Recently, Iranian tankers delivered oil to Venezuela - which is badly needed, while Venezuela is under US embargo and sanctions.
In Iran that was claimed as victory. But were there any direct threats from the US towards Iran?
asked May 26, 2020 at 7:47
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This seems rather strange to me. Why on Earth would Iran want or need to deliver oil to Venezuela, which - at least the last time I looked - is a major oil exporter. Has the current regime destroyed the economy that badly?– jamesqfMay 26, 2020 at 15:08
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4Because Venezuela is importing "oil products" - as long as its own capacity to produce it from raw is limited. I don't think that "destroyed the economy" relates to the situation. In fact, Venezuela joined Cuba in US black list of embargos.– user2501323May 26, 2020 at 15:26
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1And because Trump45 will go mad about it.– Martin SchröderMay 26, 2020 at 16:21
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@user2501323: But why is Venezuela's capacity to produce oil "products" now limited, when it never seems to have been before?– jamesqfMay 27, 2020 at 3:55
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It was always limited. Why now - is interesting question - maybe because of the US sanctions over PDVSA. Refining oil is not just "refining" - it is a complex chemical process, requiring special chemical comonents, which were commonly exported. But now such export(and many other, even medical supplies!) is under the strike of the US sanctions.– user2501323May 27, 2020 at 6:46
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1 Answer
Not as far as I can tell. The closest I can find is this statement in which the US criticise Venezuela for making the deal:
US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said on Sunday: "Venezuelans need free and fair presidential elections leading to democracy and economic recovery, not Maduro's expensive deals with another pariah state."
And from the same article, the threats actually seem to be coming from Iran and Venezuela, rather than from the US:
On Saturday, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani repeated a warning that the country would retaliate if the tankers were blocked.
A flotilla of US Navy and Coast Guard vessels is patrolling the Caribbean Sea on a mission to counter illicit drug trafficking. But US officials have not announced any plan to stop the Iranian tankers.
The situation may change, but presently it seems that while the US may not approve of the deal, it's still willing to let it go ahead, rather than risk an escalation of hostilities with Iran.
