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| Iran and Maduro ties suffer major blow following US operation and capture of Venezuelan dictator |
| 2026-01-04 |
| [FoxNews] Experts say Venezuela served as operational hub for Iranian terrorism, drug trafficking and power projection in Latin America The Trump administration’s military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is a devastating setback to the South American nation’s long-term ally, the Islamic Republic of Iran, experts contend. As Iran experiences yet another day of anti-regime protests across the country, Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), who has written about Maduro’s nefarious activities, told Fox News Digital that, "Maduro’s capture will be a blow to Iran’s interests in the Western Hemisphere as he was a longtime ally of Tehran under the banner of anti-imperialism and Americanism in the region." He said, "How much of a blow it will be will depend on who comes to power after Maduro. Iran and Hezbollah have used Venezuela as an operational hub for terrorism, drug trafficking, and power projection in Latin and South America." He continued, "Iran had a military partnership with Caracas as well, especially with drones. So Tehran is likely eyeing these developments very warily. Its interests in the region were already weakened after Bolivia’s presidential election, which brought to power a center-right leader who reestablished relations with Israel." In November, Fox News Digital reported that the Islamic Republic was backing Maduro just as the Trump administration stepped up military pressure in the Caribbean and expanded its crackdown on criminal networks tied to the regime in Caracas. Brodsky said, "This will be a strike heard around the world. Iran’s regime will be watching it very closely as President Trump threatened the supreme leader during the 12-Day War. This historic strike adds to the perception of President Trump being unpredictable and risk-ready, which inspires fear in U.S. adversaries and bolsters the credibility of the threat of American military force. This strengthens U.S. deterrence." The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country." Potkin Azarmehr, a British-Iranian expert on Iran, told Fox News Digital that "Every fall of a dictator who is allied with the Ayatollahs is both a boost to the morale of the people in Iran and a setback for the ruling mullahs." |
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| Posted by: Skidmark 2026-01-04 20:48 |
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