TEHRAN – President Donald Trump, in his second term, continues to pursue the long-held comprehensive US approach of bullying and using force to advance interests, but now presents his policies in a frank and unvarnished way.
Since President Trump took office in January, this policy has produced a quagmire of failures rather than benefiting the United States.
The pretext of drug trafficking and the prospect of action against Venezuela set a new stage for Washington’s naked use of force.
In this vein, the US Secretary of the Army formally announced the launch of Operation Southern Spear, presented as an effort to counter drug networks throughout the Western Hemisphere.
In his first year in office, Trump has encountered deadlocks and setbacks on nearly every major foreign policy document, from Europe to West Asia to East Asia.
Under these circumstances, Latin America clearly became a convenient stage for a show of power. Washington still views the region as its traditional sphere of influence and an integral part of its preferred world order.
Viewed from this perspective, Operation Southern Spear appears to be less a genuine security initiative than an effort to repair the image of American leadership after a series of setbacks. But the problem is exactly this. Threats, sanctions, and overreliance on military force will only accelerate the erosion of U.S. legitimacy and credibility.
The blatant threats directed at Venezuela must be understood as part of a broader conflict between the great powers. From the US government’s perspective, Venezuela’s closeness with Russia, China, and Iran over the past two decades has come to constitute a strategic challenge.
“Spear of the South” is therefore not just an action against a single local government. It forms part of a broader strategy to contain the influence of America’s rivals in the Western Hemisphere.
However, signs suggest the opposite effect. The critical reactions from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and several other countries indicate that the old Latin American consensus on Caracas is crumbling, and instead there is growing sensitivity to the interventionist stance of the U.S. government.
Even some in the American media have harshly criticized President Trump’s heavy-handed use of force in foreign affairs. Defeated in one area, Trump seeks relief in another, but the recent arc of global development shows successive setbacks.
Despite numerous promises, President Trump has not been able to end the war in Ukraine. He was forced to compromise on tariff disputes with Taiwan and China.
The joint U.S.-Israel invasion of Iran quickly collapsed after Iranian missile attacks on occupied territory forced a rapid cease-fire. And although the Gaza peace plan was launched with much fanfare, it soon ran into serious obstacles.
Now, in an attempt to undo these failures, Washington is turning to military pressure and propaganda against Venezuela under the pretext of drug trafficking.
As long as bullying and warmongering remain the cornerstones of Trump and America’s foreign policy, the result will be nothing but consecutive defeats and repeated failures.
Source: Sedaye Iran, Online Newspaper of the Islamic Revolutionary Institute of Iran, November 14, 2025