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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"> <font
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href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201031-us-sells-1-1m-barrels-of-iran-oil-after-seizure/">https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201031-us-sells-1-1m-barrels-of-iran-oil-after-seizure/</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">US sells 1.1m barrels of Iran oil after
seizure</h1>
<div class="credits reader-credits">October 31, 2020</div>
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<p>The US Justice Department has announced that Washington
sold around 1.1 million barrels of Iranian oil from four
tankers headed for Venezuela, <em>Anadolu Agency</em>
reported on Friday.</p>
<p>“Upon being presented with the court’s seizure order,
the ships’ owner transferred the petroleum to the
government, and we can now announce that the United
States has sold and delivered that petroleum,” Deputy
Attorney General John Demers announced on Thursday in a
press release.</p>
<p>Defending that the sale of oil to Caracas benefited the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a US-designated
foreign terrorist group, Demers confirmed: “It is
therefore with great satisfaction that I can announce
that our intentions are to take the funds successfully
forfeited from the fuel sales and provide them to the US
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund after the
conclusion of the case.”</p>
<p>In July, federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit to seize
the gasoline aboard the four tankers that Iran was
trying to ship to Venezuela, aiming to prevent the
revenues from reaching Iran.</p>
<p><strong>Read: <a
href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200902-us-seized-websites-allegedly-linked-to-iran-venezuela-oil-deal/">US
seized websites allegedly linked to Iran-Venezuela
oil deal</a></strong></p>
<p>In August, US President Donald Trump’s administration
announced that it carried out “the largest seizure of
fuel shipments from Iran,” for which Venezuela had
already paid.</p>
<p>The South American country faces gasoline supply
problems due to the coercive <a
href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201026-us-issues-fresh-iran-related-sanctions-targeting-state-oil-sector/">US
sanctions</a>, since crude oil is the country’s main
export.</p>
<p>Iran’s economy which is dependent on oil exports also
suffers from the <a
href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201029-us-imposes-iran-related-sanctions-files-forfeiture-complaints/">US
reinstating crippling economic sanctions</a>, with
many countries cutting down on oil imports from Iran,
fearing economic penalties from Washington.</p>
<p>Due to these sanctions, Venezuela and Iran agreed to
exchange fuel to supply the South American country.</p>
<p><strong>Read: <a
href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201028-despite-threats-sanctions-by-us-iran-plane-lands-in-venezuela/">Despite
threats, sanctions by US, Iran plane lands in
Venezuela</a></strong></p>
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