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Iran is backing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro just as the Trump administration steps up military pressure in the Caribbean and expands its crackdown on criminal networks tied to the regime in Caracas.

Earlier ths week Iran condemned U.S. actions and publicly tied itself to Maduro. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei warned of “dangerous repercussions” from U.S. military activity in the region, arguing the operations threaten “international peace and security,” according to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil Pinto immediately welcomed Tehran’s backing. In comments reported by the Tehran Times, he thanked Iran for its “solidarity with the Venezuelan people.”

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