Venezuelans protest against US military operation

Legions of Venezuelan citizens once again took to the streets in the capital Caracas on Friday to condemn the U.S. large-scale military operation against Venezuela and its kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

The Venezuelans demanded the immediate release of Maduro couple during their protest.

"We will remain in the streets until our President Nicolas Maduro, who was kidnapped on January 3, is returned to us. He is our constitutional president because we elected him, and we want him back," said Dubraska Fernandez, a protester.

"Let the world know that the people of Venezuela are brave people, that we are not intimidated by anything, and that we are ready to fight," said Gabriel Pabon, another protester.

Some people at the rally said the U.S. aggressive actions against Venezuela serve as a wake-up call for all Latin American nations.

"Today it's us, tomorrow it could be you. No, we must say a resounding 'no' to all the crimes that the northern country is currently committing against Latin America," said Hernan Mayora, a protester.

Venezuelans protest against US military operation

Venezuelans protest against US military operation

Venezuelans protest against US military operation

Venezuelans protest against US military operation

Venezuelans protest against US military operation

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States has a "massive" naval force heading toward Iran, while suggesting it may not be used as tensions remain high amid Iran's unrest.

"We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"We have an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won't have to use it. We'll see," Trump added.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, along with three destroyers, was spotted making its way to the Middle East from Asia, according to Tuesday's ship-tracking data.

The USS George H.W. Bush has left Virginia and is at sea in the Atlantic, bound for Europe, said a New York Post report.

Trump reiterated that he prefers to avoid conflict, saying, "I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely."

The president said a planned 25-percent tariff on countries doing business with Iran would take effect "very soon."

Despite his tough rhetoric, including a recent call for regime change in Iran, Trump said he remains open to negotiations.

"Iran does want to talk, and we'll talk," Trump said during his stay in Davos.

Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said on Thursday that the U.S. and Israel should "draw lessons from historical experiences" and "refrain from any miscalculation" to avoid a "more painful and regret-inducing fate."

In an opinion article published Tuesday in the Wall Street Journal, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that while Iran "will always choose peace over war," if the country faced new attacks, "our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have," citing a contrast with the "restraint" Iran showed in June 2025.

According to a Reuters report on Friday citing a senior Iranian official, Iran had noticed the U.S. deployment of additional troops to the Middle East.

The official said the Iranian military is prepared for the worst-case scenario, and that the nation is on high alert. Iran would regard any form of attack as all-out war against Iran and would respond with the strongest possible measures.

Trump touts "massive" U.S. forces heading toward Iran