Transcript [00:00] All right, the big question today is is [00:03] the sanctions regime that the US uh [00:06] Treasury Department under Scott Bessant [00:08] and President Trump uh is putting on [00:11] Iran, is it actually working? Is it [00:13] actually being implemented? And this is [00:15] a question we've raised over the last [00:16] few days. You know, how how far is [00:19] America willing to go? Initially, they [00:21] weren't enforcing it and they said, [00:22] "Well, we have to give people time to [00:24] make adjustments." But we've now seen [00:27] some initial enforcement, but the [00:28] initial enforcement itself is almost a [00:31] tell that it's not going to be fully [00:33] enforced. I'll explain what I mean. So, [00:35] I'm a little bit cynical about this [00:36] whole play. Uh, I'll explain my position [00:39] more fully as we go, but let's get [00:40] started with a clip from General Jack [00:43] Keane. We're going to play it in parts. [00:45] Uh, I'm going to I'm going to pause it [00:47] once or twice to add in my comments. [00:50] Here we go. [00:52] All [00:56] right, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson [00:57] is urging G20 finance leaders to help [01:00] cut off revenue supporting Iran and the [01:02] IRGC. But Iran isn't backing off, [01:05] attacking another commercial ship in the [01:06] strait and prompting President Trump to [01:09] send another warship to the Middle East. [01:11] Let's bring in Fox News senior strategic [01:13] analyst, retired fourstar general Jack [01:15] Keane, chairman of the Institute for the [01:17] Study of War. So, it's been a couple of [01:19] days now since we put out economic fury. [01:22] What's the result so far, General? [01:26] >> Well, it's going to take some time. As [01:28] you know, you know, sanctions always [01:30] take time. It's one of the limitations [01:32] that that imposing sanction has. But [01:35] nonetheless, uh I think what Besson is [01:38] doing here is the most comprehensive [01:41] isolation of a country, cutting off all [01:43] its trade in terms of economics and [01:45] financial assistance that I've seen. [01:48] that this plan is robust and it's [01:50] complicated too. The most exposed [01:53] countries are China, the UAE, Turkey, [01:56] Iraq, Pakistan, India and Russia. To [02:00] give you a sense of the complications [02:01] here, the easy part is the UAE said UAE [02:04] said we're stopping all financial [02:06] networking and passing through of uh [02:10] Iran's money and finances. Good news. [02:14] Pakistan and Turkey in this month of [02:17] August just signed a deal to increase [02:20] trade with who? Iran. [02:22] >> So, we got to get them to knock that [02:24] off. [02:25] >> Yeah. And it's it's stunning, isn't it? [02:27] >> China obviously a big player here. They [02:30] consume most all 80% of Iran's oil and [02:33] and they provide them other products as [02:35] well to include parts for missile [02:37] development. We've got to get them to [02:40] stand down. right now we're not [02:41] sanctioning their banks and I think [02:44] what's happening here with the summit [02:46] coming the administration would like I [02:48] think assuming privately going on with [02:50] them to voluntarily stop as opposed to [02:53] Besson having to publicly go after them [02:56] the way he is those other countries that [02:58] I just uh listed for you. So it tells [03:01] you how challenging this is. But at the [03:03] end of the day listen he has got the [03:07] right goal here. He is saying the goal [03:09] here is economic collapse. In other [03:11] words, he's not saying the goal is [03:13] leverage to make a deal with the [03:15] Iranians. That is very different than [03:18] the path we're on by the Secretary of [03:19] the Treasury. And I applaud him from and [03:23] President Trump for stepping up here and [03:25] pushing in this direction. You know, [03:26] where I stood, I think we should have [03:28] gone back to major combat operations a [03:30] long time ago. That that's in the [03:32] rearview mirror. But the reality is he [03:35] has got a huge opportunity to make this [03:37] work. The second thing we've known about [03:39] sanctions is you have to enforce them. [03:42] You have to monitor them day by day and [03:43] hour by hour. Even the countries that [03:45] agreed and they say, "Oh, we're going to [03:46] do it." Within a few weeks, they're not [03:49] doing it like they used to be doing it. [03:50] And within a few months, they may not be [03:52] doing it at all. That has been our [03:54] experience even with the Trump [03:55] administration and Secretary Pompeo. and [03:58] he he told me he had to watch this like [04:00] a hawk to ensure compliance. Challenges [04:04] here for sure, Brian, but the right goal [04:07] and and we got the team to do it. [04:10] >> All right. [clears throat] [04:10] Um so let's talk about this u let's talk [04:15] about what he said there. Let's start [04:16] with the issue of the banks. Okay. So, [04:22] so you see up here on your screen uh a [04:25] story from uh this is from uh just a [04:28] couple days ago. Iranian banks and [04:30] businesses remain open in Dubai despite [04:33] Trump's D-Day. It's citing a Wall Street [04:35] Journal piece. Iranian banks and [04:37] businesses continue to operate in Dubai [04:39] despite Washington's demand that [04:41] countries sever their remaining economic [04:43] links with tan exposing the difficulty [04:46] of isolating Iran from one of its most [04:48] important commercial hubs. The Wall [04:50] Street Journal reported and remember [04:52] Dubai is part of the is that's the UAE [04:54] and the UAE said they're cutting off [04:55] everything but and that was even before [04:59] Bessant announced the economic D-Day a [05:01] couple weeks ago already. The UA said [05:03] they were cutting it off and the banks [05:05] are still operating. Bank Melly Iran [05:07] which Bessant specifically called on [05:09] foreign governments to close was still [05:12] operating in two Dubai branches as its [05:15] multi-story [05:17] at its multi-story dera location. About [05:19] a dozen tellers continued serving [05:22] Persianspeaking customers after the US [05:25] announcement. Employees said they had [05:27] received no order to close. Bank Melly [05:30] has operated in the UAE since 1969 [05:33] before the country was established and [05:34] Dubai's ruler inaugurated its first [05:36] branch. Iranians in Dubai said they were [05:39] preparing alternatives if banks [05:41] eventually close including the centuries [05:43] old hwala system which moves money [05:46] through trusted intermediaries without [05:48] conventional crossber transfers. So far [05:51] they said that that has not been [05:52] necessary. Hala is a again it's an [05:55] ancient system. what they do [05:58] uh in the current Hala system, and I [06:00] explained this in an earlier video, [06:03] uh you want to move money. Let's say I'm [06:05] I'm uh I'm in I'm in Iran and I want to [06:08] move $100,000. I want to pay someone, I [06:10] don't know, in the West or in Europe or [06:12] or I want to move money to whatever it [06:15] is. So instead of having the money get [06:17] wired and and actually have the money [06:19] transfer, I walk into a hala center, [06:23] hala branch and I hand the equivalent of [06:27] $100,000, whatever I want to give to the [06:30] to the person there. That money never [06:32] leaves. It never gets transferred [06:34] anywhere. He just picks up the phone [06:38] and calls the Hala branch, let's say, in [06:43] the UAE or in Saudi Arabia or in some [06:45] country that's friendly to the West to [06:47] get the money on the other side of [06:50] whatever issues there are, call up the [06:52] other country and say, "Give $100,000 to [06:55] so and so or transfer it to a certain [06:58] place." And then that and then this [07:00] other entity, this guy who got the phone [07:02] call in Saudi Arabia or in UAE or [07:04] wherever just pays out $100,000. There's [07:08] no paper trail linking back to the guy [07:10] in Iran. None. Zero. The money never [07:13] goes anywhere. And it goes in both [07:16] directions. So a lot of it balances out. [07:18] And what doesn't balance out gets [07:20] balanced out through through goods that [07:22] are shipped and and so everyone gets [07:25] paid back in some way. But there's zero [07:27] zero paper trail. There's no there's no [07:30] money that actually transfers over. It's [07:32] very hard to stop this Hala system. And [07:34] billions of dollars get moved through [07:35] Hala. [07:37] Iranian airlines also continue regular [07:39] flights to the UAE. The Emirates, [07:41] Etihad, and Fly Dubai are not flying [07:43] directly to Iran. Sorry, Emirates, [07:46] Etihad, and Fly Dubai are not flying to [07:47] Iran. Although some services use Iranian [07:50] airspace, Iranian restaurants and cafes [07:52] in Dubai remain open. That activity sits [07:55] uneasily with the UAE foreign ministry's [07:57] announcement last week that it was [07:58] halting trade, commercial exchanges, and [08:00] financial transactions with Iran. So, [08:03] the UAE announced that, but they're not [08:05] really enforcing it. The UAE was Iran's [08:08] second largest trading