The Syrian government and SDF have agreed to an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, with SDF forces to withdraw to east of Euphrates, state media outlet SANA is reporting.
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Syrian army gains ground as Kurdish forces withdraw from key oil field
Government troops drove Kurdish forces from two Aleppo neighbourhoods following clashes last week, and on Saturday announced they had captured an area east of the city, as well as Tabqa, in Raqqa province, on the southwestern bank of the Euphrates.
At dawn on Sunday, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew „from all areas under its control in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, including the al-Omar and Tanak oil fields“, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Al-Omar is the country‘s largest oil field, and was home to the biggest US base in Syria.
16. Januar 1979: Sturz und Flucht des iranischen Schahs
Noch Anfang der 1950er-Jahre wurde Iran wirtschaftlich von Großbritannien ausgebeutet. Nur ein kleiner Teil der enormen Öleinnahmen verblieb im Land. Teherans Opposition, die in weiten Teilen eine Verstaatlichung der Erdölindustrie forderte, gewann an Zulauf. Die Nationale Front aus verschiedenen linken, islamistischen, aber auch liberalen Gruppen einte damals die Ablehnung des Schahs und ausländischer Einflussnahme. Nach der Ermordung des vom Schah installierten Premierministers Ali Razmara durch Islamisten leitete eine Parlamentskommission im März 1951 die Verstaatlichung der iranischen Ölindustrie ein. Ende April 1951 ernannte der Schah den Führer der Nationalen Front, Mohammed Mossadegh (1882-1967), zum Premierminister.
Unter Mossadegh schritt die Verstaatlichung der Ölindustrie schnell voran. Nachdem die Briten fast 50 Jahre lang quasi ein Monopol auf iranisches Erdöl innehatten, mussten sie es nun aus der Hand geben. London setzte daraufhin einen Boykott Irans durch fast alle internationalen Ölgesellschaften durch. Die Folge war eine schwere Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrise. Dies änderte zunächst nichts an der Unterstützung Mossadeghs innerhalb der Bevölkerung. Mossadegh erhielt Sondervollmachten durch das Parlament. Nach einem gescheiterten Versuch Rezas, Mossadegh seines Amtes zu entheben, und den darauf folgenden Kämpfen zwischen den beiden Lagern floh der Schah ins Ausland.
Im August 1953 wurde Mossadegh von Teilen der iranischen Armee mit Hilfe des US-amerikanischen Geheimdienstes CIA gestürzt. Der Schah kehrte aus dem Exil zurück. Fortan war Iran ein treuer Verbündeter der Vereinigten Staaten. Der Monarch unterdrückte jede Opposition mit Härte. Ab 1954 teilte sich ein Konsortium westlicher Ölkonzerne die Gewinne aus dem Erdölgeschäft mit der National Iranian Oil Company. Von den Öleinnahmen profitierte jedoch nur ein kleiner Teil der Bevölkerung.
Washington unterstützte den Schah in den 1950er-Jahren bei der Modernisierung seiner Streitkräfte und ab 1957 beim Aufbau des gefürchteten Geheimdiensts SAVAK.
Trump spoke to oil companies before Venezuela attack but didn‘t brief lawmakers, he says
Oil executives are set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday to discuss investments in Venezuela, a White House official confirmed to ABC News.
Trump previously said he spoke to U.S. oil companies prior to the raid on Venezuela, even as he said he opted to forego disclosure to members of Congress ahead of time due to concerns about possible leaks. The attack resulted in the removal of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump Team Works Up Sweeping Plan to Control Venezuelan Oil for Years to Come
President Trump and his advisers are planning a sweeping initiative to dominate the Venezuelan oil industry for years to come, and the president has told aides he believes his efforts could help lower oil prices to his favored level of $50 a barrel, according to people familiar with the matter.
Trump: We Are in Venezuela Now, and We Are Going to Stay
Trump claimed Washington would pay for the occupation of Venezuela with profits from the country’s oil.
Trump‘s vow to ‚run‘ Venezuela, sell oil, part of plan to dominate Western Hemisphere
But Trump‘s framing of the issue appeared to quickly expand when he stunned observers by saying the U.S. was going to „run the country“ temporarily, even if that involved troops on the ground, that American companies would soon start selling the country‘s vast oil reserves, and that it was part of an overall strategy of U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
US Imposes More Venezuela Oil Sanctions on Four Companies and Four Tankers
The US Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four companies and their associated oil tankers for allegedly transporting Venezuelan oil as the Trump administration seeks to escalate its pressure on the country.
The new sanctions come after the US seized two tankers off the coast of Venezuela that were carrying Venezuelan oil, cargo that President Trump has said the US intends to keep, an action that amounts to outright theft.
