In 2022, the White House granted Venezuela a financial lifeline “to support the restoration of democracy” after President Nicolás Maduro promised to work toward an open presidential election, granting U.S. energy giant Chevron a permit to pump and export Venezuelan oil despite sanctions.

Abrams insisted Thursday a pressure campaign of sanctions targeting Iran would persist into the administration of Joe Biden, even as the incoming president has pledged to potentially return America to Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)ABU DHABI – The U.S. special representative for Iran insisted Thursday that a pressure campaign of sanctions targeting Iran would persist into the administration of Joe Biden, even as the president-elect has pledged to potentially return America to Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. “The policy of maximum pressure and sanctions against Iran has failed,” Miryousefi told the AP. Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. “Iran denies that it ever had a nuclear weapons program," Abrams said.