March 5, 2026
Within two months, the U.S. has captured Venezuela’s president and killed Iran’s supreme leader. Is Putin worried he could be next?
In the span of just two months, U.S. President Donald Trump has overseen the forcible removal of two sitting foreign leaders: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Both men were long-standing autocrats who cultivated anti-Western agendas and opposed U.S. influence abroad. Vladimir Putin has at times employed similar tactics, raising obvious questions for the Russian leader: Is he at risk of the same fate? And what the new war mean for a Kremlin that’s invested heavily in its partnership with Tehran? Alexander Baunov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, examines these developments and their ramifications.
TL;DR
- U.S. President Donald Trump has removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and overseen the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei within two months.
- Both Maduro and Khamenei were long-standing autocrats with anti-Western agendas.
- The events raise questions for Russian leader Vladimir Putin about his own security and his partnership with Iran.
- Russia condemned Khamenei's assassination but Putin's public statements avoided direct accusations against the U.S. or Trump.
- Putin's cautious reaction is likely aimed at preserving U.S. neutrality in the Ukraine war and potential sanctions relief.
- Trump's actions against Iran are perceived by the Kremlin as distinct from his relationship with Russia, suggesting Putin is not a direct target.
- The elimination of authoritarian leaders by Trump is seen as a reminder of the fragility of such regimes, even if not directly applicable to Russia's current geopolitical standing.
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