US: Four tankers carrying Iranian gasoline have been seized
Four tankers carrying Iranian gasoline exports to Venezuela have been seized on charges of violating Washington's sanctions on the Islamic Republic, according to US officials. The move is part of a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, August 13, citing US officials, that four tankers carrying Iranian gasoline had been stopped. The ships were scheduled to deliver the gasoline to Venezuela.
According to the publication, the tankers in question, named "Luna, Pandey, Bering, and Bella," have been stopped in open waters and are now en route to the port of Houston, Texas.
Venezuela's refineries are currently not operating, and the country is forced to import gasoline to cover its needs. The United States has sanctioned the sale of Iranian oil.
US officials have confirmed that the United States has seized the four tankers carrying Iranian gasoline on charges of violating Washington's sanctions on the Islamic Republic. The seizure was said to have taken place without a fight.
Senior US government officials are scheduled to visit and inspect the tankers when they dock at the Port of Houston.
Meanwhile, Hojjat Satlani, Iran's ambassador to Venezuela, described the news of the four tankers being stopped as "American psychological warfare" and also denied that the ships were Iranian. According to him, "Neither the ships are Iranian, nor is their owner or flag related to Iran."
In July, the US Attorney General requested the seizure of four oil tankers bound for Venezuela.
The US Attorney's Office stated in its indictment that the Islamic Republic "spends the proceeds from exporting fuel to Venezuela for war-mongering activities, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and military equipment and weapons in support of terrorism and human rights violations."
According to the Wall Street Journal, the two ships, the Bella and the Bering, were in the waters off Cape Seb when the U.S. Attorney General requested the seizure of the tankers. The last radio signals from the Pandi and Luna were sent in July from the Gulf of Oman.
US officials claim that an Iranian businessman affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acted behind the scenes and intended to disappear by setting up shell companies, some of which were owned by other people.
The Wall Street Journal report states that the ownership of these ships or the right to operate them belongs to a person named George Gialosgolo and his son Marius.
Since 2018, following its withdrawal from the JCPOA, the United States has imposed "maximum sanctions" on Iranian oil exports, stating that the goal is to force the Islamic Republic to halt its nuclear program, limit its ballistic missile development program, and limit its military influence in the Middle East.
Blocking as many of the Iranian government's revenue channels through oil sales as possible is one of America's efforts in this regard.
Source: DW
