The United States is pressing Bolivia to expel suspected Iranian intelligence operatives and formally designate Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, along with Hezbollah and Hamas, as terrorist organizations, according to sources familiar with the matter. The push, first reported by Reuters, reflects a renewed and increasingly assertive U.S. effort to counter Tehran’s influence in Latin America at a moment of political transition in several key countries across the region.
According to two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions, Washington has privately urged the Bolivian government to take steps that would mark a sharp departure from the country’s historically close ties with Iran. In addition to calling for the removal of alleged Iranian spies, U.S. officials want La Paz to designate the IRGC, Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations, arguing that the groups operate as extensions of Iranian power abroad. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the diplomatic exchanges.
The diplomatic campaign comes as the United States seeks to regain strategic ground in Latin America amid growing competition with adversaries including Iran, China and Russia. U.S. officials have framed Iran’s activities in the region as a long-term security concern, pointing to intelligence operations, covert networks and the use of sympathetic governments to establish footholds far from the Middle East.
Bolivia’s foreign ministry offered a cautious response, saying there was “still no completely defined position regarding this matter.” The U.S. State Department declined to comment, while Iran’s mission to the United Nations also did not respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
While Bolivia’s landlocked geography and relatively small population might suggest limited strategic importance, current and former U.S. officials say the country has emerged as a valuable platform for Iranian diplomatic and intelligence activity in South America. Its central location, bordering several countries, and what U.S. officials describe as a permissive counterintelligence environment have made it attractive as a logistical and operational hub.
Rick de la Torre, a retired senior CIA officer and former chief of station in Caracas, said Venezuela has long served as Iran’s primary base of operations in Latin America, but Bolivia and Nicaragua have increasingly functioned as secondary nodes. He argued that Tehran has gravitated toward countries with lighter scrutiny and political climates less aligned with Washington, using them as staging grounds to quietly project influence into neighboring states.
Bolivia’s alignment with Iran deepened significantly under former president Evo Morales, who governed from 2006 to 2019 and openly embraced Tehran as a partner in opposition to what he described as U.S. imperialism. Cooperation expanded into defense and security-related areas, and Morales’ successor, Luis Arce, was also viewed by U.S. officials as unreceptive to efforts to distance the country from Iran.
That political dynamic has shifted following the October election of centrist President Rodrigo Paz, ending nearly two decades of near-continuous rule by the leftist MAS party. Paz has inherited a fragile economy and a divided legislature, but his government has signaled a desire to repair relations with Washington and attract foreign investment. U.S. officials have welcomed the change, and in December Washington made Bolivia eligible for grant funding through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a move seen as both symbolic and strategic.
The Iran-related push in Bolivia is part of a wider regional campaign, sources told Reuters. In recent months, Ecuador designated the IRGC, Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations, while Argentina took similar action against Iran’s Quds Force, the IRGC unit responsible for overseas operations. U.S. officials advocated for both decisions, viewing them as building blocks in a coordinated effort to constrain Iranian networks.
Signs suggest the campaign is accelerating. A delegation of U.S. State Department and intelligence officials traveled to La Paz earlier this month, in part to discuss the proposed terrorist designations. U.S. officials have also explored similar efforts in Chile, Peru and Panama, although it remains unclear whether formal discussions have begun with those governments. All three countries are led by presidents or presidents-elect aligned with Washington, and U.S. officials allege that Hezbollah operatives have maintained some level of presence in each.
Iran and its allies have a long and controversial history in Latin America. One of the most recent alleged IRGC-linked operations was a foiled plot last year to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, which sources said involved an undercover Quds Force officer based in Caracas. Hezbollah, closely aligned with Tehran, has operated in the region for decades, often accused by U.S. officials of raising funds through smuggling networks and, in some cases, carrying out attacks.
Within the intelligence community, however, there is debate over the scale and structure of Hezbollah’s activities. Some analysts describe a centralized and disciplined network, while others argue that certain financial flows attributed to Hezbollah stem from informal donations and remittances within Latin America’s large Lebanese diaspora.
Still, U.S. officials contend that even a limited but persistent presence poses a strategic risk. As Washington intensifies its efforts to draw a geopolitical line between Iran and Latin America, Bolivia’s response may serve as a test case for how far the region’s shifting political landscape is willing to accommodate renewed U.S. pressure.
