Several countries, including Russia, Iran and Cuba, strongly condemned the United States’ military strikes on Venezuela on Saturday, denouncing the action as a grave violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Moscow called the strikes “deeply concerning” and unacceptable, saying that the stated pretexts for the attack are untenable. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticised what it described as ideological hostility overriding pragmatic diplomacy, and urged all parties with disputes to pursue dialogue rather than escalation. Russia reiterated its support for Venezuela’s right to determine its own future and backed Caracas’s appeal for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, likewise denounced the US operation as a “criminal attack” and labelled it an act of “state terrorism” against the people of Venezuela and the broader region. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez echoed that condemnation on social media, calling the bombings and military actions against Caracas and other Venezuelan localities cowardly and unjustified, particularly from a country that Venezuela has not attacked.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the operation as an “act of aggression” and a clear breach of the United Nations Charter and international law. Tehran reaffirmed Venezuela’s sovereign right to self-determination and territorial integrity and urged the international community to take immediate action to halt what it called a US “invasion.” The statement framed the strikes as further evidence of rising tensions between Iran and Washington — just days after Tehran warned it would respond decisively to any interference amid domestic unrest related to the rial’s sharp depreciation.

The international denunciations come after US President Donald Trump posted on social media that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of Venezuela,” following a large-scale US operation. The contested announcement and subsequent global outcry have heightened diplomatic strain across the Americas and beyond, prompting calls for calm and legal clarity from international bodies.

As regional capitals react, calls for an emergency UN Security Council meeting have gained momentum. The situation raises urgent questions about the immediate humanitarian and political consequences for Venezuela, the potential for broader regional destabilisation, and the international legal ramifications of unilateral military action. Governments and international organisations are expected to watch developments closely as the diplomatic fallout unfolds.