Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday denounced US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a closure of Venezuela’s airspace, calling it a serious breach of international law and a threat to global aviation safety.
The ministry's spokesman Esmail Baqaei said Trump’s "unilateral move amounted to a flagrant violation of established international norms governing cross-border air transport."
"The US action is part of a series of provocative and illegal measures Washington has taken against Venezuela’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Baqaei said, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Trump said on Saturday that all airspace over and around Venezuela should be considered as fully closed, offering no additional details as Washington intensifies pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
"To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY," Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman warned that the measure poses unprecedented risks to international aviation safety and could have dangerous consequences for the rule of law, as well as for global peace and security.
He urged the international community to take note of what he called a destabilizing step that undermines long-standing principles of international conduct.
Reuters said American officials it contacted were surprised by Trump's announcement and unaware of any ongoing US military operations to enforce a closure of Venezuelan airspace.
Retired four-star General and ex-commander of US Central Command Joseph Votel said on Eye for Iran podcast the vast US military buildup in the Caribbean aims to pile pressure not just on Venezuela but fellow adversaries of the United States like Iran.
Votel, who oversaw American operations in the Middle East from March 2016 to March 2019, emphasized that the primary objective is countering narcotics trafficking.
But the show of force could also aim to deter Washington's arch-nemesis in the Middle East, Votel added.
"The presence of a carrier is a huge message that we're sending not just to the region, but to others who would be supporters of Venezuela,” he said. "Venezuela has been a place where ... we've seen Iranian advisors, the IRGC, Quds Force and others for a long period of time who developed a relationship."
