Five Iranian oil tankers en route to Venezuela

An oil tanker on Lake Maracaibo, March 15, 2019. (Illustrative image) JUAN BARRETO / AFP

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Iranian oil tankers are expected to arrive in Venezuela this weekend to deliver fuel as the country has been plagued by fuel shortages for more than two months. The two countries call on the United States, which has a fleet in the Caribbean, not to hinder delivery.

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From our correspondent in Caracas ,  Benjamin Delille

Five Iranian oil tankers are currently sailing towards the Caribbean. A delivery that delights the President of Venezuela because the country has been running out of gas since the end of March. Nicolas Maduro attributes this shortage to American sanctions that complicate the purchase of gasoline abroad and therefore thanks Iran for its support.

Washington sees this rapprochement, with a negative eye because the two countries are targeted by sanctions. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó also condemned the delivery, he said, paid for with gold illegally extracted from mines in southern Venezuela.

American anti-drug operation

All this makes Caracas fear that the United States is doing everything it can to block the Iranian ships, in particular thanks to a large military fleet deployed off the Venezuelan coast in early April for an anti-drug operation in the Caribbean.

"  We are ready for anything, anytime,  " warned Nicolas Maduro. His Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, assured that Iranian tankers would be escorted by the army as soon as they entered Venezuelan waters. Iran also warned that Washington would be responsible for the "  consequences  " of a possible blockage.

►Also read: Venezuelan oil now under embargo, the Chavists cry conspiracy 

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  • Iran
  • Venezuela
  • Raw materials
  • Oil
  • United States

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