CARACAS, Venezuela — In his first go to to Latin America, Iran’s hardline president on Monday met together with his Venezuelan counterpart and declared that each nations have “a common enemy,” alluding to the United States, earlier than signing a collection of cooperation agreements.

President Ebrahim Raisi’s go to to Venezuela got here a yr and a day after President Nicolás Maduro visited him in Iran. Both nations are beneath heavy U.S. financial sanctions.

Raisi stated the hyperlink between the 2 nations “is not normal, but rather a strategic relationship,” insisting that their nations have “common interests and we have common enemies.”

“They do not want the two countries, Iran and Venezuela, to be independent,” Raisi stated referring to the U.S. authorities. His tour of allied nations in Latin America, together with Cuba and Nicaragua, comes amid rising tensions with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.

The U.S. has accused Iran of offering Russia with supplies to construct a drone manufacturing plant east of Moscow, whereas the Kremlin seeks to make sure a gentle provide of weapons for its invasion of Ukraine. U.S. intelligence officers imagine the plant in Russia may begin operations early subsequent yr, however Iran has stated it equipped drones to Russia earlier than the beginning of the struggle.

The greater than dozen agreements signed by officers from the nations Monday embrace scholarships for Venezuelan college students and the importations of cattle to Iran. Maduro’s go to final yr to Iran resulted in agreements to broaden ties within the oil and petrochemical industries, the navy and the economic system. But solely a handful of the agreements have materialized.

PHOTOS: Iran's president begins Latin America tour with cease in Venezuela

Venezuela and Iran have maintained shut relations because the authorities of the late President Hugo Chávez. Maduro, who grew to become president in 2013 after Chávez demise, has promoted commerce relations with Iran, China, Russia and Turkey to attempt to overcome the consequences of the financial sanctions.

Iran, significantly since 2020, has helped alleviate a part of a gas scarcity in Venezuela.

“We are on the right side of history and together we will be invincible,” Maduro stated.

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