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\nIranian Oil Tanker<\/p>\n
\nIranian Oil Tanker<\/p>\n
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n U.S. prosecutors have filed a lawsuit to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran is currently shipping to Venezuela, the latest attempt to increase pressure on the two sanctioned anti-American allies.<\/p>\n The civil-forfeiture complaint filed in the District of Columbia federal court late on July 1 claims the sale was arranged by an Iranian businessman with ties to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.<\/p>\n Since September 2018, the IRGC\u2019s elite Quds Force has moved oil through a sanctioned shipping network involving dozens of ship managers, vessels, and facilitators, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n \u201cThe profits from these activities support the IRGC\u2019s full range of nefarious activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and a variety of human rights abuses, at home and abroad,\u201d the prosecutors alleged.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s mission to the United Nations said that any attempt by the United States to prevent Iranian lawful trading with any country of its choosing would be an act of \u201cpiracy.\u201d<\/p>\n The four tankers named in the complaint \u2014 the Bella, Bering, Pandi, and Luna \u2014 are carrying 1.1 million barrels of gasoline, the U.S. prosecutors said.<\/p>\n The Justice Department said on July 2 that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a warrant to seize all the gasoline on the vessels, \u201cbased on a probable cause showing of forfeitability.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Are the Venezuelans prepared to sink another gunboat<\/a> while ramming a cruse liner? <\/p>\n Read the entire article here: American Military News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"