Iran condemns US attack on Venezuela, calls it ‘gross violation of national sovereignty’

Tehran: Iran on Saturday sharply criticised the United States after Venezuela blamed Washington for explosions that shook Caracas, accusing the US of carrying out what it called a military strike on the South American nation.

Tehran’s foreign ministry issued a lengthy statement denouncing the alleged attack, describing it as a blatant breach of Venezuela’s sovereignty and a violation of international law. Venezuela has said the United States was behind the blasts and Trump has confirmed the strike on Venezuela.

In its statement, the Iranian foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country".

The ministry went on to cite international legal principles, calling the incident a serious breach of the United Nations Charter.

The statement reads, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and the gross violation of the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The US military attack on Venezuela is a clear violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental rules of international law, especially Article 2, paragraph 4. of the Charter, which prohibits the use of force, and is a perfect example of an "act of aggression" that must be immediately and unequivocally condemned by the United Nations and all governments concerned with the rule of law, international peace, and security.

The US military aggression against an independent state that is a member of the United Nations is a gross violation of regional and international peace and security, the consequences of which will affect the entire international system and will further expose the system based on the UN Charter to erosion and destruction.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, while recalling Venezuela's inherent right to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and right to self-determination, notes the legal and moral responsibility of all governments and international organizations, especially the United Nations and its Security Council, to immediately stop the illegal US aggression against Venezuela, and emphasizes the need to take necessary measures to hold accountable the planners and perpetrators of the crimes committed during this military aggression.”

President Trump said in a Truth Social post on Saturday morning that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country’.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader," Mr. Trump wrote. He said U.S. law enforcement was involved, but he didn't specify how or which agencies.

The explosions had come amid the Trump administration's escalating military actions in the region. The U.S. has seized sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, and Trump ordered a blockade of others in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country’s economy.

The U.S. military has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. As of Friday, the number of known boat strikes is 35 and the number of people killed is at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

They followed a major buildup of American forces in the waters off South America, including the arrival in November of the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier, which added thousands more troops to what was already the largest military presence in the region in generations.

Trump has justified the boat strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S. and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

On Friday, Venezuela said it was open to negotiating an agreement with the U.S. to combat drug trafficking.

Maduro also said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the pressure campaign.

Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported on the explosions in Caracas on Saturday, showing images of the Venezuelan capital. Iran has been close to Venezuela for years, in part due to their shared enmity of the U.S.

(With inputs from AP, AFP)