The US military operations that ended with the arrest and indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should serve as a warning to Iran, according to Israeli officials, in reference to the Islamic regime, which is facing intensifying protests and riots across the country.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said on X/Twitter on Saturday that “the regime in Iran should pay close attention to what is happening in Venezuela” after airstrikes and a US special forces raid that captured Maduro and his wife.
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli said that the deposing and indicting of Maduro for narcoterrorism delivered a blow to the “global axis of evil” and sent a “clear message” to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“Maduro did not run a country; he ran a crime and drug empire that directly fueled Hezbollah and Iran,” Chikli said on Saturday night. “The president’s decisive steps have proven once again that strong leaders are the only way to defeat dictators.”
The operation was characterized by the minister as part of the battle on behalf of freedom and the West against radical Islam and communism.
'The event is not over yet'
The Commanders for Israel’s Security, an NGO of more than 550 retired senior officials from the IDF, Mossad, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), police, and Foreign Service, also said that Iran should view the operation as a warning.
“The American action in Venezuela is a warning to the regime in Iran. The outcome depends on what the Venezuelan public will do next,” CIS said, according to Maariv. “The event is not over yet.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the arrest of Maduro, assuring that Israel would stand alongside the Venezuelan people, “who have suffered under Maduro’s illegal tyranny.
“Israel welcomes the removal of the dictator, who led a network of drugs and terror, and hopes for the return of democracy to the country and for friendly relations between the states,” Sa’ar said on X/Twitter on Saturday. “The people of Venezuela deserve to exercise their democratic rights. South America deserves a future free from the axis of terror and drugs.”