Politico | US monitoring Iranian warships that may be headed to Venezuela
- An Iranian frigate and the Makran, a former oil tanker that was converted to a floating forward staging base, have been heading along the east coast of Africa
- Tehran’s intent in sending the vessels in the direction of the western hemisphere remains a mystery, as does their cargo
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Betsy Woodruff Swan, Lara Seligman, Andrew Desiderio and Nahal Toosi on politico.com on May 29, 2021.
The US national security community is monitoring two Iranian naval vessels whose ultimate destination may be Venezuela, according to three people familiar with the situation, in what would be a provocative move at a tense moment in US-Iran relations.
An Iranian frigate and the Makran, a former oil tanker that was converted to a floating forward staging base, have been heading south along the east coast of Africa, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive subject.
US officials do not know for sure the destination of the Iranian ships, these officials said, but believe they may be ultimately headed for Venezuela. Iran’s intent in sending the vessels in the direction of the western hemisphere remains a mystery, the people said, as does their cargo.
The two countries – both of them facing severe US sanctions – have developed closer ties over the last few years, with cooperation ranging from petrol shipments to joint car and cement factory projects.
