Sanctioned carrier IRISL to start service to Venezuela

Sanctioned carrier IRISL to start service to Venezuela An official with the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran said Sunday in Tehran the country has launched a direct shipping route to Venezuela using the shipping line recently sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for its role in weapons proliferation.
   Mehr News Agency, an Iranian news outlet, reported that Amin Charooseh, director of the TPOI Trade Services Department, said his agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines have jointly taken the move. The service will reportedly use a 600-TEU IRISL vessel, with further capacity to be boosted in the future.
   The move will likely cause Washington more stress as two of its most bitter enemies deepen ties through container trade.
   IRISL was singled out last month by officials in Washington for facilitating the illegal movement of equipment for Iran’s defense department. The U.S. government alleged that IRISL was falsifying manifests to hide these shipments, a charge the carrier disputes.