US President Donald Trump’s surprise capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has made headlines globally, prompting questions over the country’s future and prospects of war.
Despite reports stating that for months US spies had been monitoring Maduro’s every move, his abduction on Friday rocked the country.
Congress was not informed or consulted about the plan beforehand, yet Maduro is set to appear in a US court over drugs and weapons charges, causing many to probe the legality of the process.
The latest developments saw Trump state that America is "in charge" and is planning to establish an interim government, and also threatening that he could take military action by launching a second strike if remaining members of the government do not cooperate with efforts to get the country "fixed".
As leaders and officials around the world called Maduro and his wife’s capture a kidnapping, Arab states across the region also weighed in.
Iran called for Mauro’s release on Monday, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei stating: "The president of a country and his wife were abducted. It's nothing to be proud of; it's an illegal act."
"As the Venezuelan people have emphasised, their president must be released," he added in the remarks made at a press conference.
A day after the abduction, Qatar issued a statement saying it is willing to contribute to mediation efforts to reach an "immediate peaceful solution".
Qatar’s ministry of foreign affairs called for restraint and de-escalation, with the ministry also calling on all parties to reduce tensions and use dialogue to address outstanding issues.
Qatar further emphasised that it supports the UN Charter and principles of international law.
According to reports, Yemen's de-facto government, headed by the Houthi AnsarAllah movement in Sanaa, slammed the US as "terrorists".
A statement from the group’s political office read: "What America is doing to Venezuela proves once again that America is the head of evil and the mother of terrorism. Yemen affirms solidarity with Venezuela and its President Nicolás Maduro, who has refused to submit to American hegemony".
Palestinian group Hamas commented on the abduction, calling it "aggression" that "represents a continuation of America’s unjust policies and interferences, which are driven by its imperial ambitions".
The group said that US policy has plunged several nations into turmoil and is posing a direct threat to international peace and security.
Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said the operation was "aggression" and a "blatant and unprecedented violation of international law".
"The US is gripped by a craze for control, especially under the current president, and continues its aggressive polices based on subjugating free nations and peoples, plundering their wealth and resources, and leading wars aimed at redrawing borders," a statement from the group read.
"The US falsely claims it is spreading peace in the world, supports democracy and the freedom of people to determine their own destiny, but it invariably reveals its true criminal face, from Afghanistan to Iraq, Yemen, and Iran…", the statement continued.
Turkey said it was monitoring developments in Venezuela, with the foreign ministry calling on all parties to act with restraint and maintain order for the sake of regional and international security and safety.
Other Muslim majority countries expressed concern over the developments, with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling for Maduro and his wife "to be released without any undue delay" and echoing remarks that the operation "constitutes a clear violation of international law and amounts to an unlawful use of force against a sovereign state".
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a staunch ally of the US, praised Trump on his actions, saying it was "bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice".