WORLD NEWS
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 4:10 PM UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

Iranian fuel tankers round Africa en route to the Atlantic: data

By Marianna Parraga
2 MIN READ

(Reuters) - Two Iranian-flagged tankers transporting fuel are sailing round Africa’s Cape of Good Hope en route to the Atlantic Ocean, according to Refinitiv Eikon’s vessel tracking data.

The medium-size vessels Forest and Fortune, carrying about 300,000 barrels of fuel each loaded at Iran’s Bandar Abbas terminal last month, are bound for Venezuela, according to sources with knowledge of the shipment.

Gasoline scarcity in Venezuela has worsened in recent days due to insufficient domestic production, leaving long lines of drivers waiting in front of stations and increasing the need for imported fuel.

Iran sent a first flotilla of five fuel tankers to Venezuela between May and June to help its political ally, which is also under U.S. sanctions. The vessels arrived in Venezuelan state-run PDVSA’s ports without interferences.

But a second armada of four Liberia-flagged tankers owned by a Greek shipping group did not arrive at the South American nation in July as the fuel was seized by Washington under a court order. The fuel is expected to be auctioned as part of the U.S. court action.

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