US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper
On Monday the Trump administration on Monday announced a series of new sanctions that target Iran’s arms industry as a part of the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign against the Islamic Republic. The new measures also target the Venezuelan government. From Thursday to Saturday of last week, the US Secretary of State visited almost all of Venezuela’s neighbours (Brazil, Colombia and Guyana) to drum up support for Washington’s efforts to overthrow the Venezuelan government.
At a carefully staged media event on Monday attended by three State ministers as well as other senior Trump administration officials, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a new presidential directive that imposes additional sanctions against Iran and Venezuela.
Pompeo was joined at the event by UN Ambassador Kelly Craft, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, where after praising the Trump administration’s accomplishments in the Middle East and the normalization deal between Israel and the UAE he proclaimed:
“Today, I will take the first action under this new executive order by sanctioning the Iranian Ministry of Defense and armed forces logistics and Iran’s defense industries organization and its director,” Pompeo said.
“For nearly two years, the corrupt officials in Tehran have worked with the illegitimate regime in Venezuela to flout the UN arms embargo,” he said. “Our actions today are a warning that should be heard worldwide, no matter who you are. If you violate the UN arms embargo on Iran, you risk sanctions.”
Additionally, Pompeo said the US would sanction two individuals who are central to Iran’s uranium-enrichment operations.
The US is also seeking support for its unilateral ‘snapback’ sanctions against Iran, while the rest of the UN Security Council (except the Dominican Republic) plans to lift its existing arms embargo against Iran on October 18.
Monday’s sanctions are part of an attempt to pressure Security Council members to reimpose sanctions. The notes accompanying the presidential decree allege that:
“Transfers to and from Iran of arms or related material or military equipment represent a continuing threat to regional and international security – as evidenced by Iran’s continued military support that fuels ongoing conflict in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.”
“Iran benefits from engaging in the conventional arms trade by strengthening its relationships with other outlier regimes, lessening its international isolation, and deriving revenue that it uses to support terror groups and fund malign activities.”
The executive order authorizes the seizure of property and assets connected either directly or indirectly to the Iranian arms industry.
The US Department of the Treasury is designating entities that support Iran’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programs and senior officials overseeing Iran’s nuclear power and ballistic-missile development. Some are affiliated with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, which has operational and regulatory control over Iran’s nuclear program.
Asked about European countries’ objections to the US snapback, Pompeo claimed that: “The country that’s isolated today is not the United States, but rather Iran.” Despite their unequivocal statements that the US measures have no legal basis or effect, the Trump administration and Israel are doing everything possible to get them to change their positions.
“By these actions, we have made it very clear that every member state in the United Nations has a responsibility to enforce these sanctions,” he said. “That certainly includes the United Kingdom, France and Germany. We will have every expectation that those nations enforce these sanctions.” LINK
Venezuela’s economy is going through one of the most difficult periods in modern times under the weight of existing sanctions and the economic blockade. The country’s crude output is at historically low levels.
Venezuela Analysis reports that according to figures from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), average oil production in August was 340,000 barrels per day (bpd) after averaging 339,000 bpd in July. The numbers reported directly by state oil company PDVSA were slightly higher at 396,000 bpd, up 4,000 bpd compared to July.
Following the imposition of US financial sanctions against PDVSA in August 2017, Venezuela’s crude output declined steeply from 1.911 million bpd in 2017 to 1.354 million bpd in 2018.
The Trump administration imposed additional sanctions on the oil industry last year, including an embargo and a blanket ban on all dealings with Venezuelan state entities. After falling for much of the year, production stabilized in the last quarter to bring the 2019 average to 796,000 bpd.
Secondary sanctions, alongside low oil prices and contracted global demand due to the coronavirus pandemic forced PDVSA to halt several projects and joint ventures. The Trump administration then targeted shipping companies and vessels, forcing several companies to cease dealings with PDVSA and confiscating several oil shipments in an effort to block all oil exports from Venezuela.
However, Venezuela’s oil industry has received more support from Iran following the arrival of an Iranian very large crude carrier (VLCC), which allegedly had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off en route before docking at the Jose Antonio Anzoategui oil terminal in east Venezuela on 13 September.
The Iranian ship reportedly unloaded 500,000 barrels of condensate at the Petropiar facility, which is jointly run with US oil company Chevron. The condensate is used to dilute Venezuela’s extra heavy crude into oil grades favoured by Asian customers.
Iran sent five fuel shipments to Venezuela in May and another three vessels are reported to be currently on course to Venezuela. Tehran has also assisted the efforts to increase production at Venezuela’s refineries, including the Paraguana Refining Complex in Falcon State.
