U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not believe the United States is going to war with Venezuela despite growing tensions, though he suggested President Nicolás Maduro’s time in power may be nearing its end.
Speaking in an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump was asked about recent U.S. actions in the Caribbean, including strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels and the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the region.
"Are we going to war against Venezuela?" host Norah O’Donnell asked.
"I doubt it. I don’t think so," Trump replied.
"But they’ve been treating us very badly, not only on drugs — they’ve dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country that we didn’t want, people from prisons — they emptied their prisons into our country," he added.
When pressed on whether his administration’s actions were about drug trafficking or removing Maduro, Trump said they involved "many things." Asked if Maduro’s days were numbered, he responded, "I would say yeah. I think so, yeah."
The Pentagon last week confirmed it was sending the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its carrier air wing to the Caribbean. At the same time, the Trump administration has carried out multiple strikes on boats it says were smuggling narcotics from the region, resulting in dozens of deaths.
Two U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers also flew near Venezuela’s coast last week, according to flight-tracking data. Trump dismissed reports about their presence as "false," but added, "We’re not happy with Venezuela for a lot of reasons — drugs being one of them."
Trump also pushed back on speculation that he was planning strikes on Venezuelan military facilities, though he noted he would not publicly reveal such a decision before it happened.
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Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
The 81st UN General Assembly has wrapped up its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
Ukrainian soldier’s daughter asks when he is coming home as war keeps families apart.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
The Middle East arrived at the United Nations this week with the consequences of a war that is no longer contained to one front. From Israel and Iran to Syria and Yemen, leaders have used the General Assembly to set out competing positions on the situation in the region.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 25 September 2026, with five key developments from the third day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
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