Venezuela has the world’s largest proven reserves of oil at 300 billion barrels. I plead ignorance but why are they IMPORTING crude oil from Iran? (I missed any earlier explanations).
Gun running
“I plead ignorance but why are they IMPORTING crude oil from Iran? (I missed any earlier explanations).”
They are importing gasoline. Venezuela has the dirtiest oil to refine on the market. A refinery has to be purpose built to handle it. America used to be their market, but we are rapidly converting refineries to handle what is called sweet crude. It’s likely that with the glut of oil nobody will buy Venezuela’s oil as it costs too much to refine.
According to articles I read, Venezuela traded to buy the gas. I suspect that one of the trades is an Iranian base or port, which would be a threat, or, at least further complicate the US’ situation. That is probably what Trump is reacting to, rather than, as posted above, trying to start a neocon style war.
Because the idiots the Maduro regime put in charge of the refineries they seized from US companies screwed everything up. The can barely turn out gasoline and kerosene, much less diesel from their OWN crude oil.