Venezuelan Foreign Minister deletes "tepid" statement of condemnation following the attack against Iran and the death of Ayatollah Khamenei

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, deleted from his social media the statement in which he had reacted to the joint attack by the United States and Israel against Iran, which took place on Saturday and resulted in the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Alí Jamenei.

The message, initially published on his account on X following the confirmation of Jamenei's passing, stated that "Venezuela deeply condemns and regrets that, in a context where diplomatic efforts and ongoing negotiations were taking place, a military option was chosen against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The text, which avoided explicitly mentioning the United States, Israel, or their leaders, added that "Venezuela reiterates its unwavering commitment to peace, the peaceful resolution of disputes, respect for sovereignty, and international law."

Hours later, the statement disappeared without explanation from the accounts linked to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.

The removal of the statement occurred amidst the official confirmation from Tehran of Jamenei's death, whom state media referred to as "martyred in the Zionist-American aggression."

The Iranian government declared 40 days of national mourning and suspended official activities for one week.

Jamenei had held the position since 1989 and concentrated control over the Armed Forces, the Revolutionary Guard, and the main organs of the State.

His passing, along with that of other high-ranking officials of the regime in the Persian country, opens a scenario of significant internal political uncertainty, as it is up to the Assembly of Experts to appoint his successor.

On his part, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Sunday in an interview with the digital platform The Atlantic that the new Iranian leadership seeks to resume conversations with Washington and assured that he agreed to engage in dialogue.

The official stated that Tehran "should have done earlier what was very easy to do" and acknowledged that several of the Iranian interlocutors with whom negotiations were recently held were killed in the bombings.

So far, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry has not issued a new official statement regarding the attack or the death of the supreme leader of the Persian nation.