On March 1, 2026, thick smoke billowed in the Strait of Hormuz. Just 24 hours earlier, Iran's supreme leader Khamenei was confirmed dead in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike, marking the second national leader to experience a "regime change" since Venezuelan President Maduro was taken out by U.S. forces on January 3.
Only 14 months into Trump's second term, America's diplomatic toolbox has shifted from "bombastic deterrence" to a composite model of military raid + economic strangulation + resource plunder. This is not conventional warfare; it is a global blitzkrieg targeting oil and shipping routes.
1. Night in Caracas: A "New Monroe Doctrine" Experiment in the Western Hemisphere
● In the early hours of January 3, 2026, the night sky over Caracas was torn apart by explosions. The U.S. military's special forces did not execute a conventional decapitation mission but rather conducted a 21st-century "colonial raid"—after capturing President Maduro, they took him directly to the United States.
● Subsequent developments revealed Washington's true intentions. Trump proudly announced in his State of the Union address that the U.S. had received over 80 million barrels of oil from this "new friend". Energy Secretary Chris Wright further revealed that American companies like Chevron had committed to invest hundreds of millions to repair Venezuela's oil field facilities, while the current Venezuelan leader, Delcy Rodriguez, "is entirely dependent on the cash flow from the U.S. government".
● This is no longer just simple sanctions; it is a direct custody of national resources. Minister of Interior Burgum even stated directly that the next wave of U.S. investment will target 60 critical minerals in Venezuela, establishing a "strategic mineral reserve" that does not rely on taxpayer funding. Although Caracas maintains a facade of autonomy, its economic lifeline has been firmly locked in Washington's safe.
2. Damascus Changes: From "Isolated" to "Invested"
● While U.S. forces took action in Caracas, Syria was undergoing a quieter yet equally profound transformation. In June 2025, Trump signed an executive order fully lifting sanctions on Syria and suspended the Caesar Act, with the EU quickly following suit.
● This is not based on humanitarian considerations. A UK parliamentary research briefing pointed out that the U.S. demands for Syria's new leadership starkly display its geopolitical goals: joining the Abraham Accords, expelling foreign terrorists, and assisting the U.S. in preventing the resurgence of ISIS. Therefore, Syria rapidly shifted from "isolated" to "invested," becoming a key pawn in the U.S. dismantling of Iran's "arc of resistance".
● The U.S. even began pressuring the Supreme Court to terminate the temporary protected status of about 6,000 Syrians, arguing that the Assad regime has collapsed, and Syrians "should go home". This synchrony of sanction relief and refugee expulsion starkly illustrates the cold logic of the deal.
3. Tehran's "Midnight Hammer": The Deadliest Airstrike in 40 Years
● If Venezuela is resource plunder and Syria is a foreign exchange card, then Iran represents a complete military showdown.
● On February 28, 2026, the U.S. and Israel jointly launched "Operation Lion's Roar". This is not just a simple repetition of the "Midnight Hammer" from June 2025—when U.S. forces bombed nuclear facilities; this time the target is to completely destroy Iran's command systems. According to reports, the attack has resulted in over 200 deaths in Iran, including 150 children from a primary school.
● More symbolically, Iran's supreme leader Khamenei was killed in this attack. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, "More and more signs show he is no longer alive," while Trump directly announced he was "dead". In response, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—the chokepoint for 20% of the world's oil transport. International oil prices surged, and the global supply chain faced a new round of shocks.
4. "Trumpian Transactionalism": Why These Three Countries?
From Caracas to Damascus to Tehran, the three battlefronts seem dispersed but actually follow a unified underlying logic: low cost, high reward, quick resolution.
● Experts from the China Institute of International Studies indicate that Trump's second term diplomacy presents a distinct "selective restraint"—cautious toward major powers like China and Russia, but aggressive toward targets like Iran and Venezuela where "low-cost displays of strength" are viable. These three countries just happen to meet three conditions: they possess energy or minerals urgently needed by the U.S.; their geopolitical locations are crucial (oil routes); and there are exploitable conflicts or periods of weakness domestically.
● Trump framed this in his State of the Union address as a peace achievement, but the reality is that the U.S. is converting military presence into commercial contracts at an unprecedented pace. As Phoenix Network cited expert opinions: "Handling Venezuela has given Trump confidence—he discovered he can threaten other countries at will through state machinery".
5. From "Anti-War President" to "War CEO": The Collapse and Reconstruction of Image
● The most ironic thing is the contrast in data. According to news statistics, in less than a year of Trump's second term, U.S. military strikes have been carried out in 7 countries, with airstrikes exceeding 600 times, matching the total during Obama’s 8-year term. That Trump, who once promised to "avoid meaningless wars," now gladly accepts the Nobel Peace Prize medal "gifted" by the Venezuelan opposition.
● This transformation stems from Trump's redefinition of presidential power. He views the White House as corporate headquarters and diplomatic policy as M&A deals. Secretary of State Rubio publicly stated that he is in "high-level" talks with Cuba, and Trump even proposed a "friendly takeover of Cuba." Who will be the next target? Experts point to this Caribbean island—after all, it also possesses the resources and strategic position required by the U.S.
6. New Jungle Law: How Long Can the International Order Last?
● Trump's actions are reshaping the bottom lines of international interactions. UN Secretary-General Guterres urgently condemned the escalation of military conflicts, French President Macron warned that this poses severe consequences for international peace, and Turkish President Erdogan expressed "deep sorrow".
● But condemnation cannot prevent the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, nor can it resurrect the dead children. The more profound impact is that the U.S. is normalizing "regime change"—if a major power can arbitrarily capture another country’s president and bomb its top leader, then the post-World War II international order based on sovereign equality will regress to the "jungle law" of the 19th century.
● Xinhua News published an article stating that the Trump administration no longer sees itself as a provider of international public goods but has completely instrumentalized multilateral mechanisms. When the rule-makers begin to trample the rules, the remaining countries face two choices: yield to power or accelerate their militarization.
● Venezuelan oil is continuously flowing to U.S. refineries, Syrian reconstruction contracts are being divided among Gulf countries, and bombs still fall on Iran's night sky. This lightning war across three continents has never targeted "democracy" or "anti-terrorism," but rather resource control and shipping route dominance. Trump has conveyed to the world through a 108-minute State of the Union address and countless midnight raids: in this new era, there are no fence-sitters, only gas stations.
Join our community, let’s discuss and grow stronger together!
Official Telegram Community: https://t.me/aicoincn
AiCoin Chinese Twitter: https://x.com/AiCoinzh
OKX Welfare Group: https://aicoin.com/link/chat?cid=l61eM4owQ
Binance Welfare Group: https://aicoin.com/link/chat?cid=ynr7d1P6Z
免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。
