Transcript [00:00] Are there or are there not negotiations [00:03] going on right now between the United [00:05] States and the Iranians? Trump is [00:09] talking about uh active talks going on, [00:12] optimistic that we can find a solution. [00:14] He's talking about the Venezuela option [00:16] of finding someone remaining from the [00:18] regime who they can work with, kind of [00:21] like what they did in Venezuela with [00:22] Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's number two. [00:25] And in this video, what we're going to [00:28] look at is how is the Arab world [00:31] reacting to this? [00:33] How are the Gulf states reacting to [00:35] this? And what we're going to uncover as [00:37] we look through the headlines, as we [00:38] read the news, is that it seems that we [00:40] have different camps within the Muslim [00:43] world. Uh that's [00:45] that's what we're going to see here. [00:47] It's going to be I'm looking forward to [00:48] talking about this one. Before we get [00:50] into it, I want to uh [00:52] encourage you to go visit the YouTube [00:56] channel of Israel 365 News for a much [00:59] longer time than this channel has been [01:01] active. I've been posting videos there. [01:04] Uh there's a lot of great stuff in the [01:05] archive. We also put out videos pretty [01:07] much every day. So, in the last couple [01:09] days, we put out a video just today [01:11] where I spoke to uh Dr. David Wurmser [01:14] about this current situation with what [01:16] Trump has been saying these last couple [01:18] days and uh [01:19] and these negotiations. [01:21] Uh and there's an interview that I did a [01:23] a few months ago at America Fest with [01:24] Nick Freitas that was just uploaded. And [01:27] a lot of great stuff here. And when [01:29] you're there, especially, go into the [01:31] playlist section. And in the playlists, [01:35] you'll see a playlist called Israel, The [01:37] Rise of a Regional Superpower. And in [01:39] there, there are it's a six-video [01:41] series, six short videos that lay out [01:43] the case that Israel, since October 7th, [01:46] has developed into a regional [01:48] superpower. So, go over to Israel 365 [01:51] News YouTube channel, subscribe, and [01:53] make sure you're not missing any of my [01:54] content. Okay. [01:57] Let's get to this. So, we're going to [01:58] focus a lot of a lot of what we're going [02:00] to look at in this video is coming from [02:03] uh a news outlet I want to introduce you [02:04] to called The National. Now, The [02:06] National is United Arab Emirates [02:09] outlet. It is not officially It is not [02:12] officially a government outlet, but it [02:13] is strongly aligned with the government [02:15] and generally assumed to be a mouthpiece [02:18] of the UAE government position, okay? [02:21] And this is their This is their front [02:22] page today. [02:24] Iran appoints new security chief to [02:26] replace assassinated Larijani. Fine. [02:29] What we're going to focus on is the [02:30] negotiations and what's going on with [02:31] that. So, we want to take a look at how [02:34] they're covering it. Okay, this this [02:36] video, we're really going to be [02:39] analyzing what the media is doing. And [02:41] if you've been with this channel [02:43] uh throughout the war, we look at media [02:46] from the Middle East [02:48] for a sense of of what they're [02:50] signaling, keeping in mind that most of [02:52] the media we're looking at is [02:54] government-controlled and it's and it it [02:56] works as mouthpieces of the government. [02:58] That actually is a luxury when you're [02:59] doing analysis. [03:01] Because when you're reading opinion [03:02] pieces, when you're reading editorials, [03:04] when you're reading even the news items [03:06] and what's chosen to be on the front [03:07] page, [03:08] you know you're getting direction about [03:11] where that government wants things to [03:14] go. Cuz that's how these That's how [03:16] these news outlets operate. Okay, with [03:17] that introduction, let's take a look [03:19] what we have here. So, first of all, [03:21] Pakistan offers to host peace talks as [03:24] Israel and Iran exchange heavy fire. [03:27] Concern in Israel after Donald Trump [03:29] touts Iran talks. [03:31] And who in Iran could negotiate with [03:33] Trump? So, we have these top three [03:34] stories here [03:35] are, you know, right under the top [03:37] headline. The top three stories then are [03:39] all about the negotiations. And we're [03:41] going to take a look at at how the in [03:43] the UAE, they're talking about these [03:45] negotiations, okay? So, first, [03:47] Pakistan offers to host [03:50] peace talks [03:51] as Israel and Iran exchange heavy fire. [03:54] Urgent diplomatic push after President [03:55] Trump offers five-day window for talks. [03:58] Pakistan. So, the the lead item here, [04:00] remember, this is [04:02] Pakistan offers to host [04:03] peace talks. The lead isn't [04:06] Israel and Iran begin talks and then in [04:08] the story it says that Pakistan is [04:10] hosting them. The lead here is that [04:11] Pakistan is doing this, okay? Keep that [04:13] in mind. [04:14] Okay? [04:16] Pakistan has offered to host peace talks [04:17] between the US and Iran after President [04:19] Trump raised hopes of ending the war. [04:21] Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif [04:24] said Pakistan stands ready and honored [04:26] to be the host to facilitate meaningful [04:27] conclusive talks for a comprehensive [04:29] settlement. [04:31] And then it talks about how the fighting [04:32] continues. [04:34] And that there's been dozens of that [04:36] there's been uh Israel's been attacking [04:38] deep inside Iran with [04:40] with thousands of targets being hit. [04:43] Mr. Trump has offered a five-day window [04:44] for talks before potential strikes on [04:46] Iran's power plants. Reports say the US [04:48] is also sending Marines to the Middle [04:50] East who could arrive within that time. [04:53] Iran has denied that direct peace talks [04:55] have taken place, okay? Very important [04:58] narrative set here. [05:00] The Americans want the peace talks, but [05:02] they have Marines on their way that will [05:04] be will be arriving before the ultimatum [05:06] would expire. And the Iranians deny that [05:09] the talks are happening. On Tuesday, [05:11] Iran appointed this new guy to replace [05:14] Larijani. [05:15] Uh that's not what we're talking about [05:16] in this uh [05:18] in this video. [05:22] With the IRGC consolidating power and no [05:24] sign of the regime change sought by the [05:27] US and Israel, concern concern over a [05:30] prolonged war is growing. [05:32] The war's economic fallout widened on [05:34] Tuesday as uh the Philippines declared a [05:37] state of emergency. [05:39] And [05:41] as Gulf states face Iran's drone and [05:43] missile strikes, Qatar said it was time [05:45] for them to reassess their regional [05:47] security systems. We need a unified [05:49] stance in the Gulf. [05:51] Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed [05:54] al-Ansari said. He said there was no [05:56] direct Qatari effort to mediate between [05:58] the US and Iran to end the war. Qatar's [06:00] stance is that we must end the war [06:02] through diplomatic means, and we support [06:04] all informal and formal diplomatic [06:05] channels. [06:07] Pakistan's bid to mediate talks came a [06:09] day after Mr. Shehbaz spoke to Mr. [06:11] Pishchian to call for dialogue. Pakistan [06:14] welcomes and fully supports ongoing [06:16] efforts to pursue dialogue to end the [06:19] war in the Middle East in the interest [06:21] of peace and stability in the region and [06:23] beyond, Mr. Shehbaz said. [06:26] Mr. Trump appeared to acknowledge [06:28] Pakistan's offer by reposting it on [06:30] Truth Social. [06:31] And Oman's Sultan Haitham, meanwhile, [06:34] spoke to French President Macron and [06:36] discussed efforts being made to to calm [06:38] things down. [06:40] And then we have uh the Germans [06:42] expressing concern about the war. [06:44] And [06:46] and it talks about how many uh [06:48] how many people have been injured in [06:50] attacks by the Iranians, how many people [06:53] in Israel have been injured by attacks [06:54] by the Iranians. So, that's the story. [06:56] The focus, again, from the headline on [06:59] down is that Pakistan has offered to [07:01] host the peace talks. [07:02] Um and uh [07:06] the role that they're playing. [07:08] And that the Iranians deny that the [07:10] talks are even happening. Now, [07:12] I want to connect that with what we see [07:14] right here. This is the Washington Post [07:16] from from today, [07:19] from just a couple hours ago. [07:21] And look at the headline. Trump says [07:22] peace talks progressing as Iran [07:23] officials deny negotiations. Egypt, [07:26] Pakistan, and Turkey have taken the lead [07:28] in efforts to broker a peace deal [07:30] between the United States and Iran, [07:31] though conversations have been indirect [07:33] thus far. So, it mentions those [07:34] countries. And we see this also in [07:36] Al-Monitor. Al-Monitor is is [07:39] Washington-based, covering the Middle [07:41] East, and it's actually independent, [07:42] okay? This is a rare [07:44] um outlet that covers the Middle East in [07:45] depth. It's more like a It's almost like [07:47] a think tank. Uh it's a very important [07:49] outlet. A lot of insiders read it. [07:51] Um and uh it's quite independent. Uh [07:54] US proposes, and I'm not saying that [07:57] only to praise it for being I mean, I'm [08:00] it's not It's meaning it's not partisan. [08:03] It's not pro-Israel. It's not [08:04] anti-Israel. It's It's very [08:06] It's really a neutral as close you can [08:08] get as close as you can get to a neutral [08:10] outlet. So, Al-Monitor, US proposes [08:12] Vance-Ghalibaf talks, Ghalibaf talks [08:15] with Turkey as one intermediary, source. [08:19] Iran has yet to respond to the proposal. [08:22] Okay, so [08:24] uh the United States has proposed [08:25] holding talks between Vice President [08:26] J.D. Vance and Iran's Parliament Speaker [08:29] uh Mohammad Ghalibaf. And you should [08:32] watch my I just made a video yesterday [08:35] about who this guy is. Uh or you could [08:37] watch at the Israel 365 News [08:39] uh channel, the video we uploaded today, [08:42] uh which also in the interview with Dr. [08:45] David Wurmser, we get into who this guy [08:46] is. It's important to understand who [08:48] we're dealing with here. So, I'm not [08:49] going to get into that here. I've [08:50] already dealt with it in that in that [08:51] other video. Go ahead and watch it, cuz [08:53] he's an important person to be aware of, [08:55] to know his background, to know which [08:56] camp he's in. Uh because his name is [08:59] going to be in the news a lot in the [09:00] coming days. Well, unless he gets [09:01] droned. Um [09:03] A Turkish source confirmed to Al-Monitor [09:05] in a potential shift in effort to open a [09:07] diplomatic channel with Tehran as the [09:10] war approaches the one-month mark. The [09:11] proposal for the talks was conveyed [09:13] through intermediaries, including [09:15] Turkey, the source said. Turkish Foreign [09:17] Minister Hakan Fidan, that's this dude, [09:21] uh discussed efforts to end the war on [09:23] Monday with Saudi Foreign Minister [09:25] Prince [09:26] uh Faisal bin Farhan, Egyptian Foreign [09:29] Minister [09:30] Abdulladi, and Pakistani Foreign [09:32] Minister Ishaq Dar, a Turkish diplomatic [09:35] source said. The conversations came [09:37] after Fidan's talks on Sunday [09:41] with US officials and his Iranian [09:43] counterpart Abbas Aragchi. As part of [09:46] the efforts, plans are also underway for [09:47] potential meeting in Islamabad, that's [09:49] in Pakistan, [09:51] involving senior US and Iranian [09:52] officials. [09:54] The initiative facilitated by Pakistan [09:56] with support from regional partners as [09:58] part of a broad as part of broader [09:59] efforts to establish an indirect channel [10:01] aimed at de-escalating the war, the [10:03] report said. So again, at the front of [10:05] the line are Pakistan and Turkey. [10:07] They're the ones pushing the [10:09] negotiations. Okay, let's keep that in [10:11] mind. Every Think about everything we [10:13] know about them. [10:15] Okay, that's the main thing I wanted to [10:16] pull out of all of this. It says that [10:17] Iran is yet to respond to the proposal. [10:19] Right, cuz they're denying that there's [10:21] any real negotiations going on even [10:23] though Trump says there's been there've [10:24] been productive talks. [10:26] Trump's announcement of talks came after [10:28] he had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to [10:30] Iran and I talked about that in that in [10:32] my previous video about that ultimatum. [10:35] And uh and what that all means and we [10:36] also talked about it with uh I talked [10:38] about it with Dr. Wormser. [10:40] Gallant Boffin turn said that no [10:41] negotiations had been held with the [10:43] United States but stopped short of [10:45] explicitly explicitly ruling out [10:47] third-party mediation. Okay, that's