In this May 25, 2020 file photo, the Iranian oil tanker Fortune is anchored at the dock of the El Palito refinery near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. (ERNESTO VARGAS / AP)

TEHRAN - Iran's ambassador to Venezuela denied that Iranian oil tankers heading to Venezuela were recently captured by the United States, official IRNA news agency reported on Friday.

The news is "another lie and psychological warfare by the US propaganda machine," Iran's Ambassador to Venezuela Hojat Soltani was quoted by IRNA news agency as saying

The news is "another lie and psychological warfare by the US propaganda machine," Ambassador Hojat Soltani was quoted as saying.

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Western media on Thursday quoted "US officials" as saying that the administration of US President Donald Trump had recently seized four tankers which were targeting for transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela.

READ MORE: US turns screws on maritime industry to cut off Venezuela's oil

Iranian officials have called for the promotion of strategic ties between Iran and Venezuela, as the country sent several shipments of fuel to energy-hungry Venezuela amid US sanctions.