In a related development, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up a three-day tour of Venezuela’s neighbours over the weekend. During the trip the US and Guyanese governments announced that they will conduct joint military patrols on the disputed Venezuela-Guyana maritime border.
Pompeo asserted that the joint maritime patrols will be aimed at ‘drug interdiction’ and providing ‘greater security’ for Guyana. While the scope, nature and duration of the joint maritime patrols have not been specified, it is expected that they will work alongside US naval warships deployed to the Caribbean in April, supposedly to conduct ‘anti-narcotics’ operations.
The disputed territorial waters of the Essequibo strip, between Guyana and Venezuela, are being explored by US multinational Exxon Mobil which is hoping to exploit the estimated 15 billion barrels of oil thought to be located there. The exploration licence was granted by the government of Guyana despite Venezuela’s vehement objections. Caracas has repeatedly pointed out that Georgetown’s awarding of oil exploration contracts violates a 1966 bilateral agreement on the status of the disputed area.
Pompeo also visited Surinam, Brazil and Colombia between Thursday and Saturday as part of efforts to increase pressure against Venezuela.
In each country, the former CIA director made unfounded accusations against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, repeatedly describing him as a ‘narcotics trafficker’. Upon returning to the United States, Pompeo announced that Washington would sanction Maduro, who he described as Venezuela’s “former president.”
“Maduro has to go,” Pompeo declared from Guyana. “We know that the Maduro regime has decimated the people of Venezuela and that Maduro himself is an indicted narcotics trafficker. That means he has to leave.”
Venezuela has dismissed the US Justice Department ‘narco-terrorism’ charges, while others have pointed out US law enforcement agency data showing most drugs arrive in the US from Colombia through Pacific and Central America routes.
Perhaps the most ominous event took place in the Latin American giant Brazil, which has South America’s largest and most powerful armed forces including potent offensive capabilities (unlike Colombia, which has been hostile to Colombia since shortly after Hugo Chavez was first elected president in 1998, but whose armed forces are equipped almost exclusively to combat and control its own people and do not have the capacity to launch a major attack outside Colombiasn territory).
During a visit to the Brazilian border city of Boa Vista, Pompeo repeated the accusations and threats, promising the “fall of the Maduro regime,” while his counterpart Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo declared that the Venezuela government will “disappear.”
While in Brazil Pompeo pledged another US $348 million in aid, supposedly to help the region deal with the Venezuelan migrant population, including $30 million for Brasilia.
Relations between Brazil and Venezuela have continued to worsen in recent weeks, with Brazil’s controversial extreme right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro declaring Venezuela’s diplomatic corps persona non grata two weeks ago and subsequently suspending their visas and travel permits.
Pompeo’s last stop was Colombia, where he praised Colombian President Ivan Duque for his support for Venezuela’s opposition figure Juan Guaido, as well for what Pompeo described as “the democratic transition for a sovereign Venezuela free of the malign influence of Cuba, Russia and Iran.” In return, Duque promised to back a “new chapter in [US-Colombia] bilateral relations.”
Pompeo’s visit to Bogota coincided with joint ‘anti-narcotics’ military exercises conducted in the north of Colombia. The ‘Poseidon’ exercises were held between Friday and Monday in the northern province of Sucre, a short distance from the United States’ Naval Base in Cartagena City. Apart from around 800 military personnel (and at least as many ‘contractors’) stationed in Colombia, approximately 50 US Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) troops arrived in Colombia in August. LINK
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The US is such a vile nation.
Is led by vile people. Slight difference.
True.
You prefer Dictatorships?
The US has a theocracy of the ((( chosen ))), so maybe a dictatorship wouldn’t be that much of a change.
Sanctions show the world how powerless the U$A are today.
So war it is. Cuba must go as well !!!
The US must go.
Only fools wish for war, be prepared for unintended concequences.
Off you go then, don’t beg for mercy when they catch you, or cry like the other US Special Needs troopers did when they were caught.
Even in the company of fools you would stand out as a intellectual dwarf.
Around one quarter of the World’s Population are under AmeriCunt Sanctions….the AmeriCunts fight a ‘War Of Terror’ and ‘Economic/Financial Terrorism + Warfare’ literally agains the rest of the World.
These sanctions are mere theatrics from a decaying global dinosaur. The US is largely irrelevant paper tiger in the Eurasian millennium.
Crumbling U.S. Empire led by Baron Pimpeo Harkonnen… HumplyTrumply is only window dressing. Fremens are coming for you trollstoy…
Pimpeo as a good ol CIA troll Always blames the other side with his own crimes. Venezuela shot down 5 small CIA jets and helos trafficking drugs. U.S. will probably switch to naval transportation anti drug operation translation… CIA naval drug traficking… The Spice must flow….
