The CEO of Missang, Guy Kioni, says the U.S. is seeking to cut off China from its key energy suppliers as part of a grander strategy to hamstring China's critical mineral refining capabilities.

Caracas

The U.S has launched strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro along wife his wife.

Venezuela Strikes

Guy Chionni, CEO of Missang and Critical Mineral Fellow at the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum, discussed how U.S. actions in Venezuela and Iran are closely tied to its strategy to secure control over Greenland's mineral resources. Chionni emphasized Greenland's significance due to its vast mineral reserves needed for defense and electric vehicle batteries, and the increasing accessibility of these resources due to Arctic warming.

He noted that the U.S. aims to reduce reliance on China, which currently dominates mineral processing, by controlling both mineral sources and the energy required for processing. The conversation also highlighted that U.S. pressure on oil-rich states like Venezuela and Iran is part of a broader effort to limit China's supply chain advantages, with Iran potentially being a future focus for similar interventions.

The hidden link between Venezuela, Greenland & Iran

Our next guest says U.S. actions in Venezuela and Iran are closely linked with the battle for Greenland. Guy Chionni, CEO of Missang and Critical Mineral Fellow at the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum. Thank you for joining me on set. So let's start actually about with this shift here with the U.S. Moving from simply buying minerals to securing control over where they are produced. And how Greenland sits at the center of this shift? Yes, we need to understand that Greenland from a geological point of view holds 1.5 million tons of minerals which is needed for the defense industry and EV batteries. The challenge is that right now the processing and refining capability is mostly in China. So there's no way for the U.S. to compete unless they secure those resources. So for Greenland, you discussed it in your notes that there's four key reasons why it's fast becoming and will continue to be one of the most strategically important places in the world. Can you discuss those for us? Yes, I mean the main thing is that first is the need for the critical minerals given the defense industry. But secondly, the climate change or the warming of the Arctic means that access to those minerals are now increasingly viable. And that access then attracts Russia, China, and other powers. Secondly, you've got the energy requirement for that. And you can see that in terms of the Venezuela incident that we just saw. One of the reasons for that is that processing critical minerals and rare earth requires a lot of energy. And by getting the ore from Venezuela is by cutting the resources energy from China. We then control the processing capabilities. So looking ahead, what are you expecting then from these upcoming talks between Marco Rubio and Denmark? What kind of deals could be discussed or is this like going to be more of a full-on kind of takeover? And how do the military options, how do they remain part of this kind of strategic backdrop? I believe that the discussion with Marco Rubio this week will move towards creating a critical mineral framework, similar to the one that has happened with the DRC. And I believe that the military option remains on the table. We need to take that very seriously. That would not be without any consequences, obviously, but it's still on the table. So we talked in the intro there about the connection between what we're seeing in Greenland and also Venezuela and Iran. I want to discuss Venezuela because your notes actually suggest that the U.S. pressure on states, on oil states like Venezuela and Iran is actually more of a strategic action against China and its kind of intensive energy for rare earth supply chain. Yes. I mean, as I said before, geology is the main thing here. China controls 60% of the reserve for rare earth. However, they have 90% of the processing capability, which gives them an untapped advantage. However, without energy, that advantage then reduces. And that's why you see the U.S. securing access to those energy. And by securing Greenland for the U.S., it gives them access to hydropower, clean energy to counterbalance China. So that's why you see the mineral-rich country or the oil-rich countries are under control by the U.S. So then with the U.S. now effectively controlling the Venezuelan resources, so how should other kind of mineral-rich nations, I mean, thinking particularly in Africa, kind of interpret this? It's very challenging. And the parallel between Greenland and African countries is a little bit different. Africa is still far. And in reality, the Chinese are all over Africa already. So the U.S. is trying to catch up. However, in Greenland, it's completely different. They are geographically near the U.S., and that's why it's important for the U.S. not only to partner, but also to have a control over the territory. And what about the Iran parallel here? Because if the U.S. strategy in Venezuela was to constrain China's energy inputs, does this make Iran kind of the next logical target for U.S. security-based resource intervention? In my view, yes, totally. Totally. Because Iran is one of the biggest oil producers, and most of the oil goes to China and Russia. So it makes sense then to constrain those oil exports. All right. Well, thank you so much, Guy Kiyona, the CEO of Missang, for breaking it down for us.

President Trump has been briefed on new military options for a strike against Iran amid widespread protests and a government crackdown on communications for Iranians, a senior U.S. official tells CBS News. "We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts," he said at the White House.

Washington

Trump briefed on new military options for Iran strikes amid protests

Demonstrations in Iran are now entering their third week and the death toll is surging with hundreds killed, according to a human rights group. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that the Islamic regime will "not back down" in the face of the growing social unrest and calls for regime change.

Tehran

Protests in Iran intensifying despite threat of death for dissidents

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas showcased a wide array of AI-powered innovations, including paper-thin televisions, interactive Lego, and binoculars that can identify bird species in real time. Notable breakthroughs included .Lumen's AI glasses for the visually impaired and Roborock's Saros Rover, a robotic vacuum cleaner capable of navigating stairs and various surfaces autonomously.

Las Vegas

Rise of AI

AI-powered innovation dominates Consumer Electronics show

Human remains were found in Australia's southeast where bushfires raging for days have razed buildings, cut power to thousands of homes and burned swaths of bushland, police said. The blazes are burning out of control during a summer heat wave in Victoria state.

