Trump makes bold moves from Venezuela to Iran and presses claim on Greenland

President Trump has placed a series of high-stakes bets abroad, from moves to exploit Venezuela’s oil resources and choke off Cuba’s lifeline to urging protesters in Iran to “take over your institutions,” and pressing a claim on Greenland. He has written on social media that “help is on its way” to anti‑regime protesters and has said the only limits on his powers are “my own morality” and “my own mind.” The president’s approach is buoyed, the Times reports, by recent tactical actions — striking Iranian nuclear sites and sending an Army Delta Force team to seize Nicolás Maduro — even as he has dismantled U.S.

instruments of soft power such as Voice of America and a State Department unit that dropped internet capability into Iran. He is betting he can exploit Venezuelan oil despite industry warnings the country remains “uninvestable,” and has signaled he might sideline Exxon Mobil from U.S.

plans there. European leaders have shown some alignment; Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said, “If a regime can only stay in power through violence, then it is effectively finished.” Analysts and former military officials warn of many wild cards. The Times notes risks including the ongoing war in Ukraine, the challenge of protecting Taiwan, and the difficulty of turning remote strikes or covert actions into lasting political change — Gen.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, Nicolás Maduro