As U.S.-Iran Relations Fray Over Nuclear Talks, Tehran Expands Strategic Alliance with Venezuela
Executive Summary
Amid heightened tensions with Washington and stalled nuclear negotiations, Iran is actively deepening its ties with Venezuela, seeking to circumvent U.S. sanctions through economic cooperation and ideological alignment. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s visit to Caracas underscores a joint effort to shift bilateral trade to non-dollar systems like BRICS Pay, strengthen private-sector partnerships, and challenge Western influence in Latin America.
Analysis
In a calculated geopolitical pivot, Iran is leveraging its long-standing partnership with Venezuela to expand its influence in Latin America as relations with the United States remain confrontational. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, currently on a regional tour of Latin America, made Caracas his first stop, where he called for removing banking obstacles and initiating free trade between the two heavily sanctioned nations. His proposed alternative to the SWIFT system — BRICS Pay — and the use of national currencies in place of the U.S. dollar are part of Tehran’s strategy to insulate itself from Western financial pressure.
Qalibaf emphasized the role of private-sector actors in resisting economic warfare and lauded the Iran-Venezuela relationship as grounded in mutual supply and demand — pragmatic, stable, and ideologically coherent. Both countries face crippling sanctions from the U.S. and share a narrative of resistance against what they call “global arrogance.” Qalibaf’s meeting with Venezuelan business leaders focused on leveraging shared interests, geographic advantages, and historical anti-colonial sentiments to accelerate economic integration.
The alliance is not merely aspirational. In a practical step toward deeper cooperation, Iran recently exported its first batch of oral polio vaccines to Venezuela, highlighting Tehran’s ambition to become a pharmaceutical player in the Global South. The shipment, carried out under strict international standards, marks Iran’s strategic use of humanitarian exports to extend soft power and institutional trust in the region.
This deepening alliance comes as the Biden-era diplomacy with Iran has been completely reversed by the Trump administration. With Trump’s reinstated “maximum pressure” campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and military networks, Tehran has little incentive to seek normalization with Washington. Instead, it is doubling down on partnerships with like-minded states such as Venezuela, which itself remains diplomatically isolated except for support from countries like Cuba and Nicaragua.
Though U.S.-Venezuelan channels have recently reopened for humanitarian and migration issues, there is no such thaw with Iran. Trump’s recent executive memorandum aims to further restrict Iran’s military development, missile testing, and regional influence, making any détente unlikely in the near term. Against this backdrop, Qalibaf’s warm reception in Caracas — complete with tributes to Simón Bolívar and calls for South-South solidarity — is a bold declaration of Tehran’s geopolitical intentions.
Ideologically, both nations continue to brand themselves as leaders in the anti-imperialist struggle. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Khel Pinto hailed Iran’s endurance in the face of sanctions and praised its role as a guarantor of peace. The symbolism of unity, combined with functional agreements like a 20-year cooperation deal signed in 2022, reinforces this shared mission.
Nonetheless, the future of this alliance may hinge on two external variables: the evolution of U.S. foreign policy under Trump and the potential for Iran to reenter the global economy if sanctions are lifted. Should Iran make concessions on its nuclear program, its economic options would widen — potentially reducing the strategic necessity of its alliance with Caracas. But as long as pressure persists, Iran and Venezuela appear determined to act as co-architects of a multipolar world order that resists U.S. hegemony.
