Iran is planning to build a missile base in Venezuela, Die Welt wrote on May 13. Last November, the German daily stated that Iran and Venezuela had signed an agreement on October 19 to build the base. Now, citing “security insiders,” it says the two nations have agreed on the location for the base—on the Peninsula de Paraguana—and have begun planning it.

It states that engineers from Khatam al-Anbia—a construction firm owned by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards—visited the site in February, accompanied by Amir al-Hadschisadeh, head of the Guard’s air force.

According to its November report, the base will be manned by both Venezuelan and Iranian soldiers. Iran has permission to use the missiles in case of an emergency. Venezuela has permission to use the base for “national needs.”

Die Welt stated that Iran will be deploying Shahab 3 rockets, with a range of 800 to 930 miles, Scud-B missiles, with a range of 180 to 205 miles, and Scud-C missiles, with a range of 185, 310 or 435 miles.

This would leave America outside of Iran’s range. However, the Federation of American Scientists states that a modified variant of the Shahab 3, sometimes called the Shahab 4, has a range of 1,200 miles. This would put Miami just within reach of Iran’s rockets.

Die Welt’s latest report states that the base will have watch towers, bunkers and deep missile silos to prevent it from being destroyed by an air attack.

The Panama Canal is also comfortably within range of the missile base.

Once Iran has a missile base in Latin America, it will be relatively easy for it to upgrade the base as it upgrades its missiles. America may seem out of reach initially, but once the base is established, Iran’s reach can slowly grow. If American politicians don’t kick up a fuss over an Iranian missile base in the nation’s backyard, will they react at all when Iran increases its missile range to 1,500 miles?

Iran is also working on a nuclear bomb. Yes, this is challenging, and even if it builds a bomb, it needs to make it small and robust enough to fit on a missile—but if it does, it could put a nuclear missile within range of the United States.

This is yet another example proving that America lacks the will to confront Iran. Yet again, Iran pushes and America backs down.

America is letting Iran dig in in Latin America. For more information on this trend, see our article “Danger Lurks in America’s Backyard.”