World news: Iranian tanker DOCKS at Venezuelan port after braving stormy waters to deliver 1st oil shipment despite US blockade

The Iranian-flagged tanker ‘Fortune’ has arrived at its final destination, docking at El Palito port on Venezuela's northern coast. The vessel is the first of five Iranian tankers that set sail for Caracas loaded with fuel.

BREAKING NEWS: The Iranian oil/chem Handymax tanker, FORTUNE, which loaded 43 million liters of gasoline during mid-March at Port Shahid Rajaee, Iran, has now moored at berth 2 at the refinery of El Palito, Venezuela, situated west of capital city, Caracas. #OOTT @MarineTraffic pic.twitter.com/rvpbHsxnQl
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc.⚓️🛢 (@TankerTrackers) May 25, 2020

Satellite images showed the tanker completing a berthing operation at El Palito refinery with the help of two Venezuelan tug boats shortly after midnight on Monday local time.

#BREAKING
as you see the tracking map,both Venezuelan tugs pushing Fortune tanker for berthing at El Palito port.

Congratulations to #Venezuela🇻🇪

Berthing operation finished.
After pass(visit) Fortune by Venexuelan Coast Guard ,discharging cargo operation will start soon.🙂 https://t.co/vKVsG1piss pic.twitter.com/5xfiRpoWl9
— Sayed Abolfazl🇮🇷🇻🇪🇷🇺🇾🇪🇱🇧🇸🇾 (@IRI_SEAMAN) May 25, 2020

In order to ensure that the ship reached Venezuela’s shores without any incident, the tanker was escorted by the Venezuelan Navy as it passed through the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).