TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragci has expressed solidarity with Venezuela in the face of growing tensions with the United States and has condemned Washington’s “unilateral and bullying” actions against independent countries.
In a telephone conversation with Venezuelan counterpart Ivan Gilpinto, Araguc warned President Donald Trump’s decision to maintain military assets in the Caribbean and threaten President Nicolas Maduro, representing “a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter” and “a serious danger to international peace and security.” He urged governments around the world to recognize the gravity of the situation and work to prevent the spread of “lawlessness and anxiety.”
On his part, Gil Pinto outlined the growing threat posed by Washington, thanking Tehran for defending the UN Charter and for confronting Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He emphasized that the Venezuelan government and people will continue to firmly defend their independence and self-determination. He also called on BRICS countries and South American states to take a firm stance on what he described as an adversarial US policy.
The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in the Caribbean, following the significant accumulation of US military in the region. Washington recently deployed tomahawk missiles, attack submarines, aircraft and warships armed with more than 4,000 Marines and seafarers off the coast of Venezuela. They also deployed 10 advanced F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico.
At the same time, the Trump administration has doubled its bounty in Maduro to $50 million and accused it of leading one of the world’s largest drug trafficking networks. On Tuesday, a US strike sank a Venezuelan boat, killing 11 people, and Trump claimed it was involved in drug smuggling. Maduro refuses the allegations, claiming that a conflict between the two countries cannot justify a military conflict.
Meanwhile, US representative Ilhan Omar denounced Trump’s actions as “lawless” and emphasized that Congress has not declared war with Venezuela or its groups. “We will not give President Carte Blanche the mere designation of groups as terrorist organizations to ignore the constitutional authority of Parliament on war and peace,” she said.