U.S. actions involving Venezuela, Iran and Cuba have raised questions about international law, civilian casualties, presidential war powers and economic consequences
President Donald Trump’s foreign policy in 2026 has included major U.S. actions involving Venezuela, Iran and Cuba, with consequences extending from military operations and civilian casualties to energy markets and congressional debates over presidential authority.
The Capture of Nicolás Maduro
In January, U.S. forces entered Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, transporting them to the United States to face criminal charges.
The Trump administration characterized the operation as a military-assisted law-enforcement action.
The operation also generated debate over international law and national sovereignty, including questions about the legal authority for the United States to use military force inside Venezuela without authorization from the U.N. Security Council.
Maduro had faced longstanding accusations involving human-rights abuses, political repression and disputed elections. Those issues were separate from the legal debate over the U.S. operation itself.
The War With Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a major military campaign against Iran.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the opening attacks. Trump publicly celebrated Khamenei's death.
The campaign included strikes against Iranian military and government targets and became one of the most consequential U.S. military operations in the Middle East in recent years.
It also produced significant civilian casualties.
The Minab School Strike
One of the most heavily scrutinized incidents occurred at the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab.
The school was struck on February 28 during the opening day of the U.S.-Israeli campaign.
Initial Iranian reports placed the death toll above 175. Human Rights Watch later examined photographs, videos and satellite imagery from the attack and called for an investigation into whether the strike constituted a war crime.
A United Nations fact-finding mission subsequently reported that it had reasonable grounds to believe the United States was responsible for the strike and that the attack constituted a war crime.
The U.N. investigation reported 157 deaths at Minab, including approximately 123 children under the age of 13.
The United States rejected the U.N. findings.
A finding by a U.N. fact-finding mission is not equivalent to a criminal judgment by an international court. The U.N. findings nevertheless added an international legal dimension to questions surrounding the attack and civilian casualties.
Energy and Economic Consequences
The Iran conflict also disrupted international energy markets.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global oil and petroleum shipments, meaning military instability in and around the waterway can affect international energy supplies and prices.
By late September, higher fuel costs, including increased diesel prices, had become an issue in the United States.
Diesel prices have broader economic implications because diesel fuel is widely used in trucking, agriculture, construction and other industries. Transportation costs can consequently affect the prices of goods throughout the supply chain.
The Trump administration also announced additional releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of efforts to address energy-market disruptions.
U.S. Pressure on Cuba
The Trump administration has also intensified economic pressure on Cuba, including measures affecting the country's access to fuel.
Cuba was already experiencing economic problems that included shortages, infrastructure problems and electrical disruptions.
The Cuban government has blamed U.S. policies for worsening those conditions. The Trump administration has argued that economic pressure is intended to push Cuba toward political and economic changes.
The effects of U.S. restrictions on Cuba therefore remain part of a broader dispute over how much of the country's economic hardship results from U.S. policy and how much results from the Cuban government's own economic system and policies.
Congress and Presidential War Powers
The Iran conflict has also renewed debate in Washington over the constitutional division of war powers between Congress and the president.
The Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war, while presidents have historically asserted substantial authority as commander in chief to conduct military operations without formal declarations of war.
Congress considered legislation addressing Trump's authority to continue U.S. military involvement in Iran without specific congressional authorization.
On September 24, the Senate rejected a war-powers resolution that sought to end U.S. involvement or require congressional authorization.
The vote left unresolved the broader constitutional debate over the circumstances under which a president can initiate and continue major military operations without explicit authorization from Congress.
A Foreign-Policy Record Still Being Written
The events of 2026 have produced significant changes in U.S. foreign policy.
The United States captured Venezuela's president in a military operation.
The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.
Iran's supreme leader was killed.
A strike on a school in Minab killed more than 150 people, including approximately 123 children, according to the U.N. investigation, which found reasonable grounds to attribute the attack to the United States. Washington disputes that finding.
The Iran conflict disrupted energy markets and contributed to concerns about fuel prices and global energy supplies.
The United States also increased economic pressure on Cuba as the country faced severe energy and economic problems.
Each involves different legal and geopolitical circumstances. Together, however, they have generated continuing debates over presidential authority, international law, civilian protection, economic sanctions and the consequences of American military power.
Those debates — along with investigations into specific military operations and the longer-term effects of the conflicts — will continue to shape assessments of Trump's 2026 foreign-policy record.
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