of more than 1.52 million barrels of Iranian gasoline and other petroleum products destined for Venezuela.
The oil industries of Iran and Venezuela, two members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), have been sanctioned by the United States.
The total capacity of Venezuela's refineries used to be around 1.3 million barrels per day, but due to years of lack of investment and the loss of infrastructure, this capacity has now been drastically reduced.
Meanwhile, Oscar Rondres, an opposition representative in Venezuela's parliament, said: "[The ruling party] is trying to turn its scandal into an epic victory."
A senior US official, who did not give his name, previously told Reuters that the United States was considering a response to the move.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned on Saturday that Iran would retaliate if Iranian tankers were disturbed by the United States in the Caribbean Sea or anywhere else.
In a conversation with the Emir of Qatar, he said: "If our tankers in the Caribbean Sea or anywhere else in the world are troubled by the Americans, they will have problems in return."
The Iranian president added that "we hope the Americans will not make a mistake."
At the same time, Venezuela warned in a letter to the United Nations about possible US action against these tankers.
Source: Radio Farda
