Trump ‘reaping bitter fruit’ of thinking Iran intervention as easy as Venezuela, says former diplomat

The Guardian World News
by Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent
April 10, 2026
2 min read

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Former diplomat John Feeley says President Trump is facing consequences for underestimating Iran intervention after Venezuela.

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Former diplomat John Feeley stated that President Donald Trump is experiencing negative consequences from believing that intervening in Iran would be as straightforward as the capture of Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro. Feeley, a former US ambassador to Panama, suggested President Trump was "flush with victory" after Maduro's capture, leading to the decision to attack Iran in February. This intervention resulted in widespread destruction across the Middle East and significantly impacted the global economy. Feeley cautioned that President Trump could make a similar error regarding Cuba.

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