According to the US Department of Energy, 13.5kg (about 30 pounds) of highly enriched uranium was removed from a legacy research reactor in Venezuela on Friday. The agency credited President Trump’s “decisive leadership” for the operation.

Joint Operation Involving US, UK, and Venezuela

The operation. Conducted in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Venezuela, was described as “a win for America, Venezuela. The world” by the Department of Energy; Brandon Williams, the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, stated the removal sends “another signal to the world of a restored and renewed Venezuela.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the uranium was “safely and securely transported by land and sea from South to North America” following a “complex and sensitive operation.” The material was transported to a Department of Energy complex in South Carolina, having been taken from a site 15km from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.

Strained Relations with Iran

Trump’s frustration with Iran is evident, as the administration has sought to force the country to surrender about 408kg of highly enriched uranium since going to war with it in February. Despite diplomatic and military pressure, those efforts have so far failed.

Following Trump’s controversial decision to order the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, on 3 January, the White House has initiated a new chapter in relations with Venezuela. Trump has recognized Maduro’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, and has warned her of potential consequences if she does not comply with US demands.

Trump’s administration has also taken steps to open Venezuela to US energy and mining firms, signaling a shift in economic policy; a series of top Trump officials, including CIA director John Ratcliffe, have traveled to Venezuela in recent months. A commercial US flight between the two countries landed in Venezuela for the first time in more than seven years last month, and the US embassy has recently reopened.

Reactions from Business and Activists

Business leaders have welcomed what they describe as a new era of commercial relations between the US and Venezuela, a country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves. However, pro-democracy activists have criticized Trump’s decision to align with Rodríguez while sidelining the exiled opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado.

Trump’s actions in Venezuela reflect a broader strategy to shift regional influence and expand economic access — the operation to remove the uranium is seen as a symbolic and practical step in this effort, even as diplomatic challenges with Iran persist.