US abduction of Maduro fuels political debate in Iran

Beyond Tehran’s official condemnation of the US abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, the events in Venezuela have quickly become a major topic inside Iran, fuelling debate across state media and Persian-language social networks about their implications - and the message they send to Iranian rulers.

The reaction reflected long-standing political and economic ties between Tehran and Caracas, including energy cooperation carried out despite US sanctions.

While pro-government outlets strongly criticised Washington, more critical media focused on what the incident could mean for Iran itself.

The debate took on added weight as developments in Venezuela coincided with recent anti-establishment protests in Iran, with US President Donald Trump on Friday threatening to come to the aid of protesters if security forces fired on them.

The protests began on 28 December in Tehran over economic conditions and later spread to other cities.

On Sunday, many Iranian newspapers devoted their front pages to the issue. The pro-government daily Hafte Sobh underscored the moment by borrowing the title of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel News of a Kidnapping.

The newspaper said one of the goals of the abduction is to exert pressure on Iran, writing: “The US aim in attacking Venezuela is to control energy flows, contain China and Russia, and weaken Iran’s [international] position.”

Hamshahri, a daily aligned with Tehran’s ultra-conservative mayor Alireza Zakani, also gave the issue prominent coverage, publishing side-by-side photographs of Maduro and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to draw a comparison between Washington’s treatment of the two leaders.

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The newspaper pointed to Maduro’s decades of political activity, from labour unions to his election as president. By contrast, it wrote of Sharaa that he “rose from the heart of terrorist groups”, citing his past ties to al-Qaeda and the founding of the Nusra Front. 

Another conservative daily, Farhikhtegan, published an illustration of Trump wearing a pirate’s hat under the headline “Chief of Thieves”.

Farhikhtegan wrote that the abduction recalled “the darkest moments of military intervention in Latin American history”.

It added that the move marked “a return to the era of coups, with the difference that this time a foreign power has physically kidnapped the president of a country.”

A warning

Reformist-leaning outlets struck a different tone, meanwhile, describing the incident as a warning.

In Etemad, international affairs analyst Hassan Beheshtipour avoided direct reference to Iran but stressed the importance of national unity and public support for those in power. He warned that “ignoring domestic reforms and inefficient management can pave the way for foreign intervention and challenge the international order”.

Arash Maleki, writing in Hammihan, was more explicit, saying the incident carried a clear message for Iran. “Isn’t it time to push the reset button based on national interest and overcome a historic challenge with the United States?” he wrote.

Iran’s close ties with Venezuela date back decades and peaked during the presidencies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez. Relations included trade, energy cooperation and joint projects at a time when both countries were under US sanctions.

In the final months of Trump’s presidency in 2020, Iran drew attention by sending five oil tankers carrying 1.5 million tonnes of gasoline and diesel to Venezuela. Iranian officials said the shipments - at least in large part - had been paid for in advance. Unconfirmed reports suggested payment was made in gold.

'Iran will never be Venezuela'

Since Maduro’s capture, social media has become a battleground between Iran’s rulers and their opponents. With limited space for dissent in official media, critics turned to online platforms to voice their views.

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah and a staunch ally of Israel, expressed support for Venezuela’s opposition and drew parallels with Iran’s situation, writing on X: “Together, a free Iran and a free Venezuela will bring peace and stability to our two people and the world.”

Other users addressed Iran’s security forces more directly.

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One message, aimed at the Basij paramilitaries in Iran, read: “Maduro and Bashar al-Assad got on a helicopter and left in one night… One of these days, [Iran’s supreme leader] Khamenei will be gone, and you will be left with angry Iranians.”

Supporters of the government responded by pointing to Iran’s military strength as a deterrent. One user wrote on X: “Iran will never be Venezuela. Venezuela had neither missile power nor the Revolutionary Guard nor the Basij.”

Some analysts echoed that view. Ali Asghar Zargar, speaking to Khabar Online, said: “Iran is in a completely different position in terms of resources, power, and military capability.” He added that any crisis in the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global shock, making a similar US approach toward Iran unlikely.

Still, some conservative commentators returned to calls for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Among them was Yousef Azizi, who argued that “if Venezuela had had a nuclear deterrent, this would not have happened”. He said that the lack of such deterrence exposes the vulnerability of mid-level countries in global power struggles.