South American State Announces to Help Iranian Oil Ships on their Way to Ports • Concern: US Action Against the Cracking Violations

• Iranian tanker on its way to Venezuela passes Gibraltar // Photo: IP

The Venezuelan army announced Thursday that its men will assist in securing Iranian oil tankers on their way to Venezuela and providing escort to all five cruise ships on their way to the country. 

Venezuela's Secretary of Defense has announced that Iranian vessels are "welcome to our territorial commercial area," in defiance of the United States imposing heavy sanctions on Iranian oil purchasers. US officials have already announced that they are considering measures to halt shipments to Venezuela. 

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Gavido said the Venezuelan regime's need for oil is a testament to the country's economy's economy under the leadership of Nicolas Maduro, who downgraded the country from a world-leading energy producer to a country in need of alms. 

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and State, which tracks the new escalation, said that sites monitoring vessels reporting 5 Iranian tankers (Clavel Forest Petunia Faxon Fortune) are on their way to Venezuela with fuel worth at least $ 45.5 million.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has labeled "illegal" US threats to stop Iranian oil tankers on their way to Venezuela and threatened Iran to respond to such action. According to him, free trade between independent states is legal and what is illegal is intervention in such relations and the United States is at the forefront of these illegal efforts. He said: "The United States under President Trump's presidency encourages international anarchism and this should light a red light for the entire world to defend multilateralism under the UN Convention ... We hope the United States does not take a foolish step, otherwise Iran will respond forcefully." Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Tarif Agar, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General warning of US naval activity against Iranian tankers in the Caribbean delivering fuel to Venezuela.

The Noor News Agency, affiliated with Revolutionary Guards warned of "piracy", reported sending US destroyers and Boeing P-8 Poseidon planes to naval warfare to the Caribbean and made it clear that anti-Iran activity would "remain unanswered." It also reads "Is Trump gambling again by creating insecurity in international shipping lanes" *