The U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, primarily to stop Iran’s nuclear program and remove its leadership. However, oil and the “Venezuela connection” are massive parts of the strategy.

We know about the Iran-Venezuela partnership because it has been one of the most documented “sanctions-busting” alliances in recent history. It isn’t a secret, though the specific logistics are often carried out by a “shadow fleet” of tankers to avoid detection by international authorities. Both governments have been quite vocal about their cooperation to show defiance against U.S. sanctions.

A History of Cooperation

In June 2022, Nicolas Maduro and the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a 20-year cooperation roadmap in Tehran. This document explicitly included the “repair and overhaul” of Venezuelan refineries by Iranian engineers. In May 2022, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a $117 million contract specifically to repair and expand the El Palito refinery in Venezuela.

The most direct evidence of this cooperation roadmap comes from “tanker trackers” (firms like Vortexa, Kpler, and TankerTrackers.com). They use satellite imagery and AIS (Automatic Identification System) data to follow ships. Trackers have repeatedly identified Iranian tankers (like the Horse and the Dore) arriving at Venezuela’s Jose terminal. They often turn off their transponders (“going dark”) as they approach, but satellite photos show them offloading condensate the light oil Venezuela needs to thin its heavy crude.

Many of these ships are part of a specialized fleet that changes names and flags frequently. For example, the U.S. Department of Justice has filed several forfeiture complaints against tankers like the Skipper (formerly the Adisa) for moving oil between these two nations. That’s why the U.S. government regularly issues sanctions on specific vessels and companies involved in these trades. These public legal filings often include detailed maps and logs of where and when the oil was transferred.

Major outlets like Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Associated Press have frequently interviewed workers at Venezuelan refineries who confirm the presence of Iranian technicians and specialized Iranian-made parts used to fix aging infrastructure.

As of early 2026, this partnership has entered a very rocky phase. Following the dramatic political shifts in Venezuela in January 2026 and the escalation of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran in February 2026, these shipments have slowed down significantly. Many Venezuelan refineries are now seeking Western investment again, potentially sidelining the Iranian technical teams that had been there for the previous five years.

The Science of the “Swap”

Venezuela has used Iranian oil specifically a very light type of oil called condensate to act as a “thinner” for its own heavy crude. Think of it like trying to move cold honey through a straw, it’s nearly impossible. By mixing in a lighter liquid (the Iranian condensate), Venezuela turns its “tar-like” oil into a blend that can flow through pipelines and be sold on the global market.

However, the situation has changed dramatically in the last few months. For years, Iran and Venezuela had a “swap” agreement: Iran sent light oil/condensate to Venezuela, and Venezuela “paid” by sending its heavy crude back to Iran (which Iran then sold to China). Since January 2026, this relationship has largely collapsed. Following the political upheaval in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the new authorities have pivoted away from Iran.

Venezuela is now sending that heavy oil to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries instead. In exchange, they are looking to buy the diluents they need from Western companies like Chevron or through the open market, rather than from Tehran. As of early 2026, reports show that many of the Iranian technical teams are leaving, and Venezuela is now seeking parts and expertise from the U.S. and Brazil to finish the repairs.

Strategic Implications of the War

The timing of this is critical. Because of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran that escalated in February 2026, it has become physically dangerous and diplomatically impossible for Venezuela to keep trading with Iran. Venezuela’s state oil company (PDVSA) recently issued a statement pledging to be a “reliable supplier” to the Western market, specifically to distance itself from the volatility in Iran.

This war is complex, but it represents one major strategic shift happening right now. While the U.S. and Israel’s operations are primarily to stop Iran’s nuclear program and remove its leadership, oil and the “Venezuela connection” are massive parts of the strategy.

By securing Venezuela’s oil first, the U.S. created a “buffer.” The goal is to use Venezuelan crude to stabilize global markets so that when the Strait of Hormuz (where 20% of the world’s oil flows) was closed during the attack on Iran, the global economy wouldn’t completely collapse from $200-per-barrel oil.

One of the biggest reasons for the attack on Iran was to hurt China’s energy supply. China was the #1 buyer of both Iranian and Venezuelan oil, often getting it at huge discounts because of sanctions. By taking Maduro out in January and attacking Iran in February/March, the U.S. has effectively cut off China’s two main sources of “black market” oil. China now has to buy oil at much higher market prices, which hurts their economy.

The “New Iran” Vision

As of today, March 7, 2026, President Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” The U.S. objective isn’t just to stop the oil trade, but to enforce a total regime change in Iran, similar to what happened in Venezuela two months ago. The U.S. vision which Trump has mentioned in recent speeches is to have a “New Iran” that, like the “New Venezuela,” works directly with Western oil companies like Chevron and Exxon instead of selling to China.

Using the “nuclear threat” allows the U.S. government to bypass traditional war declarations. By framing it as counter-proliferation or self-defense, the administration argued they didn’t need to wait for a long debate in Congress or the UN, they could just strike.

In 1999, the bombing of Serbia was framed as a “moral necessity” to prevent genocide. In 2026, the bombing of Iran is being framed as a “security necessity” to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. In both cases, the result is the same, the total dismantling of a government that refused to align with Western interests.

“Both operations bypassed the UN Security Council by using “pre-emptive security” as a legal loophole.”

Many people see the events of 2026 first in Venezuela and now in Iran not as isolated security operations, but as a deliberate “resource grab.”