PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday (Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty)

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In the latest stop on his tour of Latin America, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has proclaimed that relations with Venezuela can help remake the world.

Zarif and a 120-member delegation are on a week-long visit to six countries, hoping to build political ties and to find opportunities for an Iranian economy still struggling for recovery.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro provided the headline on Saturday, describing Iran as the “power for peace” in the world and hailed its progress in scientific and industrial areas as “stunning” and “remarkable”:

Contrary to the US and other western countries which use their power to create wars, clashes, massacres, and looting of assets of other nations, Iran is using its might to promote peace, tranquility, and development.

The Iranian trip began in Cuba with the symbolism of resistance to the US and its sanctions, and that message was repeated on Saturday. Zarif declared that good relations between Tehran and Caracas are “the legacy of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who was a token of independence-seeking and revolutionary policies”.

The Foreign Minister added that the Iranian and Venezuelan nations “share good memories of confronting hegemonic policies of foreign forces”.

Zarif pointed to the representatives of banking, shipping, petrochemical industries, agriculture, and oil and gas sectors in the Iranian delegation, and said that Iran’s private companies “have good memories of carrying out development projects in Venezuela”.

Venezuela is enduring one of the worst economic crises in its history, with food shortages and long queues for necessities. The Government declared a state of emergency this spring, amid the world’s worst negative growth rate of -8%, inflation of 482%, and unemployment at 17% and rising.

Zarif and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez avoided any reference to the difficulties. Instead, a ceremony featured signature of an agreement for banking cooperation.

Supreme Leader “We Must Deter Enemy Aggression”

In his latest tough statement against Iran’s supposed enemies, The Supreme Leader has said armed forces must boost preparedness to deter any aggression.

Addressing commanders and officials of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base on Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei:

Our opposite side, which we refer to with such terms as the arrogant system or the global Zionism, is an evil and deceitful front with oppressive ideas, which is hostile to the Iranian nation’s religious beliefs and independence and refusal to bow to bullying.

One day, this enmity appears in the form of the United States of America, and another day, in the form of a bullying regime such as Saddam [Hussein].

He claimed that the enemy “is saying that you remain defenseless so that we can attack your country any time we want”:

The enemy must understand that if it launches an attack, it will be dealt a powerful blow and that our defense will also include giving a response [to any aggressor].