The United States is concerned about the presence in the Atlantic of two Iranian ships that, according to the Pentagon, "appear to be loaded with weapons destined for Venezuela."
Several US media outlets have released satellite photos in recent days showing one of the two Iranian ships, the Makran, loaded with half a dozen speedboats similar to those used by the Revolutionary Guard in the Gulf, but so far the Pentagon he has refused to comment on the matter, says AFP.
"These vessels are believed to carry weapons to comply with an agreement that Iran and Venezuela made a year ago," Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said during a hearing with the defense secretary before the Senate Armed Forces Committee.
A possible delivery of Iranian weapons to Venezuela would be a "provocation and would be understood as a threat to our partners" in Latin America and the Caribbean, warned a senior US official quoted on Wednesday by Blumenthal.
"We reserve the right to take appropriate measures, in coordination with our partners, to discourage the transit or delivery of such weapons," added the official, who requested anonymity.
It is important to remember that the second invasion of Iraq in 2003 was carried out based on the mere "presumption" that Saddam Hussein possessed and developed weapons of mass destruction and therefore posed a direct threat to his neighbors. Collin Power, Secretary of State at the time, recognized after Saddam's attack and death that weapons of mass destruction never existed.
This strategy, typical of the Pentagon, is carried out to prepare its ground and justify its attacks or conflagration against the country or countries it is targeting. Again, this Thursday, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin expressed his "concern about the proliferation of weapons, any type of weapons, in our neighborhood."
Local media say that Austin did not want to delve into possible plans to prevent the transfer of Iranian ships.
The hunt for vessels bound for Venezuela began last year with the fuel crisis, when the US authorities seized four Iranian vessels on the high seas that were bound for Venezuela loaded with gasoline, "for violating sanctions imposed by Washington."
