Washington, DC – In a strongly worded statement, US President Donald Trump declared that he does not rule out the option of war with Venezuela. He affirmed that military options remain “on the table” as the crisis with President Nicolás Maduro’s regime escalates.
NBC News statements: No red lines
In a phone interview with NBC News on Friday, Trump stressed that his administration is considering all options to confront what he called “narco-terrorism” sponsored by the Venezuelan regime. When asked if this course of action would inevitably lead to armed conflict, Trump replied, “I don’t rule it out… I don’t take that option off the table at all.”
A complete blockade and seizure of oil tankers
These remarks come just days after Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday imposing a “total and complete embargo” on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
Key features of current US pressure
Ship seizures: Trump confirmed the continuation of oil tanker seizures. He indicated that ships attempting to break the blockade would be taken to US ports.
Military presence: Washington has amassed a huge naval fleet in the Caribbean. This fleet is considered the largest in the region in decades. The aim was to impose an “economic stranglehold” on Maduro’s main source of income.
Targeting boats: US administration reports indicate that its military campaign has so far resulted in 28 strikes targeting boats suspected of drug smuggling. These strikes have led to the deaths of over 100 people. These operations are currently under congressional scrutiny.
Ambiguity surrounds the “ultimate goal”.
Trump declined to say whether “ousting Maduro” was the ultimate goal of his current campaign. He offered only a cryptic message: “Maduro knows exactly what I want… He knows it better than anybody.” He also accused the Venezuelan regime of stealing “American energy rights and assets,” vowing to reclaim them in full.
Venezuela’s reaction and market repercussions
For his part, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro described the US threats as “outrageous and irrational.” He accused Washington of seeking to control the world’s largest oil reserves. Meanwhile, global oil markets reacted to these tensions. West Texas Intermediate crude prices jumped by more than 1% immediately after Trump’s remarks about the possibility of war.
