Iran’s former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani was not confined to Middle Eastern battlefields. In 2019, Soleimani quietly traveled to Venezuela at the invitation of President Nicolás Maduro, signaling Tehran’s intent to project power deep into the Western Hemisphere.
During and after that visit, Iran accelerated its strategic partnership with Caracas. Iranian involvement expanded across military, logistical, and ideological fronts, including cooperation on drone capabilities, sanctions-evasion mechanisms, and the strengthening of IRGC and Hezbollah-linked networks in Latin America.
Maduro later openly praised Soleimani, while murals honoring him appeared in Caracas and Iranian ideological centers bearing his name were established.
The outreach went far beyond symbolism. By embedding itself in Venezuela, Iran positioned a hostile forward presence just hours from Florida, challenging US regional security and demonstrating that Soleimani’s strategy focused on opening new theaters of influence well beyond the Middle East.
