Iranian oil minister discusses US sanctions with Venezuelan leader

Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji has met Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to discuss ways to “overcome” the effects of US sanctions against their nations.

State TV broadcast images of the talks at the presidential palace in Caracas.

Mr Maduro said on Twitter that it was “a productive meeting to deepen the ties of brotherhood and co-operation in energy matters”.

Earlier, Mr Owji held talks with Venezuelan Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami.

The ministers discussed “the construction of routes and mechanisms to overcome the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States government and allied countries”, AFP reported, quoting the Venezuelan Oil Ministry.

Mr Owji’s visit to Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven reserves of crude, came weeks after a visit by US officials as global oil prices increase owing to the war in Ukraine.

In March, a US delegation met Mr Maduro, whose legitimacy as president is disputed by Washington.

Iran said last month that its oil production capacity had returned to the levels it was at before US sanctions were reimposed in 2018.

Iran had strong ties with Venezuela while Hugo Chavez was president, between 1999 and 2013. Relations have been bolstered further under his successor, Mr Maduro.

Venezuela, which blames US sanctions for the collapse of its once-flourishing oil industry, is allied with Iran, Russia and China.

In 2020, it received two shipments of fuel and derivatives from Iran to help to address domestic shortages. A few years earlier, Venezuela had been the main supplier to the US.

During a visit to Caracas that year, Javad Zarif, Iranian foreign minister at the time, said his country would remain on Venezuela’s “side”.