The first of five Iranian fuel tankers approached Venezuelan waters on Saturday, despite a warning from Washington about the possibility of taking measures against Iran for the supply of fuel to the South American country.
About this with reference to the data of the analytical company Refinitiv Eikon, reports Reuters.
According to him, at 16:51 local time (23:51 Moscow time) a tanker called Fortune (“Luck”) was spotted north of the neighboring state of Trinidad and Tobago.
As Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreasa said on May 14, the United States is being targeted by tankers carrying fuel to the country, which is a violation of international standards and the rights of citizens of the republic. On May 17, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi summoned the Ambassador of Switzerland, representing US interests in the Islamic Republic, and warned Washington against persecuting Iranian tankers bound for Venezuela. In addition, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter to the UN Secretary General, in which he emphasized that “the United States must respect international law, in particular freedom of navigation”.
On May 20, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources in the US administration, reported that United States authorities were considering imposing sanctions and applying a number of other restrictive measures against Iran in connection with the supply of fuel to Venezuela.