"Between the lines: On Truth Social, Trump declared a "TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela" on Tuesday, claiming the country owes the U.S. "Oil, Land, and other Assets." Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, echoed Trump in a Wednesday X post, writing that Caracas' "tyrannical expropriation was the largest recorded theft of American wealth and property.""
"Yes, but: Under international law, a blockade is a military operation that prevents vessels - enemy and neutral - from accessing ports or coastlines. A blockade is "different than merely claiming the right to interdict vessels suspected of being under sanction," Dylan Williams of the Center for International Policy tells Axios. It comes down to implementation: If executed as an actual blockade, it "would be an act of war under international law," Williams says."
"Zoom out: The confusion underscores the complications that arise when a president announces critical foreign policy decisions via social media rather than through formal diplomatic channels. Catch up quick: The U.S. seized the "Skipper" earlier this month using a standard seizure warrant. That oil tanker was considered "stateless" (flying a false flag) and had a history of carrying Iranian oil, giving the U.S. grounds to act."
The president ordered a blockade targeting only U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers, while leaving unclear whether the move meant a military blockade or intensified law enforcement. International law experts say a blockade is a military operation that bars enemy and neutral vessels from ports and that an actual blockade would be an act of war. Legal scholars argue there is no legal justification for a military blockade based on the cited grievances. Administration allies framed Venezuelan expropriation as massive theft. The U.S. recently seized the tanker "Skipper," deemed stateless and linked to Iranian oil. Announcing policy via social media created legal and diplomatic confusion.
Read at Axios
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]