Asked about reports of two Iranian ships potentially headed for Venezuela, a Pentagon spokesperson remarked that “we obviously take our responsibilities in the Southern Command area of responsibility very seriously and Admiral Faller has… at his disposal capabilities to help secure our interest and to meet our commitments in the that part of the world”. A National Security Council official was quoted as saying that Iranian arms transfers to Venezuela “would be a provocative act and a threat to our partners in this hemisphere… We would reserve the right to take appropriate measures – in concert with our partners – to deter the delivery or transit of such weapons”.