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(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump said the U.S. “successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela” and said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country.”

The announcement on Trump’s social media platform came shortly before 4:30 a.m. Saturday a few hours after several explosions were heard in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas, witnesses said, and photos and videos showed plumes of smoke and a large fireball in the night sky.

Trump said the operation was carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement and said he would hold a news conference at 11 a.m. from Mar-a-Lago.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts” on a slew of charges in New York, including “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and “cocaine importation conspiracy” as well as weapons charges. Maduro has faced the charges in New York for years.

Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News Maduro was being flown to New York. While the sources did not specify where Maduro will be held, defendants awaiting trial in federal court in Manhattan are customarily held at MDC-Brooklyn.

The operation that led to Maduro’s capture was carried out by the Army’s Delta Force after the CIA had identified the leader’s precise location, according to two people familiar with the operation. Delta Force is an elite special operations group of soldiers trained in secret counterterrorism operations and hostage rescues.

One person told ABC News that Trump had given the green light to capture Maduro several days ago and troops were ready to strike on Christmas Day, but were delayed due to military airstrikes in Nigeria against ISIS. Subsequent opportunities were postponed partly due to weather, the person said.

CBS first reported the details on the operation.

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, President Trump celebrated what he called the success of the mission to capture Maduro, who the U.S. has considered the head of a foreign terrorist organization since a November designation.

“A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people,” Trump told The New York Times. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”

When asked whether he had sought congressional authorization for the operation or what would come next for Venezuela, Trump said he would address those matters during his news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday morning.

‘No further action’ anticipated

Republican Sen. Mike Lee, of Utah, said in a post on X that he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the phone about the actions being taken in Venezuela after initially asking “what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force.”

According to Lee, Rubio said that Maduro had been “arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States,” and that the “kinetic action” was taken to protect those executing the warrant.

He also said that Rubio told him he anticipates “no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody.”

“This was an incredibly dangerous operation to conduct,” said ABC Contributor Mick Mulroy, a former CIA officer and senior Pentagon official. “It required precise intelligence, detailed planning and flawless execution by these Delta operators and all the support, especially the [Joint Special Operations Command] air component, to pull it off in the manner that they did.”

Senate and House Republicans praised Trump’s actions, with Sen. Rick Scott, of Florida saying “a new day is here for Venezuela and Latin America” in a post on X and Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas saying Maduro “wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation.”

But the action was criticized by Democrats.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, blasted Trump’s move, calling it the “second unjustified war in my life time” in a post on X. “This war is illegal, it’s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year. There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.”

The latest events come amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela including a build-up of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean and the targeting of alleged drug-smuggling boats.

Some 15,000 U.S. military personnel were in the area as well as the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier.

The operation also comes a short time after the first-known land strike carried out against a dock where Trump said drugs were being loaded onto boats.

International reaction

The Venezuelan government issued a statement condemning what it called “the grave military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America” in Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

In addition, President Nicolas Maduro ordered the implementation of national defense plans, and declared a “state of External Disturbance throughout the national territory,” according to the statement.

Russia condemned the action as “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela” and said it wanted to prevent “further escalation,” according to the country’s Foreign Ministry. And Colombian President Gustavo Petro said “Alert the world: Venezuela has been attacked!” in a post on X. But Trump ally and Argentinian president Javier Milei praised the move.

The U.S. has long considered Maduro the head of a corrupt dictatorial regime. In 2024, Maduro declared victory after a widely disputed presidential election for a third term.

US recently declares Maduro head of terror organization

In an unprecedented move in November, the Trump administration declared Maduro the head of a foreign terrorist organization, citing alleged links to drug cartels, which Maduro denied.

The designation put the Venezuelan leader on the same list as terror networks like al-Qaeda and the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. In August, Rubio announced the U.S. had increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest from $25 million to $50 million.

Maduro has faced charges in the United States of narcotics-terrorism since 2020, when federal prosecutors in New York accused him of partnering with a Colombian rebel group to “flood the United States with cocaine in order to undermine the health and wellbeing” of the nation.

