Today, US officials warned of the rapprochement of relations between Iran and Venezuela, expressing their concern about Iran's selling weapons to the South American country.
According to "Business Insider" website, Elliott Abrams, the special envoy for Iran and Venezuela, warned that the United States would take action if Iran sends missiles to Venezuela.
Abrams added, "We will not accept the matter, and if they try to do so, at least during the Trump administration, we will try to block it."
"If the weapons arrive in Venezuela, it will be dealt with inside Venezuela. It is unacceptable that there are Iranian missiles in Caracas that can reach the United States."
The "Business Insider" website indicated that the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump launched an intense campaign to isolate Iran; it also accused Venezuela of supporting Tehran's malign activities.
At the end of last September, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of working with Tehran "to underestimate the UN arms embargo."
Days later, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who is Trump's influential adviser on Latin American affairs, said that the end of the arms embargo in October could lead to the start of Iran's exchange of weapons with the Venezuelan army.
On his part, the commander of US forces in South America, Admiral Craig Fuller, expressed similar concerns this week.
Fuller said during an event for the "Defense Writers Group", that they are witnessing a growing Iranian influence in Venezuela to include the Quds Force, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards militia, which is a matter of concern, in addition to relations based on Weapons."
He also expressed US concerns about the trades between Iran and Venezuela, saying: "The matter is not limited to oil shipments only, but also arms shipments. We have been tracking the matter too."
"We have seen an escalation this year, and we are following the rate of change very carefully to find out what if it is related to any other Iranian violations around the world."
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