Venezuela denies reports of oil exports to Israel

Wednesday 11 February 2026 - 11:00

By: Sahili Aya

Venezuela denies reports of oil exports to Israel

The Venezuelan government has officially denied media reports claiming the country has exported crude oil to Israel, calling the accounts inaccurate and misleading. Venezuelan officials rejected the story that circulated in international news outlets, which said Caracas had sent its first oil cargo to Israel in years.

Venezuela’s Minister of Communication and Information, Miguel Pérez Pirela, released a public statement labeling the reports as “false news” on his official channel, said to rebut a Bloomberg article suggesting a Venezuelan oil shipment was heading to the Middle Eastern nation. The government emphasized that relations with Israel remain unchanged and that there is no record of such exports.

The original Bloomberg report claimed that Venezuela had resumed oil exports to Israel after a gap of several years, and that a cargo was being transported to Bazan Group, Israel’s largest crude oil processor. If true, the shipment would have marked the first direct delivery since around mid‑2020, according to energy tracking data cited by the report.

Israel typically does not publicly disclose the origins of its crude oil imports, and some tankers approaching its ports stop transmitting their positions on tracking systems, Bloomberg noted. The report also said that neither Bazan nor the Israeli Energy Ministry commented publicly on the alleged shipment.

Caracas remains firm in its position that no such shipment took place and that diplomatic ties with Israel have not been reestablished. Venezuelan officials reiterated that the nation’s foreign policy continues to reflect long‑standing stances dating back to changes in relations more than a decade ago.

The debate underscores ongoing global interest in Venezuela’s oil sector, which has seen changes in production and export dynamics amid evolving international and domestic political developments.