Security Council Debates United States–Venezuela Standoff, as Calls Mount for Restraint
Yet, while Chile does not recognize the legitimacy of the Maduro regime, that country’s representative rejected any armed activity that could risk regional peace and stability. She also underlined the imperative of respecting international law, which, Brazil’s representative observed, includes the UN Charter’s prohibition against the threat or use of force. The United States’ activities are generating tensions in a region characterized by “stability and peaceful coexistence”, added Colombia’s representative, warning that military escalation not only heightens the risk of a broader conflict but also undermines collective efforts to prevent conflict and promote regional stability.
“History demonstrates that the threat or the use of force invariably leads to greater human suffering and the erosion of the international legal order,” observed Mexico’s representative. He underscored that, regardless of the country or region involved, “dialogue and negotiation are the only legitimate and effective ways of resolving — in the long run — existing differences”. Urging all parties to act with restraint, he added: “It is exclusively up to the Venezuelan people to determine [their country’s] political future.”
Threats to international peace and security – Security Council, 10080th meeting
Briefing on Venezuela
10080th meeting – Threats to international peace and security
10080th meeting – Threats to international peace and security
Vereinte Nationen: Venezuela-Eskalation ruft Sicherheitsrat auf den Plan
Der UN-Sicherheitsrat kommt heute zu einer Dringlichkeitssitzung zusammen, um über die Spannungen zwischen Venezuela und den USA zu beraten. Die Regierung in Caracas hatte die Sitzung mit Unterstützung Russlands und Chinas gefordert. Unterdessen wird auch die Rhetorik der US-Regierung gegenüber Venezuela immer deutlicher.
Brazil‘s Lula, Argentina‘s Milei clash over Venezuela at Mercosur summit
resident Javier Milei clashed with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Saturday at the regional Mercosur summit about the fate of Venezuela, as US President Donald Trump ratcheted up the pressure on Caracas.
Sparring comments from Lula and Milei came at a meeting of the South American bloc, at which a future trade deal with the European Union was on the agenda.
Venezuela condemns second theft of oil tanker by the US
The Venezuelan government described the action as a serious act of piracy, noting that it constitutes the commission of the crime stipulated in Article 3 of the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation.
He also denounced the operation as a violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations, Article 2 of the Geneva Convention on the High Seas, and the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation between States.
(…)
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms that these acts will not go unpunished and will take all appropriate actions, including filing complaints with the United Nations Security Council, other multilateral organizations, and governments worldwide. International law will prevail, and those responsible for these grave acts will be held accountable before justice and history for their criminal conduct.
Caracas, December 20, 2025
US seizes another vessel off Venezuela as Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas
The US seized a large oil tanker called the Skipper, which had been under sanctions for its ties to Iran, on December 10.
While Trump’s directive this week targeted sanctioned tankers, the vessel the US seized Saturday is not under US sanctions, the official said. The seizure wasn’t contested by the tanker’s crew.
The vessel was a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, according to the official, and was ultimately destined for Asia.
U.S. forces intercept another oil tanker off Venezuela
– U.S. forces seize a second merchant vessel off Venezuela’s coast in less than two weeks as Trump escalates military pressure on President Nicolás Maduro over oil assets.
– Trump announced a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers and demanded Venezuela return assets seized from American oil companies, citing compensation disputes dating back decades.
– Military strikes targeting alleged drug smugglers have killed 104 people since September and face scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers for lack of evidence and civilian casualties.
Trump declares ‚Venezuelan regime‘ a foreign terrorist organization, orders oil tanker blockade
President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a total blockade of oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, declaring the Nicolás Maduro regime a foreign terrorist organization and accusing it of using stolen U.S. assets to finance terrorism, trafficking and other criminal activity.
„Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,“ Trump said on Truth Social. „It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before – Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.
Behind the Seized Venezuelan Tanker, Cuba’s Secret Lifeline
(December 12, 2025)
President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, have for decades sent oil to Cuba at highly subsidized prices, providing a crucial resource at low cost to the impoverished island.
In return, the Cuban government over the years has sent tens of thousands of medics, sports instructors and, increasingly, security professionals on assignments to Venezuela. That exchange has assumed special importance as Mr. Maduro has leaned on Cuban bodyguards and counterintelligence officers to protect himself against the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean
Maduro: The crew members of the oil tanker are missing
„They committed a criminal and illegal act when they carried out a military assault, kidnapping, and robbery—like pirates of the Caribbean—of a merchant, commercial, civilian, private vessel. A ship of peace, which was attacked almost upon reaching the Atlantic, not off the coast of Venezuela. It was further north, beyond Trinidad and Tobago, towards the island of Grenada.“
Regarding the crew, he said, „As I speak to you now, the crew of that ship, which was carrying 1.900.000 barrels of oil to international markets—oil that was paid for in Venezuela, because everyone who extracts oil pays for it first—are being held captive, they‘ve disappeared, nobody knows where they are. The crew was kidnapped. The ship was stolen, and a new era has begun: that of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean.“
Exclusive: US preparing to seize more tankers off Venezuela‘s coast after first ship taken, sources say
The U.S. is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil following the seizure of a tanker this week, as it increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, six sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The seizure was the first interdiction of an oil cargo or tanker from Venezuela, which has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019. It came as the U.S. executes a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean and as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for Maduro‘s ouster.
