The Islamist terror state of Iran accused the United States of “piracy” on Thursday in response to President Donald Trump revealing that U.S. authorities had seized a crude oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea accused of transporting sanctioned oil from Iran and its ally Venezuela.
Iran’s embassy in Caracas issued an infuriated statement on Thursday claiming the Trump administration was engaging in the “promotion of anarchism” through increased activities against the illicit drug trade and other activities funding state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran and Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea, which borders the United States. The Caribbean Sea is about 6,000 miles from Iran at its closest point, though the Islamist regime and its terror proxies have succeeded in expanding Iranian influence in the region in the past two decades, largely through its relationship with socialist Venezuela.
“The illegal move by the U.S. 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,” the Iranian embassy in Caracas proclaimed, “including the inviolable principle of freedom of the seas and navigation.
“‘Piracy in the Caribbean Sea’ is the most appropriate title for this unlawful and unjustified move by the U.S., which seeks to achieve its goals by resorting to illegitimate measures, violation of national sovereignty, infringement of others’ rights, and the promotion of anarchism,” the statement concluded, according to the Iranian news outlet Tasnim.
The “supreme leader” of the Iranian terror state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made a public appearance on Thursday in which he did not specifically address the seized oil tanker but warned that the United States and its allies were trying to change the repressive Islamist culture imposed by his regime on his people. His remarks were part of a larger event marking the birthday of one of Mohammed’s daughters, Fatemeh Zahra.
“For a hundred years they have tried to rewrite who we are — our religion, our history, our culture,” Khamenei claimed, according to a translation by the independent news organization Iran International. “The Islamic Revolution cleared that away, but the pressure continues. And resisting this pressure is essential.”
“Sometimes it is about expanding territory,” he claimed, citing “what the Americans are doing with some Latin American countries.”
“Western designs can also aim at extracting commodities,” he continued. “They apply pressure so they can take a country’s underground resources — its oil, for example.”
Venezuela is believed to be home to the world’s largest known oil reserves, second to Texas.
President Trump announced the seizure of the oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Thursday evening in comments to reporters.
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela. Large tanker, very large,” he said. “Largest one ever seized in action. And, other things are happening. So, you’ll be seeing that later. And you’ll be talking about that later with some other people.”
Trump offered few details about the incident, instead stating only that the U.S. seized the vessel “for a very good reason” and that, following its capture, “We keep it, I guess.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a more detailed statement shortly thereafter, sharing it on social media alongside video of the capture.
Bondi clarified that the seizure followed the issuance of a warrant and that the ship was believed to be involved in the illicit shipment of Iranian oil, as well as Venezuelan activities — specifying the tanker was “used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.”
“For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” she explained. “This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely — and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.”
Anonymous remarks published by left-wing news outlets identified the ship on Wednesday as Skipper and claimed that it was on its way to Cuba. According to anonymous rumors published by Politico, the ship was headed to Cuba where the communist regime was expected to help sell most of the oil to China. China relies heavily on sanctioned Venezuelan oil for its supply, as well as illicit oil streams from Iran and Russia.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is subordinate to Khamenei, held a phone call with Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro the day before the tanker seizure. According to Tasnim, Pezeshkian called to reinforce Tehran’s support for Maduro as the Trump administration continues its activities against regional drug trafficking in the Caribbean. Maduro is widely believed to be a leading figure in the Cartel de los Soles, an international cocaine-trafficking operation run out of the Venezuelan military. The United States recently designated the Cartel a foreign terrorist organization.
In his call to Maduro, “Pezeshkian said Iran and Venezuela share a strategic alliance and long-standing friendship rooted in deep ties between the two governments and nations,” according to Tasnim. “He said Iran considers Venezuela a true friend and ally and supports the country under all circumstances, especially during the current sensitive situation.”
“Pezeshkian condemned the unlawful U.S. actions in the Caribbean, saying Washington’s deployment of a war fleet to the Caribbean and Venezuelan coasts under ‘baseless pretexts’ is entirely illegal,” the report added.
Pezeshkian also reportedly promised to “expand comprehensive cooperation” with the Venezuelan socialist regime.
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