Iran says recognizes Maduro as Venezuela's ‘legitimate’ president, slams US intervention

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says Tehran recognizes Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela's “legitimate and elected president” and condemns US intervention in the South American country’s internal affairs.  

In a post on his X account on Saturday, Baghaei said Iran believes that any foreign intervention in Venezuela's internal affairs is a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter as well as a blow to peace and stability in the country.

“We condemn illegal interventions by the US and some of its allies in Venezuela's internal affairs -- which is reminiscent of malign and divisive interventions of 2019 via recognition of a parallel government,” the Iranian spokesperson added.

He expressed Iran’s solidarity with Venezuela's legitimate and elected President Maduro.

Iran hails efforts by the Venezuelan government and people to overcome the problems caused by the US's illegal sanctions and unjustified pressures, he noted.

Baghaei’s post came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Washington recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González as the “president-elect” of the South American country, months after President Maduro won the July election.

In a post on X, Blinken demanded “respect for the will” of Venezuelan voters.

Back in August, Venezuela's Supreme Justice Tribunal ratified President Maduro's victory in the July 28 presidential election.

Venezuela's top court certifies Maduro's re-election in July vote

The electoral authority has said since the night of the election that Maduro won just over half of votes.

Maduro had previously accused the US and right-wing American tech entrepreneur Elon Musk of attempting to engineer coups in his country.

Maduro, who became president following the death of his mentor Hugo Chavez in 2013, was re-elected in 2018 despite US-orchestrated opposition.

Venezuela has also been hit by US sanctions for years, and grappling with economic challenges, including hyperinflation.

Since November 2019, the US-led sanctions have pushed unbridled inflation in Venezuela to above 4,000 percent.

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