Lawmakers react to US seizure of Venezuelan oil tanker
Last week, Paul and Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.), Adam Schiff (Ca.) and Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) filed a war powers resolution to prevent the administration from engaging Venezuela in conflict without congressional approval.
The Kentucky Republican reiterated he and his colleagues’ push on Wednesday, saying that “if you want war, the president should come to Congress, like the Constitution dictates, and he should ask Congress for a declaration of war.
“That’s what should be going on right now.”
US seizes oil tanker off Venezuelan coast
President Trump did not offer any detailed explanation for the move, saying only that the vessel was seized “for very good reason.” Asked what would happen to the oil the tanker was transporting, Trump said, “We keep it, I guess.”
The seizure occurred in international waters, a senior US official said, and proceeded without incident or casualties either among the US personnel or the tanker’s crew.
The ship, which was headed to Cuba, was ultimately destined for Asia after being brokered through Cuban sellers, the senior official said, adding that additional seizures are possible in the coming weeks as the US applies pressure on Maduro.
Behind the Barrel: An Update on the Origins of Israel‘s Fuel Suplly
(November 13, 2025)
Table 1: Crude Oil Shipments to Israel –
November 1, 2023 – October 1, 2025
Origin Country
Crude Oil (in tonnes)
Number of Shipments
Turkey (Azeri) 7,146,417 61
Russia (Kazakh) 5,362,251 55
Gabon 2,288,858 21
Nigeria 1,112,229 12
Brazil 584,041 4
Republic of the Congo 391,602 3
Egypt 335,066 8
Democratic Republic of the Congo 326,210 3
Angola 132,142 1
Equatorial Guinea 79,400 1
Russia (Russian) 76,790 1
Ghana 68,364 1
TOTAL 17,903,370 171
Twenty-five states funnelled oil to Israel during genocide: Report
(November 14, 2025)
Twenty-five countries supplied Israel with crude oil and refined petroleum throughout its two-year genocide in Gaza, a new report has revealed.
An updated report by Oil Change International tracked a total of 323 shipments from 25 countries carrying nearly 21.2 million tonnes of crude oil and refined products to Israel between November 1 2023 and 1 October 2025.
Exclusive: China state oil majors suspend Russian oil buys due to sanctions, sources say
A sharp drop in oil demand from Russia’s two largest customers will put a strain on Moscow’s oil revenues and force the world’s top importers to seek alternative supplies and push up global prices.
Chinese national oil companies PetroChina (601857.SS), Sinopec, CNOOC and Zhenhua Oil will refrain from dealing in seaborne Russian oil at least in the short-term due to concern over sanctions, the sources said.
EU und die USA verhängen neue Sanktionen gegen Russland
Die US-Sanktionen richten sich gegen die beiden größten russischen Ölkonzerne Rosneft und Lukoil, wobei ersteres Unternehmen auch von der EU auf die schwarze Liste gesetzt wurde. Brüssel hat Lukoil hingegen ausgespart, da für Ungarn und die Slowakei weiterhin eine langjährige Ausnahmeregelung gilt, die ihnen erlaubt, russisches Öl zu beziehen.
Trump issues an ultimatum for NATO countries on Russia sanctions
“I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR,” he said.
Trump added that Russia’s war in Ukraine would end “quickly” if those steps were taken.
CNN has reported that the European Union imposed a ban on maritime Russian oil imports and refined oil products like diesel, but many countries continue to import Russian fossil fuels and liquefied natural gas.
Maduro: No one believes Marco Rubio‘s lies against Venezuela
In this regard, he said that imperialism attacks Venezuela with the threat of its warships for two reasons: „One is that they come for Venezuela‘s wealth. They come for the oil, for the world‘s largest oil reserves. The fourth largest gas reserves, they come for the natural reserves, for our soil,“ he listed.
„The second is that they are here for Simón Bolívar‘s project. They want to try to root out the great liberation project, so that the example doesn‘t spread to the world,“ he reflected.
He added that the U.S. government doesn‘t want the world to see „that a country‘s budget isn‘t spent on wars, it‘s invested in education, youth, and progress.“