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Trump’s ‘peace through strength’ means ‘law of jungle’: Iran FM

Monday, 05 January 2026 6:47 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 05 January 2026 6:47 PM ]

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

The Iranian foreign minister has censured the administration of US President Donald Trump for pursuing what it calls "peace through strength," saying the policy in practice amounts to the “law of the jungle.”

Abbas Araghchi made the remarks on Monday, after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth bragged about the illegal aggression of January 3 against Venezuela and the abduction of its president, saying, “This is America First. This is peace through strength.”

The Iranian minister said, “When Trump speaks of peace through the language of force, he is in fact speaking of the law of the jungle, suggesting that whoever has more power can do whatever he wants. This comes at a time when the international community had long sought to achieve peace through diplomacy and dialogue.”

He said almost all countries and many thinkers in international relations consider Washington’s rhetoric of peace through force a problem.

The top Iranian diplomat further said Iran’s Embassy in Venezuela is still operating.

The Islamic Republic, he added, is regularly monitoring the situation of Iranian nationals in Venezuela, who are in good conditions.

“No problems have been reported, and preparations have been made for any situation,” Araghchi said.

#Iran's Foreign Ministry’s statement on #USA military aggression against #Venezuela

The Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and the blatant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial… https://t.co/iSPrykAitJ
— Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) January 3, 2026

Trump ran in 2024 as what he called a “peace” candidate who would not engage in long-term wars. But since assuming office last year, he has engaged in acts of aggression against several countries, including Venezuela.

The military attack on Venezuela followed months of escalating US military, economic, and political pressure on President Nicolas Maduro, including the seizure of oil tankers going in and out of the South American country and lethal strikes on suspected drug boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean.

Maduro tells US court he was ‘kidnapped’ as he pleads not guilty to drug charges

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro told a New York federal court that he is “still president” of his country.

The US military bombed Venezuela and kidnapped Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence in the capital of Caracas early on January 3.

Trump claimed to be acting to prevent illegal narcotics from flowing into the US via Venezuela, but many analysts and politicians believe the White House dweller is trying to steal Venezuelan oil.

Since the aggression against Venezuela, Trump and members of his administration have issued warnings to other countries, including Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Iran, and Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark.

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