The worrying advance of the Iranian army towards the American continent

The United States watches in bewilderment and concern advance of two Iranian ships bound for the Americas. Its final destination is uncertain, but Washington’s main assumption is that it could be Venezuela.

Entry of warships into Caribbean waters would be an unprecedented provocation on the part of the Islamic Republic. Security experts consider that if they enter without any resistance, a very dangerous precedent this could encourage other navies to follow the same steps. Russia and China are said to be the first in this row.

Asked about the fate of the ships, a spokesperson for the Persian Foreign Ministry said that “Iran has a constant presence in international waters, international law allows it.“, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). And he added, “I warn that no one should make a miscalculation. Those who live in glass houses must be careful ”.

One of the two ships left at the end of April with seven rapid attack boats loaded with missiles, specialized media reported USNI News. According to the satellite images provided by the firm Maxar, the IRINS Makran transports a fleet of boats with the characteristics of the family Peykaap. It’s about of medium-sized boats operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the elite corps of the Persian regime, used to harass US ships in the Persian Gulf. In addition, the ship could carry other military equipment which is not easily visible in the photos, according to LIP.

A converted refueller, Makran is considered the largest made in Iran and has a platform that can carry up to seven helicopters. The ship is designed to be a mobile maritime base for small boats and airplanes capable of operating anywhere in the world. The conversion added a large flight deck, the ability to carry boats and other equipment on the deck, and additional cargo below.

The way Politics, who cited three people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of not being identified, said Washington informed officials of the Nicolas maduro that receiving the ships would be a mistake. However, Caracas’ decision in this regard is unknown.

Since Hugo Chávez took over the presidency of Venezuela in 1999, Tehran has cultivated an ever closer relationship with Caracas. The armed forces of both countries participated in military exercises is located in the State of Aragua and, according to the WSJ, Venezuela provides false identities to Iranian agents to move around the region.

The Venezuelan regime’s link with Iran is Tareck El Aissami, former vice-president and current minister of petroleum. Tehran is a key energy supplier for Venezuela, whose fuel production has dropped to levels never seen before due to the combination of little investment in maintenance with the widespread corruption that characterizes Chavismo at all levels.

Sanctions applied by the United States against PDVSA for the regime’s human rights violations blocked regular imports of gasoline and diesel, but Iran managed to send enough tankers to Venezuela to keep Maduro’s dictatorship afloat. Iranian tankers have used various escape techniques to navigate from international waters to Venezuelan waters undetected.

But energy and economic aid is being added more and more by the military. There has already been in the recent past concern that Venezuela is trying to acquire Iranian ballistic missile technology. In March, the commander of the United States Southern Command, Admiral Craig faller, He warned the Senate that the two countries have continued to expand their cooperation to exchange military resources.

“Iran expanded economic and security cooperation with Venezuela in transfers of fuel, basic food and military assistance, possibly expanding the presence of the Quds Force in the region, ”Faller said in a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Tehran also relies on a state-sponsored media system to shaping the dominance of information and generating empathy for Iran and Shia Islam and diminishing Western influence in the hemisphere ”added.

It is no coincidence that this exchange is strengthening at the moment. The timing of sending Iranian ships may be related to annual joint military exercises between the United States and its regional allies scheduled for June 12-26. This year, the host of the exercises is Guyana, a country with which Venezuela has a old territorial dispute. Thus, an Iranian naval presence in neighboring waters carries serious risks of confrontation.

The United States and the rest of Latin America have very good reason to view this Iranian advance in the region with great concern. For example, Iran-armed Venezuela could attempt to affect shipping to or from the Panama Canal, very close to the Venezuelan coast. The consequences of moving in this direction would be unpredictable.

This represents a great nuisance for the government of Joe Biden, which he assumed by repeating a diplomatic approach to Tehran, with the intention of sealing a new nuclear deal, after that of 2015 fell for Washington’s departure during Donald Trump’s presidency. The medium-term goal of a strategic withdrawal from the Middle East could suddenly be hit by Iran’s direct intrusion into its backyard.

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