TEHRAN – Iran has accused the United States of “provocative and destabilizing” military actions in the Caribbean and Latin America, warning that U.S. actions pose a serious threat to regional peace, stability and international security.
In a statement released on Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghai strongly condemned the recent US military attack on Venezuelan ships, calling it a “clear violation” of the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international law.
Bagai said the United States’ “increasing illegal activities and aggressive unilateralism” risked plunging the region into a new wave of instability, stressing that the United States must take responsibility for its actions.
He called on the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General to urgently address the “dangerous situation” created by the illegal US intervention in the internal affairs of Venezuela, an independent and sovereign UN member state.
The US military has reportedly carried out four deadly attacks in the Caribbean in recent weeks as part of a broader naval buildup launched in August on the pretext of fighting drug cartels. The operation, announced by US President Donald Trump, will involve three destroyers, anti-submarine aircraft, a battleship, a nuclear submarine and a squadron of F-35s sent to the region.
Since the start of the operation, U.S. forces have attacked several vessels, resulting in the deaths of several Venezuelans suspected by Washington of drug trafficking. But Caracas rejected the claims as fabricated and part of a broader plan to justify military invasion.
In response to the airstrikes, the Venezuelan government declared a national emergency, strengthened the military and mobilized local militias to protect the country’s sovereignty.
President Nicolás Maduro vowed that any act of aggression against Venezuela would “face a united regional response” and stressed that the Bolivarian Republic “will never become a colony or be subordinated to a foreign power.”
On Thursday, Venezuela formally requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss escalating hostilities by the United States in its territorial waters.
The United Nations also expressed concern on Friday about the growing risks to peace in the Caribbean region following a series of U.S. attacks.
Meanwhile, Caracas reported that a Venezuelan fishing boat was seized after U.S. warplanes overflew near its coast, and the U.S. government accused the Venezuelan military of flying two military planes over a U.S. Navy ship in international waters.