“US Navy Announces Multi-Year ‘Recovery Plan’ as Embattled Fleet Short Nearly 100 Fighter Pilots” Training a navy pilot takes in average 4 years! https://sputniknews.com/military/202009181080508426-us-navy-announces-multi-year-recovery-plan-as-embattled-fleet-short-nearly-100-fighter-pilots-/
Not enough pilots and soldiers, not enough planes and ships… may be yankees will be less aggressive after that?
They will never stop being aggressive – it is so not-American!
I don’t see the pilots problem Anton! Those F-18 in majority are very old and good for immediate replacing… The fact that they are still flying them now even if so worn out and old (too many flight hours) tells us that they can expect soon drastic reduction of fighter jets. So they just have to wait little bit that 100 fighter jets crashes because too old and when they start falling from the sky they will not stop. So at the end with little bit of luck they’ll have enough pilot’s again.
Sanctions are always preparatory to war
About time, the mother of all wars, the war to end all wars
Thats what they said before ww2. Yet, here we are.
Its hard to be a mother you know.
Lets hope they take out the Authoritarian government in Cuba as well !!!
Perhaps you should consider the authoritarian dictatorship in your own country. What do you intend to do about that Government ? I should think you’d like to act before it kills you.
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Not convinced
Such a man! Why don’t you lead?
He’s scared that Iran will send missiles to Venezuela after the embargo ends on October 18, if the US intercepts those transport ships it’s war https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/428ccb4eff4cae5c8a04e0b4c890124724b7954093118798805d2e6a3b189792.png
Fuck Iran and Venezuela !!! THEY ARE CRIMINAL SCUM !!!
Chinese and Russians too
And China helps Iran, fuck them both.
How has China “helped” Iran?
with the 400 billion dollars deal?
Ya’ll missing North Korea, Syria, Yemen, Turkey and Qatar.
Without knowing the details it’s difficult to quantify. Is China making this $400 billion deal to help Iran or is China helping itself by taking advantage of Iran’s present predicament? I’m not saying Iran will not benefit from such a deal, it will, but with the Trump regime bearing down on Iran (telling the Europeans and the Indians you cannot do business with Iran) Iran is not in the best of negotiating position… and China knows it.
That’s business you moron. They sell oil, your lot sell weapons, women and children.
Also organ harvesting is a Zionist criminal enterprise. This brat is as delusional as the Indian attention seeker “paul”. These petulant children are simply bored brats who thrive on delusions.
Almost forgot the organ harvesting they do, about the only thing they suspend their apartheid for.
Pall Bearer the Red Indian more like, lol.
That’s what I told you long time ago.China might have secretly given the n bomb to Iran that’s why probably Israel is not directly attacking Iran.
China? LOL I guess you’re too young to remember Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Most of Military coop between Russia and China are not out in the open.
If the military cooperation between Russia and China is, as you say, “not out in the open”, how do you know about it?
My big grand daddy told me.
Happy?
… except for the port in Haifa. Those shekels are too shiny for Israel to resist China.
And ZioAmericans also .
Aren’t you the Indian attention seeker who was predicting a war with China? now seems like you have turned on Russia as well. It is good that idiots like you don’t represent the vast majority of Indians who are more realistic and mature.
You should’ve said FUCK em!! but louder. Let me see whether they really hear you shout.
