Warships and planes welcomed it: The first of four Iranian oil tankers entered Venezuelan waters

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The first of a total of five Iranian tankers has entered Venezuelan territorial waters, despite general warnings from Washington and the buildup of military equipment on the Atlantic coast.

About 200 nautical miles off the coast of Venezuela, the Iranian tanker was welcomed by Venezuelan warships and planes, which escorted the oil cargo to port, globovision reports, as cited by RTS..

The shipment that arrived in Venezuela is the first delivery of Iranian oil to a South American country. Americans strongly protested the export of Iranian oil to Venezuela, as both countries are covered by sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration.

The day before the tanker's arrival, Venezuelan authorities deployed anti-aircraft missile systems to the coast, and President Nicolas Maduro met with armed forces commanders, announcing an air force exercise on the Atlantic coast.

Tehran and Caracas have sharply warned the United States that they will respond to any attempt to prevent the tankers from unloading oil in Venezuela. The Donald Trump administration and Maduro's rival, Juan Guaidó, claim the cargo was paid for with "blood gold".

In recent weeks, Americans have increased their naval forces in the Caribbean Sea, stating that this is a result of expanding operations against drug cartels.

Although Washington has denied any connection to the recent landing of about thirty armed individuals on the Venezuelan coast, relations between the two countries have been on the brink of conflict for years, primarily because Washington strongly supports Juan Guaidó's parallel government.

Guaidó, who lost several advisors after a failed coup attempt, demanded that the oil shipment from Iran be stopped, claiming that Maduro pays for fuel with "blood gold" from mines in the south of the country.

The leader of the Venezuelan opposition also said that 17 Iranian planes had landed at the airport in Caracas in the past few days, noting that weapons for Nicolas Maduro's regime might have been delivered in this way.

At the same time, Tehran warned the Americans that they would face serious consequences if they attempted to stop the convoy of tankers sailing towards Venezuela.