YUMA, ARIZONA - MAY 22: Immigrants from Cuba and Venezuela warm themselves by a fire before sunrise along the U. S. -Mexico border barrier as they await processing by the U. S.  Border Patrol after crossing from Mexico on May 22, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona.  Title 42, the controversial pandemic-era border policy enacted by former President Trump, which cites COVID-19 as the reason to rapidly expel asylum seekers at the U. S.  border, was set to officially expire on May 23rd.  A federal judge in Louisiana delivered a ruling May 20th blocking the Biden administration from lifting Title 42.    Mario Tama / Getty Images / AFP

Nada AlTaher

Even though Caracas sits across the ocean, thousands of kilometres from the Middle East, the US attack on Venezuela and capture of its leader Nicolas Maduro has been unsettling.

For Venezuelans who felt oppressed by Maduro’s regime, the raid brought the prospect of hope for a better future. But for others, it was a worrying signal of American interventionism and a breach of sovereignty.

In the region, this all feels eerily familiar. It is difficult to shake off the memories of the Iraq invasion in 2003, or the military intervention in Libya in 2011. The aftermath in each case led to years of instability and violence that are still taking their toll today.

But beyond the trauma, there is a real sense that the events of the past week could have a ripple effect, as Trump indicates Iran could be next.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and host of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East podcast.

In the region, this all feels eerily familiar. It is difficult to shake off the memories of the Iraq invasion in 2003, or the military intervention in Libya in 2011. The aftermath in each case led to years of instability and violence that are still taking their toll today.

But beyond the trauma, there is a real sense that the events of the past week could have a ripple effect, as Trump indicates Iran could be next.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and host of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East podcast.

Even though Caracas sits across the ocean, thousands of kilometres from the Middle East, the US attack on Venezuela and capture of its leader Nicolas Maduro has been unsettling.

For Venezuelans who felt oppressed by Maduro’s regime, the raid brought the prospect of hope for a better future. But for others, it was a worrying signal of American interventionism and a breach of sovereignty.

Updated: May 20, 2026, 6:12 PM
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