The United States detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during a military operation in Caracas over the weekend, a move that observers say could reshape Iran’s external networks.
Venezuela, under Maduro, served Iranian and Hezbollah interests, including financial and logistical activity, according to foreign publications, and his capture could threaten those pipelines.
Venezuela had functioned as a testing ground for sanction-bypass schemes and as a forward base for intelligence and military-technology cooperation. A pragmatic, pro-US leadership in Caracas, if consolidated, could increase Iran’s international isolation and constrict funding to its regional proxies, from Hamas to the Houthis.
The operation in Venezuela carries a clear message about what could happen in Iran if they refuse to negotiate with the United States.
Iranian protests remain center focus for Israeli intelligence
Iran’s widening anti-regime protests have become the Israeli intelligence community’s top focus, with officials warning that if the ayatollahs’ regime begins to lose control, Tehran could launch ballistic missiles at Israel to divert attention and rally support at home.
According to foreign media reports, large demonstrations erupted on Saturday at more than 70 locations across 22 provinces in Iran.
The principal concern is a scenario in which protestors directly threaten regime hubs, prompting Tehran to externalize the crisis through missile salvos at Israel. The goal would be to shift the national narrative from domestic grievances to a confrontation with an external enemy.
Foreign outlets reported major rallies in Tehran’s commercial districts, as well as in Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad, with additional large centers in Hamedan, Kermanshah, Karaj, Zahedan, Fasa, Vezneh, and Lordegan.
Security sources said the scale, while significant, has not yet surpassed the threshold seen during the 2009 protests.
Security officials assessed that Iranian authorities are avoiding widespread live fire to limit mass casualties and viral video evidence that could inflame the streets. Instead, they said Tehran has shifted to containment, targeted arrests of local leaders, and measures to disrupt coordination among demonstrators.