Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: On January 3, 2026, the United States attacked Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The operation, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, has been much debated globally. While the US justifies it as an action against a despotic leader of a country engaged in drug-trade in the US, detractors claim it is an unlawful military action against a sovereign nation.
The move is also being seen as the resumption of the US imperialism agenda, revived more fiercely under Donald Trump. With Trump voicing his intention to take similar measures against Columbia and Greenland, fears of US military action have increased around the world. These developments have coincided with major protests and related political uncertainties in Iran, a country with which the US has not had cordial relations since the regime change in the country post the Iranian Revolution.
Iran is currently being rocked by some of the biggest protests it has seen in recent times. The protests were triggered by anger over economic hardship, with the Iranian rial losing value again on Tuesday to reach another record low against foreign currencies. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators at the Tehran bazaar on Tuesday as protests continued to escalate.
According to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), security forces have killed at least 27 protesters, including five minors under the age of 18. Meanwhile Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi issued the first call to action to the Iranian people, a major indication of how serious the issue has become in the country.
The protests began on December 28, 2025, with a shutdown by merchants in the Tehran bazaar and later spread to other areas. The protests grew particularly strong in western Iran, which is home to Kurdish and Lor minority groups. The protests mark the the most severe protest movement in the Islamic republic since the ones seen after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.
Just before US President Donald Trump started the military operation against Venezuela which captured the country’s President, he stated that the United States was “locked and loaded” if Iran’s security forces killed peaceful protesters. In response Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Trump’s statement “reckless and dangerous”.
While one may be tempted to assume that the US could instigate a similar action as it did against Venezuela in Iran as well, the on-ground situation in both countries cannot be more dissimilar.
For one, the US had been preparing for such an operation in Venezuela for a long time now. The CIA had reportedly been operational in the region for half a year. It also had assets already emplaced in the country which made the capture of the President easier. When US fighter jets launched air strikes on military targets in the country, it did not have sufficient military might to retaliate. Even if it did, it could not sustain a prolonged military effort against the US. The situation is not the same in Iran.
Iran has one of the strongest militaries in the Middle East, and comparably it is much stronger than the one Venezuela has. The military is hardened and experienced having done several operations in the region. An invasion of Iran by the US would not even be comparable to the one the US carried out in Iraq, with different military and geographic realities between the two.
Iran is also steadier in resolve and is unlikely to bulge so easily. While the Venezuelan military and political establishment was in disarray over Trump’s recent manoeuvres in the region, Iran has steadily combated Israeli and American aggression in the region recently. Be it Israeli attacks on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian nuclear scientists, it has persevered. The US strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear sites and direct missile attacks on Iran by Israel have also been fought back by Iran.
Finally, both internally and externally, in terms of political strength, Iran is way more confident than Venezuela. The power centres in Iran, despite the recent protests, are foundational and unshakable. In terms of foreign support as well, China and Russia are unlikely to abandon Iran, which is a very important strategic partner for them compared to Venezuela.
