Colombia said on Thursday it had cut diplomatic ties with Iran, the latest Washington ally in Latin America to sever links with the US arch-foe.
Colombia’s new far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has redrawn Colombia’s alliances since taking over from his leftist predecessor Gustavo Petro on 7 August with the full-throated endorsement of US President Donald Trump.
Before his inauguration, De la Espriella also announced plans to sever ties with authoritarian leftist governments in Cuba and Nicaragua, though he has yet to do so.
It accused the Iranian government of having ties to “narco-terrorist groups that threaten the security of the country,” without giving proof of the allegations.
Iran’s foreign ministry hit back on Friday, calling the allegations “baseless claims”.
“It is clear that none of the claims put forward by the Colombian government to justify this decision are valid or logical, and that this decision has been made solely under the influence of the Zionist regime and the United States.”
It accused the Colombian government of itself being under the influence of drug cartels.
Bogota also criticised Tehran for blocking traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and attacking other countries in the Middle East in its war with the United States and Israel.
The Colombian government said it would maintain consular relations with Iran.