The charges include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons possession conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that Maduro and 14 current or former officials ran a vast criminal enterprise for the last 20 years, using state resources to fuel the international drug trade, including in the U.S.

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(CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland) — Investigators probing the deadly New Year’s Day fire at a Swiss resort bar are looking into the possibility that it started from sparklers that were too close to the ceiling.

Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Attorney General, told reporters Friday that investigators were still conducting interviews and going through evidence from the wreckage at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana but she said that they are “pursuing several hypotheses,” based on the evidence they’ve gathered so far.

“We currently assume that the fire was caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling,” she said at a news conference.

“Initial evidence has been secured at the scene,” Pilloud added.

Forty people were killed and 119 people were injured in the blaze, according to authorities who said the fire spread very rapidly.

Investigators are working to identify the deceased victims.

“No mistakes can be permitted. We need to give the correct remains back to the families,” Pierre-Antoine Lengen, the head of the Swiss Judicial Police, told reporters.

Of the injured, 71 were Swiss citizens, 14 were French, 11 were Italian, and others were from Bosnia, Serbia, Portugal and Belgium, according to officials.

The nationalities of the 14 other injured victims were not immediately determined.

Pilloud said that more interviews will be conducted and noted that investigators spoke with the two French managers of the bar.

“For now, there is no penal liability which has been identified,” she said when a reporter asked about any liability.

Investigators are also looking into the building’s safety measures and building regulations, according to Pilloud.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland) — Investigators probing the deadly New Year’s Day fire at a Swiss resort bar are looking into the possibility that it started from some sparkling candles.

Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Attorney General, told reporters Friday that investigators were still conducting interviews and going through evidence from the wreckage at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana but she said that they are “pursuing several hypotheses,” based on the evidence they’ve gathered so far.

“We currently assume that the fire was caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling,” she said at a news conference.

Forty people were killed and 119 people were injured in the blaze, according to authorities who said the fire spread very rapidly.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(LONDON) — Around 40 people were killed and 115 others were injured early on New Year’s Day, when a fire ripped through a popular bar in a resort town in the Swiss Alps, police said.

The Swiss president said the fire caused one of the worst tragedies that the country has ever experienced.

A blaze of “undetermined origin” broke out at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana at about 1:30 a.m. local time, the Cantonal Police of Valais said in a statement.

Investigators were working on Thursday to determine the cause of the fire, officials said during a morning press conference. The incident was not being investigated as an attack, they added.

“A large contingent of police, firefighters, and rescue personnel immediately responded to the scene to assist the numerous victims,” police said in their statement.

A no-fly zone was put in place over Crans-Montana, police said in their statement. The resort town is popular with skiers and sits in Switzerland’s southern Sierre District in the Canton of Valais.

Police have not released the identities of those who were killed in the blaze. Officials on Thursday said it was likely, given the popularity of the area with travelers, that some of the deceased were tourists who traveled to the Alpine town to ski and to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

The French Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that at least two French nationals were among the injured. Both were being treated in local hospitals, the ministry said. French officials were “in constant contact with the Swiss authorities in case other nationals are affected,” the ministry added.

ABC News’ Tom Soufi-Burridge contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) — December saw a new record number of Ukrainian long-range drones shot down by Russian forces, according to statistics published by the Russian Defense Ministry and analyzed by ABC News, with Moscow claiming to have destroyed more than 4,300 over the course of the month.

Through December, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 4,379 Ukrainian long-range drones, at a rate of around 141 each day.

ABC News cannot independently verify the data released by either Russia or Ukraine. It is possible that both sides may seek to exaggerate the effectiveness of their air defenses, or to amplify the attacks against them as proof that their enemies are not interested in pursuing a peace deal.

The total number of Ukrainian drones being reported as shot down by Moscow is still significantly less than the number of munitions launched into Ukraine by Russian forces, as detailed in the daily after-action reports from the Ukrainian air force.

But the gap between the two figures appeared to have narrowed in December compared to recent months, according to data released by both sides and analyzed by ABC News.

