Venezuela said Iran has offered broad cooperation following the latest U.S. seizures of oil tankers linked to Venezuelan crude as tensions escalate over Washington‘s enforcement of sanctions and maritime interdictions in the Caribbean.
In a statement in his Instagram account, Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the government had received “a full expression of solidarity from the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran” after the United States seized a second oil tanker connected to Venezuela.
Gil said he spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, during which Tehran offered cooperation “in all areas” to confront what Caracas describes as U.S. “piracy” and the use of military force. “Everyone has seen the recent events in the Caribbean, especially the threats, acts of piracy by the United States and the theft of ships loaded with Venezuelan oil,” Gil added.
The comments followed confirmation by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that U.S. forces seized an oil tanker in international waters on Saturday. In a video posted on social media, Noem said the U.S. Coast Guard, with support from the Defense Department, stopped a tanker that had last docked in Venezuela, adding that the United States would continue pursuing the illicit movement of oil used to finance “narco-terrorism.”
In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela.
The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 20, 2025
According to shipping sources cited by Reuters, the vessel seized on Saturday was believed to be the Panama-flagged tanker Centuries, which was carrying Venezuelan crude bound for Asia. While the tanker was not listed among U.S.-sanctioned vessels, analysts said the seizure marked an escalation in enforcement. The Venezuelan government has described the tanker seizures as “theft” and “international piracy.”
U.S. authorities have now seized two tankers this month and are currently in pursuit of a third vessel, identified by maritime analysts as Bella 1, which the U.S. Treasury previously sanctioned for allegedly transporting Iranian-linked oil. A U.S. official told CBS News that the Coast Guard was in “active pursuit” of the vessel, which was said to be operating under a false flag.
The U.S. campaign has prompted Venezuela to request an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, while China has criticized the seizures, calling U.S. sanctions “unilateral and illegal.”
Washington says the measures target sanctions evasion and drug trafficking, while President Nicolás Maduro’s government says the actions are aimed at regime change and control of Venezuela’s oil resources.
Originally published on Latin Times