what [10:49] he said. [10:50] Um [10:56] Fidan added that any path to Hakan [10:58] Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, [10:59] added that any [11:02] path to a ceasefire would also require [11:04] persuading Israel arguing that the main [11:06] obstacle is not a lack of proposals but [11:08] the absence of political will on the [11:10] Israeli side to end the war. [11:13] The problem is not the absence of plans [11:15] to end the war. The problem is that [11:16] Israel does not want peace, Fidan said. [11:18] So there you go, he's throwing a little [11:19] attack [11:21] at Israel and it ends with it ends by [11:24] pointing at the Netanyahu said he's [11:26] basically going to [11:28] going to um [11:31] going to go along with what Trump is [11:33] doing because whatever agreement we [11:35] happens will end up being in Israel's [11:37] it'll protect Israel's interests. Okay, [11:38] so the the main point here is that we [11:42] have [11:43] looks like there really are talks. [11:45] Otherwise, there wouldn't be all of the [11:46] all of this reporting. [11:48] Uh Al-Monitor is is very well sourced [11:50] and they're saying that Vance Galliboff [11:51] talks have been proposed. Turkey is an [11:54] intermediary and then we also see [11:55] Pakistan as a host. And you put that [11:58] together with the Washington Post saying [11:59] Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey. So that's the [12:01] camp that is pushing these talks. Okay? [12:05] And on So on the on the national on this [12:09] UAE site, so we saw that first article [12:11] that talked about the talks. [12:13] Um and it focused on the fact that [12:15] Pakistan [12:16] is is hosting them but it also it also [12:20] made mention of the number of civilian [12:23] casualties that the Israelis [12:25] have uh have suffered which is an [12:27] interesting thing to add in to an [12:29] article about the fact that there's [12:30] negotiations going on. [12:32] Um and uh it also talked about the fact [12:35] that the Qataris want talks as well. [12:38] They mentioned that in there. [12:39] But this is also on the on their site. [12:41] Concern in Israel after Donald Trump [12:43] touts Iran talks. I found this this [12:45] article and the next one [12:47] um [12:48] these next these next three articles [12:50] which were all on um [12:52] there's there's the two news items and [12:54] then there's an editorial I'm going to [12:55] show you really point to where the UAE [12:58] is in all this. Okay? So now [13:01] stay with me here. [13:03] This is getting interesting. [13:05] Concern in Israel after Donald Trump [13:07] touts Iran talks. Okay? So what do we [13:10] have in this article? [13:12] So what's the article about? This is the [13:13] UAE [13:15] and they have a headline concern in [13:17] Israel after Donald Trump touts Iran [13:19] talks. [13:20] Uncertainty reigns in Israel after [13:22] President Trump said the US is in [13:24] productive talks with Iran seemingly [13:26] before decisive progress has been made [13:28] on any of the main Israeli-US war aims. [13:32] Mr. Trump made the shock announcement [13:33] yesterday saying he would give Iran a [13:35] five-day deadline to open the Strait of [13:38] Hormuz before the US attacked Iranian [13:40] power stations. The news sent oil prices [13:43] tumbling and was cautiously taken as [13:45] good news by much of the world [13:49] which fears the potential for vast [13:51] economic fallout and instability from a [13:54] sustained conflict in the region. Mr. [13:56] Trump said on Truth Social that the US [13:58] and Iran had held very good and [14:00] productive conversations about a [14:01] complete and total resolution of [14:03] hostilities in the Middle East. And he [14:05] claimed that 15 points of agreement had [14:07] been reached between the US and Iran [14:08] after after talks this weekend. Iran [14:11] denied such talks had taken place. [14:13] Okay, that's just sort of setting the [14:15] framework for now the main body of the [14:17] story which is as the headline says [14:19] about the reaction in Israel. [14:21] Israel where politicians and the public [14:24] overwhelmingly back the war is far less [14:26] enthusiastic. [14:28] Two main priorities for the country, [14:30] dealing with Iran's nuclear program and [14:32] ballistic missile arsenal, appear far [14:34] from complete. Iran's nuclear facilities [14:37] have suffered only limited attacks and [14:39] the regime continues to fire missiles at [14:41] Israel and the region. [14:42] Hours after Mr. Trump's announcement, [14:44] the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin [14:45] Netanyahu said, "President Trump [14:47] believes there is an opportunity to [14:50] leverage the tremendous achievements we [14:52] have reached alongside the US military [14:54] to realize the goals of the war through [14:56] an agreement. An agreement that will [14:57] safeguard our vital interests. We will [15:00] safeguard our vital interests under all [15:02] circumstances." [15:05] Okay, that line wasn't recorded wasn't [15:08] uh reported in the story as we read it [15:11] in Al-Monitor. Take a look. Al-Monitor. [15:14] In a video address, Netanyahu said that [15:16] Trump thinks there's an opportunity to [15:18] draw on recent military achievements to [15:20] achieve the rest of the war's goals [15:22] through an agreement. Such an agreement [15:24] will protect our interests. Such an [15:26] agreement will protect our interests. In [15:28] other words, yes, we're happy to go to [15:30] an agreement in the confidence that an [15:32] agreement will protect our interests. [15:34] The way that the UAE reported the [15:36] remarks [15:38] Okay, which [15:40] which were which were made in Hebrew [15:43] are we will safeguard our vital [15:46] interests under all circumstances, much [15:47] tougher stance and implying that this [15:50] isn't about agreeing to negotiations, [15:52] it's about a commitment that Israel has [15:53] to safeguard our national interests. [15:55] They're spinning it differently. [15:58] Daniel [15:59] Citrinowicz [16:01] a senior researcher at the Israeli think [16:03] tank INSS said that while we shouldn't [16:06] underestimate the US and Israeli [16:07] achievements, especially on the [16:09] conventional side regarding command and [16:11] control and decapitation of senior [16:12] leadership, this is not accumulating [16:15] into a strategic effect as the regime [16:17] wasn't toppled and it managed to [16:19] overcome [16:21] uh Khamenei's decapitation. If the war [16:24] ends today despite the achievement, we [16:26] can't call it a success. We still have [16:28] the same regime which is weaker but more [16:30] emboldened. The war was operationally [16:32] planned quite well but nobody thought [16:34] about the implications, he added. The [16:35] uncertainty comes amid new reports that [16:37] Trump is serious about ending the war. [16:41] Three senior Israeli officials told [16:43] Reuters that that the president appears [16:45] to be determined to reach a deal. [16:47] The report added that all the officials [16:49] thought it unlikely that Iran would [16:51] agree to Trump's demands. In other [16:52] words, Trump wants a deal but they don't [16:55] think that the Iranians are going to do [16:56] it. Quote, "If this war ends with easing [16:58] the sanctions on Iran and pretending [17:00] there's a new Iran from within the IRGC [17:02] or this leadership, then I'm quite [17:03] pessimistic," says Amit Segal, one of [17:05] Israel's most influential journalists. [17:08] "There's a lot of confusion. I don't [17:09] think they can meet halfway but who [17:10] knows? We have President Trump here." [17:13] And as the Israeli journalist Amos Harel [17:16] wrote in Haaretz that Mr. Trump's [17:18] announcements could be a diversion [17:19] tactic before escalating fighting. [17:22] Okay, if an agreement uh to end the war [17:24] is reached soon, it means that the [17:25] much-talked-about goal at the war's [17:27] outset [17:28] namely regime change, will not be [17:30] included, he added. End of article. [17:33] Now, I pointed out why am I reading this [17:36] whole article every single word? [17:38] Because this is this article is [17:40] reporting on how Israelis are reacting [17:45] to the potential for a Trump deal. [17:49] There's a lot of other angles they could [17:50] have taken on these negotiations. This [17:52] is the UAE. [17:54] And they put this article very [17:55] prominently on the front page. This is [17:57] the headline and it's right here, it's [17:59] number two, right underneath the fact [18:01] that Pakistan is hosting the talks which [18:03] is the news item saying there are talks. [18:05] The very next meaning the first piece of [18:06] spin about the fact that the talks are [18:09] happening, the first piece of spin they [18:10] put up is about the concern in Israel [18:13] and they leave the concern. They don't [18:14] present both sides. They it's just the [18:17] concern in Israel over the talks and [18:19] allowing these Israeli experts [18:22] journalists [18:24] to lay out the argument of why regime [18:27] change why negotiating without a regime [18:30] change is going to be a disaster and is [18:32] a failure. [18:33] It means that the war aims weren't met. [18:37] Uncritically, they just quote these [18:38] people. [18:42] This is the point of this video. [18:45] This is the UAE's way of endorsing that [18:48] position without endorsing it. [18:51] Okay, this is what they do. They don't [18:53] want to write an editorial saying [18:56] we want the regime to be toppled. [18:58] We're totally on Israel's side here. [19:01] And that stopping short of toppling the [19:03] regime is a failure. They don't want to [19:05] do that. So what do you do? You bring in [19:07] someone [19:10] and you do an article about other people [19:12] saying that and you give them the [19:13] platform and you just print their words [19:16] and let the article [19:19] give that give that argument and leave [19:21] it uncriticized and put it prominently [19:24] on the front page. Okay, it gives a kind [19:27] of it's sort of like a plausible [19:28] deniability where the UAE isn't isn't [19:31] saying these things but they're [19:33] amplifying this as the key spin on the [19:37] fact that there are meaning you have the [19:39] you have story number one, there are [19:40] talks. Story number two, here's the [19:43] here's here's what the Israelis are [19:44] saying about it. [19:46] And then story number three [19:49] is [19:50] is this story here, who in Iran could [19:52] negotiate with Trump?" which is this [19:54] story here. "Iran's last men standing, [19:56] who could negotiate with Trump?" And [19:58] look what it does here. It singles out [20:00] three people. [20:02] Okay? [20:03] US President Donald Trump says that Iran [20:05] has entered peace talks and signaled [20:06] it's open to a deal, but who can they [20:08] talk to? [20:09] Right? Ali Khamenei is dead, Mojtaba is [20:12] probably dead, no one's seen no one his [20:14] his condition is uncertain as they say [20:16] here. Several other commanders have been [20:18] assassinated. Larijani is gone, they [20:20] mention him. [20:24] And then it says that uh after first [20:25] denying that there were negotiations, [20:27] they then admitted that messages have [20:28] been received. Great. And then it goes [20:31] through who the three people are. It [20:32] starts with Abbas Aragchi, foreign [20:34] minister. [20:35] Right? That's [20:37] That's Abbas Aragchi, the guy in the [20:38] middle there, we all know him. [20:40] So, it starts with Abbas Aragchi. Mr. [20:41] Aragchi is an experienced negotiator [20:44] with the West who helped strike the [20:46] nuclear deal in 2015. But, he's enjoyed [20:48] less success in the Trump era. Look what [20:50] they're saying about him. "But, he's [20:51] enjoyed less success in the Trump era. [20:53] More recently, he led Iran's negotiating [20:55] team in three rounds of talks with the [20:57] US in February which failed to avert [20:59] war." [21:01] Earlier talks involving Mr. Aragchi met [21:02] a similar fate [21:04] when Israel attacked Iran in the 12-day [21:05] war. All they're doing is highlighting [21:06] his failures [21:08] to to to be a successful negotiator. [21:11] "The current war has made Mr. Aragchi [21:12] one of his one of Iran's chief [21:14] spokesman. In that role, he has played [21:16] down the prospect of future talks after [21:18] what he called his very bitter [21:20] experience in the past year. I don't [21:21] think talking with the Americans would [21:23] be on our agenda anymore." The entire [21:24] piece about Aragchi is about how [21:27] the negotiations that he's been involved [21:29] with have failed and that he doesn't [21:30] even want to negotiate. That's that's [21:32] all That's pretty much all they say [21:33] about him. [21:35] Then they go to [21:36] bachelor number two, Mohammad Bagher [21:38] Ghalibaf. That's the evil dude that I [21:40] made a video about yesterday. You should [21:42] go watch it. That's the guy on the left. [21:44] Okay? You got to look out for this guy. [21:46] Looks like the Americans might be [21:47] talking