US seizure of oil tanker off Venezuelan coast 'piracy in Caribbean Sea’: Iran
The Iranian embassy in Caracas says the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela by the US forces is “piracy in the Caribbean Sea” and a gross violation of international laws and regulations.
In a statement on Thursday, the embassy strongly condemned the US move as in contravention of the fundamental international principles and regulations.
"The illegal move by the US government to seize a Venezuelan oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea without any justified or legal reason constitutes a blatant violation of international laws and regulations, including the inviolable principle of freedom of the seas and navigation,” it said.
“’Piracy in the Caribbean Sea' is the most appropriate title for this unlawful and unjustified move by the US, which seeks to achieve its goals by resorting to illegitimate measures, violation of national sovereignty, infringement of others’ rights, and the promotion of anarchism,” it added.
The Iranian embassy expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people in defending their national sovereignty and absolute rights.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday admitted that US forces had taken control of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a move which risks a sharp escalation in tensions with Venezuela.
"We have just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela - a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually," Trump told reporters at the White House.
The Venezuelan government said in a statement that the US has been engaged in an “international act of piracy.”
It added, “Under these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed… It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people.”
The US government accuses Venezuela of funneling narcotics into the US and has escalated pressure on the country through a military buildup in the Caribbean, describing it as an anti-drug trafficking mission without evidence.
The US has also carried out at least 21 strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing at least 83 people.
Venezuela - home to some of the world's largest proven oil reserves - has, in turn, accused Washington of seeking to steal its resources.
In a telephone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, on Tuesday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian strongly condemned the United States for deploying a naval fleet to the Caribbean and the coast of Venezuela, calling the move illegal and a threat to international peace and security.
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