Three Iranian oil tankers are expected to deliver around 820 barrels of gasoline and other fuels, helping to ease shortages in Venezuela

An Iranian-flagged oil tanker Forest carrying 270 barrels of gasoline from Iran to Venezuela, breaches the American barrier in the Caribbean Sea and arrives in the waters of the South American country at the state port of El Palito, west of the capital, Caracas. Another major oil spill hits the Venezuelan sea

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Although both countries are under tough US sanctions, Washington has not moved to intercept the ships, which had already delivered gasoline to Venezuela from May to June.

Two other tankers, the Faxon and the Fortune, are making the same journey from Iran to Venezuela via the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and are due to arrive at the port of El Palito in early October.

Forest, Faxon and Fortune, together, are expected to deliver around 820 barrels of gasoline and other fuels, helping to alleviate shortages in Venezuela.

The deliveries are considered the first attempt since July, when Washington said its officials seized a convoy of privately owned Iranian oil tankers bound for Venezuela through a civil confiscation case.

Iran, however, claimed the reports were false, saying the fuel shipments in question were not related to the Islamic Republic nor its trade with Venezuela.

However, Reuters reported that the gasoline would soon be auctioned off, with the proceeds from the sale to be donated to the State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund for Victims of the United States.

Trade between the two countries, both heavily sanctioned by the United States, surged earlier this year as oil, fuel, food, refinery equipment and other industrial goods were exchanged.

Venezuela oil crisis

Venezuela is in the midst of a dire oil shortage, driven by a combination of tough US sanctions and a long-term decline in the maintenance of its refineries.

Earlier this year, the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reached an agreement with Iran for the delivery of five tankers (about 1,5 million barrels) of gasoline.

The Forest, Faxon and Fortune were part of this shipment, along with Iranian tankers Petunia and Clavel. You United States added the captains of all five ships to their travel and banking blacklist for their involvement.