Tehran (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the United States’ “bullying approach” toward Venezuela, according to a statement on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump increases pressure on his main rival in Venezuela.
The United States has sent the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, along with a group of warships, primarily for anti-drug operations targeting Venezuela.
During a call with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto, Araghchi lambasted the US, calling its threats to use force a “gross violation” of the UN Charter. Trump has repeatedly accused Maduro of overseeing a drug cartel.
Both Iran and Venezuela have historically been subject to US sanctions.
Maduro’s most recent visit to Iran was in 2022, when the two allies signed a 20-year cooperation agreement. In 2023, then-president Ebrahim Raisi visited Caracas as part of a tour that included Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
How does Trump justify expansive military actions in the Caribbean?
The US president has approved covert CIA operations in the Latin American country, while emphasising that he has not excluded the possibility of military intervention there. It has also carried out approximately 20 air strikes targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in over 80 fatalities.
There has been a military buildup in the Caribbean for months. Major airlines were cautioned by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration about a “potentially hazardous situation” while flying over Venezuela.
In an effort to counter Maduro’s alleged role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans, the Trump administration has been considering Venezuela-related options.
How has Venezuela responded to US allegations of drug trafficking?
Venezuela claims that the United States’ anti-drug campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which includes military buildup and airstrikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels, is a front for a larger goal to remove President Nicolás Maduro and take control of the nation’s oil reserves.
Maduro and the Venezuelan government have consistently denied American accusations of involvement in drug trafficking, referring to American military and political actions as “ridiculous lies” intended to support unlawful military intervention and regime change.
