1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,880 Speaker 1: Geordana. I was starting to ask you, thank you for 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: sticking with us here for a minute. How would you 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: describe to the average person walking around the United States 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: right now? What is the very latest and what are 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: we witnessing in Iran. 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 2: Well, we are witnessing a major wave of protests sweeping 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: across Iran. They began in Tehran two weeks ago because 8 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: the currency nosedived there. But they're coming on the backdrop 9 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 2: of many, many complaints by Iranians. 10 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: Right. 11 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 2: First of all, there's water shortages, there's rolling blackouts again, 12 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,919 Speaker 2: the economy is terrible, and Iran finds itself in a 13 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 2: weakened position geopolitically as well. After the war with Iran, 14 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: the war with Israel, right the twelve day war that 15 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 2: really took out, we could say Delta a serious blow 16 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 2: to Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missile program. It also 17 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 2: saw its proxies, the terror groups, if you will, that 18 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 2: instead of pouring millions of dollars into their people and 19 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: their country, the Iranian regime pours it into Hamas and 20 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 2: has Blah, both of those taking a huge hit. So 21 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 2: the people on the streets of Iran are coming with 22 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 2: grievances for many years, but in the last two years 23 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 2: it kind of has reached a tipping point and we 24 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 2: are seeing tens of thousands of Iranians again across the country. 25 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: But to get some perspective, we can look back at 26 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy nine and we can say that we're not 27 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: in a moment yet where it looks like the regime 28 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: is about to crumble. Right back in seventy nine, it 29 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 2: took a year of protests not to bring on the 30 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: shaw and in those months, right in the end, millions 31 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 2: of Iranians were in the street. Right now, we're not 32 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 2: seeing those numbers. Unfortunately. What we are seeing is the 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: regime cracking down brutally as it has in it over 34 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: the last decade, killing, wantonly shooting and killing protesters in 35 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: the street. As you said, the number is now over 36 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: two thousand by a US group tracking them here in Israel. 37 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: The intelligence services here say the number is higher, somewhere 38 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 2: between four and five thousand, not twenty five hundred. And 39 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 2: the big question is what President Trump is going to do. 40 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 2: He's offered to provide help, He's encouraged protesters to keep 41 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: going on the streets, even to quote unquote takeover institutions, 42 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 2: which seems to hint at regime change. But what is 43 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: the president going to do? It is a fateful moment. 44 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: There has never been a moment like this. We American 45 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 2: president is willing to intervene and has threatened to intervene 46 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: even militarily, to stop the protests, to stop the regime's 47 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 2: brutality and support these protesters who want a democratic, secular 48 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 2: government right. They don't want a government run by the Ayatola. 49 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: You know, is go ahead? Please go ahead, Jordana. 50 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 2: I was going to say that, you know, but the 51 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: president is facing It's a really complicated picture, and I think, 52 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 2: you know, God bless President Trump and his advisors. They 53 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 2: have a really difficult decision to make. Are they going 54 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: to do something to try to actually topple the regime, 55 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: which runs the risk of a regional war, or are 56 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 2: they going to do something a little scaled back and 57 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 2: hit symbolic sites, but that would keep the regime in power. 58 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: Would that be selling short the protesters for America? Perhaps 59 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 2: President Trump is still interested in getting that nuclear deal 60 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 2: and you know, and neutering Iran's nuclear ambitions, and that 61 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 2: would be a plus, even if the regime doesn't change, 62 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: you know, and what's the calculation. Will the Iranian strike 63 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: US basis? Will they hit Israel? It's a lot and 64 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: I know obviously the Israelis are watching closely. 