US Monitoring Iranian Bid To Establish ‘Military Presence’ in Panama Canal

Tuesday’s statement by the State Department stated that monitoring is ongoing “Iran’s attempts to have a military presence in the Western Hemisphere,” This puts the Biden administration in a difficult situation as it balances antiregime protests, Iranian militari escalation and collapsing diplomatic diplomacy over a revised nuclear deal.

A spokesperson for the State Department told The Washington Free Beacon It is now tracking. recent announcement by the commander of Iran’s navy indicating that warships will establish a presence in the Panama Canal as soon as next month. Already, two Iranian warships—including one equipped With “anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes, and naval cannons”—were granted permission to dock in Brazil earlier this week, according to documents published By the Brazilian Navy.

“We are aware of these claims by Iran’s navy,” According to the State Department spokesperson, Free Beacon. “We continue to monitor Iran’s attempts to have a military presence in the Western Hemisphere.” The official would not preview any potential action the Biden administration may take in response, or answer questions about how it views Iran’s growing military presence in Latin America.

Iran’s increasing influence in Latin America poses a unique problem for the Biden administration as it navigates diplomacy in the region amid a growing number of dictatorships that view an alliance with Tehran as beneficial. Venezuela, for instance, recently inked a massive foreign policy agreement with the Iranian government that will see Tehran increasing its role in the country’s lucrative energy sector. Iranian vessels have more frequently voyaged into the Latin American region, and this month’s announcement by the Iranian Navy indicates the hardline regime is seeking to protect its interests with force.

Since President Joe Biden took office, Iran has been a problem. He had set out to negotiate a revised version of the 2015 agreement. nuclear deal. Since then Iran has been increasing its global terrorist operations, including ones that target American interests. Now that anti-government protests are gaining momentum the Biden administration refuses diplomatic defeat. It continues to attempt to coax the hardline regime into joining the nuclear agreement, which will give it billions in cash windfalls, and consolidate its control over power.

The latest military announcement marks a major escalation by Tehran’s war forces to establish a military threat in America’s backyard, with the help of anti-American dictatorships in Latin America. It could lead to a showdown with Biden’s administration, already under pressure to act.

Joseph Humire