Iran Warns US of Decisive Response to Trouble for Venezuela-Bound Tankers
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami warned the US that causing any disturbance to the Iranian oil tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela will draw a harsh and decisive response from the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, General Hatami said the US and other countries are well aware that Iran will not hesitate to take serious action against any threat to its oil tankers that are bound for Venezuela.
Causing any disturbance to the oil tankers would be in violation of the international law and must draw a reaction from international organizations and countries that care about the security of maritime routes, he added.
Describing any action against the trade vessels as an act of piracy, he said, “Our policy is clear and we have announced explicitly that we will not tolerate any disturbance.”
If the disturbance continues and escalates, Iran will definitely show a decisive and crushing response, the defense minister added.
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, warning the US about sending troops to the Caribbean Sea with the aim of interfering with the transfer of Iran’s fuel to Venezuela.
Zarif has stressed that the US must give up bullying on the world stage and respect the rule of international law, especially free shipping in the high seas.
