TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed solidarity with Venezuela in the face of rising tensions with the United States, denouncing Washington’s “unilateral and bullying” actions against independent nations.

In a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil Pinto, Araghchi warned that US President Donald Trump’s decision to amass military assets in the Caribbean and threaten President Nicolas Maduro represents “a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter” and a “serious danger to international peace and security.” He urged governments worldwide to recognize the gravity of the situation and work to prevent the spread of “lawlessness and insecurity.”

For his part, Gil Pinto outlined the growing threats posed by Washington, while thanking Tehran for defending the UN Charter and standing by Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He stressed that Venezuela’s government and people would continue to firmly defend their independence and right to self-determination. He also called on BRICS nations and South American states to take a firm stance against what he described as hostile US policies.

The two ministers also discussed bilateral ties and recent developments in the Caribbean, following a significant US military build-up in the region. Washington has recently deployed warships armed with Tomahawk missiles, an attack submarine, aircraft, and over 4,000 Marines and sailors off Venezuela’s coast. It has also stationed 10 advanced F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico.

At the same time, the Trump administration has doubled its bounty on Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of leading one of the world’s largest narcotics trafficking networks. On Tuesday, a US strike sank a Venezuelan boat and killed 11 people, with Trump claiming it was involved in drug smuggling. Maduro has rejected the allegations, insisting that disputes between the two countries cannot justify military conflict.

Meanwhile, US Representative Ilhan Omar condemned Trump’s actions as “lawless,” stressing that Congress has not declared war on Venezuela or its groups. “The mere designation of a group as a terrorist organization does not give any President carte blanche to ignore Congress’s Constitutional authority on war and peace,” she said.