{"id":455682,"date":"2025-12-18T14:10:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/455682\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T14:10:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:10:16","slug":"iran-summons-activists-in-bid-to-head-off-protests-over-higher-fuel-prices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/455682\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran summons activists in bid to head off protests over higher fuel prices"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said on Tuesday that Iran should urgently clarify the legal status of more than $2 billion in claims against Venezuela, warning that experience from Syria showed how quickly assets could become unrecoverable after a sudden political collapse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Writing on X, Falahatpisheh said lessons from Syria showed the need to settle Iran\u2019s outstanding claims with President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s government while conditions allow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">His remarks come against a backdrop of sharply rising tensions between Washington and Caracas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump ordered what he called a \u201ctotal and complete blockade\u201d of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">The move is part of a broader US pressure campaign targeting Maduro\u2019s main source of revenue and follows the seizure of a sanctioned tanker off Venezuela\u2019s coast last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">While Falahatpisheh\u2019s warning was framed by the experience of Syria\u00a0\u2013\u00a0where the scale of Damascus\u2019s debt to Tehran only became public after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, estimated by Syrian officials at around $30 billion\u00a0\u2013\u00a0his comments coincided with Trump\u2019s latest order on Venezuelan oil shipments.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__inlineContentList\" style=\"list-style:none;padding:0\">\n<li class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__inlineContentListItem\"><img alt=\"Tehran defends massive spending in Assad's Syria amid calls for restraint\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"EditorialContentCard-module-scss-module__t6bfYa__image\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/i.iranintl.com\/images\/rdk9umy0\/production\/ac4b1ee90cef724ae74b69ef63a2b2bf6fabf421-3819x2727.jpg?rect=0,91,3819,2546&amp;w=300&amp;h=200&amp;q=80&amp;fit=crop&amp;auto=format\"\/><a class=\"EditorialContentCard-module-scss-module__t6bfYa__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iranintl.com\/en\/202412126500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tehran defends massive spending in Assad&#8217;s Syria amid calls for restraint<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__inlineContentListItem\"><img alt=\"US seizure of tanker off Venezuela may squeeze Iran's shadow oil trade\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"EditorialContentCard-module-scss-module__t6bfYa__image\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/i.iranintl.com\/images\/rdk9umy0\/production\/de81d0d9c0f4ff92e60a83ac062e59060d766491-1080x702.jpg?rect=14,0,1053,702&amp;w=300&amp;h=200&amp;q=80&amp;fit=crop&amp;auto=format\"\/><a class=\"EditorialContentCard-module-scss-module__t6bfYa__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iranintl.com\/en\/202512150222\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US seizure of tanker off Venezuela may squeeze Iran&#8217;s shadow oil trade<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Iran and Venezuela, both under heavy international sanctions, have built extensive but opaque economic ties over the past two decades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Public records do not clearly show how much Iran has invested in Venezuela, the exact size of Caracas\u2019s debt to Tehran, or the value of Iranian assets in the country, according to an article by Iranian outlet Fararu last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Iranian lawmakers have previously flagged specific claims. In August, MP Ahmad Bigdeli said Venezuela owed about $1 billion to Iran\u2019s national oil company, urging Iran\u2019s oil minister to explain why the debt had not been recovered. No official update has since been provided.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Iran has launched or participated in a range of projects in Venezuela, many of which have struggled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">A large Iranian-backed supermarket in Caracas, Megasis \u2013 opened in 2020 and linked to Iran\u2019s Etka retail chain\u00a0\u2013\u00a0has faced logistical problems due to infrequent shipping and supply disruptions, according to Iranian business figures cited by Fararu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Joint automobile production, launched in 2006 with Iran Khodro and Saipa assembling Samand and Pride models in Venezuela, was halted in 2015 after years of losses and unpaid deliveries, Iranian media have reported. The project was revived in 2023 during a visit by former president Ebrahim Raisi, though analysts again questioned its economic viability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Iran has also announced agricultural, housing and industrial ventures, including claims in 2021 that Venezuela had allocated up to one million hectares of farmland to Iran for overseas cultivation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Officials have not clarified whether those plans are active or how much capital was committed.