"President Donald Trump's declaration that the United States was locked and loaded if Iran's security forces killed peaceful protesters carried a special sting. Less than 24 hours later, US special forces attacked Caracas, abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his home and took him to New York to face trial on narcoterrorism charges. In showing that his administration can follow through on threats in Venezuela, Trump has escalated the psychological pressure on the Islamic Republic."
"The CIA had operated in Caracas for half a year, preparing for the operation. The intelligence agency had an asset close to Maduro who helped track him down. In the early hours of Saturday, US fighter jets launched air strikes on military targets in and around Caracas. A US special forces team was dispatched afterwards to abduct Maduro from his residence. What helped secure the success of the operation was that the Venezuelan military was in disarray and Maduro had been largely abandoned by his allies Russia and China."
The Islamic Republic stands on solid ground despite multiple crises. President Trump's threatened response to potential killings of peaceful protesters and the swift US operation in Caracas increased psychological pressure on Iran. The Caracas operation benefited from long CIA preparation, an asset close to Maduro, US air strikes, a disorganized Venezuelan military, and waning Russian and Chinese support for Maduro. Iran demonstrated resilience during a 12-day conflict with Israel, absorbing surprise attacks that eliminated IRGC leaders and nuclear scientists while resisting psychological operations. Operational constraints, lack of comparable assets inside Iran, cohesive Iranian security forces, and regional backing make a Venezuela-style intervention in Tehran infeasible.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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