Venezuela’s Military Declares Readiness to Protect Iranian Oil Tankers

Venezuela’s defense minister says fighter jets and naval vessels will be deployed to protect Iranian oil tankers. Apparently, the United States has sent several warships to the Caribbean Sea to prevent the transfer of Iranian oil and gasoline to Venezuela.

France’s news agency reported on Thursday morning, May 21st, quoting Venezuela’s defense minister, that the country’s military is ready to intervene to protect the flow of oil and gasoline transfers from Iran.

According to the report, Vladimir Padrino López said Wednesday in Caracas that as soon as Iranian oil tankers carrying petroleum products approach Venezuela, fighter jets and naval vessels will be deployed to protect them.

Venezuela, like the Islamic Republic, is under severe sanctions from the United States. The fuel shortage crisis in Venezuela has been exacerbated with the onset of the coronavirus crisis and has fueled discontent.

Following reports about the movement of several Iranian oil tankers carrying oil and gasoline toward Venezuela, some media outlets reported, citing a Donald Trump administration official, that the United States is sending several warships to the Caribbean Sea to prevent this action, which is considered a violation of sanctions.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, warned in a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday against the deployment of warships to the Caribbean to prevent trade between Iran and Venezuela, calling it “an illegal act and a kind of maritime piracy.”

Ali Rabiei, spokesperson for Hassan Rouhani’s government, had also stated a day earlier: “We and Venezuela are two independent states and we have trade in various goods and we will not sit idle and will sell our oil.” He added: “Iran gives goods to Venezuela and also receives items. This matter is nobody else’s business in the world.”

Fars News Agency, a media outlet close to security forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, reported on Sunday without citing its source that the United States has sent four warships to the Caribbean Sea to “potentially counter” Iranian oil tankers carrying oil.

According to France’s news agency, a senior U.S. Navy official said Monday, without directly referring to Iranian oil tankers carrying oil and gasoline, that the Islamic Republic’s “movements” in relation to Venezuela were concerning.

Two Sanctioned Countries and Oil and Gold Trade

About three weeks ago, Bloomberg news agency reported that a Mahan Air aircraft, after transporting equipment to repair Venezuela’s refinery facilities, carried 9 tons of gold (valued at approximately $500 million) to Iran. According to the report, this company, which is on the U.S. sanctions list, made several flights to Venezuela within a week.

Venezuela’s defense minister says he is in contact with his counterpart in the Islamic Republic to coordinate the entry of Iranian oil tankers carrying petroleum products into the country’s waters. He did not provide further details about the expected timing of the arrival of oil shipments from Iran.

Two years ago in April, the United States, following its withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reapplied sanctions against the Islamic Republic that had been lifted or suspended. One of the most important objectives of these sanctions, which have also intensified over the past two years, has been to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero.

Double Violation of Sanctions

By exporting oil and gasoline to Venezuela, which according to some reports is being carried out by five oil tankers, the Islamic Republic is both violating U.S. sanctions against itself and Washington’s sanctions against Nicholas Maduro’s government, the left-wing president of Venezuela.

Maduro thanked the Islamic Republic for its “support” in a television speech on Wednesday. He, like his defense minister, did not provide information about when Iranian oil tankers carrying petroleum products would arrive in Venezuelan waters.

Venezuela has long been mired in deep political and economic crises. Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader recognized by dozens of countries, including the United States, as Venezuela’s interim president, warned on Wednesday against importing oil and gasoline from Iran, describing it as a sign of inefficiency and mismanagement of Nicholas Maduro’s government. Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

Source: DW