Victoria

'Gut-wrenching': Australian bushfires expected to burn for weeks

Anti-government protests in Iran show no sign of stopping. Human rights groups are putting the death toll at 116 with 2600 detained. U.S. President Donald Trump has reaffirmed U.S. support for the protesters.

Protests in Iran defy government crackdown

Iran's army is threatening to join the crackdown on protesters as demonstrations against the regime grow and the death toll mounts. Huge crowds have taken to the streets across the Islamic Republic. Iran's Revolutionary Guard calls them "terrorists." Haley Ott has more details.

Iran's army threatens to join crackdown against protesters

President Trump said, "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not," earlier this week. But Greenland, a territory of Denmark and a NATO ally, is rejecting the threats.

Nuuk

Greenland rejects Trump's threats

Trump, who often cites national security interests as the reason for taking Greenland, said that if the US does not do something, 'Russia or China will take over Greenland'.

Trump says U.S will act on Greenland, 'whether they like it or not'

Protests across the U.S., including in Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Miami, are taking place following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Police declared the demonstrations in downtown Minneapolis an 'unlawful assembly'.

Philadelphia

Protests spread across the U.S. over ICE shooting of woman

Internet and phone lines in Iran have been cut off as anti-government protests enter their second week. Reports say at least 65 people have been killed and more than 2,300 others detained. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of a possible U.S. response to the government crackdown.

Internet blackout in Iran enters second day as protests intensify

Rescue workers are trying to find dozens of people trapped under a collapsed landfill in the Philippines. At least four people have been confirmed dead. The incident took place on Thursday, with more than 100 workers on site at the time.

Cebu City

Philippines: Dozens still missing in landfill collapse

BRICS nations have launched joint naval exercises off the South African coast. Supporters say the drills will strengthen co-operation among emerging economies.  But critics warn they could deepen global divisions.

Simon's Town

South Africa hosts Russia, Iran and China for military exercise

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Saturday that safeguarding security was a "red line" and the military vowed to protect public property, as the clerical establishment stepped up efforts to quell the most widespread protests in years.

Iran authorities signal intensified crackdown as unrest grows

Luigi Mangione was back in court on Friday, where his lawyers worked to block the Justice Department from seeking the death penalty in his federal trial for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione pleaded not guilty in April 2025.

New York

Luigi Mangione's lawyers fight to block death penalty

Fire crews battle spreading blazes while communities face evacuations and power cuts.

Thousands of firefighters deployed to fight bushfires in Australia

The protest comes amid wider rallies against US immigration enforcement and over the fatal shooting of the 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.

Minneapolis

Several arrested in Minneapolis during anti-ICE protest

Trump says U.S. will act on Greenland, 'whether they like it or not'

U.S. President Donald Trump began a meeting to discuss Venezuela with executives from some of the world's largest oil companies at the White House, saying he wants them to invest $100 billion in the country to vastly expand its production.

Trump urges U.S. oil giants to repair Venezuela's energy industry

The U.S. seized another oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean, U.S. Southern Command confirmed on Friday (January 9). The seizure of the vessel comes as President Donald Trump prepares to meet with oil company executives at the White House.

U.S. seizes fifth tanker linked to Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump is reiterating his threats against Iran's regime if violence and deaths continue during protests. CBS News' Imtiaz Tyab has more.

Trump: U.S. to hit Iran 'very hard' if violence continues at protests

Russia fired a powerful hypersonic missile overnight at a target in Ukraine near the border with NATO-member Poland, in what Kyiv's European allies described as an attempt to intimidate them from supporting Ukraine.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia fires hypersonic missile at Ukraine target near NATO border

A majority of European Union countries have agreed to sign a trade deal with the South American trading bloc, Mercosur. It'll be the EU's biggest free-trade pact and comes after decades of negotiations.

Brussels

EU approves Mercosur trade deal despite protests

The Trump administration is pulling the U.S. out of dozens of international organizations, including key UN agencies and the treaty underpinning global climate talks, marking a deepening retreat from multilateral cooperation.

Trump admin. withdraws from dozens of international organizations

The brother of Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, and head of the country’s national assembly has announced the release of a wide raft of political prisoners. It's being viewed as a gesture to seek peace less than a week after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces.

Cúcuta

Venezuela releases political prisoners

Residents in Portland, Oregon, protested Thursday after officials say two people were shot by Border Patrol agents. Gwen Baumgardner has more on how the shooting unfolded.

Portland

Two shot by border patrol agents in Portland

Russia launched a massive attack in Ukraine using drones and missiles, including a nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile. Michael Bociurkiw, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, joins CBS News with more.

Odesa

Russia strikes Ukraine with hypersonic missile

Four crew members aboard the International Space Station will be brought home more than a month early in the coming days as NASA cuts its mission short due to health concerns.

NASA cutting current International Space Station mission short

Iran's supreme leader has condemned anti-government protests, denouncing demonstrators as vandals and saboteurs. Iran has shut down the internet and cut off international calls and is promising decisive punishment.

Iran's Supreme Leader defiant as protests grow

The U.S. Senate advanced a resolution that would bar President Donald Trump from further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization, a rare rebuke of the Republican leader.

U.S. Senate advances measure curbing Trump's Venezuela war powers

U.S. officials have discussed sending lump sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join the United States, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

The hidden link between Venezuela, Greenland & Iran

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Venezuela Strikes