Credit: scmwiki2012.wordpress.com/  The Venezuelan military escorted Iranian tankers delivering a crucial supply of petrol to the country to foil any attempt by the US to stop them.

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

The United States Wednesday imposed sanctions on five Iranian ship captains who delivered 1.5 million barrels of Iranian gasoline to Venezuela in support of the Maduro regime.  Last month, five Iranian tankers loaded with badly-needed fuel shipments were delivered to Venezuela.  The shipments from the Islamic Republic of Iran  ignited fears of a military confrontation as the U.S. at one point hinted it would stop the fuel deliveries.  The Trump administration staunchly backs Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido.

“These captains’ assets will be blocked, and they won’t be able to operate in U.S. waters. Mariners who do business with Iran and Venezuela will face consequences from the United States of America. We will continue to support the National Assembly, Interim President Guaido, and the Venezuelan people in their quest to restore democracy.”

-U.S Secretary of State Michael Pompeo

“The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against the captains of the five ships that U.S.-sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) used to deliver Iranian gasoline to the illegitimate Maduro regime in Venezuela. These captains, who led five Iranian flagged tankers — CLAVEL, PETUNIA, FORTUNE, FOREST and FAXON — delivered gasoline and gasoline components to Venezuela, and are now added to OFAC’s Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).” – U.S Department of the Treasury statement.

Ali Danaei Kenarsari is an employee of IRISL and the master of the CLAVEL (IMO 9820312, formerly known as HYUNDAI MIPO 2655) which is an IRISL-managed tanker that has delivered Iranian gasoline to Venezuela. Mohsen Gohardehi is the master of the PETUNIA (IMO 9820336, formerly known as HYUNDAI MIPO 2657), also an IRISL-managed tanker that has delivered Iranian gasoline to Venezuela.

Kenarsari and Gohardehi are identified as having acted for or on behalf of IRISL, pursuant to E.O. 13599.

Alireza Rahnavard is an employee of NITC and the master of the FORTUNE (IMO 9283746), a NITC-owned tanker that has delivered Iranian gasoline to Venezuela. Reza Vaziri is an employee of NITC and the master of the FOREST (IMO 9283760), a NITC-owned tanker that has delivered Iranian gasoline to Venezuela. Hamidreza Yahya Zadeh is an employee of NITC and the master of the FAXON (IMO 9283758), a NITC-owned tanker that has delivered Iranian gasoline to Venezuela.

Rahnavard, Vaziri and Yahya Zadeh have been identified as having acted for or on behalf of NITC, pursuant to E.O. 13599.

SOURCE: U.S Department of the Treasury

VENEZUELA  Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza Condemns U.S. Sanctions on Iranian Captains:

Jorge Arreaza afirma que nuevas sanciones son una "prueba de odio" | #NacionalesGV | https://t.co/5wseZgwsaI

— Globovisión (@globovision) June 24, 2020

Venezuela Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza , condemned the recent sanctions of the United States (US) against Iranian captains of ships that transported fuel to Venezuela.

Through his Twitter account , the Foreign Minister described the action as “a hate test” that will be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC), to attach it to the complaint that he filed against the US government.