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World Reacts to US Strikes on Venezuela

People demonstrate against US military action in Venezuela in Boston Common on January 3. 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
People demonstrate against US military action in Venezuela in Boston Common on January 3. 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
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World Reacts to US Strikes on Venezuela

People demonstrate against US military action in Venezuela in Boston Common on January 3. 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
People demonstrate against US military action in Venezuela in Boston Common on January 3. 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP)

Following are reactions in quotes to Saturday's US strikes on Venezuela, according to Reuters.

EUROPEAN UNION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS KAJA KALLAS:

"I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela.

"The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint."

CHILE'S PRESIDENT GABRIEL BORIC ON X:

"As the Government of Chile, we express our concern and condemnation of the military actions of the United States in Venezuela and call for a peaceful solution to the serious crisis affecting the country."

"Chile reaffirms its commitment to the basic principles of international law, such as the prohibition of the use of force, non-intervention, the peaceful ‌settlement of international disputes, and ‌the territorial integrity of States."

SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTRY:

"Spain calls for de-escalation and moderation, and for action to always be taken in accordance with international law and the principles of the UN Charter."

"In this ‌regard, Spain is willing to offer its good offices to achieve a peaceful and negotiated solution to ‍the current crisis."

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO PRIME MINISTER KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR

"Earlier this morning, Saturday 3rd January ‍2026, the United States commenced military operations within the territory of Venezuela.2

"Trinidad and Tobago is NOT a participant in any of these ongoing military operations. Trinidad and Tobago ‍continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela."

RODERICH KIESEWETTER, PROMINENT MP FROM GERMANY’S CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION:

"With President Trump, the US are abandoning the rules-based order that has shaped us since 1945."

"The coup in Venezuela marks a return to the old US doctrine from before 1940: a mindset of thinking in terms of spheres of influence, where the law of force rules, not international law."

"Trump is destroying what was left of any trust in the US"

BRITAIN'S REFORM UK PARTY LEADER NIGEL FARAGE

"The American actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law - but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing."

"I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro."

ITALIAN OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER GIUSEPPE CONTE:

"The American aggression against Venezuela has no legal basis. We are facing a blatant violation ⁠of international law, which certifies the dominance of the strongest and best equipped militarily... I hope that the entire international community will make its voice heard and that everyone will understand that if rules only apply to enemies and not to friends, no one can feel safe anymore. Nor can the illiberal nature of a government's rule justify an attack to a sovereign state".

UK CHATHAM HOUSE THINK TANK'S PROGRAMME DIRECTOR FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW, MARC WELLER

"International law prohibits the use of force as a means of national policy. Short of a UN Chapter VII mandate, force is only available in response to an armed attack or possibly to rescue a population under imminent threat of extermination."

"Clearly, none of these requirements are fulfilled by the armed operation against Venezuela. The US interest in repressing the drugs trade or claims that the Maduro government was in essence a criminal enterprise offers no legal justification."

INDONESIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, YVONNE MEWENGKANG:

Indonesia is monitoring developments in Venezuela to ensure the safety of its citizens.

"Indonesia also calls on all relevant parties to prioritize peaceful resolution through de-escalation and dialogue, while prioritizing the protection of civilians."

"Indonesia emphasizes the importance of respecting international law and the principles of the UN Charter."

BELARUS FOREIGN MINISTRY

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus categorically condemns the armed aggression committed on January 3, 2026, against the sovereign state of Venezuela and considers it a direct threat to international peace and security."

"The Belarusian side declares its unwavering support for the legitimate government of Venezuela ... ‌The Republic of Belarus emphasizes that the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own destiny is inviolable. No form of external interference, especially by force, can be justified."

LEBANESE ARMED GROUP HEZBOLLAH

"Hezbollah condemns the terrorist aggression and American thuggery against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela..."

"Hezbollah further affirms its full solidarity with Venezuela - its people, presidency, and government - in confronting this American aggression and arrogance".

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World

Iran Hangs 18-Year-Old Over Protests in Latest Wartime Execution, Say Activists

Iranians walk at a park on Nature Day, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iranians walk at a park on Nature Day, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Iran Hangs 18-Year-Old Over Protests in Latest Wartime Execution, Say Activists

Iranians walk at a park on Nature Day, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iranians walk at a park on Nature Day, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Iranian authorities Thursday executed a teenager convicted over January protests after a fast-track trial rights groups labelled as "grossly unfair", as the country ramps up executions during the war with the US and Israel.

