Iran’s oil minister indicated that the 24 June U.S. designation of Iranian tanker captains who had delivered fuel to Venezuela “was not unexpected; first, the U.S. promised them money which they did not accept, then, they threatened and sanctioned them”. “In order to continue exporting [fuel to Venezuela], we need to see how the negotiations between the two countries will proceed”, he added, confirming that Iran had received partial payment for the earlier shipments.