Trump’s Venezuela Oil Push and Iran Protests Dominate World Stage

The global political landscape saw significant action this week, marked by a bold energy proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump and spreading anti-government demonstrations in Iran.

President Trump urged major U.S. oil companies, including Exxon, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips, to invest $100 billion into Venezuela’s energy sector, promising U.S. security guarantees to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure and drastically increase crude output. The move, however, was met with skepticism, with ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods calling Venezuela “uninvestable” without significant legal changes.

This push followed a high-stakes U.S. military operation to extract Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which showcased advanced air dominance capabilities—including stealth fighters, electronic warfare jets, and satellite intelligence. Defense industry analysts noted that the mission provided a wealth of tactical data for adversaries like China and Russia to study and prepare against “leader capture” raids in the future.

Meanwhile, anti-government protests are escalating across Iran, drawing close watch from the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced support for the demonstrators, and President Trump issued a stern warning to Iran’s leaders against a violent crackdown. Foreign policy editors suggest that Washington is closely observing for signs of the regime’s weakening, especially given that its proxy groups—such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis—are now considered far weaker than they once were, potentially leaving the regime more vulnerable to internal dissent.