Trump announces complete blockade of Venezuelan oil: this is a signal from China and a new phase of pressure on Maduro – Rezazade

US President Donald Trump announced a “complete and total blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. He announced this in a post on the Truth Social platform, while simultaneously declaring his intention to recognize the regime of Nicolas Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization.

The decision was a sharp escalation of American pressure on Caracas and could have far-reaching economic and geopolitical consequences.

According to Trump, Venezuela is “completely surrounded by the largest armada in the history of South America,” and the blockade will continue until the country “returns its oil, land and other assets to the United States.” In fact, this is a maritime blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, which is a key source of income for the Maduro regime and is largely supplied to China, often via tankers under sanctions.

International expert and first vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington, Ali Reza Rezazade, believes that Trump’s statement has a much broader context than just the Venezuelan direction. “This is not just pressure on Maduro. This is a clear signal to China and other states that circumvent sanctions by using shadow logistics. Washington is demonstrating its readiness to use naval power to block energy flows,” he notes.

According to Rezazade, declaring Venezuela a “terrorist regime” opens up additional legal and force tools for the United States. “The FTO status radically changes the rules of the game. It allows not only sanctions, but also force pressure, including the seizure of assets, the prosecution of intermediaries, and more aggressive operations at sea,” the expert explains.

At the same time, in the United States itself, a number of former officials and industry experts are already questioning the legal basis of such a blockade and its compliance with international law. Caracas called Trump’s statements “grotesque and belligerent” and promised to take the matter to the United Nations.

Ali Reza Rezazade emphasizes that the current situation could become a precedent for other regions. “If the United States implements this blockade in practice, the world will see a new model of energy containment. This will be a signal not only to Venezuela, but also to all regimes that finance their stability through shadow oil flows,” he concludes.