State Dept Accuses China of Helping Iran Ship Fuel to Venezuela

Pompeo has announced blacklist on Shanghai-based company

Adding to weeks of US anger over Iran trying to ship gasoline to Venezuela, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is now accusing the Chinese government off being behind the scheme in part, calling them one of the last countries supporting Iran’s Mahan Air.

Pompeo went on to single out Shanghai Saint Logistics as a company violating US sanctions, and announced that they have been moved to a State Department “blacklist” in response to the recent Iran-Venezuela trade.

With the US heavily sanctioning both Iran and Venezuela, the two have made some recent trades, with Iran sending fuel and Venezuela paying in gold. Pompeo says Mahan Air is being used to fly the gold out of Venezuela, in violation of no laws, but against US wishes.

While the US tries to prevent all trade out of Iran, China continues to trade with them. China remains one of Iran’s main oil customers.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.