WANA (Jan 05) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has strongly condemned the abduction of Venezuela’s president and his wife, describing the act as a blatant violation of national sovereignty and a dangerous precedent in international law. According to Baghaei, the normalization of the use of force will inevitably produce consequences affecting the entire international community. Domestic Laws Cannot Justify Violating Other States’ SovereigntyResponding to claims by U.S. officials that the abduction was carried out under domestic court rulings, Baghaei said such arguments are “absolutely invalid” under international law. Unlike some European states, he said, Tehran rejects violations of international law wherever they occur—whether in Venezuela, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, or Greenland. A Collective Responsibility to Defend the International OrderConcluding the briefing, Baghaei said confronting lawlessness is a collective responsibility.

Source: International New York Times January 05, 2026 14:52 UTC