Iran condemns US ’bullying approach’ towards Venezuela
Iran slammed the United States' "bullying approach" towards Venezuela and other independent nations in the Western hemisphere amid US military deployments across the Caribbean under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil Pinto said that threats to use force against countries represent a clear violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and peremptory norms of international law.
He underscored the collective responsibility of the international community to uphold the principles and purposes of the UN in the face of “US belligerent unilateralism.”
Since late August, the US has deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, accompanied by a flotilla of warships, under the pretext of fighting drug traffickers.
It has conducted some 20 air strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing over 80 people.
Venezuela says that the US anti-drugs campaign in the region is a pretext to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro and seize the country's oil reserves.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Maduro of overseeing a drug cartel.
The US president has also authorized the use of covert CIA operations in the Latin American country, while reiterating that he has not ruled out ordering a military intervention there.
The Iranian foreign minister also slammed the activities of the Israeli regime in the Caribbean and Latin America as a major threat to the peace, stability, and tranquility of the region.
Israel is seeking to expand its relations with small Caribbean countries in domestic security and intelligence, a move critics view as a strategic effort to extend its geopolitical influence that risks destabilizing regional dynamics and which some believe is connected to the recent US military buildup in the area.
The Venezuelan Foreign Minister, for his part, expressed gratitude for Iran's principled positions and highlighted the importance of strengthening strategic relations between Caracas and Tehran.
He also underscored the resolve of the Venezuelan nation and government to resist and stand firm against US pressures and illegal interventions.