You’ve confused these countries with US Coalition. The only countries threatening, other countries, illegally invading, attacking, occupying, and stealing from others is US Government. With you cheering on the biggest terrorist organization, and supporter of terrorism on earth. US military attacks on civilian populations, and infrastructure in every country it attacks since before, and during WWII, when it committed the two biggest acts of terror in world history. After US military razed the country to the ground with incendiary bombing raids that killed over a million people, civilians. (it’s a war crime, and a crime against humanity to attack civilian infrastructure, populations, and other non-combatants it’s also by definition an act of terrorism) Something that US military has a long history of doing. It is the trademark of US military. US Government then attacked two cities with the biggest weapons of mass destruction. A terrorist attack using nuclear bombs on civilian infrastructure, killing a quarter million people instantly, and more in the weeks, months, and years after. Conduct you’re proud to support, against countries today that have never attacked US Government in any way, particularly Iran. Which hasn’t attacked another country since 1775, and has only acted in defense of the country against attack. Including the overthrow of the CIA installed Shah puppet Government (in 1953) in 1979 restoring Iran’s legitimate Government. Iran defended itself against Iraq when it attacked in 1980. Eventually defeating Iraq in 1988 despite US Government sanctions that are the heaviest sanctions ever placed on a country in history. These sanctions have been in place for 41+ years with US Government piling on more sanctions regularly. More today, adding the threats to sanction any country that does business with Iran. Including it’s own allies. (US Government has already sanctioned it’s allies for protesting US Government conduct conduct which by the way is totally illegal in the first place. Iran is not a terrorist organization, or supporter of terrorism) Iran, like Iraq, Hezbollah, (not a terrorist organization but a legitimate Lebanese militia) Russia, China, and other countries are upholding the military alliances with Syria to drive out the illegal invaders, and it’s pet enemies out of Syria, and the Middle East. Iran is the regional power, and is capable of inflicting losses on US military it cannot sustain. With it’s allies US military has little chance to survive the response to an attack against Iran. Of course you’ve been led to believe otherwise by the arrogant sociopaths, and lunatics that run the tyrannical totalitarian dictatorship that is US Government today. Russia has shown you some of it’s military capabilities that led to US being defeated in Syria once. But in the style US Government showed in Vietnam it refused to leave the country as it was told. But when the North, and the South Vietnamese joined forces, and attacked US military scrambled, tripping over itself to get the Hell out of there. Tail ‘twixt it’s legs. In Korea before that. US Government ignored the Chinese at the UN when it calmly stated that if US military crossed the 38th Parallel it would attack. MacArthurs very next move was across the 38th Parallel. One million Chinese hidden along the Yalu River came pouring into Korea, chasing US military clear back to Pusan. The surprise was complete, and US had to backstroke to avoid being overrun. Pusan was a long way to backstroke. The Chinese left. US had to fight it’s way back to the 38th Parallel, this time fighting the civilians too. Seems they resented US bombing their infrastructure, and themselves. US Government faces the civilian population in the Middle East now, as well as the combined allied forces it’s facing. So go ahead, and do what your Government is doing. Underestimating the forces it’s facing, while overestimating it’s own capabilities with the aging equipment and a General Staff that’s been purged of it’s experienced, and skilled members, againstthe experienced, and battle hardend opposing forces. Also with it’s offshore war production that brought you F-35, and other sub-standard technology. Iran is self-sufficient and is highly industrialized, with state of the art technology, and capabilities in manufacturing it’s own weapons systems. Russia has supplied Iran with S-300, and S-400 missile defense systems, fully upgraded along with other hardware, including aircraft. Russia also provides strategic bombing and air superiority, as it does in Syria. Russia recently sent two dozen upgraded MiG-29 to Syria adding to Syria’s multi-role aircraft inventory. 4+ gen fighters, Russia kept the the MiG-29SMT upgraded to 4++ gen fighters. The Sukhoi fighters are superior to anything the West can throw at it, and Su-35 can track F-22, and the other “stealth aircraft. S-400 can too. You can learn about how “S” system missile defense systems work when integrated on your own. Russia has several weapons systems that the West has no analog, and will not have for several years already in service. Let that sink in. Knowing one’s opponent is priceless, and neither you, or your Government knows it’s opponents. Finally, you may be shocked to learn US Government is the most hated country on earth, surpassing Israel a decade, or more ago.
You convinced me that the problem in the US is not only the government.
The irony of these “people”, they really think and believe they can do anything huh. Pigs can dream of fly but they can’t… 75 years of BS from these people and nothing more, from WWII to now, nothing but wars and stealing to save their fat asses.
Hell is even a luxury for some of these “people”.
Why just 75 years? Much more. Ask remnants of native indians. South America filled by indians, but not the North, though both were colonized.
75 years of annoy others, beside killing native and other BS they have done, I can’t even try to write all the BS they did…
Look up the Tuskegee experiments. Disgusting.
War with Spain (taking their colonies, Cuba, Puerto-Rico and Philippines) – 1898. Wars with Mexico and Monroe doctrine in 19th century.
Pompeo admitted in public that they are nothing more than crooks by stating: ‘We lied, we cheated, we stole’. Like that was not enough, people listening were applauding.
That’s all you need to know about Pompeo and the American so called exceptionalism.
Pompeo calling maduro a narcotics dealer, thats so rich…. hey fatass did you forget all the heroin that you made in afghanistan?
fatass pompous is trying to deflect the facts from the usa who are the true problem for peace worldwide, once their power is gone the others will fall inline to finally come to agreements on real peace deals.
I’m actually amazed they still have anything left to sanction. Every few months they add some more.
Won’t be long before they hit the brick wall.
Last week another American Saboteur was arrested in Venezuela with rockets and explosives. Soon Venezuela will have enough American prisoners for an exchange.
Pathetic idiots only that and nothing else, your stupid tricks are dead old.