Venezuela’s government has ordered its Navy to escort ships carrying petroleum products from port, escalating the risk of a confrontation with the US. The move comes after President Trump announced a blockade against oil tankers travelling to or from the South American country that faces American sanctions. Trump has also demandedthat  Venezuela return assets that it seized from US oil companies years ago. Some sanctioned tankers are diverting away from Venezuela.

Earlier yesterday, Trump wrote on social media that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government had been designated a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO), which had also engaged in Drug Smuggling and Human Trafficking. Venezuela has requested that the United Nations Security Council meet to discuss ongoing U.S. aggression against the country. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate de-escalation of tensions between the two nations, asking both countries to honour their obligations under international law, including the U.N. Charter and any other applicable legal framework to safeguard peace in the region.