✓ Iran's plans for the Panama Canal come days after the third anniversary of the assignation of the prominent Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a targeted drone strike by the US on January 3, 2020.
✓ Iran's presence in the Panama Canal has been cause for concern as it could be used to smuggle weapons and other illicit items.
✓ Iran's bid to sail navy ships through the Panama Canal could mark the first time the country's warships entered the Pacific Ocean.
In a first, Iran to establish military presence in Panama Canal
This marks Iran entering the Pacific Ocean region for the first time ever.
- Two Iranian navy warships are seen docked at Port Sudan in the Red Sea. (Reuters)
For the first time, Iran's navy will station vessels in the Panama Canal, a vital economic artery in America's backyard that has never seen an Iranian military presence.
The commander of Iran's navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, confirmed on Wednesday that Iranian forces will establish a presence in the Panama Canal later this year, marking the first time Iran's military has reached the Pacific Ocean.
This comes as Iran has been cementing ties with Latin American countries, most notably Venezuela, in recent years within the framework of the country's development roadmap.
Iranian ships have docked in Venezuela more regularly, as the two countries share a similar history of enduring excruciating sanctions by the US and its allies.
Iran frequently delivers fuel to Venezuela and often helps it sell its oil abroad as Iran possesses the necessary refineries to turn crude oil into high-value consumer products such as gas.
In February this year, the two countries announced that direct flights between Tehran and Caracas will become operational starting in August.
In June, the two countries' leaders concluded a 20-year cooperation plan to expand joint cooperation in various sectors, such as oil, banking, and the economy.
Executive Director of the Center for a Secure Free Society and national security analyst Joseph Humire, who focuses on Latin American issues, argued that Iran has been planning for this type of voyage by holding joint exercises with allies such as Russia and China, both of which have been cementing their ties with Latin American countries.
"This is what Iran has been building in Latin America for the past 30 or 40 years" by establishing embassies and bilateral agreements with a host of nations, Humire added.
On this issue, Iranian Rear Admiral Irani commented by saying that the navy presence in the Panama Canal is meant to "strengthen our maritime presence in international waters," as per comments published by local media outlets.
"Today we can say that there is no scientific barrier to grow in that field," Irani added.
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US on alert as Iran navy chief vows to send warships to Panama canal
Iranian Admiral Shahram Irani has announced a plan to send warships to the Panama Canal in a brazen challenge to US hegemony in Latin America.
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"...During a ceremony in Iran's capital, Admiral Irani said the navy's plans for the Panama Canal were intended to 'strengthen our maritime presence in international waters.'
'The army navy has been present in all the strategic straits in the world to date, and we have not been present in only two straits, and we will be present in one of these straits this year,' Irani said. 'We are planning to be present in the Panama Canal,'
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'Today we have to strengthen our maritime presence in international waters and today we can say that there is no scientific barrier to grow in that field,' he added, according to Iranian state-controlled media.
✓ Panama Canal connects the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It is located about 2,500 miles away from the United States' southernmost border.
Iran vows to station warships in the Panama canal after building ties with Latin American dictators
Iran vows to station WARSHIPS in critical trading route the Panama canal after building ties with Latin American dictators in bid to threaten the US on its doorstep
, updated
- Iran's navy said it will have a presence in the Panama Canal by the end of 2023
- The move is the latest Iran has made to establish itself in America's backyard
- Iran has been building strong ties with anti-American Latin American leaders like Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, who many have called a dictator
- Experts say Iran's activities in Latin America are intended to defy the US
Iran is planning to station warships in the Panama Canal, the latest move in its ongoing campaign to install a presence in Latin America and infiltrate the United States' backyard.
The commander of Iran's Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, announced the plans on Wednesday and said they would come to fruition later this year. A presence in the Panama Canal would mark the first time Iran's navy has sailed in the Pacific Ocean. . .
✓ Latin American focused national security analyst for the Center for a Secure Free Society think tank Joseph Humire said Iran's plans for Panama are part of its ongoing campaign to install itself in the US' backyard.
'This is what Iran has been building in Latin America for the past 30 or 40 years' by establishing embassies and bilateral agreements with a host of nations, Humire said, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
He said Iran's intent 'has always been to have a military presence in Latin America, so it's not surprising at all for its navy to announce it's going to make moves on the Panama Canal.'
'This is a tremendous escalation if it is to happen,' he added. 'Many people may discount Iran in terms of its capabilities, but I would not discount it because they have been building to this for a very long time.'
Humire noted Iran's plans have also long included establishing embassies across the region, and signing treaties to strengthen ties with sympathetically anti-American nations. . .
Among those efforts in Latin America is a prominent relationship Iran has been building with Venezuela, which is currently under the rule of President Maduro, who many have likened to a dictator and has long been an adversary of the United States.
Just last June, Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year strategic cooperation agreement which officially solidified economic ties between the two nations which have been heavily sanctioned by the US.
Maduro travelled to Iran to sign the agreement in person with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Iranian ships have also frequently docked in ports along Venezuela coasts in recent years, demonstrating its ability to station warships across the Gulf of Mexico from the US.
Other forays into Latin America from Iran include a similar treaty signed with Nicaragua just last month. Iranian diplomates called the plan a 'new and strategic' cooperation treaty, according to the Tehran Times.
In August, Iran's Vice President Mohammad Hosseini travelled to Colombia to attend the inauguration of President Gustavo Petro, who has been outspokenly critical of US policies.
During that trip, Hosseini also met with Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Alberto Franco Franca, who said 'We are determined to shore up our relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in different areas, including political and economic areas,' according to Iran Press Agency.
And last fall, Bolivian officials notably voiced support for Iran even as most of the world condemned its violent response to mass protests across the nation.
Bolivian ambassador to Iran, Romina Pérez, called Iran Bolivia's brother and said the South American country 'condemns the disturbances in Iran perpetrated by British and American Zionists. We are sure these problems will be resolved with the understanding of the dear leader of Iran.'
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