Relations between Caracas and Tehran must be seen as part of a larger picture of Iranian influence in Latin America. Danny Citrinowicz explains:
Tehran has identified countries where left-wing parties have been voted into power as countries it can work with to limit the influence of the United States and undermine Israeli efforts to expand its political and military sway in the region. This fact squares with Iran’s broader approach, whereby it is willing to cooperate with anyone who is open to joining forces in opposition to Western influence anywhere in the world.
In concrete terms, Iran is investing diplomatic and military efforts in a number of key countries in Latin America, primarily Venezuela, which Tehran views as the hub of its activities on the continent. In addition to diplomatic activity, relations between Tehran and Caracas also include widespread security cooperation, based on the substantial military aid—drones and warships—that Iran provides to Venezuela.
Against the backdrop of this worrying pattern, which comes at a time when China and Russia are also trying to take advantage of the vacuum and tighten their footholds in Latin America, the West’s lack of response—including the United States—is glaring. It appears that the U.S. administration is preoccupied . . . in efforts to prevent the outbreak of an all-out war in the Middle East and is far less attentive to what is happening in its own backyard.
Read more at Institute for National Security Studies
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