ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, attached to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Crisis Response-Central Command, engage targets during a live-fire demonstration near At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, Sept, 7, 2018. SPMAGTF-CR-CC Marines supported Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. The U.S. is considering a plan to keep some forces in the al-Tanaf base in southeastern Syria to counter “Iranian activities,” despite President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw all American troops from the war-torn country, the Foreign Policy magazine reported on January 25 citing officials. “Al-Tanaf is a critical element in the effort to prevent Iran from establishing a ground line of communications from Iran through Iraq through Syria to southern Lebanon in support of Lebanese Hezbollah,” a former senior U.S. military commander told the Washington-based magazine. More than 200 U.S. service members are deployed in al-Tanaf base, which is

Foreign Ministry statement on the developments in Venezuela ( source ): The events in Venezuela have reached a dangerous point. Failing to remove Nicolas Maduro, including physically, the extremist opponents of the legitimate government of Venezuela have opted for a highly confrontational scenario. The United States and several other countries in the region have recognised the opposition leader who has sworn himself in as Venezuela’s interim president. This can only deepen the social divide in Venezuela, aggravate street protests, dramatically destabilise the Venezuelan political community and further escalate the conflict. The deliberate and obviously well orchestrated creation of dual power and an alternative decision-making centre in Venezuela is a direct path towards chaos and erosion of Venezuelan statehood. Several people have already died. We firmly condemn those who are pushing Venezuelan society into the abyss of violent civil discord. We regard Washington’s unceremonio