US to Sanction ‘Dozens of Tankers’ to Cut Oil Transfer from Iran to Venezuela
Reports indicate that the US government is preparing to sanction dozens of oil tankers as part of a broad program to sever oil ties between Iran and Venezuela.
An informed source who requested anonymity told Bloomberg on Tuesday, June 10, that sanctions on 50 oil tankers will be imposed through the Treasury Department, with the aim of preventing military confrontation on this issue.
Bloomberg states that the goal of Donald Trump’s administration’s measures is to prevent the expansion of Iran’s relations with Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro had defended “free trade” with Iran last month.
The report adds that the US has already imposed broad economic sanctions against both the Iranian and Venezuelan governments, and targeting tankers is a step to prevent these two countries from getting closer.
Bloomberg also cited the informed source as saying that the US government intends to sanction a company affiliated with Álex Saab Morán, a Colombian businessman, due to his connections to Nicolás Maduro.
An official familiar with the plan also told the Wall Street Journal that the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department is reviewing the preparation of a list of these 50 tankers.
Jorge Arreaza, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, also wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that the US has attacked Venezuela’s economy by blocking the country’s foreign revenues that could be used to import humanitarian goods including food and medicine.
Reuters also reported that given the latest US measures, an increasing number of international shipping companies are trying to avoid any dealings with Venezuela.
More than two weeks ago, five Iranian tankers transferred over 1.5 million barrels of gasoline and fuel to Venezuela.
Nicolás Maduro said after the tankers arrived that he would soon travel to Tehran to negotiate new contracts.
Venezuela has faced fuel shortages, particularly gasoline, in recent months due to structural problems. Venezuela’s refineries had a combined capacity of approximately 1.3 million barrels per day in the past, but due to years of lack of investment and deteriorating infrastructure, this capacity has now been severely reduced.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government began gasoline rationing last week to address the fuel crisis. The country had previously sold the cheapest gasoline to its citizens.
The US Special Envoy for Venezuelan Affairs also warned countries, ports, transportation companies, and insurers last week that if they provide services to Iranian tankers carrying oil products to Venezuela, they will face sanctions.
Opponents of Nicolás Maduro’s government say that measures such as importing gasoline from Iran do not solve structural problems in the country’s oil industry and only temporarily reduce them.
Source: Radio Farda
