Trump Keeps Military Option Open as U.S. Escalates Pressure on Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is not ruling out the possibility of war with Venezuela, signaling a further escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro’s government. In a phone interview with NBC News published on Friday, Trump said military action remained “on the table,” while declining to clarify whether the removal of Maduro was his ultimate objective.

Trump also warned of additional seizures of oil tankers near Venezuelan waters, following the U.S. seizure of a sanctioned tanker off Venezuela’s coast last week. Earlier this week, he ordered a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, a move aimed at choking off the country’s main source of revenue. Venezuela’s government strongly rejected the order, calling it a “grotesque threat.”

The stepped-up campaign has included an increased U.S. military presence in the region and multiple strikes on vessels near Venezuela, actions that Caracas says are intended to overthrow Maduro and seize control of the OPEC nation’s vast oil reserves. The White House has not commented on the latest remarks, while Maduro has accused Washington of waging economic and military aggression against his country.

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