partner before [08:09] the war. [08:11] Bilateral trade of about 27 billion [08:13] annually. [08:15] Um [08:17] the first operation economic outcast [08:19] sanctions targeted nearly 60 Iran linked [08:22] people, companies and vessels operating [08:24] across countries including the UAE, [08:25] China, Singapore and Switzerland. So it [08:28] was companies, vessels, [08:32] okay, and individual people. Washington [08:34] nevertheless faces its own dilemma. The [08:37] UAE is a major US security partner, [08:39] provides military basing access, invests [08:41] heavily in sectors including AI [08:44] and was a principal Arab signatory of [08:46] the Abraham Accords. Dubai, unlike [08:50] oilrich Abu Dhabi, also depends heavily [08:52] on trade, finance, and foreign capital. [08:59] There will be some in the UAE who will [09:00] say whatever the price of comm that's [09:02] what we need to do, suggesting that some [09:05] officials may regard uh continued [09:08] Iranian access to banking and supply [09:10] chains as preferable to greater [09:11] confrontations. Iranians in Dubai also [09:13] fear the prolonged war could weaken the [09:16] UAE economy, costing them their jobs and [09:19] force them back to Iran. Some already [09:21] some have already moved to third [09:24] countries. So that's what's going on [09:25] with the Iranian banks in the UAE, but [09:27] you see that they're still operating. [09:29] And then [snorts] we have this, a core [09:30] Egyptian bank gets caught up in the [09:32] Treasury's Iran crackdown. Uh, and this [09:35] is talking about Bank Miser. Miser is is [09:38] what the Egyptians call Egypt to Bank [09:40] Miser, Egypt's second largest bank. [09:44] When Treasury Scott Besson said earlier [09:46] this week that he'd be announcing major [09:47] sanctions against the financial [09:49] institution as part of the tightening [09:51] economic squeeze in Iran, speculation [09:52] immediately centered on China. In the [09:55] end, the target was the United Arab [09:57] Emirates bank branch of Bank Miser, one [10:00] of Egypt's most important banks in a [10:03] shot that's alarming leaders in Cairo [10:05] who worry it could rattle the country's [10:07] banking system. The Treasury Department [10:09] said Friday that Bank Miser UAE over the [10:12] past two and a half years processed $1.8 [10:14] billion for 103 companies it said could [10:17] be part of Iran's shadow banking network [10:20] calling it a critical node for the [10:21] regime. Iran is cut off from dealing in [10:23] dollars itself, so it needs the help of [10:25] counterparts. Egypt's foreign ministry [10:27] said it was communicating with US [10:29] authorities about the measures which [10:30] don't affect banks in Egypt or branches [10:33] outside the UAE. It also said Egypt's [10:35] banks are solid and strong. It's worried [10:38] about uh an announcement like this [10:40] causing instability in their own economy [10:43] and perception of their of their banking [10:45] system being worse off than it is [10:46] because Egypt's economy is very fragile [10:48] as it is. Any impact on the bank would [10:50] be a concern given the fragile state of [10:51] Egypt's economy. There you go. The [10:53] country is struggling with a weak [10:54] currency and pressure on foreign [10:56] exchange with the war hitting key [10:57] earners such as tourism and also of [11:00] course shipping because Egypt controls [11:02] you know Egypt makes a lot of it a lot [11:04] of revenue from the Suez Canal and [11:06] because of what's happening with the [11:07] Houthis and the Baba Mandabub Strait. [11:08] They're losing a ton of revenue there [11:10] too. Egypt in recent years has turned to [11:12] the International Monetary Fund and the [11:14] UAE for billions of dollars in help. The [11:16] Treasury Department said that Bank [11:18] Miser's UAE customers include apparent [11:21] front companies for Iran's Ministry of [11:23] Defense and the and the IRGC that seek [11:26] to circumvent sanctions and launder [11:28] money for Kamay. Specifically, the [11:31] Treasury Department has proposed a rule [11:33] that would revoke Bank Miser's UAE [11:35] correspondent banking access to US [11:38] financial institutions, [11:40] meaning they just can't do business. It [11:42] cuts them off from doing business with [11:44] US financial institutions. It also [11:45] forbids the branch's Egyptian [11:47] headquarters or any other bank from [11:49] transacting with US banks on its behalf. [11:53] The Treasury Department avoided one of [11:54] its strictest sanctions tools which [11:56] would have frozen all the branches [11:58] assets