In December, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched a total of 5,307 long-range munitions — 5,131 drones and 176 missiles. Of the drones, nearly 81% were shot down or suppressed, while around 64% of missiles were also defeated, the air force said.

The scale of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine through December were similar to previous months, all of which were slightly down on the record-breaking month of July.

Over the course of July, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 6,443 munitions — 6,245 drones and 198 missiles — into the country.

This year has seen an exponential increase in the scale of long-range cross-border strikes by both Russia and Ukraine, according to data released by each side, as the combatants try to destabilize their opponent’s economy and sap their ability to marshal military and financial resources to fight the ongoing war.

Neither side provides detailed data on the scale of their own attacks or their targets, though often release statements describing the targets as military, energy or industrial sites. Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.

Both Kyiv and Moscow do offer limited information on their day-to-day air defensive actions.

Ukraine’s air force publishes what it says is a daily tally of Russian drone and missile strikes, including information as to how many munitions were intercepted and how many hit targets. Russia’s Defense Ministry only publishes figures of Ukrainian drones it claims were shot down.

The last month of the year saw the reported number of Ukrainian drones surpass even the most intense months of 2025, which has seen the largest barrages of the war, according to data published by both Ukraine and Russia.

The days on which Russia reported the highest number of drones shot down this year were on Dec. 24, when 387 drones were reported destroyed, and on Dec. 11, when 336 drones were recorded as having been intercepted.

Until December, the largest number of Ukrainian drones reported having been downed by Russian forces was in October, when Moscow said it destroyed 3,641 drones at a rate of over 117 per day.

In November, Russia reported downing 3,392 Ukrainian drones at a rate of 113 per day. December saw a 29% increase in reported Ukrainian drones shot down versus November, according to Russian data.

It is unlikely that Russian data offers a full picture of Ukraine’s offensive drone activities. But the numbers appear indicative of Kyiv’s efforts to grow its drone and missile arsenals, the reach of those munitions and the intensity with which it can attack targets inside Russia.

Ukraine’s military confirms the targets of some long-range strikes. When Kyiv does describe the targets, officials say they’re military sites or industrial energy facilities. Over the past year, Ukraine has adopted a special focus on attacking Russian oil refining and transport facilities.

Among the targets claimed struck by Ukraine’s military in December were oil refineries, oil tankers, oil rigs and pipeline infrastructure.

Ukrainian officials have been clear on the value they place on Kyiv’s long-range strike capabilities — and on their intention to further expand their drone and missile arsenals to reach deeper into Russia. To date, the majority of Ukrainian strikes are believed to have been conducted using relatively cheap, Ukrainian-made drones.

“Our production potential for drones and missiles alone will reach $35 billion next year,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in October. “Despite all the difficulties, Ukrainians are creating their national defense product that, in certain parameters, already surpasses many others in the world.”

“Never before in history has Ukrainian defense been so long-range and so felt by Russia,’ Zelenskyy said. “We must make the cost of war absolutely unacceptable for the aggressor — and we will.”

Russian officials have broadly sought to downplay the Ukrainian attacks, with most reports of damage or casualties attributed to falling debris from intercepted drones, rather than craft that found their mark.

But plentiful publicly available information — including video footage and photographs of the attacks — indicate that a significant number of Ukrainian drones do get through Russian air defenses and impact at sensitive military and industrial sites.

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(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Southern Command said it targeted three vessels traveling in a convoy in undisclosed international waters — leaving “narco-terrorists” as survivors after they jumped overboard, according to a social media statement.

The strikes occurred on Dec. 30, according to the post on X.

“Three narco-terrorists aboard the first vessel were killed in the first engagement,” the statement said. “The remaining narco-terrorists abandoned the other two vessels, jumping overboard and distancing themselves before follow-on engagements sank their respective vessels.”

At least six people survived the Dec. 30 strikes, which took place in the Eastern Pacific, according to a U.S. official.

The U.S. Coast Guard was notified to begin searching for the survivors in a search and rescue operation, the statement said.

