Authoritarian governments in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua have expressed strong support for Iran following airstrikes by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) on Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities on Friday morning.
This operation, referred to as “Lion Lion” by Israel, resulted in the death of Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with several leading figures in Iran’s nuclear program.
The three Latin American nations maintain close ties with Iran, sharing a common stance against the U.S. and Israel. Recently, Venezuela’s socialist government has requested increased Iranian assistance to mitigate the fallout from its own economic collapse, especially to help revive its battered oil refineries.
Iran has been bolstering its collaborations with Venezuela and fellow states supporting terrorism, particularly Cuba, after a visit by Iran’s chairman, Mohammad Bakar Kalibah, last week. Kalibah urged both countries to confront what he termed “global arrogance” and to thwart the ambitions of their adversaries. Both Cuba and Venezuela have connections with Hezbollah, Iran’s affiliated terrorist group.
The Venezuelan government, under dictator Nicolas Maduro, condemned Israel’s actions in a statement from its foreign ministry released Thursday. Foreign Minister Ivan Gil characterized the attack as “criminal” and “illegal,” claiming it infringes on international law.
“This constitutes an act of war that adds to the series of offenses committed by Netanyahu’s regime,” the statement declared. It asserted that Venezuela would confront Israel’s actions, describing them as a significant threat to peace in West Asia.
“We stand in solidarity with Ayatollah Khamenei, President Masuud Pezeshkian, and the Iranian people amidst this attack,” the statement further read. “There’s no peace without justice, which starts with halting the actions of Israeli forces accused of genocide against the Palestinian people.”
Citing a meeting hours before the strikes, Foreign Minister Gil noted that discussions with Iranian Ambassador Ali Chegini aimed at reinforcing “comprehensive cooperation,” particularly in energy, technology, and agriculture.
“We will keep building our strategic alliances against Western dominance to enhance our mutual interests,” Gil affirmed.
In Cuba, the Castro regime utilized social media to criticize Israel, with statements from “President” Miguel Diaz Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parila vehemently condemning Israel’s actions as reckless and potentially destabilizing for international peace.
Rodriguez Parila labeled Israel’s strikes as irresponsible, raising concerns about peace in the Middle East and beyond, and predicted unpredictable consequences of such actions.
Nicaragua, under the leadership of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, released a statement denouncing the attacks and warned of significant global repercussions. They accused Israel of escalating military tensions to dangerous levels and expressed persistent solidarity with the Iranian leadership.
