TEHRAN - Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday that Iran and Venezuela remain steadfast in countering unlawful sanctions of the United States.

“US desperate moves against Iranian individuals - like the one announced by @SecPompeo, aka the #SecretaryofHate – just signal the miserable failure of the so-called “max pressure”. Despite US pressure, #Iran & #Venezuela remain steadfast in countering unlawful American sanctions,” he tweeted.

His comments came as response to the U.S. action in sanctioning five Iranian captains who delivered fuel to Venezuela. 

Five Iranian oil tankers by the names of Petunia, Forest, Faxon, Clavel, and Fortune carried fuel to Venezuela despite the United States’ sanctions. The last of them entered Venezuelan waters on June 1.

The tankers carried 1,520,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel fuel to Venezuela. There was also a team of Iranian engineers and specialists from the oil industry on board heading for the country.

In a message on June 8, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the crew of the Iranian tankers that shipped fuel to Venezuela, saying, “You did a great job. Your move was jihadi. You brought glory to the country.” 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba are real friends of Venezuela as they provide all-round help to Caracas.

“Humanitarian aid is coming from China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba. They are [Venezuela’s] true friends,” TASS quoted him as saying in a speech broadcast by the state TV on June 7.

Conn Hallinan, a columnist for Foreign Policy In Focus, has said that arrival of Iranian fuel tankers in Venezuelan waters was a crack in wall of the United States’ illegal sanctions against Caracas.

This action is a step in reducing “pressure” on Venezuela, Hallinan said, adding the Venezuelan people were in dire need of fuel.

This shipment brought revenue for Iran and from this point of view it was “a crack in wall of the United States’ illegal sanctions,” he told IRNA in an interview published on June 1.

Iranian Ambassador to Venezuela Hojat Soltani has also said that the United States’ unilateral sanctions have lost their efficiency.

“The United States’ unilateral sanctions against Venezuela, Iran and a number of other countries have lost efficiency,” IRNA quoted him as saying in an interview with the Al-Alam news network.

He also said that arrival of Iranian oil tankers in the Venezuelan waters was an “international victory”.

Venezuela’s envoy to the UN Jorge Valero has said that Iran and Venezuela will continue fighting U.S. President Donald Trump’s hostile policies.

“The people of Iran and Venezuela are two brotherly nations and will continue their war against Trump’s hostile policies,” ISNA quoted him as saying on June 9 in an interview with Al Mayadeen TV channel.

‘Iran’s fuel delivery to Venezuela makes Trump surrender’

In an article published by the Raialyoum newspaper on Tuesday, it is said that fuel and food delivery to Venezuela by Iran has made Trump surrender.

Tehran challenged Trump and his threats by this action, the newspaper said, according to ISNA.

A sixth Iranian vessel entered Venezuela’s territorial waters, carrying a cargo of food and medical supplies after the Islamic Republic supplied massive cargos of fuel to the Latin American nation, Press TV reported.

The cargo ship "Golsan" reportedly docked and unloaded at Venezuela’s northern port of La Guayra on Wednesday night.

NA/PA