in the US and would have exposed [12:00] any foreign bank dealing with Bank [12:03] Miser's UAE branch to US sanctions. [12:06] Now, this is interesting. So why like of [12:09] everything that Iran could be doing to [12:10] avoid the sanctions and all the other [12:12] countries involved, why are they [12:13] focusing on an Egyptian bank? [12:16] So first of all, because for the reasons [12:19] given, they do do a lot of business with [12:20] Iran, but so do a lot of other entities [12:24] that haven't been targeted yet. So look, [12:26] so look at this here. This is very [12:28] interesting. [12:30] Miad Malki, a former senior Treasury [12:32] official now at the Foundation for [12:34] Defense of Democracies think tank said [12:36] hitting a small but important bank lets [12:38] the US cut a meaningful source of [12:40] dollars for Iran without risking [12:42] collateral damage to the global [12:44] financial system. Right? It's a very [12:47] interesting point. He said the move [12:48] would likely put pressure on the [12:50] Egyptian parent company because US banks [12:52] and other foreign institutions may [12:54] choose to derisk by steering clear of [12:57] transactions with it. [13:00] Meaning Egypt is an easy target for the [13:04] Treasury Department because it doesn't [13:05] disrupt the global economy if you shut [13:07] down if if you sanction an Egyptian [13:10] bank. [13:12] Right. Richard Nephew, a former State [13:14] Department sanctions official, said [13:15] while the action didn't live up to the [13:17] scale of economic D-Day promised by the [13:19] administration, it could cause other [13:21] banks with foreign branches to be wary [13:23] of business with Iran. that potentially [13:25] includes Chinese banks with Hong Kong [13:28] branches. [13:31] Okay. So, yeah, that's that. [13:34] And you know so the on the China issue [13:36] which you saw you know um you saw [13:39] General Keane mentioned the big issue [13:41] was China and like America is very [13:43] hesitant to sanction the Chinese [13:47] you know the Chinese institutions [13:48] because that there's this big summit [13:50] coming up between Xi and Trump and uh [13:54] and they're trying to kind of finesse [13:55] this. Iran bets on China to blunt [13:58] Trump's economic offensive. China's [14:00] refusal to bow to US sanctions has [14:02] raised hopes in Thran that Beijing could [14:04] blunt Washington's new economic [14:06] offensive, but a debate inside Iran [14:08] reveals doubts over how far China is [14:11] willing or able to go on Iran's behalf. [14:14] Asked Thursday why Washington had not [14:16] imposed new sanctions on Chinese banks [14:17] dealing with Thran, President Donald [14:19] Trump suggested such measures could [14:21] already be under consideration. Quote, [14:23] "You don't know how if I'm doing it, I [14:25] don't have to announce everything," [14:26] Trump said. So Trump, look, he might be, [14:30] it could be that Trump is just trying to [14:31] cover for the fact that they announced [14:32] that they're going to be sanctioning [14:33] everyone who does business with Iran and [14:35] called on everyone to stop and the [14:36] Chinese, you know, basically thumbed [14:38] their nose and said, "We're not playing [14:40] ball with this." And that could really [14:42] make America look very weak. [14:45] Hassanelli, [14:47] the Supreme Leader's representative in [14:48] Ar in Ardabil province, argued during [14:51] Friday prayers that Beijing understood [14:54] the United States ultimate confrontation [14:55] was with China rather than Iran. Quote, [14:58] "China fully understands that America's [15:00] main war and the war of the future is [15:03] with China and this as this and this war [15:05] passes through Iran. If America gains [15:07] control over Iranian oil, it will [15:10] prepare for war with China." This is an [15:12] important point. I mean, it's being made [15:14] by uh uh by someone who who works for [15:17] the Iranian regime. But if the Iranian [15:20] regime falls and becomes a pro- US [15:25] country or even a protectorate of the US [15:27] for some interim period, if the US takes [15:29] control of the Iranian oil the way [15:30] they've taken control of Venezuela's [15:32] where they don't own it, but they're [15:34] managing it and and um and you know, if [15:36] that happens, that is a massive [15:39] strategic blow to China. [15:42] And you know, so China has a has a a [15:45] very strong interest. It's not just that [15:46] they that they buy a lot of Iranian oil, [15:49] but in terms of America's position in [15:51] the world visav China, it changes [15:53] everything. [15:55] Okay. He he described China's position [15:57] as a major opening for Iran's economy [15:58] and a heavy blow to American sanctions, [16:01] arguing that Tehran could use it to ease [16:03] Washington's economic pressure. [16:07] And here's um [16:11] now from China's perspective, this was [16:13] an interesting uh piece of analysis. [16:16] Majid Reseri, head of the Iran China [16:18] Chamber of Commerce said China was not [16:21] confronting Washington because of any [16:23] military or ideological alliance with [16:24] Iran. Rather, its economic and strategic [16:28] interests require it to preserve its [16:30] trade independence. [16:33] Right? intensified US pressure could [16:35] inflict significant economic damage on [16:37] Iran. But he argued that Washington [16:40] could not the Iranian economy [16:42] without broader international [16:43] cooperation. You need China to play [16:45] ball. Relations with China and Iran's [16:47] neighbors remain important to the [16:49] country's economic resilience. So, you [16:52] know, China is a is an important piece [16:54] of the puzzle here. And this is of [16:55] course uh this is just more reporting on [16:57] how how Trump uh you know ratch is [17:00] ratcheting up the rhetoric about how he [17:02] might be sanctioning China. The same [17:04] quote we saw before. So [17:07] you we'll get back to Jack Keane in a [17:09] moment, you know, for a little bit more [17:11] uh for the next for the next piece of uh [17:13] of what he has to say. But let me just, [17:15] you know, throw in my two cents here, [17:18] which is that, [17:22] look, I'm in favor of anything that [17:25] weakens the Iranian economy. Anything [17:27] that weakens the Iranian regime, it's [17:29] all good. You want a bomb, you want to [17:31] put sanctions, it's great, [17:34] but there's two risks here. Risk number [17:38] one is, will this actually work? Meaning [17:42] from two perspectives. [17:44] Number one, can you actually get enough [17:47] countries to participate that America [17:48] doesn't walk away with egg on its face [17:50] with this with this whole sanctions [17:52] thing not working? I mean, as he [17:53] mentioned there, Jack mentioned that [17:55] Turkey and Pakistan just in the last [17:57] month have signed new new agreements [17:59] with Iran to to boost trade between [18:02] them. How is that going to be policed? [18:04] The Americans at some point have to [18:06] decide who are your friends and who are [18:08] your enemies and make it clear and go [18:11] after some of the people that they're [18:12] constantly coddling like the Turks, [18:15] like the Pakistanis. [18:18] I I mean this has to be handled in a [18:19] different way and [18:22] and then there's uh you know so that [18:25] that so that's one issue like u you know [18:27] you know will will will it work from [18:29] that perspective and then there's also [18:30] the question of will it work [18:32] um meaning will it will it actually have [18:36] the desired effect as Jack Keane said [18:38] it's very nice to hear that Bessant is [18:40] no longer talking about trying to bring [18:43] uh Iran back to the negotiating table [18:45] he's talking about regime collapse he's [18:46] talking about bringing them And that is [18:48] the and that is what Bessant has said [18:49] and that's nice to hear. The question is [18:51] is that is is it actually going to work [18:53] and this is where I get very skeptical [18:55] because the people running the regime [18:56] they have plenty of food. They're fine. [18:59] So we you know this is something that uh [19:02] you know it remains to be seen. Again [19:04] I'm in favor of it but as I've been [19:06] saying for a long time if you've been [19:07] watching this channel I'm like a broken [19:08] record. This is not the way to bring [19:11] down the regime. they should be going [19:12] after the IRGC, going after the [19:14] leadership, doing the things that [19:15] actually will will will truly [19:18] destabilize the regime. Um, so there's [19:21] that there's that aspect of it, right? [19:23] Meaning, will it be successful? Will it [19:25] work in that regard? And that's that's [19:27] one of the that's one of the big risks. [19:29] Um and the other big risk is that if it [19:33] doesn't work [19:36] then or if if countries don't [19:38] participate and Iran still has uh still [19:40] has cash flow then America starts to [19:43] look weak or if America doesn't actually [19:44] follow through. If that if America it [19:47] doesn't if they don't actually do the [19:51] sanctions in the way that they [19:53] threatened, if they