Iran and the Venezuelan regime have signed an agreement to establish an Iranian drone development facility in Venezuela, Argentine media outlet Infobae reported. reported on friday.
Iran maintained close Relations with Venezuela's socialist regime have been strong since late dictator Hugo Chávez came to power in 1999, but Chávez was easily tied to the rogue Islamic regime over issues. share Anti-American attitude. Relations continued after Chavez's death in 2013, and dictator Nicolas Maduro has increased cooperation between his regime and Iran over the past decade. In 2022, President Maduro will visit Tehran. sign An extensive 20-year cooperation agreement with Iran.
Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi responded to Maduro's visit to a wide range of Latin American countries. tour 2023. Raishi claimed At the time, Iran and Venezuela had “common interests, views” and a “strategic relationship” with their “enemies.” It's mainly I believed It claimed that the alliance between the two countries has allowed the Shiite jihadist group Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group, to expand its operations across the region.
Infobae said in a report this week that the enhanced cooperation “includes significant military and economic cooperation that could have implications for regional stability,” according to anonymous sources. .
The newspaper reported that Iran has established a drone development base at El Libertador Air Base in the city of Maracay in central Venezuela, where Venezuelan military personnel are also trained.
The project reportedly calls for the production and training of a “wide range” of Iranian drones, including the ANSU-100 (Mohajer-2), ANSU-600 (Mohajer-6), and ZAMORA V. 1 (Shahed-131).
“These drones are designed for reconnaissance and strike missions and represent a significant technological advancement in Venezuela's military capabilities, with direct support from the Iranian government,” the report said.
In 2023, Iran will transaction Sell drones to Bolivia, a country led by pro-Iran socialist President Luis Arce. explained Experts called it the Islamic regime's “most successful project” in the region. The Iran-Bolivia drone deal quickly drew heavy criticism from neighboring Argentina, which suffered two fatalities. terrorist attack Crimes committed by Iran against Israeli targets through Hezbollah in the 1990s.
Infobae stressed that cooperation between Iran and Venezuela is not limited to the military, noting that the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a US-designated terrorist organization, has established an “active presence” in Venezuela since at least 2020. He pointed out that
Since 2020, other “ventures” launched by Iranian individuals associated with the Revolutionary Guards include Iranian-owned companies. supermarket A Venezuelan chain is occupying the premises of a private Colombian supermarket chain that was seized by Venezuelan socialists in the early 2010s.
“Iranian delegation led by figures such as Mahan Eyre [Iranian airline linked to the IRGC] “The executives and other Quds Force collaborators met with senior Venezuelan regime officials,” the report said. “While these meetings are aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two countries, they also serve to generate revenue that funds the activities of organizations considered terrorists by several countries.”
Argentine media outlets explained that joint economic activities include using Mahan Air for direct flights between Caracas and Tehran. Infobae said the flight was used to transfer Venezuelan gold in exchange for Iranian oil in a plan to violate international sanctions against both regimes.
“The gold would then have been sold on markets in Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries, generating funds that, according to media reports, were used to fund the operations of the Quds Force,” Infobay said.
In 2022, Argentine officials confiscated An Iranian crew member was detained on a cargo plane belonging to Venezuela's national airline Conviasa at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, which determined that the plane originally belonged to Mahan Airlines. The plane was seized in 2022 under the government of former socialist President Alberto Fernández, but President Nicolas Maduro accused current President Javier Millay of “stealing” the plane. issued Arrest warrants for him and other members of his administration. Mr. Millais will assume office in December 2023.
Infobae said the return of Maduro's top money launderer and new industry minister, Alex Saab, was another factor boosting cooperation between the two countries. The serve is released In December 2023, the administration of outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden announced the decision as he was on trial for using the U.S. financial system to launder $350 million from Venezuela's treasury. was lowered.
“Saab played an important role in strengthening the economic and strategic ties between Caracas and Tehran and facilitated agreements that strengthened this alliance,” Infobay said.
Argentine news outlets claimed that Iran's ambassador in Caracas, Hojat Soltani, is in charge of coordinating “all Iranian movements within Venezuelan territory” in the fields of technology, oil, communications and defense. Soltani reportedly centralizes all related inquiries in his office, where “numerous” Venezuelan officials are “in constant contact” with Soltani.
infobae reported In other articles this week, learn how Iran helped Maduro's government cover up an oil spill caused by an “operational error” committed by Iranian engineers at one of Venezuela's major oil refineries in November. It was reported that.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
