WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Latin American countries yesterday not to get too close to Iran, calling it “a really bad idea” that could have consequences.
Clinton said the United States was well aware Iran had stepped up its diplomatic activities in the region, citing Venezuela and Bolivia in particular.
“We can only say that is a really bad idea for the countries involved,” Clinton told a State Department briefing on Latin American relations.
“This is the major supporter, promoter and exporter of terrorism in the world today,” she said. “If people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them. And we hope that they will think twice.” Latin American leftist presidents including Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa are fierce critics of US foreign policy and have forged close ties with Iran, Russia and other countries in recent years.
Clinton’s comments were among the strongest yet from Washington about growing links between some Latin American countries and Iran, which US President Barack Obama and other western leaders accuse of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
