Did an Iranian Tanker Arrive in Venezuela Loaded with Gasoline?

TankerTrackers, an online service in charge of tracking and reporting on shipments and storage of crude oil in different “points of geographic and geopolitical interest,” reported this Saturday, February 20, that a shipment of around 44 million liters of gasoline arrived at the El Palito refinery, from Iran.

According to this source, the cargo arrived on board the tanker Forest. This assertion, it stresses, is based on a six-week follow-up research.

BREAKING: A shipment of around 44 million liters of gasoline has secretly arrived at El Palito, Venezuela from Iran aboard handysize tanker FOREST. This is according to our 6 week long tracking investigation. FOREST is the 3rd tanker we were expecting after FORTUNE & FAXON. #OOTT
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) February 20, 2021

“Forest is the third tanker we expected after Fortune & Faxon,” the internet tracking service posted.

Certainly. The AIS transponder aboard the Iranian handymax tanker FOREST has been switched off since December 11th, 2020 when the vessel was in Iran to load up her gasoline cargo. She then departed for Venezuela a week or so later. We've kept close watch of her during the voyage. https://t.co/GtYeMMmVyh
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) February 20, 2021

In another tweet, the internet service added, “The AIS transponder aboard the Iranian handymax tanker Forest has been switched off since December 11th, 2020 when the vessel was in Iran to load up her gasoline cargo. She then departed for Venezuela a week or so later. We kept a close watch on her during the voyage.”

Venezuelan authorities on Saturday night did not provide additional information to verify or reject the information provided by the maritime tracking service.

Featured image: File photo.

(La IguanaTV) with OT content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/OH