Rubio: Venezuela Becomes a Foothold for Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah Amid Escalating Tensions and Trump's Threats to Maduro

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio escalated his rhetoric against the Venezuelan regime today, Wednesday, asserting that Venezuela has become a "foothold" for US adversaries, including Iran, the IRGC (Revolutionary Guard Corps), and even Lebanon's Hezbollah. Rubio told Fox News that the Venezuelan regime led by President Nicolás Maduro has become a "source of instability in the entire region."

Rubio alleged that the Maduro regime facilitates the smuggling of cocaine and drugs produced in Colombia through Venezuelan territory into the United States. He claimed Maduro has violated five deals struck with various parties over the past years, adding that Maduro's annoyance over the US presidential counter-narcotics mandate in the region indicates Venezuela's involvement in smuggling.

This escalation occurs during a period of sharp tension between Washington and Caracas. Kingsley Wilson, spokesperson for the US Department of Defense (Pentagon), announced that the Department has a ready "contingency plan" to deal with any potential scenario, including the departure of President Nicolás Maduro.

Details of the Trump-Maduro Phone Conversation: Simultaneously, Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Maduro on November 21, demanding he "leave his country within a week" with his family. During the less-than-15-minute call, Maduro reportedly expressed willingness to leave if:

1. A full amnesty was announced for them.

2. All US sanctions were lifted.

3. Procedures against him at the International Criminal Court were terminated.

4. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez would lead a transitional government until new elections were held. Sources indicated that President Trump rejected most of these demands.

Trump's Warnings and Venezuelan Response: Trump had previously warned on Truth Social that the "airspace over and around Venezuela" should be considered "completely closed," although he later clarified this did not indicate potential US military strikes. For his part, the Venezuelan President stated that his country faces "the largest threat of invasion by the United States in the last one hundred years." The US Navy has deployed 8 warships, a submarine, and thousands of troops in the Caribbean Sea, destroying several boats suspected of smuggling drugs from Venezuela.