Iran Declares Full Readiness to Send Emergency Relief and Medical Teams to Venezuela Earthquake Zone

Iran has formally declared its readiness to provide comprehensive emergency relief, medical assistance, and humanitarian aid to earthquake-stricken Venezuela, as the death toll from the country’s most powerful seismic disaster in over a century continued to climb, with acting President Delcy Rodriguez confirming at least 164 fatalities and nearly 1,000 people injured.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reached out directly to Acting President Rodriguez in a message conveying “sincere condolences” to the government and people of Venezuela. In his message, Pezeshkian made clear that Iran “considers itself alongside the government and nation of Venezuela” and stands fully prepared to offer any emergency, medical, and humanitarian assistance necessary to alleviate the suffering of victims and actively support ongoing relief efforts on the ground.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reinforced this message of solidarity at the diplomatic level, publicly announcing Tehran’s readiness to cooperate in search and rescue operations. Baghaei confirmed that Iran’s foreign ministry had been in direct contact with Iran’s embassy in Caracas from the very early hours following the disaster, ensuring a coordinated and immediate response framework was in place.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society separately and independently announced its offer to deploy specialized emergency and medical response teams to the worst-affected areas of Venezuela, according to Iranian state media — adding a crucial humanitarian dimension to Iran’s overall relief commitment.

The catastrophe that triggered this international outpouring of support was caused by two powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck north-central Venezuela within just 40 seconds of each other on Wednesday evening. Measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 respectively by the US Geological Survey, the twin tremors caused widespread building collapses in the capital Caracas and inflicted severe damage across coastal states including La Guaira, Carabobo, Miranda, Aragua and Falcón — making it the strongest seismic event to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

Acting President Rodriguez declared a nationwide state of emergency and described La Guaira as a “disaster zone,” confirming that dozens of buildings had collapsed in the coastal state alone. The Maiquetia airport serving Caracas was closed indefinitely due to severe structural damage sustained during the earthquakes.

The USGS issued a grave warning regarding the potential final scale of the disaster, cautioning that “high casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” and estimating a 44% probability that the death toll could ultimately reach 10,000 — a figure that has placed the international community on high alert and prompted an accelerating wave of global humanitarian responses, with Iran among the first nations to formally declare readiness to assist.