Speaking to Hawzah News Agency, Hojatoleslam Davoud Fazel Flavarjani said the U.S. naval deployment near Venezuela is framed as an anti-drug operation, but in reality, serves Washington’s political objectives in a region it has long treated as its “backyard” under the Monroe Doctrine. He noted that the Caribbean, home to strategically located and resource-rich islands such as Cuba, holds significant geopolitical weight, with developments there often influencing U.S. domestic politics.
Flavarjani highlighted Venezuela’s vast oil reserves—now considered the largest in the world—as well as the country’s rich natural resources, which have dramatically increased its strategic importance. He said this, combined with Venezuela’s regional influence and ties with Iran and Russia, has made the country a central focus of U.S. policy.
Recalling the era of Hugo Chávez, he said the late Venezuelan leader’s anti-U.S. stance and alliances with Tehran and Moscow turned him into a major concern for Washington, to the point where efforts were made to eliminate him through what he described as “biological terrorism.” After Nicolás Maduro took office, the U.S. attempted to topple his government through sweeping sanctions beginning in 2017, leading to a severe collapse in Venezuela’s currency.
Flavarjani said after economic warfare failed, Washington shifted to direct threats during the Trump administration—ranging from bounties to open calls for Maduro’s arrest. When these tactics also failed, the U.S. escalated psychological pressure by mobilizing warships and spreading the narrative of an imminent military attack. This, he noted, created such an atmosphere of fear that even observers in Iran briefly misunderstood the internal situation, despite daily life continuing normally on the ground.
The analyst emphasized that Washington’s recent movements in the Caribbean should be seen as part of this psychological pressure campaign. Any direct U.S. intervention, he said, would carry immense risks and unpredictable consequences. The U.S., he added, has avoided direct military intervention in Latin America for nearly a century, instead relying on coups—several of which have been attempted in Venezuela.
Outlining potential U.S. scenarios, he said Washington fears two main challenges:
- Venezuela’s difficult terrain and powerful criminal networks, which could turn any conflict into a costly quagmire resembling Syria or Libya—only this time near U.S. shores.
- The contradictions of its own pretext, as striking forest areas would achieve little, while attacking populated cities would expose the anti-drug narrative as a cover for political aggression and fuel popular resistance.
Flavarjani added that regional governments have taken a firm stance against U.S. pressure, pointing to Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, who openly criticized the Trump administration’s coercive tactics and warned that the region’s history of resistance cannot be ignored.
He concluded that any U.S. military invasion of Venezuela would be far from simple and would trigger serious repercussions for Washington, both regionally and globally.
Your Comment