Obama Latin America Measure Receives Iran Backlash

The Tehran foreign ministry criticized President Barack Obama this week for enacting a new law that is set up to counter the alleged influence of Iran in Latin America. Tehran said the law was just an overt intervention in the area.

Ramin Mehmanparast, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in Iran said it is only an overt intervention in the area that shows the U.S. is not familiar with the newer world nations. He said the U.S. still was living as if it were the Cold War and considers all of Latin America to be its own back yard.

He continued by saying Iran recommended that the U.S. respect the rights of nations in today’s world, as the public opinion in the world does not support that king of U.S. intervention move. Mehmanparast continued by saying Iran’s relationship with all countries, in particular those in Latin America was friendly and was based on mutual interest and respect.

On Friday, a law was enacted by President Obama, which through a new political and diplomatic strategy is aimed to counter the influence of Iran in the region. The act was passed in 2012 by Congress and calls for the State Department to develop a new strategy within six months to address the growing hostile activity and presence of Iran in Latin America.

The Act also says that Homeland Security will bolster its surveillance along U.S. borders with both Mexico and Canada to prevent Iranian operatives, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, Quds Force or any other organization of terror from entering the U.S.

However, intelligence and State Department officials said there was still no indication that any illicit activities was being carried out by Iran. Iran has opened half dozen new diplomatic missions since 2005 in the region, bringing their total to 11 embassies and 17 cultural centers.