- Iran's regime is an institutionalised dictatorship unlike Venezuela's personalistic rule
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now appears to hold dominant power in Iran
- The US-led strikes began on February 28 and killed senior IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani
The United States military intervention in Iran, now in its third week, stands in contrast to the recent operation in Venezuela, according to journalist and geopolitical expert Fareed Zakaria.
In an interview with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, Zakaria described Iran as a markedly different proposition from Venezuela.
"It is a very different country from Venezuela in many respects," Zakaria told NDTV. "The most important respect is that it is an institutionalised dictatorship, not the way Venezuela was, a highly personalistic one, built by [Hugo] Chavez then inherited by [Nicolas] Maduro."
He pointed to Iran's structure, a strong clerical element, a powerful military through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and an elected president who functions in part as an escape valve for public sentiment.
"There's always been a balance of power among them," Zakaria said. "What is striking about what is happening in Iran now is that it appears that the Revolutionary Guards have taken control. In effect, what has happened is there has been a soft coup and the military now reign supreme."
"When you get bombed and attacked by foreign powers, generally the men with guns gain power. The hardliners become the most powerful element," he added.
He added that Mojtaba Khamenei -- son of the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- was viewed as the IRGC's favoured figure.
"What you now have is a military dictatorship with a clerical facade making all the decisions," Zakaria told NDTV.
The US-led strikes with Israel, which began on 28 February and killed the senior Khamenei among others, have prompted widespread Iranian retaliation. Iran has launched missiles and drones at targets in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport, as well as US military sites in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Attacks have also struck civilian and infrastructure sites, such as a drone that caused a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport and a missile that killed a civilian in Abu Dhabi.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the country was prepared to take the conflict "as far as necessary."
The Revolutionary Guards reported firing some 700 missiles and 3,600 drones at US and Israeli targets so far.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global crude oil passes, has been severely disrupted by Iranian actions against shipping. Global oil prices have risen by 40 to 50 percent.
US President Donald Trump has urged countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain to deploy warships to escort tankers and reopen the lane.
