Reuters: Large Alumina Shipment Delivered to Iranian Vessel in Venezuela

Reuters reported Thursday, citing three informed sources, that an Iranian company’s ship received 14,000 tons of aluminum powder (alumina) from Venezuela in August.

Reuters reported Thursday, quoting these sources, that the Golsan ship with a cargo capacity of nearly 23,000 tons, which belongs to Maskhoor Daryaye shipping company and is operated by Rahbaran Omid Daryaye company, loaded the alumina shipment from Venezuela.

The ship had left Iranian waters in June and arrived at Venezuelan ports in August, delivering its cargo which contained goods for an Iranian supermarket in Venezuela.

The United States placed Rahbaran Omid Daryaye company on its sanctions list in 2018.

According to tanker tracking company Refinitiv, the ship is currently returning to Iran in Atlantic Ocean waters, but the ship’s signal transmission system still reports its location as “Guaria” port in Venezuela.

This report comes as Venezuelan state television announced on Tuesday that the Golsan ship is carrying Venezuelan fruit shipments to Iran. Simultaneously, Hojjatollah Soltani, Iran’s ambassador in Caracas, wrote on his Twitter page that “Venezuela is sending mango and pineapple shipments to Iran.”

He described Iran-Venezuela trade as “win-win.”

Reuters writes that none of the Iranian companies involved in transporting the alumina shipment agreed to answer the news agency’s questions, and the media’s attempts to contact officials from both countries proved unsuccessful.

The United States has sanctioned trade in metals, including alumina, with Iran. This material is used in aluminum production, but Reuters writes that it is also used in missile manufacturing.

Iván Duque, president of Colombia, said on August 21 that Venezuela wants to buy missiles from Iran and provide them to Colombian rebels.

Beyond sanctioning metal trade, the United States has also blacklisted companies operating in alumina production in Iran. The United States says these companies cooperate with the IRGC’s nuclear, military, and missile programs.

Reuters writes that Iran delivered several benzene shipments to Venezuela months ago and opened a major store in the country. Iran has also exported refinery equipment to the country.

Authorities from both countries have not yet said how Venezuela paid its debt to Iran, but the United States says these payments were made with gold and through Mahan Air flights. Iran’s refinery equipment also reached Venezuela via Mahan Air flights.

The United States also seized four Iranian benzene shipments to Venezuela this month and sanctioned a Chinese company that was assisting Mahan Air.

Source: Radio Farda