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that a search-and-rescue operation was underway, and that Coast Guard C-130 aircraft had been deployed for the operation. The Coast Guard has put out a signal to other mariners for the survivors in distress.

In a statement shared with ABC News, the Coast Guard said, “on December 30th, the U.S. Coast Guard was notified by the Department of War of mariners in distress in the Pacific Ocean.”

“The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating search and rescue operations with vessels in the area, and a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft is en route to provide further search coverage,” it said.

Several hours after announcing the Dec. 30 strikes, Southern Command posted on social media that another series of strikes — carried out on New Year’s Eve — had targeted two more vessels alleged to be engaged in drug trafficking. The post did not specify where the strike took place.

A total of five people were killed — three in the first vessel and two in the second, according to the post.

There have now been at least 34 strikes — and at least 115 people killed — in the U.S. military campaign in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific targeting alleged drug traffickers since September.

In the posts about the strikes, the military said the vessels targeted were operated by designated terrorist organizations and that intelligence confirmed the vessel were “were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking.”

The U.S. campaign targeting alleged drug boats came under scrutiny last month after the Trump administration acknowledged survivors of an initial series of strikes on an alleged drug vessel on Sept. 2 were killed in a follow-up series of strikes.

In another attack in the Caribbean in October, two survivors of a strike on a submarine suspected of carrying drugs were later returned to the countries of origin — Ecuador and Colombia — to be detained and prosecuted, President Donald Trump said.

On Oct. 27, a mariner, now presumed dead, also survived U.S. strikes.

 

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(LONDON) — Countries across the globe are beginning to usher in 2026.

The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first to ring in the new year, while Alaska and Hawaii will be among the last places to say goodbye to 2025.

New Zealand

At 6 a.m. ET, New Zealand was one of the first countries to reach 2026, ringing in the new year with a fireworks display.

Australia

In Australia, fireworks over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge went along as planned, but law enforcement presence was ramped up in Sydney in the wake of this month’s mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

Earlier in the night, people gathered at the bridge to honor the Bondi Beach victims.  

Japan

In Tokyo, Japan, revelers rang in 2026 at 10 a.m. ET.

South Korea

In Seoul, South Korea, fireworks were lit over the massive Lotte World Tower.

China

In Beijing, China, people gathered at one of the most famous sections of the Great Wall.

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(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump should visit Ukraine, amid the latest U.S.-led push for a peace deal to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

“He talks about advocating a plan to end the war,” Zelenskyy said of Trump, answering questions in a group WhatsApp chat with reporters.

“I told him that we would be glad to see him. It is very useful for Ukraine. If U.S. President Trump flies to Ukraine, and it is desirable that he flies by plane not to Poland, but to Ukraine, then this will indicate that we definitely have the opportunity to count on a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said.

Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that the negotiating teams are “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to achieving a peace deal to end Moscow’s invasion, which has been ongoing since February 2022.

Zelenskyy traveled to Florida to meet with Trump on Sunday and discuss a 20-point plan that he described as a possible foundation for the end of the war. Trump also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone before and after meeting Zelenskyy, the White House said.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is discussing the possibility of an American troop presence as part of a settlement, and as part of the post-war security guarantees Kyiv says it needs to prevent a repeat Russian attack.

“These are U.S. troops and that is why it is America that makes such decisions,” Zelenskyy said. “Of course, we are discussing this with President Trump and with representatives of the ‘Coalition of the Willing.'”

“We would like this. This would be a strong position in security guarantees,” Zelenskyy added.

Zelenskyy also denied Russian reports of a rift between the U.S. and Ukraine. On Monday, Moscow accused Kyiv — without providing any supporting evidence — of launching a drone attack on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region. 

After speaking with Putin by phone about the alleged attack, Trump said he was “very angry,” though also acknowledged that it may not have happened.

“Despite all the media accusations of the Russians about the breakdown of our talks with the Americans, we are working every day,” Zelenskyy told reporters.

