Operation Absolute Resolve

When Caracas cracked: How the US broke through Venezuela's Iranian, Russian, and Chinese defenses

MILITARY AFFAIRS: Venezuela’s military arsenal, sourced from Russia and Iran fail under technologically and operationally superior US attack.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByANNA AHRONHEIM

OPERATION ABSOLUTE Resolve offered a harsh real-world test of the military hardware Venezuela had accumulated over the years from Iran, Russia, and China. Here, a Russian-made Venezuelan Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKV is displayed during the 2025 Venezuela Industrial Aviation Expo at Libertador Air Base