President of the United States Donald Trump stated this Sunday that a transition like the one in Venezuela, after U.S. forces arrested Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, is the "perfect scenario" for Iran. "What we did in Venezuela, I believe, is the perfect scenario," Trump assured in a telephone interview with The New York Times. When asked about the transition model for Iran, following the joint U.S.-Israel operation that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the president highlighted what he considers the successes of the operation in Venezuela and suggested his intention to replicate some aspects. The NYT points out that Trump's advisors would have warned him about the cultural and historical differences between the two countries that make it impossible to replicate the strategy. Nevertheless, the republican insisted on the idea of using the Caracas model for Tehran, in which only by overthrowing the leader did they achieve more cooperation with his country. "Everyone kept their positions, except for two people," he said. The president stated that he has "three very good options" to lead Iran, though he preferred to keep the names to himself. "I won't reveal them now. As you know, we have ammunition stored in different countries around the world." Trump celebrated having "destroyed a large part" of the Iranian Navy and assured that both the U.S. and Israel "have done very well": "I would say that we are quite ahead of the schedule," he asserted. Trump expressed regret over the death of the three U.S. military personnel and insisted that there could be more, but he did not show weakness and assured that the Pentagon has the forces to extend the operation "if necessary." "It won't be difficult," he said. Photo EFE
