Venezuela thanks Iran for support amid US 'bullying'
The US is threatening the Caribbean nation under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking and links to Hezbollah and Iran
The foreign ministers of Iran and Venezuela held a phone conversation on 7 September to discuss bilateral ties amid increased US military activity in the Caribbean and threats against Caracas.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto expressed gratitude to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for Tehran's efforts to defend the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, emphasizing the need to respect Venezuela's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The phone call came one week after Washington sent eight warships, a submarine, and F-35 warplanes to the Caribbean, claiming that Venezuela is responsible for a flood of drugs entering the US.
On 2 September, Trump authorized the US Air Force to strike a vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 people it claimed were "narcoterrorists" from a Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.
Trump also authorized the US military to shoot down Venezuelan warplanes if commanders judge them a threat to US naval and air forces in the region.
During the phone call, Foreign Minister Pinto stressed the Venezuelan people's determination to defend their independence, national sovereignty, and right to self-determination.
Pinto also expressed hope that BRICS member states and other countries in South America would take a firm stance and condemn the hostile actions of the US.
At a BRICS summit in Rio in July, the organization failed to condemn the US and Israel for their 12-day war on Iran the month before.
For his part, Iran's foreign minister strongly condemned the unilateral and bullying actions of the US against other countries while speaking with his Venezuelan counterpart.
"Threatening to use force against other independent developing nations is a clear violation of the UN Charter and a serious threat to international peace and security," Araghchi stated.
"It is essential that all responsible governments, recognizing the gravity of the current situation, prevent the spread of lawlessness and insecurity," he added.
The Iranian foreign minister also declared Tehran's solidarity and support for the people of Venezuela in the face of US bullying.
The US has justified its military intervention in the region by claiming that Iran and Hezbollah are building a "growing narco empire in Venezuela."
US officials claim that "Tren de Aragua works closely with the Cartel of the Suns — a network of Venezuelan military elites long accused of moving cocaine in collaboration with Hezbollah," Fox News wrote on Sunday.
Brian Townsend, a retired DEA special agent, claimed to Fox that Hezbollah has become "a main finance and money launderer for narco-terrorism groups like Tren de Aragua."
In January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that Venezuela is governed by a "narco-trafficking organization" receiving assistance from Iran to build drones.
“The Iranians, in fact, are beginning to build drone factories for the manufacture of Iranian drones in our own hemisphere,” Rubio stated.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated on Friday that the recent US military build-up in the Caribbean is part of a campaign to overthrow his government. He warned that his armed forces would move to a stage of "armed struggle" if Venezuela were attacked.
The US has carried out multiple coup attempts in Venezuela in recent decades, while imposing sweeping sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector and financial system.