The ripple effects are already being felt throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
By: Hamish de Bretton-Gordon / The Telegraph
Translation: Telegrafi.com
Operation Absolute Resolve — the daring U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — is a stark reminder of the extraordinary and unique power at the disposal of President Trump, when he chooses to use it. Every dictator, despot, and rebel regime has gotten the message: no tyrant is off-limits if the United States decides to act.
This followed last year’s swift operation to dismantle Iran’s then-underway nuclear program, an action that continues to resonate in both Tehran and Moscow. In that campaign, American and Israeli aircraft easily penetrated Iranian airspace, evading or destroying the Russian-supplied S-300 air defense systems that were supposed to prevent such an approach. The target was not just infrastructure, but Iran’s strategic ambition to reassert itself as a dominant regional power—already undermined by Israel’s dismantling of Tehran’s proxy forces: Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthi Movement.
With Iran now facing heightened domestic discontent — fueled by economic collapse and decades of repression — Trump’s public threats to support the protesters will be deeply unsettling to the ayatollahs. Many seasoned observers believe the regime is living on borrowed time. And, with Trump feeling emboldened by the success of the Venezuela operation, it would be unwise to assume that Iran is no longer a target.
Moscow will also be watching these developments with increasing concern. Trump has made it clear that a peace deal for Ukraine is practically ready and that only Russia - and Putin personally - stands in the way of its achievement. The Kremlin's increasingly desperate response online suggests that this message has hit home. As in Iran, the Russian population is growing increasingly discontented, its trust in a corrupt and economically destructive tyranny is eroding.
Do the ayatollahs, Putin, and other autocrats have a right to be worried? Yes, without a doubt. The scale, precision, and audacity of Operation Absolute Determination are almost unprecedented. The world watched in disbelief as U.S. special forces stormed Maduro’s bedroom and within 24 hours turned him over to a U.S. court. The implication is clear: if Washington can do this in Caracas, then Moscow and Tehran cannot assume they are immune.
This operation had been in the planning for months, if not years. It required a wide range of US military capabilities – naval, air, cyber and intelligence – executed with extraordinary operational certainty. A significant naval presence was deployed in the southern Caribbean, supported by intelligence engagements that included electronic interceptions, human resources and possibly deep infiltrations within the Venezuelan state. Some 150 aircraft – fighters, bombers and transports – formed the backbone of the operation, delivering Delta Force – the American equivalent of the British SAS – directly to the target. Several key military nodes were neutralized simultaneously to achieve success, recalling the complexity and coordination seen during the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The Delta Force was modeled after the SAS when it was founded, and it is probably true to say that SAS soldiers are just as capable as Delta. In fact, it is probably true to say that quite a few countries have Tier One special operations units that are just as good, or nearly as good.
What other countries like Britain lack is the deployable airpower, intelligence resources, strategic infrastructure, and transport and insertion capabilities that brought Delta Force into Maduro’s stronghold with almost no warning. Delta Force was merely the tip of a large American spear: and that spear is more unique than the Delta Force itself, which is undoubtedly extremely capable.
Maduro was not careless. With a $50 million bounty on his head, enhanced personal security, and a sizable army at his disposal, he nevertheless proved powerless.
Having spent time in this part of South America and having family still living in the region, I can attest to how difficult it would be to plan and execute such an operation amidst criminal networks, corruption, and widespread insecurity. The fact that the US pulled it off so cleanly only reinforces the message.
The ripple effect is already being felt across Eastern Europe and the Middle East. This is a military power of a level that even China would struggle to match, and beyond anything Putin could hope to achieve.
What does this mean? The hope is that President Trump will now use this leverage to force Moscow to accept a real peace in Ukraine. Weakening Iran’s malign influence and freeing its people from tyranny is also a worthy goal, but for Europe, stopping Russian aggression must be the priority.
Bravo to the American military. But Europe, and above all Ukraine, must not be forgotten. /Telegraph/
