Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses foreign ambassadors to Iran, in Tehran on October 5, 2025. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP/file photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The Venezuelan Ministry for Foreign Affairs has reported Tuesday that the Iranian ambassador to Venezuela was summoned to receive a “note of protest” regarding statements made by Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi concerning Venezuela’s institutions and its leadership.
During an interview with Mehr News Agency, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, explaining the resolve of the Iranian people in standing against US imperialism, stated: “I asked [US chief negotiator] Witkoff, ‘Have you ever been in a meeting where there was a chance of being bombed at any moment?'” putting in contrast the US disregard for the rule of law alongside the anti-imperialist dignity of the Iranian nation.
Araghchi further asserted that Iran was not intimidated by the threats of the US empire: “This isn’t Venezuela, where you take one person and everyone else gets scared and backs down,” he added, as reported by RT.
Well, this is surreal. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian Ambassador to deliver a "note of protest" over recent "inappropriate comments about Venezuelan authorities and institutions." Added some platitudes about international law and respect-based relations https://t.co/BkvbN6MaNq
— Venezuelanalysis (@venanalysis) July 29, 2026
The Venezuelan government reported the meeting this Tuesday, July 28, and reiterated its position on the foundational principles of international relations, emphasizing mutual respect, sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and other tenets of international law that have guided more than seven decades of strategic and brotherly ties with Iran.
The report sparked a new wave of criticism against the administration of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. Chavistas questioned why the government chose to summon Iranian diplomats while abstaining from summoning US imperial officials to protest the frequent abusive statements made by US ruler Donald Trump or other officials, noting the policy of appeasement the current government appears to have taken in regard to the empire.
Amid the diplomatic tension, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Wednesday another meeting held with a “high-level” US delegation, without specifying the participants. These regular meetings with US officials have drawn criticism from observers who view them as evidence of growing subordination to US colonial interests following the empire’s invasion on January 3 that resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and the massacre of more than 100 people.
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Iranian response
During the meeting at the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, the Iranian Embassy in Caracas denounced the incomplete and out-of-context dissemination of the statements made by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
In a statement published on social media during the meeting, the diplomatic mission labeled the media coverage a “maneuver” intended to disrupt strong diplomatic ties between Tehran and Caracas.
The embassy clarified that the foreign minister’s remarks regarding US military aggression against independent nations were selectively fragmented by certain media outlets to generate misunderstandings.
“The foreign minister’s words in no way imply a lack of respect for the people of Venezuela, its authorities, its institutions, or its national sovereignty,” the diplomatic mission stated.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/JRE
