Key Points
- Iran’s navy is set to station warships for the first time in the Panama Canal, a critical trade route in America’s backyard that has never before seen an Iranian military presence.
- Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of Iran’s navy, said on Wednesday that his forces will establish a presence in the Panama Canal later this year, marking the first time Iran’s military has entered the Pacific Ocean.
- Iran in recent years has placed a greater focus on moving its military into Latin American territories as it strengthens relations with anti-American dictators in the region, most notably in Venezuela. Iranian vessels have docked more frequently in Venezuela as Tehran’s hardline regime seeks to prop up dictator Nicolás Maduro.
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