The Ukrainian president said there had been “several calls” on Tuesday between Rustem Umerov — the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council and a key negotiator — and American representatives, among them presidential envoy Steve Witkoff. “We are discussing our next steps,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also posted to social media on Tuesday previewing a gathering of national security advisers of the mostly European “Coalition of the Willing” nations in Ukraine on Jan. 3, which is expected to be followed by a meeting of national leaders in France on Jan. 6.

Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, made in February 2023 a surprise trip to Kyiv, where he met with Zelenskyy prior to the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Biden flew into Poland and undertook a 10-hour train journey to get to the Ukrainian capital, senior administration officials said at the time.

Both Russia and Ukraine continued their exchange of long-range drone strikes overnight.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 127 drones into the country overnight into Wednesday morning, of which 101 were shot down or suppressed. Twenty drones impacted across 11 locations, the air force said.

The southern port city of Odesa was among the targets of the latest overnight barrage, officials said.

Odesa Gov. Oleh Kiper said in a post to Telegram that at least six people were injured by Russian drone strikes, among them three children. One adult was hospitalized and is in a critical condition, Kiper said.

“In total, four multi-apartment residential buildings, at least 14 cars and private garages were damaged,” Kiper said.

“These attacks are another indication of the terrorist tactics of the enemy, who deliberately attacks the civilian infrastructure of peaceful cities in the Odesa region, threatening the lives and health of people,” the governor added.

Kiper also reported at least two fresh strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the Odesa region. “Overall, during December, 10 substations in Odessa and the region were damaged as a result of enemy shelling,” he wrote. “Since the beginning of the year, Russia has attacked 25 energy facilities in the region.”

“The damage is significant and the repair work will take time,” Kiper said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces shot down 86 Ukrainian drones overnight into Wednesday morning, of which 56 were reportedly downed over the Black Sea.

Rosaviatsiya — Russia’s federal air transport agency — reported temporary flight restrictions at airports in the southern Russian cities of Gelenjik and Krasnodar, as well as in Ivanovo and Yaroslavl which both sit northeast of Moscow.

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(LONDON) — A top Russian official on Monday issued personal threats against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia claimed that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residences.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged that Ukraine launched a drone attack on Putin’s state residence in Novgorod region on the night of Dec. 29. Lavrov offered no evidence to support the assertion, which Zelenskyy was quick to dismiss as a Russian disinformation effort.

Dmitry Medvedev — the former Russian president and prime minister now serving on the country’s Security Council — posted to X accusing Zelenskyy of “trying to derail the settlement of the conflict,” referring to the ongoing U.S.-sponsored peace talks.

“He wants war. Well, now at least he’ll have to stay in hiding for the rest of his worthless life,” Medvedev wrote.

In separate posts to Telegram, Medvedev — who, during Moscow’s full-scale war on Ukraine, has become known as a particularly hawkish voice within Putin’s security establishment — even appeared to suggest that Zelenskyy should be “exhibited” in St. Petersburg after his “imminent demise.”

Kiril Dmitriev, the Kremlin aide who also serves as the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and has been closely involved in negotiations with U.S. representatives, also questioned the Ukrainian president’s future.  

“Who is after Zelenskyy?” Dmitriev said in a post to X.

The Kremlin said U.S. President Donald Trump was informed of the alleged attack during a Monday phone call with Putin. Russian officials also threatened retaliatory strikes in Ukraine.

Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to Putin, told the state-run Tass news agency that Putin and Trump discussed the issue by phone on Monday, with the U.S. leader expressing his surprise and anger.

Zelenskyy rejected the Russian reports of the supposed Ukrainian drone attack as “yet another lie.”

“Now, with their statement that some residence of theirs was attacked, they are simply preparing — I am sure — preparing the ground, in principle, to launch strikes, probably on the capital and, probably, on state buildings,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post to X on Tuesday that “Russia still hasn’t provided any plausible evidence to its accusations of Ukraine’s alleged ‘attack on Putin’s residence.’ And they won’t. Because there’s none. No such attack happened.”

It is unclear what the latest developments might mean for the ongoing peace talks.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that the alleged Ukrainian attack would prompt a “hardening of the Russian Federation’s negotiating position,” as quoted by the state-run Tass news agency.

