In a message on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei hailed the captains and crew of the Iranian oil tankers that carried shipments of fuel to Venezuela.
“You did a great job. Your move was a jihadi one. You brought glory to the country,” Ayatollah Khamenei told the sailors.
The Leader also wished the crew of the oil tankers success.
In May, five Iranian oil tankers carried gasoline to Venezuela in defiance of the US sanctions.
Although the US has threatened to block the delivery and had even deployed a naval flotilla to the Caribbean Sea, the Iranian oil tankers sailed across the Caribbean and delivered the fuel to Venezuelan ports.
Analysts believe Iran’s gesture of solidarity will strengthen diplomatic relations and trade agreements between the two countries.