Colombia announced on Thursday (24) the breaking of diplomatic relations with Iran, citing security reasons and stating that the Iranian government would have alleged ties with “narcoterrorist groups”, according to the Colombian chancellery.
According to an official statement, the rupture took effect on September 19 and does not imply the end of consular relations.
The government of conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella justified the measure as part of a new orientation of foreign policy. According to the text, De la Espriella received support from the U.S. President Donald Trump during the campaign.
Colombia said it had taken into account “alleged ties of the Iranian government with international terrorist groups and other narcoterrorist groups that threaten the country’s security,” without detailing which groups were involved.
In an additional statement, the Colombian government also declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as “terrorist group,” claiming that it “represses the Iranian population and carries out covert operations” beyond Iran’s borders. From that, it stated that it would strengthen control measures to prevent the entry of members of the group into Colombian territory.
The Colombian statement also cited “well-documented human rights violations” committed by the Iranian government inside the country and mentioned attacks against “countries not part of the conflict in the Middle East”, the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and obstruction of the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Colombia and Iran had maintained relations since 1975. According to the chancery, the Colombian embassy in New Delhi is responsible for diplomatic and consular matters relating to Iran.
Peru, under President Keiko Fujimori, also recently severed relations with Iran, arguing that Iranian action “threatens stability” in the Middle East and undermines international peace and security. Source: Associated Press.
*Content translated with the aid of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Editorial Team of the Broadcast, the real-time news system of Grupo Estado.
