On November 5, Joseph Humire discussed his new book entitled Iran’s Strategic Penetration of Latin America at The Institute of World Politics.
Mr. Humire, an eight-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps and currently the Executive Director of the Center for a Secure Free Society, stated that Iran has drastically increased its prioritization of Latin American operations — both with regard to diplomatic and propaganda activities. Such efforts by Tehran are driven by a desire to capitalize on growing anti-American sentiments in Central and South America in order to cultivate geopolitical assets that can be used against Washington.
He noted that these ambitions are evident from the growing number of Iranian diplomatic missions in the region, as well as an expanding Islamic community throughout the continent. Tehran’s political and religious efforts are also supported by an extensive media penetration via pro-Iranian television and radio programming.
As such, Mr. Humire contended that this issue needs to be further discussed and incorporated into our regional strategic planning.