Iran Prepared to Retaliate If US Stops Venezuela-Bound Tankers: News Agency

Iran Prepared to Retaliate If US Stops Venezuela-Bound Tankers: News Agency
The Iranian tanker ship "Fortune" is seen at El Palito refinery dock in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela May 25, 2020. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS
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DUBAI—An Iranian news agency close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that Iran’s naval forces were preparing to target U.S. commercial vessels in the Gulf last month in case U.S. forces interfered with Venezuela-bound Iranian oil tankers.

Iran sent a flotilla of five tankers of fuel to gasoline-starved ally Venezuela in May, and Tehran has said it will continue the shipments if Caracas requests more, despite Washington’s criticism of the trade between the two nations, which are both under U.S. sanctions.