65 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: Well, you know, I'm curious, Jordana, and I'm trying to 66 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: dumb this down a little bit, and thank you for 67 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: doing so. For a lot of us who are here, 68 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: we follow what's going on in Iran. We knew about 69 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: the nuclear sites that President Trump blew up not too 70 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: long ago. But you know, depending on who you believe, 71 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,359 Speaker 1: you know, a sociologist Charles Kurzman says he thinks that 72 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: there were two to three thousand killed during the Revolution 73 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: of nineteen seventy nine. Historian Stephen Tucker has said roughly 74 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 1: that's about right. A lot of people think there was 75 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: a lot of propaganda with a current Islamic government saying 76 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: as many as sixty thousand were killed. But the bottom 77 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: line is is let's say you split, you know, say 78 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: it's seven or eight thousand, like you said, The bottom 79 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: line is is we are seeing mass killings. Are these 80 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: just from what you're able to gather from people on 81 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: the ground. Are these people that are protesting that are 82 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: getting killed? Are they people who are violently protesting are 83 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: they people who are just anti regime and they're pulling 84 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: them off the streets and executing them. And now they're 85 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: talking about public hangings there. 86 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 2: That's right. Iran is set to hang a twenty six 87 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 2: year old that they detained on Thursday night. They put 88 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 2: him in a kangaroo court, convicted him of offenses against God. 89 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 2: It sounds almost comical if it weren't so tragically true. 90 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 2: And he did not have any lawyer, he could not 91 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,559 Speaker 2: appeal his decision, and he is set to be hung 92 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 2: today publicly in Iran for protesting against the regime. The 93 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 2: people that are being killed are coming from all kinds 94 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 2: of different socioeconomic classes in Iran. It's students, it's the 95 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 2: middle class, it's the older Iranians that have lost faith 96 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 2: in the leadership of the Ayatola. It's intellectuals, it's artists 97 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 2: who are often involved in this, and you know, and 98 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 2: it's women. It's women who are among the most oppressed 99 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 2: in Iran. 100 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: Right. 101 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 2: There are all kinds of Sharia laws against you know, 102 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,679 Speaker 2: what they can Iranian laws against what they can wear 103 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: and not wear, and covering their hair, not covering their hair, 104 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 2: h So this is uh, you know, these are this 105 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 2: is a you know, we should really give credit to 106 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 2: the Iranians who are going into the streets and risking 107 00:06:55,520 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 2: their lives, hoping, praying that their demonstrations can really bring 108 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 2: a change to this regime. And I think it's only possible, really, uh, 109 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: if there is some kind of help from the outside. Uh. 110 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 2: And over time, the regime is not according to the Israelis, 111 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 2: the regime is not in a moment today where it 112 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 2: can be bombed out of existence, right. It needs to 113 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 2: be weakened over time until it falls over, much like 114 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: you know, much like the Syrian victator, right who unfortunately 115 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: in that case it took years. But I think Iran 116 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 2: is a different case, and getting rid of the Iranian 117 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 2: regime would change the entire region in the Middle East 118 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: for the better, right, I mean the entire world, right right, Right, 119 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: So this is you know, this is a regime that 120 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 2: you know, it's not it's not yet on its last legs. 121 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 2: But this is another important moment that could be wisely 122 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 2: used to continue to weaken the regime. And I think 123 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: the president has obviously a lot of options on the table, 124 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 2: right he can he can impose more economic sanctions. He 125 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 2: can think about targeted assassinations that would weaken the regime. 126 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 2: He can think about cyber attacks, right right, he can, 127 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 2: and he can think about limited military strike or if 128 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 2: if you know, if the assessment is that, you know, 129 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 2: the regime would really fall in a couple of weeks, 130 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: then you know, if that's the assessment, which it's not, 131 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 2: that's not the assessment here in Israel, maybe he would 132 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 2: carry out you know, much wider scale attacks. You know, 133 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 2: there's still you know, iron still poses a threat to 134 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 2: the United States according to Europe and to the region. 135 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: Yep, yep, Jordana. I can't thank you enough for your 136 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: time and your expertise, and godspeed over there in Jerusalem. 137 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: We certainly appreciate you taking the time to join us 138 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: here today in Cincinnati. 139 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 2: Okay, we'll talk Sin