Iran's Rouhani slams US over Venezuela

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday accused the United States of seeking “world hegemony” and denounced Washington for trying to topple Tehran’s ally, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, state media and Reuters reported.

“The Americans are basically against all popular revolutions and independent countries and seek world hegemony by suppressing them,” Rouhani said in a meeting with Venezuela’s new envoy in Tehran, the state news agency IRNA reported.

Iran, under pressure from sanctions reimposed by US President Donald Trump, has voiced support for Maduro who faces demands from the United States to step down. Russia, China, and Turkey have also backed Maduro.

The US government has recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. Most Latin American countries have done so as well, while European governments are also throwing their support behind Guaido, albeit more cautiously.

Read: Khamenei adviser warns against Venezuela’s scenario repeating in Iran

The government of President Nicolas Maduro resorted to selling off gold after falling oil production, the country’s wider economic collapse and mounting US sanctions hit public income and made it hard for the country to access credit.

The United States warned bankers and traders on Wednesday not to deal in Venezuelan gold. However, since that annoucement, it was revealed that Venezuela will be selling 15 tonnes of gold from it’s central bank vaults to the United Arab Emirates in the coming days in return for euros in cash. Republican US Senator Marco Rubio sent a tweet to the United Arab Emirates embassy in Washington yesterday warning that anybody transporting Venezuelan gold would be subject to US sanctions.