TEHRAN – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil Pinto expressed his gratitude to Iran for supporting the Latin American nation in the face of U.S. military threats and pressure.
“On behalf of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela and our President Nicolas Maduro, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its firm condemnation of the recent unilateral action by the United States to declare the closure of Venezuelan airspace,” Pinto said in a post on his Telegram page shared on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday declared a “total closure” of the airspace over and around Venezuela.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Bakaei denounced the decision as a blatant violation of the fundamental rules of international law governing global air transport, according to the ministry’s website.
He called the action part of the US government’s continued provocative and illegal actions against Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, an “arbitrary act” and an unprecedented threat to international aviation safety and security.
In a Telegram post, Venezuela’s foreign minister praised Iran’s courageous stance and said Tehran and Caracas share common concerns in the pursuit of a peaceful and just world.
“Your brave and resolute stand in defense of Venezuela’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity resonates deeply with our people. Violations of fundamental norms and principles of international law and threats to the safety and security of international aviation are common concerns that unite us in our struggle for a world of justice, dignity and peace,” the post added.
President Trump announced the closure of Venezuelan airspace as his administration ramps up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government with a large-scale military deployment to the Caribbean. The United States took this step in recent weeks after launching a series of airstrikes against ships off the coast of Venezuela starting in September in the name of combating drug trafficking into the United States.
Iran has repeatedly criticized the US military buildup in the Caribbean.
Recently, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a telephone conversation with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil Pinto, touched on the growing danger that Washington’s “belligerent unilateralism” poses to world peace and stability.
Araghchi also denounced the U.S.’s baseless accusations against the Venezuelan government and Washington’s threat to use force against the country, reiterating the unity between Iran and Venezuela.
Since late August, Washington has sent warships, reconnaissance planes and special operations forces to the Southern Caribbean, culminating this month with the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group.
The US has since launched dozens of attacks on ships claiming to be drug traffickers, killing more than 80 people, but has provided no evidence to support the claims. Legal experts have condemned the extrajudicial killings of victims by US forces as illegal.