Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed Iran’s solidarity with the people of Venezuela amid heightened tensions with the United States, denouncing the latter's unilateral and bullying actions against other states.
Araghchi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil Pinto, as US President Donald Trump has ordered a large build-up of American military assets in the Caribbean and increased threats against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
“The threat of resorting to force against independent developing countries is a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter and an obvious danger to international peace and security,” he added.
“It is necessary for all responsible governments to prevent the spread of lawlessness and insecurity by recognizing the gravity of the current situation."
The Venezuelan foreign minister, for his part, referred to the increasing illegal threats by the United States against his country and presented a report on regional conditions.
He also appreciated Iran's stance on defending the principles and objectives of the UN Charter and respecting Venezuela's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Gil Pinto further emphasized that the Venezuelan government and people will firmly defend their independence, national sovereignty, and right to determine their own fate.
Meanwhile, he hoped that the BRICS member states and other countries in South America would take a firm stance in condemnation of the United States’ hostile actions.
During the phone call, the two sides also discussed Tehran-Caracas bilateral relations and developments in the Caribbean following recent US movements in the region.
The US has recently sent ships armed with Tomahawk missiles, an attack submarine, a range of aircraft, and more than 4,000 US sailors and Marines to the waters off Venezuela, while ordering the deployment of 10 advanced F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico.
Additionally, it has labeled Maduro as one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers and doubled the bounty for his arrest to $50 million.
On Tuesday, a US military strike killed 11 people and sank a boat from Venezuela, which Trump claimed was transporting illegal narcotics.
Maduro has rejected the US allegations about his country, saying differences between the nations do not justify a"military conflict."
US Representative Ilhan Omar condemned Trump's "lawless" actions in the southern Caribbean.
"Congress has not declared war on Venezuela, or Tren de Aragua, and the mere designation of a group as a terrorist organization does not give any President carte blanche to ignore Congress's clear Constitutional authority on matters of war and peace," she said in a statement.
