ISTANBUL

The US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend has drawn attention to US President Donald Trump's growing use of military threats to other countries.

On Saturday, the US launched a “large-scale” operation against Caracas, and after capturing Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, American forces flew them to the US, where they are expected to face criminal charges at a court in New York.

Some 80 people were killed in the US raid, the New York Times reported, citing Venezuelan officials. Trump later pledged to assert American control over the country for the time being, with US troops if necessary.

Since returning to office last January, the US president has repeatedly issued threats against several countries, citing reasons such as national security, drugs, public protests and rivalry with China and Russia.

Here is a list of countries that Trump threatened or warned during his first year in office as US president.

Greenland

Soon after taking office, Trump again pushed for US control over Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory and NATO member.

On Sunday, he reiterated his demand, saying that the US needs Greenland for national security reasons, citing what he described as an increased Russian and Chinese presence around the strategically located island country.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Greenland is “so strategic” and claimed that it is currently surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.

“We need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he said when asked about any potential US action against Greenland.

Trump also argued that US control over Greenland would serve broader Western interests, adding the EU “needs us to have it” from a security standpoint.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been an autonomous territory of Denmark since 1979.

After Trump's recent remarks, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged him to "stop the threats," saying: "The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom."

Colombia

In the run-up to the strikes on Venezuela, Trump frequently accused Caracas of being responsible for illegal drugs coming into the US.

After the military action in Venezuela, the US president issued a direct warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of being a drug trafficker.

Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, when asked about a potential operation against Colombia, he said, "It sounds good to me."

Trump also called the Latin American country "very sick too," saying that it is "run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States."

"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," he added.

Meanwhile, Petro has denied claims by Trump, saying that his name does not appear in the judicial files on drug trafficking over 50 years, neither from before nor from the present.

"Stop slandering me, Mr. Trump," Petro wrote on the social media platform X.

Cuba

After the US’s incursion into Venezuela, Trump also spoke about Cuba, raising fears of a similar action.

On Saturday, he described the island country as “a failing nation” and criticized its leadership for what he called decades of economic collapse and suffering.

“The people there have suffered for many, many years, and I think Cuba is going to be something we'll end up talking about,” he said.

“We want to help the people in Cuba, but we also want to help the people who were forced out of Cuba and are living in this country,” he added.

Iran

Trump has also been repeatedly issuing threats to Iran, his latest on Friday over ongoing protests in the country, which have erupted amid worsening economic conditions.

The US president said that he would “come to the rescue” of Iranian protesters who have taken to the streets in recent days.

“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he said.

Iranian officials reacted strongly to the threat, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei saying that Iranians will not allow foreign interference and will resolve their problems “through dialogue and engagement.”

Last month, Trump, in his latest meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had also said that he would support an Israeli attack on Iran if Tehran resumes its nuclear program, warning that he would "knock the hell out of them."

“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again. And if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump said, adding that he heard Tehran wants to negotiate a deal with Washington.

During a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June last year, the US targeted three major Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, using bunker-buster bombs.

While a US-mediated ceasefire between Tehran and Tel Aviv has held since June, tensions have continued to simmer.

According to some reports, a possible new round of strikes on Iran’s missile and ballistic missile programs was among the key topics discussed during Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump.

Mexico

Trump has recently accused Mexico of being run by drug cartels, saying that "something" has to be done with the country.

Speaking to Fox News on Saturday, he said that "the cartels are running Mexico."

Trump claimed he had repeatedly offered his country's assistance in taking action against drug cartels operating in Mexico.

“But they come in through the southern border, mostly,” he said. “And something’s gonna have to be done with Mexico.”

Panama

Last January, Trump hinted to seize control of the Panama Canal after accusing Panama of mismanaging the canal and allowing China to gain influence over its operations.

“We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made,” he had said during an address.

“Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.

Canada

Trump also promoted the idea of Canada becoming the 51st US state in January.

Claiming that many Canadians support his proposal, he had argued in January last year that the move would bring economic stability to Canada and shield it from perceived external threats, including “Russian and Chinese ships.”

In September, Trump repeated his rhetoric, saying that the country should consider joining the US as the 51st state.