Venezuela’s drone industry, built on Iranian designs, is still overseen by Iranian specialists who block local staff from entering without permission amid a standoff over US warships deployed in the Caribbean, the Miami Herald reported.
The Herald said the drone program began in 2006 when Caracas signed a military deal with Tehran. Iranian firm Qods Aviation Industries supplied assembly kits, Venezuelan engineers trained in Iran, and Iranian teams later worked at the El Libertador Air Base in Maracay.
The program has since produced reconnaissance, armed and kamikaze drones modeled on Iranian systems.
“Cooperation with Iran was essential. Not only could Venezuela never have developed drones on its own, but even today it’s the Iranians who control those facilities. Venezuelan personnel can’t enter without their authorization,” one source who asked not to be identified told the Miami Herald.
The paper said it interviewed half a dozen people familiar with the ties between Caracas and Tehran and reviewed Venezuelan government documents — some signed by Chávez — that showed billions of dollars were funneled into the partnership.
Many projects were disguised as civilian ventures, such as bicycle or tractor factories, but served as fronts for more sensitive military work. At the core, Chávez sought weapons that could challenge US military power, the Herald reported.
US alarm over drones
Analysts at US think tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Southern Command’s Diálogo Initiative, have described the drones as a “new asymmetric threat.”
They warn that the systems could be used not only against domestic opponents but also transferred to other governments or armed groups in Latin America.
Military buildup
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said earlier this month that Venezuela will deploy drones, warships and about 15,000 troops near Colombia. He said the move is aimed at defending sovereignty and combating drug trafficking.
The Trump administration has ordered guided-missile destroyers, amphibious ships, a cruiser, a submarine and thousands of Marines to the region as part of what it calls anti-narcotics operations. Caracas called the buildup hostile and appealed to the United Nations to intervene.
Broader Iran-Venezuela links
Concerns about Tehran’s role in Venezuela extend beyond drones. Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that more than 10,000 individuals from Iran, Syria, and Lebanon were allegedly granted Venezuelan passports between 2010 and 2019. Former US officials told the paper some recipients may already be in the United States.
Persian Gulf exercise as warning
In August, Iran staged its first major naval exercise since the June war with Israel. The two-day drill covered the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. State media showed launches of Qadir and Nasir anti-ship missiles, Ababil drones and electronic warfare systems.
“Iran used this exercise to demonstrate that it can target both military and commercial vessels,” Alma Research and Education Center wrote in a report. Footage of a drone tracking a container ship was described as a direct warning to global shipping companies.
Khamenei representative raises oil price threat
The assessment comes after a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged restrictions on Western shipping in the strait. Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, told the state broadcaster last week that such a move could drive oil prices to $200.
“We can impose restrictions against the United States, France, Britain and Germany in the Strait of Hormuz and not allow them to navigate,” Shariatmadari said. “Just by announcing such a restriction, the oil price will surge to $200, and the biggest economic blow will be dealt to the enemy.”
Global warnings
Western governments have said any closure would have severe consequences. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June that it would be “economic suicide” for Iran.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the idea “extremely dangerous,” while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it would be “a monumental act of self-harm.”
Iran has never attempted a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but it has repeatedly seized merchant ships in the Persian Gulf. Security analysts say its mines, fast boats, missiles, and special forces give it multiple options to disrupt global commerce.