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.iranintl.com\/images\/rdk9umy0\/production\/e847fe5ad9e21a4ee8febe735b084bde3fdfb327-5500x3660.jpg?rect=5,0,5490,3660&amp;w=576&amp;h=384&amp;q=80&amp;fit=max&amp;auto=format\" alt=\"Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro marches in a rally against a possible escalation of US actions toward the country, in Caracas, Venezuela, November 25, 2025. \" style=\"width:100%;height:auto\"\/>Venezuela&#8217;s President Nicolas Maduro marches in a rally against a possible escalation of US actions toward the country, in Caracas, Venezuela, November 25, 2025. <\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\"><strong class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__strong\">Oil, gold and sanctions pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Energy cooperation has been central to the relationship. Iran has supplied fuel, refinery services and technical assistance to Venezuela, while Western media and sanctions authorities have alleged barter arrangements involving oil and gold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Bloomberg reported in 2020 that Venezuela transferred around nine tons of gold to Iran in exchange for fuel\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a claim both governments have framed as legitimate barter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Since US sanctions were imposed on Venezuela in 2019, much of its oil\u00a0\u2013\u00a0including shipments involving Iranian or Russian-linked vessels\u00a0\u2013\u00a0has relied on a so-called shadow fleet to evade restrictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Trump\u2019s latest order has already pushed oil prices higher on expectations of reduced Venezuelan exports, Reuters said, though enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow noopener\" class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iranintl.com\/en\/202512150222\">Analysts warned<\/a> that a prolonged blockade could sharply cut Venezuelan output, with potential spillover effects for Iran, which has used Venezuela as a distant logistical and commercial partner to manage sanctions pressure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">In an analysis for Iran International, Shahram Kholdi wrote earlier this month that Venezuela has functioned as a strategic \u201cdistant flank\u201d for Tehran, facilitating oil swaps, financial channels and political support beyond the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">But expanded US military deployments, legal actions and sanctions enforcement are tightening scrutiny on those networks.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__inlineContentList\" style=\"list-style:none;padding:0\">\n<li class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__inlineContentListItem\"><img alt=\"US senator says failing to topple Venezuela's Maduro will embolden Iran\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"EditorialContentCard-module-scss-module__t6bfYa__image\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/i.iranintl.com\/images\/rdk9umy0\/production\/07f4aff6f3ee7886b2c9d4a0d6f0dd0946080a0a-1920x1281.jpg?rect=0,1,1920,1280&amp;w=300&amp;h=200&amp;q=80&amp;fit=crop&amp;auto=format\"\/><a class=\"EditorialContentCard-module-scss-module__t6bfYa__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iranintl.com\/en\/202512163852\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US senator says failing to topple Venezuela&#8217;s Maduro will embolden Iran<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\"><strong class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__strong\">Billions for Iran\u2019s nuclear program<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">Further allegations have added to the sensitivity. Spain\u2019s ABC newspaper reported this month \u2013 citing leaked documents now under US review\u00a0\u2013\u00a0that Venezuelan state mechanisms may have funneled billions of dollars toward Iranian entities over nearly two decades, including groups linked to Iran\u2019s nuclear and military programs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">The claims, which Caracas and Tehran have not publicly addressed, remain unproven but are being examined by US authorities, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"CustomPortableTextComponents-module-scss-module__MwAzyW__paragraph\">\u201cProjects and funds explicitly linked to Iran total about $4.69 billion, with an additional estimated $3.13 billion allegedly diverted indirectly from a China-Venezuela fund. The combined total about $7.82 billion \u2013 represents money that investigators say reached Iran&#8217;s state ecosystem directly or indirectly through Venezuela,\u201d read a report by The Latin Times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said on Tuesday that Iran should urgently clarify the legal status of more than $2 billion&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":455683,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[83,196617,196615,196614,3461,196616,5962,6111,196613,8441,99,3097,50,162383],"class_list":{"0":"post-455682","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-iran","9":"tag-iran-and-china","10":"tag-iran-covid","11":"tag-iran-economy","12":"tag-iran-government","13":"tag-iran-media-iran-and-the-united-states","14":"tag-iran-news","15":"tag-iran-nuclear","16":"tag-iran-politics","17":"tag-iran-us","18":"tag-israel","19":"tag-middle-east","20":"tag-news","21":"tag-us-sanctions"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115740976115976241","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455682\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}