Caracas — The United States’ deployment of military ships and a nuclear-powered submarine to the Caribbean has drawn sharp condemnation from both Latin American governments and Iran, who argue that Washington’s actions violate international law and threaten regional peace.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Ali Bahreini, said the US deployment represents a direct violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use or threat of force against the sovereignty of member states. He noted that sanctions, unilateral coercive measures, and attempts at regime change in Venezuela form part of a broader policy of unlawful interference.
Bahreini warned that the United States is undermining international law by normalizing military intimidation against sovereign nations, and called for the international community to resist what he described as hostile acts targeting Venezuela’s independence.
On September 1, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) convened an emergency meeting in response to the US naval buildup. According to participants, Washington’s presence in regional waters was labeled “bellicose” and incompatible with commitments to peace.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil described the situation as the most serious security crisis in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis, arguing that the presence of US warships and a nuclear-powered submarine destabilizes the entire region.
Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said that “freedom of navigation” could not serve as justification for coercion, while Cuba and Nicaragua reaffirmed support for Venezuela, stressing that Latin America and the Caribbean have been designated a “Zone of Peace.”
Venezuela further accused Washington of breaching the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which bans nuclear weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean. Officials argued that the deployment of a nuclear-powered submarine violates the spirit of the treaty and risks escalating tensions unnecessarily.
According to Mehr News, Iran’s ambassador Ali Bahreini told the UN Conference on Disarmament that the US actions against Venezuela amount to violations of international law and the UN Charter. He also criticized Washington’s broader record of sanctions, unilateral measures, and regime-change policies targeting Caracas.
As Brasil de Fato reported, Latin American foreign ministers met under CELAC on September 1 and demanded that the United States withdraw its military ships from the Caribbean. The report highlighted statements from Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, and Nicaragua, warning that the US presence represents the gravest threat to Caribbean stability since the Cuban Missile Crisis and raises concerns under the Treaty of Tlatelolco.
