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Weekend Reads

The Future of US Strategy for Venezuela, Iran, and Greenland [[link removed]]

President Donald Trump started 2026 on a high note with a daring special operations raid to depose Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro. As the dust settled in Caracas, protests in Iran expanded, jeopardizing the rule of yet another anti-American dictator, Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei. And for good measure, the president opted to roil America’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies by resuscitating his campaign for United States control over Greenland.

The fate of all three flashpoints remains in the balance as 2026 enters its third week. The Trump administration continues to pressure the remnants of Maduro’s Chavista regime to fall in line with US interests. Iran has brutally cracked down on protestors and throttled outside access to information as Trump, who previously hinted at a military response, weighs his options. And although Greenland is militarily important, many questions remain about the president’s strategy to secure it.

Hudson experts continue to monitor these developments. See below for their latest on what to expect in the coming weeks and months.

Key Insights

1. The US needs to protect its interests in Venezuela while helping to restore the Venezuelan people’s sovereignty.

“The belief [is] that he can get what he wants by changing the behavior of the regime by putting pressure on them, especially in connection with restricting their cash flow associated with narcotics trafficking and oil exports. . . . I think what he should be demanding—and I imagine what they probably are—is some form of a political transition within a year, during which you ensure that the people’s will has an effect on the election.”

— H.R. McMaster [[link removed]]

Watch the full appearance on CNBC. [[link removed]]

2. Trump still has options to enforce his red line in Iran.

“There are things the United States can do. We can launch massive cyberattacks against the regime to help the people. We can do very, very scoped, limited strikes against the security forces that are the ones killing the Iranian protesters. I think our help is late at this point. . . . But I don’t think it’s too late. I still think that the United States has to enforce the red line that President Trump drew himself.”

— Rebeccah L. Heinrichs [[link removed]]

Watch the full appearance on Fox News. [[link removed]]

3. An enhanced military presence in Greenland should be a priority in Washington and Brussels.

“We’ve been thinking about this region for a very long time. And it’s not just because of the critical minerals or the waterways. It’s because there are strategic positions on Greenland that help us defend against ballistic missile attacks. . . . Trump is right to again focus attention on it. I think a good outcome here would be to get the Europeans to help us put a NATO mission there, increase the number of US bases.”

— Mary Kissel [[link removed]]

Watch the full appearance on Fox Business. [[link removed]]

Quotes may be edited for clarity and length.

Go Deeper

US Should Move Beyond Maduro Regime If It Plans to Fix Venezuela [[link removed]]

Daniel Batlle [[link removed]] argues in The New York Post [[link removed]] that a US partnership with the Chavista regime may be necessary as a short-term measure, but it should not be the long-term solution.

Read here. [[link removed]]

Will Iran’s Regime Fall? [[link removed]]

On a Free Press livestream [[link removed]], Michael Doran [[link removed]] discussed why the protests in Iran started, the international response to the rising death toll, and the future of the Iranian regime.

Watch here. [[link removed]]

Is Trump Risking NATO Alliances over Greenland? [[link removed]]

It is unlikely that anyone in the Pentagon is currently drawing up war plans for an invasion of Greenland, said [[link removed]] Peter Rough [[link removed]]. But Trump’s position on Greenland’s strategic importance has remained consistent—and the president’s statements will likely lead to improved security on the island, whether it is US or European forces that provide it, he argued.

Watch here. [[link removed]]

More from Hudson Institute [[link removed]]

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