Venezuela president praises Iran fuel shipments during visit

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on his first visit to Iran says the Islamic Republic helped his nation by sending badly needed fuel despite U.S. sanctions and threats. In an interview with Maduro late Friday after his arrival, Iranian state media reported that Maduro hailed Iran’s move to send fuel tankers to his energy-hungry nation. Tensions across the Middle East are high over the collapse of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers as U.S. sanctions and rising global food prices choke Iran’s ailing economy. A high-ranking political and economic delegation from Venezuela, which like Iran is under heavy U.S. sanctions, is accompanying Maduro on his two-day visit.