Iran needs to adapt to Latin America’s political shifts
By Delaram Ahmadi
Staff writer
As the United States seeks to isolate Iran, Peru has announced that it will sever diplomatic relations with Tehran, accusing Iran of creating insecurity in the region and disrupting maritime traffic. Chile had earlier closed its embassy in Tehran on security grounds, although the move did not amount to a break in diplomatic relations. This comes as South America is one of the regions where Iran has sought to build close ties. , an expert on Latin America affairs, says that while the scaling back of relations by the two countries will have little economic impact, it carries a significant symbolic message. He says Iran needs to have a plan for maintaining ties with political factions in Latin America so that its relations do not suffer when power changes hands.
IRAN DAILY: To what extent can Peru and Chile’s decision be attributed to US pressure and policies, and to what extent are these decisions driven by the countries’ own considerations and interests?
FARIMAN: Chile and Peru, which have now scaled down their diplomatic relations [with Iran], have both shown a shift toward the right in their recent 2025 elections. In Chile, Gabriel Boric had governed with a left-wing administration for nearly four years. He was essentially a modern, reform-oriented socialist, for whom support for Palestine and opposition to Israel were particularly prominent positions. His successor, José Antonio Kast, who won the election, has shifted toward the United States because he is a far-right politician. On this basis, his foreign policy approach is also based on a commitment to cooperation with the United States and, more recently, Israel.
We see a similar situation in Peru. For years, elections there have essentially revolved around a major contest between conservative right-wing forces, liberals, supporters of the United States, labor unions, anti-socialists, and radical left-wing forces. There is also the main body of the Fujimori family, whose head was president of Peru, and whose daughter has now come to power and wants to establish close relations with the United States.
When it comes to Chile and Peru, it appears that US pressure has had an influence on them.
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