Iran's judiciary announced that over 2,100 convicts were pardoned or had their sentences reduced by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, but the list did not include any individuals involved in recent nationwide protests, according to Euronews. Meanwhile, the U.S. military boarded a Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, as part of an ongoing effort to enforce sanctions, and Cuba faced a fuel shortage that grounded flights due to the U.S. oil blockade, as reported by multiple sources.
The pardons in Iran were granted ahead of the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, an occasion that has historically seen similar acts of clemency, Euronews noted. The announcement specifically excluded "defendants and convicts from the recent riots," signaling a continued crackdown on dissent.
Simultaneously, the U.S. military's boarding of the tanker, Aquila II, followed its tracking from the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Department of Defense stated the action was taken because the tanker defied the Trump administration's blockade of oil shipments to and from Venezuela, according to Euronews. Venezuela has been accused of using a "shadow fleet" of tankers to smuggle crude oil, as reported by Euronews.
In Cuba, a fuel shortage prompted by the U.S. oil blockade has led to flight cancellations during the peak tourist season, NPR Politics reported. The Cuban government issued a warning to airlines, stating that jet fuel would be unavailable at nine airports across the island, starting Tuesday and continuing until March 11, according to Euronews. Cuban aviation officials warned of the impending fuel crisis, which has effectively cut off the island's access to its primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico, Euronews reported.
In other news, London-based startup Tem secured $75 million in a Series B funding round, TechCrunch reported. Tem, which uses AI to optimize energy transactions, aims to lower electricity costs for businesses. The funding round, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, values Tem at over $300 million, according to a source familiar with the deal. The company has already signed up over 2,600 business customers in the U.K., promising savings of up to 30% on their energy bills.
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