“The ships of the sister Islamic Republic of Iran are in our exclusive economic zone,” Venezuelan oil minister Tareck El Aissami wrote on Twitter.
“Ya los buques de la hermana República Islámica de Irán 🇮🇷 se encuentran en nuestra Zona Económica Exclusiva, como diría nuestro amado Comandante CHÁVEZ, “La VENEZUELA AZUL”, acompañados por nuestra ARMADA BOLIVARIANA como símbolo de la hermandad y de la fortaleza de nuestra unión
— Tareck El Aissami (@TareckPSUV) May 24, 2020″
His tweet came after the arrival of the first tanker, named Fortune, which was escorted by the Venezuelan armed forces after entering the country’s waters.
The five tankers are reportedly carrying about 1.5 million barrels of gasoline.
The shipment comes amid tensions between Tehran and Washington, which has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports and Iran.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday warned of “consequences” if the US stopped the ships from reaching their destination.
