Foxon, the fourth tanker of five-vessel Iranian flotilla, will be escorted by the Venezuelan armed forces en route to its destination, as in the case of its three predecessors.
The five-tanker Iranian-flagged flotilla is carrying up to 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and components to help the country ease an acute scarcity that has forced Venezuelans to wait for hours in lines at service stations.
As Foxon was navigating through the Caribbean Sea, the third vessel of the flotilla, the Petunia, was approaching El Palito refinery, where the first vessel, the Fortune, has been docked since Monday.
The United States has criticized the shipment, as both OPEC nations are under sanctions. A US official said earlier this month that President Donald Trump’s administration was considering responses to the shipment, prompting the Iranian government to warn Washington against military action.
The first Iranian vessel, the 'Fortune', successfully reached Venezuela on May 24 and was escorted into the port by the Bolivarian Navy.
The second Iranian oil tanker, the 'Forest', entered the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Venezuela early on May 25, met by the country's navy.
The fifth and final Iranian vessel is also on its way through the Atlantic Ocean to deliver fuel to the country under US sanctions.
The shipments have stirred the wrath of the US administration in Washington as both Iran and Venezuela are under illegal sanctions imposed by the White House.
The administration of President Donald Trump, which has returned US sanctions against Iran after leaving a historic nuclear accord between the Islamic Republic and world powers, said earlier this month that it was considering “measures” to take in response to the shipments.
MNA/4935773/PR
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