“Russia is not withdrawing from the negotiation process,” Peskov added, describing the alleged attack as an effort aimed “at disrupting President Trump’s efforts to promote a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.”

After talks with Zelenskyy — which were preceded and followed by phone calls between Trump and Putin — at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Sunday, Trump told reporters that the negotiating teams are “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to achieving a peace deal to end Russia’s full-scale invasion, which Moscow launched in February 2022.

Lavrov said that Russia does not intend to withdraw from the negotiation process following the alleged attack. But the foreign minister said that the “targets and timing of Russia’s retaliatory strike” had “been determined.”

Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday that Russia launched two missiles and 60 drones into the country overnight into Tuesday morning, of which one missile and 52 drones were shot down or suppressed. One missile and eight drones impacted across five locations, the air force said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that four Ukrainian drones were shot down on Tuesday morning over the southern Krasnodar region.

The operational headquarters of the Krasnodar region reported on Telegram that two people sustained shrapnel injuries caused by drones. Drone wreckage fell on a railway station in the region, the headquarters said.

Rosaviatsiya — Russia’s federal air transport agency — reported temporary flight restrictions at Krasnodar airport.

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(LONDON) — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran is in a “full-scale” war with the U.S., Israel and Europe, describing the country’s diplomatic situation as “complicated and difficult.”

“In my opinion, we are in a full-scale war with America, Israel, and Europe; they do not want our country to stand on its feet,” Pezeshkian said in a lengthy interview posted to the official website of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday. 

“This war is worse than the war in Iraq with us; if one understands well, this war is much more complicated and difficult,” Pezeshkian added, referring to the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Pezeshkian said that despite sanctions and foreign pressure, Iran remains steadfast and capable of defending its national interests.

The interview was published ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S., where he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Iran is among the topics expected to be under discussion.

The meeting is expected to be on advancing the Gaza peace plan, disarming Hamas, demilitarizing Gaza and the fate of the last hostage still remaining in the Strip, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry said before the Israeli delegation departed on Sunday for the U.S. The spokesperson added that Netanyahu’s agenda is expected to include the “danger Iran poses” to both the Middle East and United States.

The U.S. and Israel combined to attack Iran in June during a 12-day conflict that killed some 1,100 Iranians and saw strikes against Iran’s key nuclear facilities, its air defense network and prominent military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites around the country.

Senior military, IRGC and nuclear research personnel were among those killed. Retaliatory missile attacks by Iran killed 28 people in Israel.

In the lead up to and during the June conflict, Netanyahu repeatedly hinted that Israel may pursue a regime change strategy in Iran, seeking to topple the Khamenei-led theocracy there. “This is your opportunity to stand up,” Netanyahu said in an address to Iranians during the war.

Trump even raised the prospect of killing Khamenei in the days before the U.S. joined Israel’s campaign. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump wrote on social media. “He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

The months since the conflict have seen little progress on a new deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program or cap its ballistic missile arsenal — two goals long expressed by Trump.

Earlier this month, Trump said that Iran “can try” to rebuild its ballistic missile program, but “it’s going to take them a long time to come back.”

“But if they do want to come back without a deal, then we’re going to obliterate that one, too,” Trump said. “You know, we can knock out their missiles very quickly, we have great power.”

Netanyahu will meet with Trump on Monday shortly after Iran conducted a major military exercise involving ballistic missiles. Referring to recent Iranian activity, Netanyahu warned last week that “any action against Israel will be met with a very severe response.”

At home, the Iranian regime faces serious economic challenges as the country’s currency — the rial — edged lower over recent weeks, causing widespread dissatisfaction and protests.

Over the weekend, groups of shop-owners closed their businesses in two large malls in downtown Tehran protesting the rapid drop in the value of the rial. 

Pezeshkian was elected to replace late President Ebrahim Raisi — who died in a helicopter crash in 2024 — with the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s presidential election history. He was widely seen as a moderate alternative to hardliners aligned with the IRGC.

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