U.S. Has 'Limited' Ability to Monitor 'Iran, Hizbullah Activities in Latin America'

A top general said on Tuesday that the United States' military has "limited intelligence capabilities to monitor Hizbullah and Iran's activities in Latin America”.

“Our abilities may prevent our full awareness of all Iranian and Hizbullah activities in the region," General John Kelly, head of U.S. Southern Command, told lawmakers in an apparent allusion to budget pressures.

The general expressed that Iran is "struggling" to cultivate ties with Latin American countries that are wary of the United States, and Tehran's influence in the region is on the decline.

"The reality on the ground is that Iran is struggling to maintain influence in the region, and that its efforts to cooperate with a small set of countries with interests that are inimical to the United States are waning,"

Iran's ally Hizbullah also has a presence in several Latin American states and has received support from Venezuela's government, with officials being sanctioned for assisting the militants, Kelly said.

In Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina, Iran has sought to expand diplomatic and economic links to counter international sanctions and to promote anti-U.S. sentiment, Kelly told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

But the bid has only been "marginally successful" and the broader region "has not been receptive to Iranian efforts," the general said.

President Barack Obama signed a law in December designed to counter Iran's alleged influence in Latin America, where it has opened up several new embassies in recent years.

The law calls for the State Department to shape a new diplomatic and political strategy in the region to undercut Iran's efforts.

The legislation also calls on the Department of Homeland Security to bolster surveillance at U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico to prevent operatives from Iran or Hizbullah from entering the United States.