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Why Iran may not be the next Venezuela despite twin threat from protests and Trump
The volatile situation in the Middle East and the greater role played by China in the region may give the US pause for thought
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The recent US strike against Venezuela is likely to deepen the Iranian leadership’s concerns about further intervention from Washington but analysts do not expect the leadership will be targeted directly in the same way as Nicolas Maduro.
They pointed to the higher geopolitical stakes in the Middle East compared with Latin America and the greater role played by China, Russia and other countries.
Before the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the leadership in Iran had already been grappling with significant nationwide protests and a faltering economy.
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Although such demonstrations – directly targeting the leadership’s legitimacy – are not unprecedented in Iran, the strikes in Venezuela may intensify the threat against them.
Just one day before US forces abducted Maduro and his wife on Sunday, Trump warned on social media that Washington “will come to their rescue” if Tehran killed any protesters.
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An Iranian official told Reuters that the protests and strikes were “twin pressures” on the government and said Tehran had less room for manoeuvre “with few viable options and high risks on every path”.
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