What is Happening Between America, Iran, and Venezuela? A Simple Guide for Everyone
Summary
What is Trump Planning to Do About Iran?
Donald Trump, who became president again in January 2026, is making tough decisions about Iran. Think of this situation like a chess game where Trump has many pieces on the board, but he is not sure which move to make.
The main question is: should America try to get Iran to give up its nuclear weapons through talking, or should America use military force to stop Iran's nuclear program, or should America try to remove Iran's government completely?
The answer is: Trump is trying to do all 3 things at the same time. This is a big problem.
First, Trump wants Iran to stop making enriched uranium. Enriched uranium is material that can be used to make nuclear weapons.
Right now, Iran has enough uranium to make 4 nuclear bombs if it wanted to. Trump's special envoy, a person named Steve Witkoff, has been talking to Iran's government through an intermediary country called Oman. But these talks have not gone anywhere. Iran says it will not stop making uranium. America says it must stop. Neither side is moving.
Second, Trump has sent military ships and airplanes to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln, a huge aircraft carrier with about 5,000 soldiers, is near Iran. Trump has warned Iran that if it does not make a deal, America will attack it. He said the next attack would be "much worse" than the strikes America did in June 2025.
Third—and this is the most dangerous part—Trump is thinking about attacking Iran's government leaders to try to make the people inside Iran revolt and overthrow the government themselves. This is called "regime change."
Why Did America Attack Iran in June 2025?
In June 2025, America and Israel attacked Iran's nuclear facilities. President Trump said these attacks "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program. The attacks looked very powerful on television and in pictures. Huge explosions destroyed buildings and facilities.
But here is what actually happened: America's own intelligence people looked at the damage after the attacks and found that things were not as destroyed as Trump said.
Out of 3 major nuclear sites that were hit—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—only 1 was truly destroyed. The other 2 sites were damaged, but Iran can probably fix them in a few months.
Even worse, much of the uranium that people thought was destroyed was actually buried under rubble. So the uranium is still there. It just needs to be dug out.
What is Iran Doing Now?
Iran has not given up. Instead, Iran is working hard to rebuild its nuclear program and make it stronger. When you look at satellite pictures from space, you can see Iran is doing several things:
First, Iran is putting a concrete shield around one damaged facility at a place called Taleghan 2. This is like putting armor around something you want to protect. This facility was used before for nuclear weapons experiments.
Second, Iran is digging a new secret underground facility near the place called Natanz. The name of this place is "Pickaxe Mountain" because workers use pickaxes to dig through the rock. This underground facility will be much harder for America or Israel to destroy than the buildings above ground.
Third, Iran is trying to figure out if any uranium survived the June attacks. They are putting covers over the damaged areas and looking inside to see what they can save.
These facts show that Iran is not scared. Iran is getting ready for more attacks, and it is continuing to work on its nuclear program.
What About the People Who Could Lead Iran Next?
Iran's leader is a man named Ali Khamenei. He is 86 years old and has been the top leader for a long time. If Khamenei dies or loses power, who would take his place?
Here is the problem: nobody really knows. Even America's government, with all its intelligence people, does not have a clear plan for who should lead Iran next. This is very dangerous because if America attacks Iran and overthrows Khamenei, a worse government could take power.
Khamenei has apparently made a plan to run away to Russia if his government falls apart. He has seen what happened to the leader of Syria, Bashar Assad, who ran to Russia when his government fell apart in December 2024. Khamenei thinks Russia might protect him if he needs to escape.
If Khamenei is removed from power, the military—called the Revolutionary Guard—would probably take control. The Revolutionary Guard is more extreme and more anti-American than the government right now. So removing Khamenei might make things worse, not better.
What Happened in Venezuela, and Why Does It Matter for Iran?
In January 2026, Trump's military removed the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, from power. The military caught Maduro and brought him to America to face trial. A woman named Delcy Rodriguez became the new temporary leader.
Trump said this operation in Venezuela was a success. He is using it as a model for how he might deal with Iran. The idea is: remove the leader through military force, then use economic pressure to control the new government without having to send many American soldiers to stay there.
But here is why Venezuela does not work the same way as Iran:
Venezuela has oil. America can sell Venezuela's oil and use the money to control what Venezuela's government does. Iran also has oil, but Russia and China are buying it. America cannot control Iran's oil the way it controls Venezuela's oil.
Venezuela's government is weaker and does not have a strong army. Iran has a powerful military with rockets and missiles that can attack America's bases in the Middle East. If America attacks Iran, Iran can strike back very hard.
Also, what happened in Iraq is a warning. In 2003, America removed Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein by force. The military victory was quick, but then Iraq fell apart. A terrorist organization called ISIS grew out of the chaos in Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of people died.
The same thing happened in Libya in 2011. America helped remove the leader there, but Libya turned into a chaotic country with many governments fighting each other.
If the same thing happens in Iran, it could be even worse because Iran is a bigger country with more weapons.
What About Israel's Role?
Israel is working closely with America against Iran. Israel has attacked Iran multiple times. Israel says it has the best intelligence information about Iran of any country in the world.
Israeli intelligence people know what Iran is doing and where the nuclear facilities are.
But here is an interesting question: Does Israel want Iran's government to fall completely, or does Israel just want to stop Iran from making nuclear weapons?
Some Israeli experts think Israel might prefer a weak Iran that is not a nuclear power, rather than a regime-change situation that could turn into chaos.
A weak Iran cannot attack Israel, but a chaotic Iran could be even more dangerous because weapons and nuclear material could fall into the hands of terrorist groups.
What Are the Dangers?
If America attacks Iran to try to force regime change, several very bad things could happen:
1. Iran could attack American soldiers and ships in the Middle East
2. Iran could attack oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, raising oil prices around the world
3. The region could fall into a long war like what happened in Iraq
4. A worse government than Khamenei's could take power in Iran
5. Terrorist groups could get access to Iran's weapons and nuclear material
The historical record shows that when America uses military force to remove governments—in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya—it creates big problems instead of solving them.
Conclusion
Trump is facing a difficult choice about Iran.
America wants Iran to stop making nuclear weapons. But America is not sure if negotiation, limited military attacks, or trying to remove Iran's government is the best way to do this.
The problem is that Trump seems to want to do all 3 things at the same time, and these 3 things do not work together.
If you threaten regime change, Iran will not negotiate. If you keep attacking, Iran will want nuclear weapons more, not less, because it will feel it needs them to survive.
The example of Venezuela shows that Trump believes in removing leaders by force. But Iran is much more dangerous and complicated than Venezuela. The examples of Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan show that removing governments by force often makes things worse.
Trump needs to pick one clear strategy and stick with it.
Right now, his strategy does not make sense, and that is dangerous for America, for the Middle East, and for the world.