Amir Hossein Hatami, 18, was sentenced to death in February along with six others by a Tehran revolutionary court and was hanged at dawn in the notorious Ghezel Hesar prison outside the capital, according to Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights.

The Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website said he acted "against national security" on behalf of Israel and the United States by breaking into "a military center and destroying it in order to seize the weapons stored there" during the protests.

But Amnesty International said it was "outraged by the arbitrary execution of the teenage protester", adding the trial was "grossly unfair" and that he had been sentenced to death less than a month after his arrest.

Hatami is the fourth man to be executed over protests that broke out in Iran in late December against the rising cost of living before evolving into nationwide anti-government demonstrations. The protests peaked on January 8 and 9 and were met with a crackdown that activists say left thousands dead.

On March 19, authorities executed three men convicted of killing police in the protests, including 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi, a wrestler who took part in international competitions.

This week, authorities have hanged four men convicted on charges of rebellion for membership in the banned People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) after their sentences were upheld by the supreme court.

Hatami "was subjected to torture and sentenced based on forced confessions in a grossly unfair trial before the revolutionary Court," said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

"In the past two weeks alone, three protesters and four political prisoners have been executed, and hundreds more remain at imminent risk," he added. IHR said that just 84 days had elapsed between his arrest and execution.

- 'Tool of repression' -

The seven were accused of setting fire to a base belonging to the Basij militia -- a volunteer force of the Revolutionary Guards -- in Tehran during the protests.

But defense lawyers accused plainclothes forces of trapping protesters inside a building, locking the doors, and themselves starting the fire.

Amnesty International said that the execution showed the judiciary is "a tool of repression sending individuals to the gallows to spread fear and exacting revenge on those demanding fundamental political change".

IHR said the seven men had been convicted in the fast track-trial -- just a month after their arrest -- by the court presided over by the notorious judge Abolqasem Salavati.

Salavati was sanctioned in 2019 by the United States, which said he is known as the "Judge of Death" for his frequent death sentences.

The executions came amid Iran's war with Israel and the United States which erupted on February 28 with strikes that killed the Islamic republic's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

"Hundreds more now face imminent executions in the coming days and weeks," warned Amiry-Moghaddam.

World

Austria Denies US Use of Airspace for Iran Military Operations

18 March 2026, ---: A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet with the Tomcatters of Strike Fighter Squadron 31 launches from the flight deck of the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in support of Operation Epic Fury. (Navy Handout/US Navy/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
18 March 2026, ---: A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet with the Tomcatters of Strike Fighter Squadron 31 launches from the flight deck of the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in support of Operation Epic Fury. (Navy Handout/US Navy/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
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Austria Denies US Use of Airspace for Iran Military Operations

18 March 2026, ---: A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet with the Tomcatters of Strike Fighter Squadron 31 launches from the flight deck of the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in support of Operation Epic Fury. (Navy Handout/US Navy/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
18 March 2026, ---: A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet with the Tomcatters of Strike Fighter Squadron 31 launches from the flight deck of the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in support of Operation Epic Fury. (Navy Handout/US Navy/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)

Austria has denied the United States use of its airspace for military operations against Iran due to Austria's neutrality law, the country's defense ‌ministry said ‌on Thursday.

A spokesperson ‌for ⁠the ministry confirmed ⁠a report from Austrian news agency APA that the US had made "several" flyover requests to ⁠Austria, without specifying ‌how ‌many.

All US flyover requests ‌of a military ‌nature relating to the conflict in Iran had been rejected, the spokesperson ‌said.

Austria applies the same principle to ⁠other ⁠countries that are engaged in military conflict, the spokesperson added.

Individual cases were reviewed in consultation with the Austrian foreign ministry, the APA report noted.

