Concerns Over Iran and Venezuela’s Missile Threat
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum indicated that, without U.S. intervention, Iran might have launched attacks on Washington, D.C., and other significant American cities using Venezuelan proxies equipped with medium-range ballistic missiles.
Addressing the audience at CERAWeek, an oil and energy conference in Houston, Burgum pushed back against claims that Iran and Venezuela don’t pose a looming danger to U.S. and global supply chains. He referenced Iran’s recent attempted strike on the Diego Garcia U.S. military base located over 3,000 miles away, illustrating the threat level.
“Venezuela has become a haven for terrorist organizations, including Hamas, which receives funding from Iran. If Iran manages to position a ballistic missile in Venezuela, it could easily reach Houston and even targets like Washington, D.C.,” he warned.
He continued to stress that U.S. actions are making the world safer, stating that these measures effectively lower the risk that has been overlooked in ensuring global safety.
Burgum also criticized Iran’s presentations during past negotiations, sharing, “They claimed they could only reach 1,200 miles, yet then launched missiles 2,400 miles towards Diego Garcia—an indication of their actual capabilities.” This implies a potential threat to far-flung targets like London.
Recently, Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles targeting Diego Garcia, highlighting an escalation in tensions and showcasing missile capabilities that may exceed previous assessments.
The Secretary noted that after aggressive military actions against its regime, Venezuela now poses a diminished missile threat, evolving instead into a potentially valuable ally in oil and energy markets.
Interestingly, he relayed insights from a visit to Venezuela, where interim President Delcy Rodríguez appeared eager for U.S. investment to exploit the country’s oil and gas reserves.
He concluded by mentioning a successful retrieval of $100 million in gold from Venezuela during that trip, underscoring the increasing cooperation in trade and resources between the two nations.
