Iran Changes Route to Bring Fuel to Venezuela Amid US Sanctions

Iranian Honey vessel unloads fuel at Jose Port, Venezuela, Sept. 14, 2020. | Photo: Twitter/ @alejandro_pon ·

14 September 2020

The Honey ship bordered the South African coast to avoid the U.S. geolocation systems.

The Iranian oil tanker Honey took a new sea route to outwit U.S. sanctions and transport a new shipment of about 2 million barrels of condensate gas to Venezuela's coasts.

On Saturday, the ship arrived at Jose Puerto, in the Anzoategui Department, after skirting the South African coast to avoid the U.S. geolocation systems.

During the journey, the ship turned off its satellite signal after the U.S. justice system seized four Iranian ships that were heading to Venezuela charged with gasoline last July.

The Honey ship took the longest and most dangerous trip, which extends time on the high seas and includes bordering some sections dominated by the maritime piracy network.

"The Iranian ship Honey is already in Venezuela. This is how it docked in the port.  Long live Iran, death to the criminal imperialism."

This was the solution sought by Iran to evade the U.S. President Donald Trump's sanctions, which are trying to prevent the crude oil trade between the two countries.

The new fuel shipment will be used by the Petroleos de Venezuela SA oil company and will be mixed with a tar-like crude to boost production in the Orinoco oil belt.

Venezuela has been struggling to halt a production's fall provoked by the sanctions. Trump is seeking to cut off access to equipment and buyers for the Latin American country's oil.

By 2020, five ships carrying fuel and chemicals arrived at Venezuelan shores after the signing of a trade agreement between both countries.