Washington, DC – In a strategic move aimed at reshaping the security landscape in the Western Hemisphere, the US administration announced the launch of a comprehensive operation to dismantle Hezbollah networks and Iranian influence in Venezuela. This followed the high-profile operation that led to the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Rubio: Venezuela will not be a “playground” for Iran
In a statement described as a “coup de grâce” to the Iranian presence in the region, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed to Fox News that the era of using Venezuelan territory as a rear base to threaten US security is over.
Rubio said in a series of media interviews: “It’s very simple; under President Trump’s administration, Venezuela will no longer be a playground for Iran, Hezbollah, or any other malign influence. We will not allow this terrorist crossroads to exist in the hemisphere we live in.”
Shocking facts: Decades of terrorist infiltration
Intelligence reports and experts on armed groups, including Walid Phares, have revealed horrifying details about the nature of the Iranian presence that has persisted for decades under the protection of the Maduro regime:
Margarita Island: This tourist island has been transformed into a global “logistics hub” for Hezbollah. It has been used for laundering drug money, gathering intelligence, and training operatives.
Hezbollah exploited the absence of the rule of law to obtain Venezuelan passports and official documents. This enabled its members to move freely across Latin America and reach the US-Mexico border.
Reports confirmed the existence of “command and control” centers belonging to the party in the heart of the capital, Caracas. These centers coordinated kidnapping and intimidation operations targeting Iranian dissidents abroad.
For its part, the Lebanese Hezbollah issued a statement condemning what it called “American bullying.” It declared its solidarity with the crumbling Maduro regime. Meanwhile, factions within the Venezuelan opposition welcomed these steps, considering the departure of Iranian influence a prerequisite for restoring state sovereignty and reviving the collapsed economy.
Analyses indicate that these developments represent a major strategic loss for Iran, as it loses its most important foothold in the Americas, thus diminishing its ability to maneuver and directly threaten US territory.
