Oil Tankers from Iran Arrive in Venezuela, Defying U.S. Sanctions on Both Countries

Authorities in Venezuela celebrated Monday as the first of five Iranian gasoline tankers arrived in the country, bringing badly-needed fuel supplies.

Workers at the El Palito refinery welcomed the docking of Iranian tanker Fortune.

Four more tankers are expected over the coming days.

The Iranian tankers hold what analysts estimate to be enough gasoline to supply Venezuela for two to three weeks.

Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves, but it has to import gasoline because production has crashed over the last two decades.

Critics blame corruption and mismanagement by the socialist government led by President Nicolas Maduro.

The fuel shipments are arriving in the face of stiff sanctions imposed by the United States on both Venezuela and Iran.

They mark a new era in the burgeoning relationship between the two countries, which are labelled by the US as repressive regimes.

Washington accuses Iran and other nations of propping up the Maduro regime.

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In This Story: Iran

Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.

Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.

Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.

The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.