Alex Armstrong vents fury as former BBC star calls for Iran to 'build a nuke' after Trump-Venezuela mission: 'Beyond insane!'

"Every global leader should be coming out with unequivocal condemnation of Trump’s thug culture- loudly and without hesitation," Ms Shaikh stated on X shortly after Maduro was captured by US armed forces.

"We should all be raging. Because if this kind of lawlessness is allowed to slide, then the so-called rules-based international order is finished.

"I hope you're listening @Keir_Starmer," she signed off, before she soon followed up her initial stance with the provocative post: "F*** it. Build that nuke Iran."

The calls for an Iranian nuclear weapon inevitably sparked fury across social media, with several X users tagging verified government accounts in response.

Meanwhile, Alex could barely believe what he was reading. "I can’t imagine rooting for a terrorist regime to build nukes," the presenter wrote in response to Ms Shaikh's comments.

"An Islamist regime who has tried to assassinate people on British soil, endorses child marriage under 13 years old, stones gay people and funds Hamas/Houthi terrorists and forces women to cover up. Beyond insane.

"I forgot to mention, a regime that is also indiscriminately killing innocent protestors. How progressive."

When it was suggested to Alex that he ask her onto his GB News to debate her views, the presenter couldn't resist a dig at one of the networks that had previously put Ms Shaikh on screen.

He replied: "She’s blocked me, and plus I wouldn’t platform people with those kinds of views. Leave that to Channel 4."

Alex was far from the only person furious with Ms Shaikh's brazen calls for Iranian nuclear power. Big Brother's George Gilbert was also among those outraged.

He penned: "Our enemies are literally living amongst us in our land. If you do not pledge allegiance to the UK then you should be removed.

"Support the country you live in or live in the country you support."

Elsewhere, another X user weighed in: "British citizens are being arrested because of their opinions on social media. Yet here you are living in Britain, standing with an enemy of Britain. And the British police have not taken any action against you so far. What a shame."

"I guess supporting a terrorist regime gets you a lot of clicks," another mocked, while a further social media user said: "This is why nobody takes Britain seriously. They elevate clowns like this."

And another was bemused by her stance: "British woman telling a country that has a long standing dislike towards Britain and the west to build a nuke...?" (sic)

Despite the fury, Ms Shaikh has continued to use her social media platform to openly condemn President Trump over the capture of Maduro.

In a separate post, she argued: "Saddam wasn’t removed for 'freedom' -he started selling oil in Euros. Gaddafi wasn’t bombed for 'human rights' -he threatened the dollar with a gold-backed African currency. Maduro wasn’t targeted because of 'democracy'- Venezuela dared to sell oil in Yuan and step outside U.S. financial control.

"Every time someone messes with the petrodollar, they magically become a dictator overnight. Call it what it is, racketeering with flags. 'Liberation' is what they sell to the evening news." (sic)

She's also shared X post calls for "free Maduro" ahead of his appearance in a New York courthouse on Monday.

A full list of charges will be read out against Maduro during the court appearance, but many revolve around drug and weapons offences.

The capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, occurred in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Iranian leaders and others allied to the deposed Venezuelan President have called for the US to release Maduro.