don't make good on [19:55] their threats, there's nothing worse to [19:59] to American power than making threats [20:01] and then backing off of them for what [20:03] looks like lack of resolve, getting [20:05] skittish. And these are ris these are [20:07] some very serious risks that are being [20:10] taken by the administration. And uh you [20:12] know hopefully they play out in the [20:13] right way. Let's watch the rest of what [20:16] Jackie has to say. It's very interesting [20:17] from here. [20:18] >> So we see that Qatar sent emissaries and [20:21] Pakistan sent emissaries not on not [20:23] representing us just to talk to Iran [20:26] about ending the stalemate in the [20:27] strait. Can you count on either one of [20:29] them? [20:32] >> Absolutely not. our intelligence circles [20:35] and it's been public for some time is [20:37] that both of these countries are [20:39] complicit in favoring Iran even though [20:43] they attempt to be mediators uh with us. [20:46] The president has relations with the [20:48] leaders of each country and values that [20:51] personal relationship. But how these [20:53] countries behave, they behave in their [20:55] own interest here for sure is primary. [20:58] And that interest has lied completely [21:02] more in favor of Iran than the United [21:04] States. That has been the evidence for a [21:07] number of years. Remember the Qatari [21:10] support [21:11] Hamas on a regular basis. That is the [21:15] reality of what is happening here. And [21:17] they have the political headquarters. [21:19] The Hamas is in their country. The [21:22] Pakistanis, their history was completely [21:24] complicit in supporting the Taliban [21:26] while we were there fighting every day [21:29] against the Taliban. And they are [21:30] complicit in [21:31] >> and where do we find where do we find [21:33] Bin Laden, General? In Pakistan. They [21:36] still have not explained that to us. I [21:38] gota also know and and with Pakistan [21:41] it's not it's also that Pakistan is a [21:45] very close strategic ally of China like [21:49] very close they're basically owned by [21:51] China and they're going to do China's [21:53] bidding and they've been trying to save [21:54] the Iranian regime this entire war we [21:56] know that anyway this next point very [22:00] interesting point also ask you about [22:02] what is the deal with the missile [22:04] defense and the interceptors with the [22:06] Gulf states Listen, [22:10] the Gulf States, I think, are overly [22:13] concerned about the Iranians attacking [22:15] their their Gulf and oil infrastructure. [22:18] The certainly the Iranians can have the [22:22] capability to do that, but they do not [22:24] have the capability to devastate that [22:27] oil and gas infrastructure. We've got [22:29] people around the president that that [22:31] overplay what is really going to happen [22:34] here in in terms of the devastation of [22:37] it. And why not why is that not going to [22:40] happen? Because we they have [22:41] consequential defense mechanisms. An [22:44] example, Saudis in the UAE have more [22:47] patriot batteries in the country than [22:49] the United States has. Uh and they and [22:52] they are robust in their defense. They [22:54] have THAAD batteries, the most [22:55] sophisticated air defense system in the [22:57] world. The UAE also has two Iron Dome [22:59] batteries manned by Israelis inside the [23:03] There was one country when Admiral [23:05] Cooper went around to look at their [23:07] defenses that was a little exposed and [23:09] he's solving that problem. So they can [23:11] adequately defend and and I think we [23:14] have to tell them when they dial the [23:16] president if he's going to go back and [23:18] conduct combat operations again like [23:20] they have done three times to man up [23:22] here. [23:22] >> Right. We've been covering you post [23:25] World War II with a nuclear umbrella and [23:27] protecting your security for all of [23:29] these years against this this predator [23:31] regime, this tyrannical diabolical [23:34] regime which wants to control the Middle [23:36] East. You have to make some sacrifices [23:38] here as well. We're there making [23:40] sacrifices. Our troops are making [23:42] sacrifices. Israelis are making [23:44] sacrifices. You got to man up yourself [23:46] and be prepared and talk to your people [23:48] about what's going on on why it's [23:50] important for you to defend and be [23:52] prepared to stand up to the Iranians. [23:56] >> All right. That I think was I mean it [23:59] was I was just thrilled [24:01] to hear him say all that because it's [24:04] just refreshing to hear somebody say it [24:06] which is this. these Arab countries, the [24:09] UAE, the Saudis, the Ku, all of these [24:12] guys, they have such advanced air [24:16] defense systems, such defense, such [24:19] advanced um missile defense systems, [24:23] and they're constantly terrified of [24:27] Iran's threats to strike their, you [24:30] know, their oil infrastructure or [24:31] anything else. [24:33] And and what he's saying is like look, [24:36] in order to deal with a problem, you [24:38] have to take risks. And these countries [24:40] never take any risks. They never take a [24:42] single risk. They're never willing to [24:44] fight. Not forget about fighting for [24:46] each other. They don't even fight for [24:47] themselves. They never fight. Even the [24:49] way the Saudis are handling the Houthis, [24:50] it's all very kind of like it's like [24:52] soft pedaling it. They don't go in [24:53] there. They're not really willing to put [24:55] soldiers on the line. They're not [24:56] willing to incur casualties on their own [24:58] behalf for their own defense. [25:01] And what he's saying there is like look, [25:04] you know, every time America wants to [25:06] ramp up combat operations or to do [25:08] something that might provoke the [25:09] Iranians, these guys all freak out. And [25:12] he said three times they've called Trump [25:14] to tell them to back off because they're [25:16] so terrified of about getting struck. [25:18] And he's saying someone has to lay down [25:19] the law with them and say, "Look, we've [25:21] provided you with the most advanced [25:23] missile defense and air defense systems [25:24] in the world. Use them. Just rely on [25:28] them. you're, you know, just fight. Be [25:30] willing to fight. And if and if there's [25:32] a little bit of a price to pay, if you [25:33] incur some damage, if there's some [25:34] casualties, that's the way it goes in [25:36] war. You know, the Israelis understand [25:38] that. The Americans understand that. [25:40] It's time that they understood this. [25:41] It's just maddening. But it, look, these [25:44] Arab countries, these Arab monarchies, [25:46] they're all wimps. They're all wimps. [25:49] Their people are not really that [25:50] patriotic. [25:52] They're not really willing to fight [25:53] wars. That's the real bottom line. [25:55] That's the real answer to what Jackeen [25:56] is saying here. They're not really [25:57] willing to fight. [26:00] When do they risk their lives in war? [26:03] They don't. It's just the, you know, the [26:05] fanatical jihadists do. But the people [26:08] who run these countries, these royal [26:10] families who are making money, who run [26:11] these countries, these mob, these mafia [26:13] families, basically, they're not [26:14] interested in taking any risks [26:16] whatsoever. [26:17] So, this is a problem. this becomes a a [26:20] strategic problem for America who's [26:21] trying to work with these people and you [26:23] know and providing them with defenses [26:25] and yet they're never willing to lift a [26:27] finger or to or to incur any risks in [26:29] the interest of really solving a problem [26:31] solving the problem of Iran. They're [26:32] just not willing to do it. Okay, one [26:35] last thing before we go quickly is um [26:39] is just you know one more thing that's [26:42] happening economically with Iran that I [26:44] feel obligated to mention is the [26:46] poverty. poverty pushes Iranian children [26:49] to hazardous border work. And this is a [26:50] story about how, you know, because [26:53] there's there's such a lack of jobs. So, [26:55] there's this practice of carrying goods [26:58] across mountainous frontiers in the [27:00] Iran's border region and they and [27:03] they'll take these teenage kids and [27:04] they'll load them up and they'll have [27:06] them carry stuff on their backs as a way [27:08] of moving goods. Um, especially when [27:12] there's a, you know, when there's when [27:13] there's a blockade going on and this is [27:16] very dangerous work. They often get [27:17] killed along the way or die along the [27:19] way. And it just shows you how desperate [27:22] people are in Iran right now. In any [27:24] event, I just wanted to bring that up. [27:26] We have to continue to pray for the [27:28] welfare of the of the Iranian people. Um [27:31] and uh yeah, and uh and we'll hope that [27:35] this uh sanctions uh this this whole [27:37] sanctions campaign of America actually [27:39] yields some positive results. All right, [27:42] thanks for watching. Drop a comment. Let [27:43] me know what you thought. God bless.
