TEHRAN/CARACAS – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned the United States’ “unilateral and bullying actions” against Venezuela, expressing solidarity with Caracas amid rising tensions between the two countries.

In a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil Pinto, Araghchi denounced the recent American military build-up in the Caribbean, saying threats of force against sovereign nations are a violation of international law.

“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,” Araghchi said.

He called on all “responsible governments” to act to prevent the spread of “lawlessness and insecurity,” warning of the seriousness of the current situation.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a deployment of military assets to the Caribbean, including warships armed with Tomahawk missiles, an attack submarine, aircraft, and over 4,000 U.S. troops, in what Washington has described as a counter-narcotics operation.

Venezuela has dismissed the deployment as part of a broader strategy to unseat President Nicolas Maduro, whom the U.S. government has labeled a major narco-trafficker. The Trump administration has doubled the bounty for Maduro’s capture to $50 million.

During the call, Gil Pinto briefed Araghchi on the regional security situation and thanked Tehran for supporting Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He reaffirmed that “the Venezuelan government and people will firmly defend their independence, national sovereignty, and right to determine their own fate,” and expressed hope that BRICS countries and other Latin American nations would condemn Washington’s recent moves.

Iran and Venezuela also discussed the state of bilateral ties and developments in the Caribbean region following U.S. military deployments.

Separately, Venezuelan President Maduro has warned that any 

attack by the United States would be met with armed resistance.
“If they attack us, the political fight will become an armed struggle,” Maduro said.
On Tuesday, a U.S. military strike reportedly killed 11 people and sank a Venezuelan boat allegedly transporting narcotics. Trump claimed the vessel was involved in drug trafficking, a charge Maduro has repeatedly denied.
“These accusations do not justify military conflict,” the Venezuelan leader said.
U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar criticized the Trump administration’s recent actions, warning against unauthorized military escalation.
“Congress has not declared war on Venezuela,” Omar said. “The mere designation of a group as a terrorist organization does not give any president carte blanche to ignore Congress’s constitutional authority on matters of war and peace.”