Why Pressure Toppled Caracas but Not Tehran

Just over a month since President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran, taken in the shadow of his military intervention in Venezuela, the contrast between the two is hard to ignore. One intervention is drifting into uncertainty, while the other is settling into something easily described as a success. As the world’s attention remains fixed on the volleys of missiles crossing the Middle East, the idea that Iran might follow Venezuela’s path now feels slightly absurd. For a moment, it was a compelling story of a quick…