The first of five Iranian oil tankers – Fortune, Forest, Petunia, Faxon, and Clavel – has entered Venezuela’s waters carrying more than a million barrels of fuel, and being escorted by the Venezuelan navy and air force.
Venezuelan oil minister Tareck El Aissami wrote on Twitter after the arrival of the first tanker, Fortune, “The ships of the sister Islamic Republic of Iran are in our exclusive economic zone.”
Despite having the world’s largest oil reserves, Venezuela is suffering a shortage of refined fuel.
For months, Venezuela’s government has been experiencing a laundry list of refinery problems – including power failures and accidents – by delivering crude oil in exchange for gasoline to its customers, mainly the Russian company Rosneft.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro thanked Iran for its support, describing the two countries as “two revolutionary peoples who will never kneel down before North American imperialism”.
