The United States will be vigilant of the deals made between Venezuela and Iran to make sure that they do not violate sanctions against Tehran, US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, said on Thursday.

"We will watch to see if any of these deals amount to anything and if they do, whether they constitute a violation of the (UN) Security Council resolutions and sanctions against Iran," the US Department of State spokesman said, as reported by AFP.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed on Wednesday several memorandums of understanding (MoU) with his Iranian counterpart President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad focused on energy cooperation.

Crowley added that Washington has not been able to know the agreements in detail. According to reports from Tehran they include the establishment of a joint oil company, stakes of the state-run oil company Petróleos de Venezuela in an Iranian gas field and the construction of a refinery in Syria.

"Venezuela like all countries has clear responsibilities," the State Department spokesman told reporters. "It is hard for me to see how President Chavez's current travel can be seen as constructive," Crowley said. He added that the US continues to seek ways to "lower tensions in bilateral relations" with Venezuela.

Chávez signed an agreement with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to build a nuclear plant. "Venezuela has a right to pursue civilian nuclear energy," Crowley added, though "it also has a responsibility to make sure that any nuclear program does not represent a proliferation risk," Crowley said.

Source: ElUniversal.com