“The first Iranian tanker reached the Venezuelan coasts. Grateful to the Bolivarian Armed Forces for escorting them,” the Iranian Embassy in Caracas wrote in Spanish on its official twitter page.
Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, earlier lashed out at the Trump administration for threatening to attack Iranian tankers and lauded Iran for its effort for bringing much needed fuel to the country.
“The Iranian gasoline reaching Venezuela is a landmark in the struggle for sovereignty, independence and peace. Trump and his minions are thinking of a military attack against the tankers amidst the pandemic. His experts advise him otherwise,” he wrote on his twitter page.
Iran is supplying about 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and alkylate to Venezuela, according to both governments, sources and calculations made by TankerTrackers.com based on the vessels' draft levels.
Washington has threatened to take measures in response, according to a senior US official.
The US recently beefed up its naval presence in the Caribbean for what it said was an expanded anti-drug operation.
Venezuela's defense minister had said its military would escort the Iranian tankers once they reach the nation's exclusive economic zone.