Do Not Equate the Success of the US Attack on Venezuela with Iran, Why? Here are 5 Differences

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NEW YORK— After the swift ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela, there is a belief among politicians in Washington, especially among the Republican Party, that the same scenario could be repeated in Iran.

However, Newsweek magazine published an analytical article by its editorial board warning that this comparison is misleading and dangerous.

They state that Tehran is very different from Venezuela in terms of political and military structure and readiness for war.

Although US President Donald Trump said on Monday (23/2/2026) that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, told him that any conflict against Iran would be easily resolved.

Caine warned that a shortage of ammunition and a lack of support from allies would make such an operation far more dangerous than the operation in Venezuela.

In January, the United States launched an attack on three targets in Venezuela on Saturday morning and captured Maduro, who is now being tried in New York on terrorism charges related to drug trafficking, according to US classification.

While Trump is devising a plan to overthrow Tehran, the situation inside Iran makes a repetition of what Newsweek calls the ‘Maduro moment’ far more complicated than what happened in Caracas.

Here are the reasons put forward by the magazine’s editorial board to support its view, quoted by Aljazeera, Thursday (26/2/2026):

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