Iranian Parliamentary Delegation Heads to Latin America despite US Opposition

(FNA)- An Iranian parliamentary delegation headed to Venezuela and Cuba despite the US attempts to block their visit to the two Latino nations.

The delegation headed by Chairman of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi changed its flight route towards Venezuela and Cuba after the US refrained from issuing the needed permission for their passenger jet to ferry across its airspace on Sunday, forcing them to call off their visit.

An informed source told the parliament’s news agency yesterday that the trip of the Iranian delegation was called off after the Americans officially warned the Russian Aeroflot airline that it cannot fly over the US airspace while it has the Iranian delegation aboard.

In response to the US move, Boroujerdi blasted Washington for its antagonistic moves against the improvement of the relations between Iran and the Latin American states, and said the Iranian delegation would try a different route to pass through other countries' airspace for traveling to Cuba and Venezuela.

Iran has in recent years expanded friendly ties with Latin America, specially in economic, trade and industrial fields.

Iran's strong and rapidly growing ties with Latin America, specially with Venezuela, have raised eyebrows in the US and its western allies since Tehran and Latin 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 US.

In mid-December, Tehran hosted a conference on economic and trade cooperation between Iran and Latin America.

Participants in the conference titled Challenges Facing Iran-Latin America Cooperation reviewed impediments to the expansion of economic cooperation between Iran and Latin America, specially Venezuela.

Heads of oil and gas products exporting companies as well as a number of economic and energy experts were present in the conference.