FIFA Peace Prize Winner mulls Iran attack as campaigns continue in Syria, Venezuela
(Originally published Jan. 12 in “What in the World“) Trump launched fresh airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.
Like the previous airstrikes before Christmas, the Saturday attacks were intended to retaliate for a Dec. 13 ambush by Islamic State in Palmyra that killed two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Roughly 20 U.S. and Jordanian warplanes hit more than 35 targets with 90 precision munitions, the BBC reported, quoting CBS News.
The Syria strikes may just be a warm-up, however, for a larger attack Trump is considering against Iran. Trump has threatened to launch strikes against Tehran to retaliate against its killing of civilian protesters. Human rights groups say that a government crackdown against the two weeks of nationwide protests have killed more than 500 people. Iran’s parliamentary speaker on Sunday threatened counter-attacks against U.S. bases if Trump made good on his threats.
Trump hasn’t forgotten Venezuela, however. On Friday, in fact, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard commandeered a rogue Venezuelan oil tanker that the government there said he fled the country with a load of crude that hadn’t been paid for. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who is heading the ruling dictatorship in the wake of Trump’s abduction last week of President Nicolás Maduro to stand trial in New York for drug charges, “enlisted U.S. military support” to apprehend the tanker, according to The New York Times, citing anonymous sources “close to the Venezuelan government.”
“Today, the United States of America, in coordination with the Interim Authorities of Venezuela, seized an oil tanker which departed Venezuela without our approval,” Trump posted. “This tanker is now on its way back to Venezuela, and the oil will be sold through the GREAT Energy Deal, which we have created for such sales.” The Times notes the irony that Trump has now shifted from removing Venezuela’s dictatorship, to helping prop it up, in this case against factional rivals.