US President Donald Trump has silently warned foreign governments, seaports, shipping companies and said that they could face US sanctions if they aid the Iranian tankers, the US envoy on Venezuela reportedly told Reuters on Friday.
“We’ve alerted the shipping community around the world, ship owners, ship captains, ship insurers, and we’ve alerted ports along the way between Iran and Venezuela,” Elliott Abrams, Washington’s special representative on Venezuela, told Reuters.
The Venezuelan navy on Thursday escorted a fourth tanker bringing Iranian fuel through its waters to the country, confronting US threats of “measures” in response to the shipments.
At least one other tanker was en route in the Atlantic.
The government of Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro has flaunted the tankers’ arrivals to show it remains unbowed by pressure. It remained unclear what impact this US effort might have.
