Iran reiterates continuous military cooperation with Venezuela

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has announced that his country’s military cooperation with Venezuela will continue and will not surrender to US pressure, Rai Al-Youm reported on Friday,

During a visit to Caracas, Zarif expressed: “We will never stop facing the [US] sanctions and pressures. We will work and cooperate with the countries which respect and commit to the UN Charter in order to end these sanctions. It is necessary to stand united.”

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Ariza conveyed: “I was pleased with Zarif’s visit, which reiterates the cooperation and solidarity spirit regarding strategic relations between Iran and Venezuela.”

READ: Iran foreign minister arrives in Venezuela to start Latin America tour

Iran, along with Cuba, Russia, Turkey, and China are the most prominent allies of the Venezuelan Communist President Nicolas Maduro, whom the US does not recognise.

The US has increased its sanctions imposed on Venezuela, including sanctions on Venezuelan oil, making the country which contains the largest oil reserves in the world suffer from an oil crisis.

US sanctions have pushed Venezuela to seek help from its allies. Recently, Iran sent oil tankers to the country to help ease the oil crisis.