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The United States announced on Thursday that it sold Iranian oil, which it seized on its way to Venezuela, for more than $ 40 million, and will direct most of the proceeds to a fund for victims of state-sponsored terrorism, according to the site. CNN website.
State Department and Justice Department officials also reported that the United States carried out the largest seizure of Iranian weapons in late 2019 and early 2020.
“These measures represent the largest civilian seizure of fuel and weapons by the Iranian government,” said John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, emphasizing that Iran remains a leading country in sponsoring terrorism and destabilizing the world.
Last August, the United States announced the confiscation of 1.1 million barrels of refined oil from four foreign-flagged ships bound for Venezuela.
As for the weapons, which included 171 anti-tank guided missiles, eight surface-to-air missiles, components of land attack cruise missiles, components of anti-ship cruise missiles and thermal weapons, they were seized in November 2019 and February 2020, after that the US Navy intercepted two unmarked ships in the Arabian Sea. .
“I am very relieved,” he added. “I can announce that our intention is to withdraw the money that has been successfully seized from fuel sales and send it to the fund for victims of state-sponsored terrorism in the United States once the case is over.”
Elliott Abrams, the State Department Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela, estimated that since May 2018, the United States has managed to reduce Iran’s oil exports from more than 2.5 million barrels per day “to a very small fraction of that. “, and emphasized that this means depriving Iran of around 70 billion. The dollars could have been used for his aggressive schedule and outdoor adventures.
It is noteworthy that during the last hours, the United States imposed new sanctions on Iran, and the US Treasury Department said in a statement that “the sanctions included eight entities for their participation in the sale and purchase of Iranian petrochemical products from through Trilliance Petrochemical Company Ltd., which has been on the sanctions list since last January. “
The statement added that “these entities, with their headquarters in Iran, China and Singapore, participated in transactions facilitated by Trilliance or assisted in one way or another the company’s efforts to transfer funds resulting from the sale of these Iranian petrochemicals.” .
“Sales of Iranian petrochemicals remain a major source of revenue for the Iranian regime and are used to fund its destabilizing agenda and support corrupt regimes and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East and, more recently, in Venezuela,” the statement added. .
