How Trump used ‘gunboat diplomacy’ in Iran, Venezuela
March 8, 2026
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26:47How long the U.S. and Arab allies can afford to sustain the war on Iran
1:23Now PlayingHow Trump used ‘gunboat diplomacy’ in Iran, Venezuela
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelLast week, the United States and Israel unleashed the largest conflict in the Middle East in more than two decades when they launched joint attacks on Iran.
Although the Pentagon says the specific military goals include destroying both Iran's navy and its missile and military infrastructure, U.S. and Israeli officials also envision changing the Islamic Republic's regime.
Former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman joined Compass Points host Nick Schifrin to discuss how long the U.S. will sustain the war and President Donald Trump's endgame in Iran.
Sherman pointed out that "one of the many objectives" played out by the president, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is that Venezuela is Trump’s “template.”
In other words, the idea, Schifrin said, is "removing the head of the regime but leaving everyone else intact and conducting gunboat diplomacy to achieve your objectives," similar to the U.S. operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power in early January.
“Exactly, get oil, get gold, get whatever you can, very transactional as you pointed out," Sherman said. "If that is true in Iran, and the Iranian experts know better than I, that's not likely to happen here.”
Sherman added that it leaves the Iranian people “as an afterthought,” after Trump said he would have their back following the Iranian government’s mass killings of protesters.
“If it's a Venezuela template, their back is not going to be had. Their lives are going to be had,” she said.
Compass Points from PBS News analyzes prominent international affairs topics and America’s role in a shifting world, breaking down global conflicts, rising tensions, and their implications for U.S. interests. Visit the PBS News website to watch this week's episode.
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