TEHRAN – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has congratulated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the people of Venezuela on the anniversary of the country’s independence, praising the Latin American nation's legacy of resistance and emphasizing the need to deepen strategic ties between the two allies in the face of mounting external pressure.

On Monday, Pezeshkian hailed Venezuela’s independence as a product of the courage and freedom-seeking spirit of historical leaders like Simón Bolívar, calling it a source of inspiration for anti-imperialist and justice-driven movements across Latin America and beyond. 

He commended the Venezuelan government and people for their continued commitment to the ideals of their national heroes and reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to expand cooperation on all fronts.

"The current global climate and the unjust sanctions imposed on both our nations demand the swift implementation of existing agreements and the further strengthening of our bilateral ties," he said, referring to the long-term cooperation pact signed in June 2022 between Iran and Venezuela.

The 20-year agreement, signed during President Maduro’s visit to Tehran, outlines extensive collaboration in key sectors including oil, petrochemicals, defense, agriculture, tourism, and culture. It also includes provisions for the repair and modernization of Venezuelan refineries and the export of Iranian technical and engineering services.

Oil has been a cornerstone of the Iran-Venezuela partnership, with Caracas increasingly looking to Tehran for broader support in its economic battle against U.S. sanctions. Both nations have repeatedly denounced Washington’s illegal and unilateral economic pressures.

The deepening of ties was also a focus of a recent visit by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to Caracas, where he met with Venezuelan Transport Minister Ramon Velasquez, who also chairs the countries’ joint economic commission.

“Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, our nations have shared friends, enemies, and aspirations. This historical alignment is an opportunity we must not waste,” Qalibaf stated during the meeting. He stressed the urgency of confronting shared threats and overcoming bureaucratic delays to expand trade and private sector cooperation.

Velasquez echoed the sentiment, pointing to ongoing external threats. “President Maduro always reminds us that the enemy never sleeps. We must remain vigilant and persistent,” he said, noting that several stalled projects had been revived during his three-year tenure as head of the joint commission and were now moving forward.

Both sides emphasized that accelerating the pace of cooperation is not just strategic—it is imperative, as their nations confront what they describe as a "ruthless common enemy" and strive to assert their independence in a multipolar world.