Iran’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will begin a diplomatic tour of Latin American states on Sunday, May 8, according to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The Iranian foreign minister’s 6-day-long visit to Brazil, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Venezuela and Cuba will start on May 8,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said.

During the trip, Zarif will discuss different ways to “further expand bilateral political and economic relations” with Latin American states, and will be accompanied by an Iranian trade delegation, Ansari said.

“Tehran and [Latin American] nations have forged an alliance against the imperialist and colonialist powers and are striving hard to reinvigorate their relations with the other independent countries which pursue a line of policy independent from the U.S.,” Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency said in reporting the upcoming visit.

 

Growing military ties

In April, FARS reported that Iran plans to deploy warships and destroyers in Central American and Latin American waters, citing statements from Iran’s Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi.

The commander said last month that Iran plans to increase military ties and cooperation with Latin American states including Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba, Mexico and Colombia.

Iran has managed to establish close relations with several leftist Latin America states that oppose alleged U.S. “imperialism” over recent years, especially Costa Rica’s northern neighbor, Nicaragua and the hardline leftist government of Venezuela.

Then-Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was even the guest of honor during the 2012 inauguration of re-elected Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega.