WEBVTT - 2/5/26: Iran Seizes Vessels, Tech Stocks Tumble, Trump ICE Pullback In Minnesota 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:01.599 Hey guys, Saga and Crystal here. 0:00:01.680 --> 0:00:05.240 Independent media just played a truly massive role in this election, 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:07.840 and we are so excited about what that means for 0:00:07.880 --> 0:00:08.720 the future of this show. 0:00:08.880 --> 0:00:10.760 This is the only place where you can find honest 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:13.280 perspectives from the left and the right that simply does 0:00:13.320 --> 0:00:14.680 not exist anywhere else. 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:17.080 So if that is something that's important to you, please 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:19.599 go to Breakingpoints dot com. 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Have an amazing show for 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:37.600 everybody today when we have Prystal. 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:41.279 Indeed, we do some breaking news this morning, run Seizing 0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:42.320 two Vessels. 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:45.520 As we continue to hover on the brink of another war. 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:49.120 The stock market has taken a dive over AI concerns 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:52.280 Trump is retreating further on ice deployments. 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:54.400 Bill Gates responding. 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.160 To Epstein allegations, We've also got a little tour for 0:00:56.240 --> 0:00:59.280 you of all of the various Epstein defenders and the 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:02.880 defenses that they're offering. I think you might enjoy that one. 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.240 We're also going to take a look at the latest 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:07.880 with regard to this Trump assault on elections. He's doubling 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:11.560 down on his previous comments that they should be nationalized 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:12.440 and taken over. 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:13.840 So that's a fun one. 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.880 Right, And Tolsey Gabbard is now seizing what is it 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:19.000 pererto Rican voting machine. 0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:23.440 Yes, because to investigate a link to Venezuela. This whole 0:01:23.640 --> 0:01:25.840 idea that there might be a deal with Maduro is 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.480 looking more and more plausible by the. 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:31.520 Day, very plausibile. We'll be on Maduro Watch, Maduro Stop 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:33.600 the Steel Watch. Thank you to everybody who's been subscribing 0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:36.520 Breakingpoints dot com. We have a number of you who 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:39.000 have joined the show in the last week because of Epstein. 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:41.880 We're very happy to have you be Please support our work, 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:43.920 be able to watch our show in full as it 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:47.120 is meant to be consumed Breakingpoints dot Com and really 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:49.400 just you know, again opening the books. We had two 0:01:49.440 --> 0:01:53.880 segments yesterday demonetized. One of them was over and Ice shooting. 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:57.040 The other was over the Elon Paris raid. But just 0:01:57.040 --> 0:01:59.240 to give people an example of how we cannot pick 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:01.360 and choose our coverage, based on what is going to 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:04.240 get ranked in the algorithm and ad revenue. That's why 0:02:04.280 --> 0:02:06.720 we primarily rely on all of you, and we've had 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.480 multiple epscene demon tais here as well. So thank you 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.880 to everybody who supports the show. If you are watching 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:14.080 this on YouTube, another way to help us out if 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:14.679 you can't. 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:16.720 Is to just hit subscribe to our YouTube channel. 0:02:16.880 --> 0:02:18.720 And if you're listening to this on a podcast, please 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.720 share an episode with a friend. It really helps other 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:24.160 people find the show. But let's go ahead and start 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:26.960 with Iran and the latest that just happened right before 0:02:27.080 --> 0:02:28.959 we started. Let's go and put this up here on 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:33.040 the screen. Iran's IRGC has seized two vessels in the 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:37.200 Persian Gulf, threatening the United States with quote mastacre and hell, 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:40.679 I guess their version of fire and fury. The IRGC's 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:44.280 Navy's public relations department alleges that more than one million 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:47.720 leaders of smuggled fuel were found on the ships and 0:02:47.760 --> 0:02:52.640 some fifteen foreign crew members were referred to judicial authorities. 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:56.480 So this happened in what they're claiming our Iranian waters. 0:02:56.720 --> 0:03:00.360 This is still very very unclear exactly what's happen happening, 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:02.919 but this is clearly a shot across the bow as 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:07.840 diplomatic negotiations with the United States remain very very in flux. 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:10.280 So what they are saying here specifically is that the 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:12.840 strait of Horn Moves will be the place of massacre 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:16.239 and hell. I think this crystal is a very clear message, 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:20.440 a shot across the bow at Trump after multiple incendiary 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:25.200 comments made by the administration yesterday as diplomatic negotiations literally 0:03:25.280 --> 0:03:28.040 we're on off and then on again, all in the 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.160 span of just three hours, we had a very very 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:31.280 significant development here. 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:33.960 Yeah, according to doctor Parsi, you know, the way the 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.440 Iranians are thinking now is previously when you've had you know, 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:41.119 Israel attack them, then we attack them. They've done these 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:47.000 very limited, coordinated with US retaliatory strikes two with the 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:49.920 calculation from the Iranians being we don't want this thing 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:54.560 to spiral. There is a different mindset there now, which 0:03:54.600 --> 0:03:57.800 is basically like, Okay, we tried that, that didn't work, 0:03:58.320 --> 0:04:00.840 so we need to adopt a different time. So I 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:03.360 think you can look at this seizure of these vessels 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.880 and this type of rhetoric threatening massacre and hell as 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:10.520 a different approach that is responsive to the fact that hey, 0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:14.040 they tried the more conciliatory Okay, you can hit us, 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.120 and we will hit back as we have to, but 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:18.240 we're going to coordinate it with you. This is a 0:04:18.279 --> 0:04:21.479 signal that you know, this time they may not play 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:23.800 that game again, and they feel the need to take 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:27.880 a harder line because the previous approach obviously didn't work. 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:29.680 Since we're now you know, we had claimed that we 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.680 all we destroyed their nuclear capabilities. Now we're back saying 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:35.480 we've got to negotiate over your nuclear capabilities. And by 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:38.599 the way, your ballistic missile program too, which is a 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:41.240 new add on from Israel, which is meant to poison 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:42.800 the well, and which is meant to back us into 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:46.160 a corner, not forced because we have our own agency here, 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:48.320 but to push us once again towards war. 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:51.200 The ballistic missile addition is completely fake. 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:53.320 It was added at the very last minute by the 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:57.440 Israelis because it's only a security threat to them, not 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:00.280 to us. We're all the way over here, and then 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:02.560 the way that we square that is well, but we 0:05:02.640 --> 0:05:04.240 have all these troops in the region. It's like, well, 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.360 why are the troops in the region to protect Israel? 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:06.560 Oh? 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:09.159 Okay, so that's what this entire thing is about. 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:12.800 Nonetheless, this is almost certainly in response yesterday to Trump 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:16.080 yesterday threatening the Supreme Leader of Iran in an NBC 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:18.160 News interview in the Oval Office, Here's what he had 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:18.559 to say. 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:21.240 Should the Supreme Leader in Iran be worried right now? 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:24.640 I would say he should be very worried. You know, 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:27.800 he should be, as you know, they're negotiating with us. 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:28.360 I know they are. 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:31.320 But the protesters have said, you know, where are the Americans. 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:33.000 You promised them we would have their back. Do we 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:33.719 still have it back? 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:36.520 We've had their back, and look that country is a 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:38.480 mess right now because of us. We went in and 0:05:38.560 --> 0:05:44.160 we wiped out their nuclear in the Middle East. If 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:46.880 I didn't take out their nuclear think of it, if 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.800 we didn't take out that nuclear we wouldn't have peace 0:05:49.839 --> 0:05:51.880 in the Middle East because the Arab countries could have 0:05:51.920 --> 0:05:55.479 never done that. They were very, very afraid of a Yeah, 0:05:55.560 --> 0:05:58.560 they're not afraid of Iran anymore. We wiped out those 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:01.760 beautiful Beat two bombers, the ones right over there, those 0:06:01.960 --> 0:06:05.440 beautiful little models, those beautiful Beat two bombers went in 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:09.560 and they hit their target, every single bomb and obliterated it, 0:06:09.680 --> 0:06:11.960 and because of that, they were going to have a 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:16.080 nuclear weapon within one month. Within one month, they were 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:18.800 gonna have a nuclear weapon. That was a big threat 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:20.440 that they're not gonna have it anymore. 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:23.520 But now if we obliterated reiterated, what's the deal about. 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:24.960 I mean, if there's no more are they are they 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:26.760 trying to restart the nuclear. 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:28.560 We heard that they are, and if they do, and 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:30.160 I let them know, if they do, we're going to 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:32.360 send them right back and do their job again. 0:06:32.440 --> 0:06:34.320 So you're understanding if they tried to restart it, and 0:06:34.360 --> 0:06:35.520 that's why you're threatening force. 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:37.960 They tried to go back to the site. They weren't 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:40.360 even able to get near it. There was total obliteration. 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:43.680 But they were thinking about starting a new site in 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:46.520 a different part of the country. We found out about it. 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:49.440 I said, you do that, we're going to do very 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:50.240 bad things to you. 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:53.479 So, uh, the Supreme leaders should be very worried. 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:55.560 He said that there were one month away during midnight 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:57.200 Hammer from a nuclear bomb. 0:06:57.360 --> 0:06:58.440 Literally just not true. 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:01.039 There's an entire thing about brain out time, et cetera, 0:07:01.120 --> 0:07:04.560 which Tulsi Gabbert don't forget. Right before Midnight Hammer had 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:07.159 said that there is no indication, and in fact, you know, 0:07:07.200 --> 0:07:09.600 in our interview with doctor Parsi as well as a 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:12.440 lot of other information that has come out, the Supreme 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:15.760 Leader actually takes his fatua on nuclear weapons very seriously, 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:18.040 and it would take a repeal of that. There's been 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:21.360 no intelligence indication. I can guarantee you if they had, 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:23.640 the New York cons would let us know tomorrow so 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:26.040 that we could start a full blown nuclear war. Nothing 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:29.280 has changed on the ground whatsoever except for the protests. 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:31.960 And so the protests are making people very excited about 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.360 this idea of a shaky regime which can just be 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:37.200 toppled from the air and turn it into an Israeli 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:40.360 civil war rump state. But that is just not where 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:42.440 things are. And in fact, you know, what we see 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:44.880 right now is we may have exhausted the very last 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:48.200 chances of real diplomacy here and that the current you know, 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:51.280 the current framework from the administration is that this is 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:54.440 an illegitimate regime. Is that every time that we hit 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:57.280 you and or we negotiate, that the goalpost will move. 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:00.960 And that's why the Iranian position has changed so dramatically 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:04.080 now basically to the point and look, the critics are 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:06.920 saying that they've always been like this, did I don't 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:12.000 remember multiple airstrikes and negotiations and crises that were all happening. 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:15.160 This is entirely one manufactured of our making and of 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:18.200 Israel's making. And this was underscored by the US Secretary 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:22.480 of State Marco Rubio yesterday, who again takes direct aim 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:24.880 at the leadership of Iran, who apparently we also want 0:08:24.920 --> 0:08:27.400 to negotiate a two let's go ahead and roll that. 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:31.440 The Iranian people and the Iranian regime are very unlike 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:33.920 in essence, what the Iranian people want. This is a 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:39.040 culture with a deep history. These are people that are 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:42.160 The leadership of Iran at the clerical level does not 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:44.880 reflect the people of Iran. I know of no other 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.040 country where there's a bigger difference between the people that 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:49.640 lead the country and the people who live there. And 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:51.560 so our hope resides in that. As far as the 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:54.040 presence views on the way protesters were treated, it was 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:59.719 very clear about it, and as you saw, part of 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:04.360 what the President said publicly prevented mass executions that were 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:07.880 being planned. And we're on the precipice of and obviously 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:10.480 beyond that, the President retains a number of options to 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:13.800 how we respond to that and future events. But as 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:15.640 far as the talks are concerned, you know, I think 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:19.040 the Iranians had agreed to a certain format. For whatever reason, 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:20.800 it's changed in their system or what have you. We'll 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:22.640 see we can get back to the right place. But 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:24.240 the United States is prepared to meet with them. I 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.640 think it was scheduled for Friday. Steve is ready to go. 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:29.120 He'll be prepared for that. If the Iranians want to meet, 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:31.640 we're ready. They've expressed an interest in meeting and talking. 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:34.080 If they changed their mind, we're fine with that too. 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:36.320 We prefer to meet and talk. I'm not sure you 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:37.760 can reach a deal with these guys, but we're going 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:39.520 to try to find out. We don't see there's any 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:41.679 harm in trying to figure out there's something that can 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:44.080 be done. This is a president that always prefers a 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.160 peaceful outcome to any conflict. 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:46.679 Or any challenge. 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.400 So you can all see very clearly here. You know, 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:51.480 this is a direct shot. We would like to meet. 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:55.000 But it's like the people of Iran deserve basically freedom. 0:09:55.080 --> 0:09:58.200 I mean, I guess maybe you can hold those together. 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:00.520 But Chrystal, when we put it to a and pair 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.000 with what happened yesterday. It is very clear there is 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:06.400 a massive factional war inside the Trump administration. Let's put 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:08.280 this one up here on the screen just so we 0:10:08.320 --> 0:10:12.520 can show all of you. So basically, as of yesterday morning, 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:15.800 we were supposed to meet with the Iranians. After some 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:17.760 pushback from them saying we don't want to meet with 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:19.679 regional partners, we just want to meet one on one 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.480 with the United States, those talks were then called off 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:25.280 as of midday. Then by the end of the day 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:28.960 the plans for the US Iran talks are actually back 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:32.840 on after several Arab and Muslim leaders urgently lobbied the 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:37.040 Trump administration Wednesday afternoon not to follow through on threats 0:10:37.080 --> 0:10:39.680 to walk away. Quote, they asked us to keep the 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.120 meeting to listen to what the Iranians have to say. 0:10:42.320 --> 0:10:44.280 We have told the Arabs we will do the meeting 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:46.319 if they insist, but we are very skeptical. 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:47.199 The official said. 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.600 At least nine countries had passed on messages the most 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:53.960 senior levels of the Trump administration strongly asking do not 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:56.360 cancel the meeting with the Iranians. In Oman and as 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:58.719 second US officials said that the Trump administration agreed to 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:00.480 take the meeting with the Iran that needs to be 0:11:00.520 --> 0:11:03.400 respectful of the request of US allies and in order 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:06.720 to coordinate pursuing the diplomatic tracks. So very clearly the 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:10.600 Arab powers are freaking out because people forget this, It's 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:13.640 not just Israel. Where was that token strike back from 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.440 the Iranians Doha Qatar, who by the way, also got 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.320 struck by Israel, and then we signed some non aggression 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:22.720 packed with Doha Saudi Arabia Straits of horror moves. We 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:25.440 have massive amounts of oil that moved through there, so 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:29.160 this would be a destabilization event, which the Iranians, now 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:31.959 with their seizure this morning, are making clear we can 0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:35.800 wreak absolute havoc. The price of skyrocketed on the news 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:39.320 initially whenever the meetings were supposed to be canceled. 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:42.600 I'm sure that the raid this morning will also have some. 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:45.400 Sort of follow on effect, But it is clear that 0:11:45.480 --> 0:11:49.280 there's a deteriorating situation, and we keep narrowing the goalposts 0:11:49.480 --> 0:11:51.640 to make it so that it's like war seems to 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:54.040 be one of the only options left that's currently on 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:57.920 the table. Absent a genuine breakthrough tomorrow, which we can 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:00.480 all hope for. But if you're iranlast time you were 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:03.280 scheduled to meet with Steve Wikoff, we bombed you. 0:12:03.320 --> 0:12:05.959 So what what are they going to do in this meeting? 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:08.959 And if you're any of these you know, regional powers 0:12:09.000 --> 0:12:11.400 and allies of the US, you also have to feel 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:14.319 a little bit nervous about how sufficient our defenses are 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.559 going to be. I mean, you watched and this again 0:12:16.640 --> 0:12:19.880 wasn't covered that much in the Western press, but last time, 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:23.800 you know, our stockpiles and Israeli stockpiles of you know, 0:12:23.840 --> 0:12:28.040 the of defense interceptors, missile defense interceptors were running low 0:12:28.160 --> 0:12:31.880 and Israel was struck. Now, Iran, I have no doubt 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:35.959 took more damage, but there was there were significant blows 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:39.400 struck inside of Israel. So they also can't feel totally 0:12:39.400 --> 0:12:41.440 confident that, like the US is just going to have 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:42.840 our back and it's not going to be a problem, 0:12:42.960 --> 0:12:45.000 We're not going to take on any damage. And then 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:47.839 are they excited about having you know, a failed state 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:51.079 in Iran and all of the chaos that that entails 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.679 and the spillover effects which you know, nobody understands what 0:12:54.720 --> 0:12:57.480 that can look like better than the countries in this region. 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:00.480 So listen, I have no idea, I have no inside 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:04.120 knowledge whether we are going to strike Iran imminently or not. 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.520 But what I can say is what we've seen over 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:10.360 the course of this administration and at other lower levels 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:14.920 under other administrations as well, is they are continuing to push. 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:15.360 In this direction. 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:19.360 I mean, the protests are both organic, like there's genuine 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:22.160 upset in the country over the government. I don't want 0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:25.439 to downplay that whatsoever, but that also is fomented by 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:29.440 our intentional squeezing of the Iranian economy. You know, you've 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:34.480 got the precipitating event was this currency collapse, and there's 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:36.360 every indication that we were involved in that. 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:38.520 So we're trying this, We're cycling. 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:41.360 Through a variety of ways to try to squeeze this government, 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:43.880 to try to cause some sort of collapse. You know, 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:46.200 the Israelis, you're not going to stop pushing in this direction. 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.840 So I have zero optimism that we're not going to, 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:53.400 in some way or another continue down this track, whether 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:57.439 this means imminent kinetic action or whether that's further down 0:13:57.480 --> 0:13:59.720 the road, or whether we try some other tactic or 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:01.959 what and that's without even talking about you know, Mike 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:05.520 Pompeio bribing about the MASSAD agents in the streets alongside 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:06.160 the protesters. 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:08.640 Yeah, I mean, if anything, you know what, I think 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:12.560 we may perhaps may have a chance off ramp here 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.400 because what Trump and them are afraid of is a 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:17.760 full blown war and it seems that the Iranians are 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:19.280 basically willing to roll the dice. 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:19.960 Again. 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:22.800 What Parsi told us was, we know we can't win 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:24.840 a war, but we can make it pretty miserable for 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:26.920 all of you and for everybody else there at long 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:30.640 term strategy, longtime strategy of US adversaries, and put on 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:34.520 this last element please a five quote. US Iran agreed 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.440 to discuss nuclear talks on Friday, But originally they said 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:40.400 Iran is going to play hardball with the US to 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:43.400 throw it off of balance. And what they're saying behind 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:45.920 the scenes is that with this seizure that we saw 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:48.640 this morning and in general, was that they are just 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:51.680 not going to be They're not going to be pressed 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:55.200 back into the corner that they found themselves originally, and 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:59.280 in particular we shot down this drone recently. Now they're 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:02.720 you know, threatening with their Navy. They're making clear there 0:15:02.760 --> 0:15:05.640 will be no more token strikes on our country. It's 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:09.160 do or die, and basically calling the bluff of the 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.640 United States of you can try if you want, We're 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:13.640 going to make it very very difficult, and a lot 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:15.920 of your people may die as well as the global 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.040 economy may be completely rupture. Trump and his people are 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:22.160 afraid of that because duhile. Yes, they've had their tremendous 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:26.000 success mission in Venezuela and they did have Midnight Hammer. 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:29.920 They haven't had a real military engagement with any serious 0:15:29.960 --> 0:15:32.440 amounts of risk, and they're making it clear, no, we're 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:33.440 going to make it very very. 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:33.960 Difficult for you. 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:37.000 It's a smarter strategy, I mean, and it is based 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:39.680 on what we've all observed with Trump, I mean, his 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:43.560 taco tendencies, right, especially when the markets start to get squirrely, 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:46.520 and so you know what they're banking on is okay. 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:50.360 The conciliatory approach obviously didn't work, because here we are 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:54.480 back having our country threatened again. This did not succeed. 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:57.560 And so what does Trump actually respect and what he 0:15:57.760 --> 0:16:01.400 respects and what he responds to is hey, listen, yeah, 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:03.960 you have more firepower than we do, but we can 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:07.080 make you suffer. We can cause pain, We can cause 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.240 pain among your regional allies. We can exact a price 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:13.200 on your service members or in the region. And critically, 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:15.640 we can cause a lot of financial pain. I mean, 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:18.200 this is the weapon of warfare that we've been consistently 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:21.920 using against Iran, and the Iranians have their own cards 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:24.840 that they can play with regard to that. No, obviously 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:26.800 they don't have all the levers of the global financial 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:28.760 system the way that we do, but they do have 0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:32.880 very critical location and obviously very critical to the oil market. 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:36.320 So and you know, do are our citizens ready to 0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:39.200 pay that price? No, they don't want that, they're not 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:42.040 interested in that. And Trump is not gonna be around forever. 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:46.520 So like, Okay, we can threaten you credibly with exacting 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:49.200 some pain, and we don't think that you really are 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:52.080 up to that. We don't think you really have the 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:56.480 stomach to persist if we credibly threaten you. And so 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:58.880 it is in my opinion, you know, it is much 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:04.440 more intelligent strategy given Trump's psychology and what we've seen 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:08.000 play out with regard to other countries. You know, even 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.679 with the Greenland pullback right where he was gung ho 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:14.400 and all in, and the fact that there was there 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:16.639 were some wiggles in the market that was enough to 0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:18.159 cause him to pull back from the brink. So I 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:19.200 think that's what they're counting on. 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:21.240 As right, Well, we'll see, you know, it's smart until 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.440 it's not smart, and then what millions of your own 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:25.560 people die as well as our own people, right, And 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:27.960 so's that's the risk. And you know, you can read 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:30.000 a book to see how many times they're like, oh, well, 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:32.600 they're only going to respect strength and then next thing, 0:17:32.640 --> 0:17:34.920 you know, you end up in a lie or some 0:17:34.960 --> 0:17:37.639 sort of false flag incident and then boom, we're off, 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.280 you know, and then at that point nothing can happen. 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:41.320 Our Congress, I think the. 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:43.840 Way they're looking at it obviously though, was like, you know, 0:17:44.200 --> 0:17:45.960 we're sort of damned if we do if we damned, 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:48.320 if our country is going to get attacked either way. 0:17:48.520 --> 0:17:51.000 If I were them, I would be doing something way 0:17:51.000 --> 0:17:52.920 more dratic than what they're doing now current. 0:17:53.240 --> 0:17:54.359 So I have no idea. 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:56.880 Well, and that was the other thing that the way 0:17:56.880 --> 0:17:58.640 that they're at yes, And that's the other thing doctor 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:01.320 Parcy said is actually already of the Iranian government is 0:18:01.320 --> 0:18:03.000 in favor of raising to a nuke and it's really 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:05.400 the Supreme Leader that holds them back because he takes, 0:18:05.480 --> 0:18:08.800 as you said earlier, his own fatoa against nukes seriously. 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.040 But that is the logic that we've laid out. 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:13.800 That is the rational behavior that we have created, that 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:14.639 Trump has created. 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:17.119 And that's the last thing is we have this dream 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:20.280 of will strike the Supreme Leader. Well, as we've often 0:18:20.320 --> 0:18:22.960 said with Putin, who knows what comes next, right, what's 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:25.760 the reality of what would actually succeed. Who are the 0:18:25.800 --> 0:18:27.639 people who have all the weapons and all the money, 0:18:27.640 --> 0:18:30.200 the IRGC, the people who are in the naval boats 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:32.359