Venezuela summoned Iran's ambassador on Tuesday to protest remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Caracas described as "contemptuous and inappropriate," the foreign ministry said.

"The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Venezuela was summoned to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry to receive a note of protest over the contemptuous and inappropriate remarks made against Venezuela's institutions and authorities," the ministry said in a statement posted on social media.

Venezuelan authorities did not specify which remarks prompted the protest. However, videos circulating online appear to show Araghchi saying Iran is "not Venezuela" when referring to negotiations with the United States.

Longstanding alliance under strain

The diplomatic dispute could mark a rare strain in ties between the two oil-producing countries, which have maintained close political and economic relations since the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took office in 1999.

United by anti-US rhetoric, Caracas and Tehran have expanded cooperation over the past three decades through agreements covering the energy, mining, health and education sectors.

In 2020, Iran sent 1.5 million barrels of gasoline to Venezuela as the country struggled to refine its own crude during a deep economic crisis.

In 2025, Iran also supplied more than two million doses of polio and hepatitis vaccines as Venezuela faced difficulties importing medicines under US sanctions.

Venezuela's new interim government, installed after the United States ousted leftist leader Nicolas Maduro in a January abduction operation, is expected to pursue closer ties with Washington, potentially reshaping its relationship with Tehran.

Negotiations on forming a new Venezuelan government are expected to begin on August 1 under US supervision.

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