Two of America’s Greatest Rivals are Strengthening Their Ties.
By: Nathan Matsko
A tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Photo Source
State College — In a show of defiance, two of the United State’s greatest rivals are strengthening their ties.
Iranian tankers carrying oil have begun arriving at the shores of Venezuela, as the South American country grapples with a massive fuel shortage.
Though Venezuela used to produce more than enough oil to meet the needs of its’ citizens, production has faltered in recent years as President Maduro has locked horns with Donald Trump. Prior to the shipments of oil, Iran sent a plane loaded with the materials necessary to bring much-needed repairs and updates to Venezuela’s aging oil-producing technology. Economic sanctions placed on the country’s state-owned oil company and trading partners around the globe have crippled its ability to make up for its failing equipment.
The flotilla from Iran is carrying up to 1.5 million barrels of oil to provide some relief from these economic woes. President Trump issued a veiled threat against the Islamic Republic’s ships, stating that Venezuela is “entirely surrounded”. Despite the potential danger and also being rocked by a crushing amount of sanctions from the US, Iran has remained determined to aid its South American ally.
Instead of deterring the shipment, the resolve of both Iran and Venezuela seemed to be strengthened. Venezuela deployed fighter jets armed with air-to-air missiles to ensure that the ships arrived safely. In a show of solidarity, the Iranian flag flew over Caracas as the first boats made landfall.
President Maduro was incredibly thankful in a television broadcast, praising his Iranian allies for the much-needed shipments. On social media, Maduro made sure to mention the anti-imperialist sentiment behind the deal.
The bold move by both Iran and Venezuela is a gut punch for the US government. This year has see a number of direct—and indirect—efforts by President Trump to bring the countries to their knees. The assassination of General Qasim Soleimani in Iraq at the beginning of the year brought tensions with Iran to a boiling point.
Just a few weeks ago, a failed coup attempt by former US special forces soldiers brought to the country by US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido’s private plane was foiled by police. Though the individuals claimed to have been acting alone, Maduro and his supporters accuse the CIA of orchestrating the scheme.
While the former incident was more successful in achieving its’ short-term goals, the attack provoked a firestorm of anti-US sentiment in Iraq, arguably increasing Iran’s influence in the region. Some experts argue that it is precisely these foreign policy decisions that pushed Venezuela and Iran to strengthen the bond between their two nations.
While both countries are still reeling from the damage that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on their countries on top of US sanctions, the two afflicted nations are leaning on each other now more than ever. Even under the threat of military intervention by the US, Venezuela and Iran are defying these threats together.