The assessment in Israel is that the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro by US forces will have a restraining influence on the regime in Iran. The toppling of Maduro is also a blow to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which profits from trade in drugs, weapons, and oil. Maduro, who was captured together with his wife in US strikes on Venezuela on Saturday, is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to face charges of drug trafficking.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar congratulated the administration of US President Trump on the operation. In a post on X, he wrote, "Israel commends the United States’ operation, led by President Trump, which acted as the leader of the free world.
"At this historic moment, Israel stands alongside the freedom-loving Venezuelan people, who have suffered under Maduro’s illegal tyranny.
"Israel welcomes the removal of the dictator who led a network of drugs and terror and hopes for the return of democracy to the country and for friendly relations between the states."
From a narrow Israeli point of view, the deposing of the Maduro regime is a welcome event in Latin America. At a time when more and more anti-Israel leaders are being replaced at the ballot box, Iran’s closest friend in the region has fallen. This will make it much harder for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to carry out operations against Israeli targets, will halt the flow of Iranian weaponry to the continent, and will restrict the extensive oil smuggling industry in which both Venezuela and Iran were involved.
The Iranian regime understands that Trump’s move in Latin America is a message for it too. Referring to the anti-government disturbances taking place in many Iranian cities, Trump wrote on Friday: ""If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go" Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi called Trump’s remarks "reckless and dangerous,"
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 4, 2026.
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