"This was not unexpected; first, the US promised them money which they did not accept, then, they threatened and sanctioned them, which the captains knew it," he said on Friday, pointing to the ineffectiveness of such measures.
The remarks come as the US introduces sanctions against five captains of Iranian oil tankers that had delivered 1.5 million barrels of fuel to Venezuela last month.
Zanganeh went on to say that the fuel sale to Venezuela has been conducted at the ‘price market’ and that part of the money has already been transferred to the country.
Noting that Iran is doing business with Venezuela, Zangeneh said that "In order to continue exporting, we need to see how the negotiations between the two countries are progressing."
He went on to dismiss the rumors that Iran has given gasoline to Venezuela for free.
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