In a statement released on Saturday, Esmaeil Baqaei warned of the dangerous consequences of intensified US military activities in the Caribbean and Latin America for international peace and security, calling for respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela.

He described the threat of resorting to force against the lawful and elected government of Venezuela as an explicit violation of the law and a gross breach of the principles of the United Nations Charter, especially the principle of the right of people to self-determination and the principle of the prohibition of the use of force contained in paragraph 4 of Article 2.

Referring to numerous reports by the international bodies describing US attacks on fishing boats as arbitrary and extrajudicial killings, the Iranian spokesman underscored the necessity of halting the misuse of the issue of combating drug trafficking as a pretext for violating the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela.

Baqaei also reminded the UN and its secretary-general of their responsibility to prevent violations of international peace and security and the promotion of aggressive unilateralism at the international level.

His comments came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday a military operation to remove what he called “narco-terrorists", amid growing concerns that a US naval build-up in Latin American waters could presage land strikes and a wider conflict.

US President Donald Trump's administration is conducting a military campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, deploying naval and air forces for what it calls an anti-drugs offensive.

US forces have carried out strikes on about 20 vessels in international waters in the region since early September, killing at least 76 people.

Venezuela has announced a major, nationwide military deployment to counter the growing US naval presence off its coast – including a newly arrived US aircraft carrier strike group in the region.

Caracas fears the deployment, which also includes F-35 stealth warplanes sent to Puerto Rico and six US Navy ships in the Caribbean, is a regime change plot in disguise.