Iran’s Trade with Other Countries None of US Business - Rouhani

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted the US harsh sanctions against his country, and said Washington is not entitled to meddle with Iran’s exports of fuel to Venezuela.

“We are facing the harsh sanctions in addition to the outbreak of an epidemic disease,” Rouhani said during a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

“The Americans want to interfere in an ordinary trade and shipping of oil products from Iran to a friendly state and this is something that is none of their business at all and is not consistent with any law,” he added.

Rouhani further stressed that unity among the Iranian government, other branches of power and the Armed Forces deterred the US plot to make an aggression against the Iranian oil tankers voyaging towards Venezuela.

The first of five Iranian oil tankers entered the Venezuelan territorial waters last week to show Iran’s determination to carry out exports of goods and oil to everywhere in the world regardless of US threats.

According to the online tracking data, the Iranian-flagged tanker, named Fortune, arrived in the Venezuelan exclusive economic zone [EEZ] on Saturday evening.

Based on media reports, upon entering the Venezuelan waters, the ship was closely followed by a US cargo ship, the Adam Joseph.

Four other tankers - the Clavel, the Forest, the Faxon and the Petunia – followed the Iranian tanker 'Fortune' all en route to Venezuela’s shores.

The tankers are carrying a total of 1.53 million barrels of gasoline to Venezuela, according to both governments, sources and calculations by TankerTrackers.com.