Iran Press/America: Wall Street Journal wrote in a special report on Friday morning, quoting US officials: "These ships have been seized in the last few days without the use of force."
Iran's mbassador to Caracas calls WSJ story as another lie of the US imperialist propaganda machine.
Hojjat Soltani wrote on Twitter: "Another lie and psychological war of the US imperialist propaganda. Neither the ships are Iranian nor their owner or flag has anything to do with Iran. Terrorist Trump cannot make up for his humiliation and defeat against the great nation of Iran with false propaganda."
The Wall Street Journal also claims that this is the first time the Trump administration has seized Iranian fuel tankers that have violated sanctions.
The tankers, named Luna, Pandi, Bering, and Bella, were seized off the high seas, the American newspaper reported. These ships are on their way to Houston in the United States.
Reuters reported last month that US prosecutors had filed a lawsuit to seize four fuel tankers en route from Iran to Venezuela.
According to the report, the aim is to prevent the delivery of Iran’s fuel, which has sailed for Venezuela on the Liberian-flagged Luna, Pandi, Bering, and Bella tankers.
Prosecutors are also seeking to prevent the transfer of oil revenues to Iran.
Earlier, five Iranian-owned tankers Forest, Fortune, Petunia, Faxon, and Clavel delivered their cargo to Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while appreciating Iran's support, stressed that Caracas and Tehran both want peace. We have the right to trade freely.
He called Iran and Venezuela "revolutionary peoples" who will never kneel before the United States.
The successful move of Iranian oil tankers to Venezuela came as US threats against the move remained ineffective.
Following this, the United States warned countries, ports, shipping companies, and foreign insurers that they would face sanctions if they provided services to Iranian oil tankers to Venezuela.
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