Iran condemned the announcement by the President of the United States of closing Venezuela’s airspace and classified the action as “a flagrant violation” of international law and “an unprecedented threat” to international aviation.
“It is a flagrant violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, including the rules governing international air transport”, said in a statement, late on Saturday, the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Baghaei.
Baghaei pointed out that this action by Washington, which adds to a series of “provocative and illegal” measures against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela, constitutes “an arbitrary act and an unprecedented threat” to the safety and security of international aviation.
Furthermore, he warned of the serious consequences that this decision by Donald Trump could have for international peace and security.
Trump declared on Saturday that Venezuela’s airspace should be considered “totally closed.”
“All airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human traffickers consider the airspace over and around Venezuela as completely closed,” wrote the North American leader on his social network, Truth Social.
This statement by Trump comes at a time when the United States is intensifying pressure on Venezuela with a large military deployment in the Caribbean, including the largest aircraft carrier in the world, and admitting ground attacks on Venezuelan territory in the fight against drug cartels.
Venezuela condemned the message from the President of the United States, classifying it as “a colonialist threat”.
“Venezuela denounces and condemns the colonialist threat that seeks to affect the sovereignty of its airspace, thus constituting a new extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people”, said the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement.
Under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, the United States has maintained a naval and air deployment since September in Caribbean waters close to Venezuela.
Iran, one of Venezuela’s main allies, has repeatedly denounced the US President’s “intimidating”, “interventionist” and “dangerous attitude” towards Caracas in recent months.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, criticized Washington’s attitude in a speech on Thursday, denouncing that “the Americans are willing to instigate wars anywhere in the world for oil and underground minerals, and today this warmongering has also reached Latin America”.