Iran Ally Down: Maduro’s Removal in Venezuela Delivers Another Gut-Punch to Tehran’s Mullahs
The dramatic capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro — one of Iran’s closest strategic partners in the Western Hemisphere — isn’t just a seismic moment for Venezuela; it’s yet another gut‑punch to Tehran’s global reach.
For years, Caracas served as a critical outpost for Iranian influence, cooperation and sanctions‑evasion, from energy and arms networks to political alignment against the U.S. and its allies. With Maduro gone and a U.S.‑aligned transition looming, Tehran’s privileged access to Venezuelan oil, markets and its proxy networks in Latin America is collapsing, stripping Iran of its rare foothold in the Americas and constraining its ability to project power far from home.
Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of NCRI, Shahin Gobadi, member of NCRI Parliament in Exile, and NCRI’s Ali Safavi are available for interviews to discuss and break down this very explosive dynamic in global geopolitics.
Here is a recent interview Jafarzadeh did on Fox News:
Fox News Talks to NCRI’s Alireza Jafarzadeh – Special Guests
Over the past three years, the Iranian regime has faced a series of unprecedented setbacks that have eroded its influence, both at home and abroad. From the Middle East to Latin America, the once-formidable network of proxies and allies is under pressure, and the recent removal of Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela represents yet another strategic blow. NCRI representatives are uniquely positioned to comment on what this means for the clerical regime and its weakening regional grip.
The Iranian regime’s chain of setbacks reads like a catalog of blows to its power projection. International snap-back measures and sanctions have curtailed Iran’s ability to finance and equip its proxy networks. In Syria, the removal of Bashar al-Assad from key operational theaters has limited Iran’s strategic depth. High-profile assassinations—such as the killing of senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders—have disrupted command structures that Tehran relied upon to exert influence. In addition, the 12-day war and other regional conflicts have further strained Iranian-aligned forces.
Domestically, the regime is facing economic and political crises that have shaken its foundations. Hyperinflation, a collapsing currency, and widespread corruption have fueled a restive population. Protests and forced executions have exposed the brutal lengths to which the regime goes to maintain control. Environmental mismanagement—ranging from droughts to catastrophic flooding—has exacerbated public frustration. Recent disasters, including the explosion at the port and mysterious exploding pagers, underscore the regime’s operational vulnerabilities.
The removal of Maduro adds another dimension to this pattern of setbacks. Venezuela had long been a critical node in Iran’s global network, providing economic lifelines, strategic partnerships, and a political counterweight to U.S. influence. Maduro’s fall signals that even Iran’s most distant allies are now vulnerable, further isolating Tehran on the world stage. This event represents a clear warning: regimes aligned with Iran are increasingly unable to withstand international and domestic pressures, limiting Tehran’s capacity to project power.
NCRI experts can provide context for media outlets seeking to explain how Iran’s declining influence in Latin America fits into a broader pattern of strategic erosion. From leadership decapitations to economic collapse and public unrest, the removal of Maduro is yet another blow to a regime that has, for years, relied on a combination of fear, proxy networks, and international alliances to sustain itself. The clerical regime is now facing the consequences of cumulative failures—and the removal of Maduro underscores that its era of regional dominance may be waning.
Speakers Available:
Alireza Jafarzadeh – Deputy Director of NCRI
Shahin Gobadi – Member of NCRI Parliament in Exile
Ali Safavi – Member of NCRI Parliament in Exile
Other Speakers Available:
Shirin Nariman – Former Political Prisoner in Iran
Related Article(s)
More Than Maduro: What Trump’s Venezuela Operation Signals to the Region and the World
Optional Q&A
- How did Venezuela become a critical hub for Iran’s regional influence?
- What does Maduro’s removal mean for Tehran’s ability to project power in Latin America?
- How have prior setbacks—like the snap-back sanctions and Assad’s weakened position—already affected Iran?
- In what ways did Venezuela provide economic and strategic support to the Iranian regime?
- Could the fall of Maduro trigger a domino effect for other Iranian-aligned allies?
- How are Iran’s proxy networks in the Americas likely to respond to this loss?
- What does this development reveal about Tehran’s vulnerabilities on a global scale?
- How does the removal of Maduro fit into the broader pattern of “body blows” to the Iranian regime over the last three years?
ABOUT ALIREZA JAFARZADEH…
Alireza Jafarzadeh serves as the Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He is also the author of The Iran Threat (Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008).
A recognized expert on Iranian policy, Jafarzadeh has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. His groundbreaking work in 2002 and 2003 led to the discovery of key illicit nuclear sites in Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the Arak heavy water plant, the Kalaye Electric centrifuge testing facility near Tehran, and the Lashkar Ab’ad laser enrichment facility. These revelations prompted the first-ever inspections of Iranian nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Jafarzadeh is a frequent guest on major television and radio networks, including CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and France 24. His insights have also been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time, and The Hill.
ABOUT SHAHIN GOBADI…
Shahin Gobadi, a U.S.-educated nuclear engineer, is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
An astute observer of Iranian affairs for over three decades, Gobadi is an expert on topics including Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, proxy groups in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, Western policy toward Iran, and internal Iranian affairs.
He has been interviewed by major international media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky TV, GB News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Gobadi’s writings have appeared in prominent media across the U.S. and Europe.
ABOUT ALI SAFAVI…
Ali Safavi is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
A sociologist by training, Safavi studied and taught at UCLA, California State University Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. He was an active participant in the anti-Shah student movement in the 1970s in the United States and has been deeply engaged in Iranian affairs ever since.
Safavi has lectured and written extensively on Iran, Iraq, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Middle Eastern politics. He has appeared in interviews on networks such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, Sky TV, Newsmax, and France 24. His articles and commentary have been published in leading outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Boston Herald, The Washington Times, and The Financial Times.
This material is distributed by Special Guests Publicity LLC on behalf of National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) / Media Strategy Consulting LTD. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.
CONTACT: For further details or to arrange the interview, please contact Jerry McGlothlin at 919-437-0001 / Bookings@SpecialGuests.com