World

Iran Fires on Israel as Trump Claims Threat from Tehran Nearly Eliminated

Iranian women clad in black chadors wave national flags and hold posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (C) and of his late father, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (R), during the annual Nature Day festival in Tehran, Iran, 02 April 2026. (EPA)
Iranian women clad in black chadors wave national flags and hold posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (C) and of his late father, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (R), during the annual Nature Day festival in Tehran, Iran, 02 April 2026. (EPA)
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Iran Fires on Israel as Trump Claims Threat from Tehran Nearly Eliminated

Iranian women clad in black chadors wave national flags and hold posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (C) and of his late father, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (R), during the annual Nature Day festival in Tehran, Iran, 02 April 2026. (EPA)
Iranian women clad in black chadors wave national flags and hold posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (C) and of his late father, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (R), during the annual Nature Day festival in Tehran, Iran, 02 April 2026. (EPA)

Iran fired more missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states Thursday, demonstrating Tehran’s continued ability to strike its neighbors even as US President Donald Trump claimed the threat from the country was nearly eliminated.

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world’s energy supplies with effects far beyond the Middle East. That has proved to be Iran’s greatest strategic advantage in the war. Britain held a call with nearly three dozen countries about how to reopen the strait once the fighting is over.

Trump has insisted the strait can be taken by force — but said it is not up to the US to do that. In an address to the American people Wednesday night, he encouraged countries that depend on oil from Hormuz to “build some delayed courage” and go “take it.”

Before the US and Israel started the war on Feb. 28 with strikes on Iran, the waterway was open to traffic and 20% of all traded oil passed through it.

Iran continues to strike Israel

Iran responded defiantly to Trump’s speech, in which the American president claimed US military action had been so decisive that “one of the most powerful countries” is “really no longer a threat.”

A spokesman for Iran’s military, Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, insisted Thursday that Tehran maintains hidden stockpiles of arms, munitions and production facilities. He said facilities targeted so far by US strikes are “insignificant.”

Just before Trump began his address — in which he said US “core strategic objectives are nearing completion” — explosions were heard in Dubai as air defenses worked to intercept an Iranian missile barrage.

Less than a half-hour after the president was done, Israel said its military was also working to intercept incoming missiles. Sirens sounded in Bahrain immediately after the speech.

Attacks continued across Iran on Thursday, with strikes reported in multiple cities.

Even amid the conflict, families went to a park in Tehran to play games and grill food to mark the last day of Iranian New Year, or Nowruz.

In Lebanon — home to Iran-backed Hezbollah who is fighting Israel, which has launched a ground invasion — an Israeli strike killed four people in the south, the Health Ministry said.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran during the war, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. More than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while 13 US service members have been killed.

More than 1,300 people have been killed and more than 1 million displaced in Lebanon. Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there.

Nearly three dozen nations talk about securing the Strait of Hormuz

Iranian attacks on about two dozen commercial ships, and the threat of more, have halted nearly all traffic in the waterway that connects the Gulf to the open ocean.

Since March 1, traffic through the strait has dropped 94% over the same period last year, according to the Lloyds List Intelligence shipping data firm. Two ships are confirmed to have paid a fee, the firm said, while others were allowed through based on agreements with their home governments.

Saudi Arabia piped about 1 billion barrels of oil away from the Strait of Hormuz in March, according to maritime data firm Kpler, while Iraq said Thursday that it had started to truck oil across Syria to avoid the strait.

The 35 countries that spoke Thursday, including all G7 countries except the US, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, signed a declaration last month demanding Iran stop blocking the strait.

Thursday’s talks were focused on political and diplomatic measures, but British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said military planners from an unspecified number of countries will also plot ways to ensure security once fighting ends, including potential mine-clearing work and “reassurance” for commercial shipping.

No country appears willing to try to open the strait by force while the war is raging. French President Emmanuel Macron, while on a visit to South Korea, called a military operation to secure the waterway “unrealistic.”

But there is a concern that Iran might limit traffic through the waterway even after US and Israeli attacks cease.

The idea of an international effort has echoes of the “coalition of the willing,” led by the UK and France, that was assembled to underpin Ukraine’s security in the event of a ceasefire in that war. The coalition is, in part, an attempt to demonstrate to Washington that Europe is doing more for its own security in the face of frequent criticism from Trump.

Oil prices rise again

The conflict is driving up prices for oil and natural gas, roiling stock markets, pushing up the cost of gasoline and threatening to make a range of goods, including food, more expensive.

On Thursday, Brent crude, the international standard, rose again and was around $108, up about 50% from Feb. 28.

Though the oil and gas that typically transits the strait is primarily sold to Asian nations, Japan and South Korea were the only two countries from the region joining Thursday's call about the strait. The supply of jet fuel has also been interrupted, with consequences for travel worldwide.