Iranian Influence in Venezuela – Miranda Center for Democracy

Iranian Influence
in Venezuela

A Strategic Alliance of Energy, Arms, and Illicit Networks

Iran has become a strategic and indispensable ally of the Venezuelan regime, with cooperation across energy and defense. In return, Venezuela serves as a key outpost for financing and illicit activity tied to Iran's axis of influence in Latin America.

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An Alliance Measured in Gold and Arms

The scale of two decades of cooperation, from signed agreements to missile boats.

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Agreements signed
Energy, defense, technology · 2005-2025
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Tons of gold sent to Iran (2020)
Roughly $500M in the gold-for-oil scheme
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Barrels of gasoline from Iran (2020)
Sent to meet domestic demand
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Passports issued
To Syrian and Iranian nationals
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Iranian drone models operated
Only such program in the hemisphere
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Peykaap-III missile boats
Delivered in 2023, anti-ship capable

Two Decades of Strategic Cooperation

More than 400 agreements signed between Venezuela and Iran, mostly in energy, defense, and technology.

2005
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad becomes President of Iran. Relations with Venezuela deepen under Hugo Chávez.
2007
A $2 billion joint fund is created for bilateral projects. Iran is accepted as an observer member of ALBA.
2012-2013
Relations are recalibrated after the death of Hugo Chávez and Ahmadinejad's departure.
2014
The High-Level Joint Commission meets in Caracas, relaunching cooperation, particularly in defense.
2022
A Strategic Cooperation Framework is established across energy, petrochemicals, defense, and the economy.
2023
Iranian President Raisi visits Venezuela. 25 agreements are signed, with emphasis on petrochemicals and mining.
2024
New agreements in agriculture, science, and energy push the total past 400 over 20 years.

Iran's Footprint in Venezuela

The state entities, airlines, and armed networks that carry the alliance.

IRGC · Quds
IRGC · Quds
Trains Venezuelan forces in drones and flight ops
Hezbollah
Hezbollah
Logistics and financing networks in 3+ states
Mahan Air
Mahan Air
Arms and gold-for-oil air bridge
Conviasa
Conviasa
Venezuelan carrier with a Tehran connection
Fars Air Qeshm
Fars Air Qeshm
Coordinated for arms transfers
CAVIM
CAVIM
Venezuela's military industries, drone production
El Libertador
El Libertador airbase
Main hub for Iranian military presence

Three Pillars of the Alliance

Where the two regimes cooperate, and what it buys each of them.

01

The Lifeline

Energy & Gold for Oil
  • Refinery reactivation tech and diluents for heavy crude
  • Gasoline shipments for domestic demand
  • 2.35M barrels of gasoline sent in 2020
  • 9 tons of gold paid to Iran in 2020 ($500M)
  • Air bridges via Mahan Air and Conviasa
02

The Arsenal

Defense & Drones
  • Missiles, radars, defense systems, and naval vessels
  • 4 Peykaap-III missile boats delivered in 2023
  • Only Iranian drone program in the hemisphere
  • IRGC and Quds Force military training
  • El Libertador Air Base as the operations hub
03

The Network

Terror Financing & Evasion
  • Hezbollah networks in at least 3 Venezuelan states
  • 10,000+ passports to Syrian and Iranian nationals
  • $15B moved to Iran through a laundering structure
  • Iran funds roughly 70% of Hezbollah's budget
  • State-level cooperation in money laundering

Why This Matters Beyond Venezuela

Iran's presence in Venezuela is a geopolitical risk to hemispheric security, with direct implications for U.S. national interests. Venezuela became a key node in the Iran, China, and Russia axis in the Western Hemisphere, and a money-laundering hub built on opaque financial channels.

After the 2026 military operations in Venezuela and Iran, traditional defense and energy cooperation is expected to have slowed. The regime, now led by Delcy Rodríguez, stays aligned with anti-Western partners. The threat is not eliminated, only less visible.

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