The fifth and last tanker in a flotilla of ships carrying Iranian fuel has entered Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA)’s El Palito refining facility.
According to Refinitiv Eikon tracking data, Clavel crossed into Venezuelan waters late on Sunday and is now docked in Puerto Cabello.
The tanker will be delivering the last cargo of the 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and alkylate that Iran sent to Venezuela to help revive oil refineries in the South American country, which is suffering from a severe fuel shortage caused by US sanctions.
Clavel left Bandar Abbas port on the Persian Gulf on April 28 and traveled the Red Sea and Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, and then into the Atlantic.
Four other Iran-flagged vessels — Fortune, Forest, Petunia and Faxon — have already reached Venezuela under military escort and unloaded their cargo.
Fortune was the first of the flotilla that reach the South American country's waters on 23 May despite a warning from the US.
Iranian flagged fuel tanker ‘Fortune’ is seen after it was docked at El Palito refinery in Puerto Cabello, state of Carabobo, Venezuela, on May 26, 2020. Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
US officials had said Washington was considering responses to Iran’s move, prompting Tehran to warn of retaliatory measures if Washington causes any problem for the Venezuela-bound tankers.
The US has imposed sanctions on both Iran and Venezuela with the aim of crippling their oil sectors.
Maduro to visit Tehran
On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced plans to visit Iran to ink more cooperation deals in different sectors.
Workers of the state-oil company Pdvsa holding Iranian and Venezuelan flags greet during the arrival of the Iranian tanker ship "Fortune" at El Palito refinery in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela May 25, 2020. Photo: Reuters
“Soon we will travel to Iran, to embrace them. Soon I will be in Iran. As soon as the sanitary conditions in Iran and Venezuela allow it,” said the Venezuelan head of state, referring to ongoing efforts to contain a coronavirus outbreak in both countries.
“We will go to the high-level joint committee to sign agreements on energy cooperation, financial cooperation, military cooperation, agricultural cooperation, technological cooperation, scientific cooperation, pharmaceutical cooperation. We will sign documents,” he said in a state television address.