The link between the government of Nicolás Maduro and the Iranian regime goes far beyond the exchange of oil through ghost ships. According to research published by InfobaeIran maintains in Venezuela an operational structure of the Quds Forcethe external arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in charge of intelligence, asymmetric wars and covert operations, which today provides direct support to Chavismo in one of its most dramatic moments.
Infobae He had access to the formation of this Iranian paramilitary structure in Venezuelan territory, organized under a hierarchical pyramid. At the head of the Quds Force in Venezuela would be Ahmad Asadzadeh Goljahian officer who manages Iranian operations in the country and also directs the so-called Department 11000a subunit with an international history linked to terrorist plots.
This department is led globally by Sardar Ammardesignated by Israel as responsible for terrorist plans in Australia, Greece and Germany. Last November, Mexican authorities thwarted an assassination attempt against the Israeli ambassador to Mexico, Einat Kranz Neigerattributed to this same division. The operation would have been orchestrated by Hasan Izadianother Iranian agent active in Latin America.
A double life
Asadzadeh would also be linked to the Department 840considered the operations center responsible for murders abroad. One year after the death of the Iranian commander Djibouti and SomaliIn January 2021, Asadzadeh was reportedly tasked with recruiting agents to avenge his execution, with instructions to capture, interrogate, torture, and kill those responsible for the 2020 US attack on Baghdad.
According to Infobaethe Iranian boss maintains a double life. In addition to his role in the Quds Force, he is listed as executive director of the Iran–Latin America Friendship Associationan organization identified as a front for Iranian infiltration in the region. In April of this year he gave an interview to the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), where he highlighted the links between Tehran and Latin America.
Another key actor is Mostafa Shanghaghia Quds Force agent who operates under diplomatic cover at the Iranian Embassy in Caracas. Shanghaghi has experience as a spy in the Arabian Peninsula, where he reportedly provided information to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. In Venezuela he has been frequently seen alongside Maduro, even during public events such as the tribute to the former Iranian president. Ebrahim Raisidied in May 2024.
Under government protection
Infobae also documents Shanghaghi’s constant flights between Caracas and Tehran, accompanied by other alleged members of the Quds Force who operate under the protection of the Chavista government. Among them are Hooman Ahmadi, Ahmad Behzadifar, Vahid Rezaei, Mehrdad Jafari, Ali Jarganitilaki, Mohammadreza Sarkhosh, Mahmoud Shaker and Ebrahim Shariatzadehwho, according to Middle Eastern sources, would have ties to the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
Added to this network Hadi Gaeiniidentified as responsible in Venezuela for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). In the past, Gaeini would have acted as a link between the Quds Force and organizations classified as terrorists by the United States and the European Union, such as Hezbollah and Hamasas well as Iraqi armed groups.
Iranian support for Chavismo is not new. It was Hugo Chávez who opened the doors to Tehran as part of his strategy of confrontation with the United States and Israel. Since then, Caracas would have provided logistics, documentation and resources to Iranian and Hezbollah networks in the region, strengthening their presence in Latin America.
However, the report warns that Iran’s real ability to protect Venezuela is limited. The recent Israeli bombings that exposed Iranian defenses and anti-missile systems show, according to the analysis, that Tehran’s aid to Caracas would be mainly symbolic. More than 11,000 kilometers away, Iran would lack the effective capacity to anticipate or respond to military maneuvers in the Caribbean.
The investigation of Infobae concludes that, despite the rhetoric of a strategic alliance, Iranian support for Maduro relies more on clandestine networks and covert cooperation than on a true defense capacity in the face of growing international pressure.
