World
Colombia Broke Diplomatic Relations with Iran and Will Maintain Consular Ties
The Foreign Ministry said the decision was made on September 19 and communicated on September 24. According to the government of Abelardo De La Espriella, the measure responds to national and hemispheric security criteria.
Colombia ended its diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in a decision that, according to the Foreign Ministry and reported by El Tiempo, was adopted on September 19, 2026 and announced on September 24.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the measure is based on foreign policy guidelines linked to national and hemispheric security and the fight against transnational crime. The ministry also pointed to alleged ties between the Iranian government and international terrorist groups, as well as other narco-terrorist groups that, it said, threaten the country’s security.
Among the elements considered by the government of Abelardo De La Espriella are human rights violations attributed to the Iranian authorities within their territory, verified attacks against countries outside the conflict in the Middle East, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and obstacles to the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency in verifying the scope of the Iranian nuclear program.
The Foreign Ministry said those events eroded Colombia’s trust in the Iranian government. At the same time, it clarified that the decision does not mean severing consular relations, so the Protocol Directorate will communicate the corresponding procedure to the Iranian authorities.
According to El Tiempo, the government also said that the defense of national sovereignty is a central pillar of its foreign policy and stressed that Colombian diplomacy will seek to protect borders, reject external interference and defend the country’s citizens and interests before the international community.
That same day, also according to El Tiempo, Colombia designated the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group. The Foreign Ministry argued that the organization represents a serious threat to international peace and security and said controls will be strengthened to prevent the entry into Colombian territory of people linked to that body.
Israel’s ambassador in Bogotá, Vivian Aisén, welcomed the decision and said, according to El Tiempo, that she trusts the measure, including the departure of the Iranian ambassador, will help strengthen the security of the Colombian population.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this event.