to him. [21:49] After Mr. Trump said talks have been [21:50] held with Iran, reports suggested [21:52] Parliament speaker Ghalibaf was the man [21:55] in contact with the US officials, but he [21:56] denied that saying that no negotiations [21:58] have been held. And then it says who he [22:00] is. Mr. Ghalibaf is a former Iranian Air [22:02] Force pilot who openly mocked Mr. [22:04] Trump's war leadership. "He claimed he [22:06] defeated us nine times in the last two [22:08] weeks. Hilarious." Mr. Ghalibaf wrote. [22:10] So, what are they focusing on with him? [22:12] That he mocks Trump and that he's, you [22:15] know, thumbed his nose at him. Also a [22:17] former police chief and Tehran mayor. [22:19] He's been speaker of the Iranian since [22:21] 2020. [22:23] Um he also ran and he's seen as a [22:25] hardliner in the race. He came third [22:27] behind in a in a presidential race, [22:29] meaning he's a hardliner. Okay. [22:34] So, that's that's what they say about [22:35] Ghalibaf. And then the third guy is [22:37] Masoud Pezeshkian and they talk about [22:39] how weak he is. And we know he's the [22:40] president and they just focus on the [22:42] fact that he's very weak and that even [22:44] when he says things, they end up getting [22:46] contradicted by the IRGC and that he's [22:48] not he's not really an option. Okay? So, [22:50] they write here [22:51] um [22:53] "Iran's president is relatively weak [22:55] even in calmer times and has little sway [22:57] over military and security matters." [22:59] Okay? So, they The point of this piece [23:04] is to say, "Eh, Aragchi, that would be a [23:07] failure. He's not That's not That's not [23:08] a real negotiation. Pezeshkian, he's too [23:10] weak. He doesn't even control anything." [23:12] And then you got Ghalibaf who's this [23:14] hardliner who's, you know, and and all [23:16] they do is talk about his insults to [23:18] Trump. [23:20] What is going on here? [23:22] Let Oh oh Let's throw in one last item [23:25] from [23:26] um [23:27] uh from the from the news part of the [23:29] paper. [23:31] And that is in this article is "Iran and [23:34] Israel exchange intense strikes despite [23:36] Trump's claim of productive talks." In [23:38] the middle of this article, it suddenly [23:40] talks about [23:41] um [23:44] "Inside Iran, the human cost continues [23:46] to mount [23:47] to mount. State media reported at least [23:49] 208 children have been killed since the [23:51] outbreak of the war, including 168 who [23:53] died in an attack on a girls' school. A [23:55] nationwide internet blackout, now in its [23:57] 25th consecutive day, has left the [23:59] public cut off from independent [24:01] information. Authorities have also [24:03] arrested more than 1,000 people over the [24:04] course of the month, including 466 in a [24:07] single sweep on Tuesday [24:09] on charges of filming sensitive sites, [24:12] sharing anti-government content, and [24:14] cooperating with the enemy." They are [24:16] highlighting [24:18] the fact that there is [24:20] an extensive resistance that is being [24:22] cracked down upon. [24:24] Okay? They're They're focusing in on the [24:27] fact that the regime is still evil [24:29] and it's still suppressing the people. [24:32] Right? [24:34] And in the in this piece, they're [24:35] talking about how none of these guys [24:37] could are really fit for negotiation. [24:41] And here they're they're parroting the [24:44] Israeli side about how negotiations are [24:47] a bad thing [24:48] without offering the counterargument. [24:50] There's no article here arguing what why [24:52] negotiations are good. [24:56] Okay? And then this was the most amazing [24:59] thing to me. They ran on the opinion [25:02] page a piece [25:04] well, sort of on the opinion page, it's [25:05] kind of a news item. [25:07] It's a a it it is an an article about an [25:11] interview conducted for The National [25:15] for this publication [25:17] with [25:19] um [25:20] Mehrdad Mardi Yussefiani. [25:24] Mardi Yussefiani is a fellow at the [25:26] Middle East Forum. [25:28] But, more importantly, he is a major [25:31] leader in the Iranian [25:33] opposition in exile. For many years, he [25:35] was the chief counsel chief adviser to [25:39] uh Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. Now, he [25:40] doesn't work for him. [25:42] Um he's helping organize it says right [25:44] here, "Mardi Yussefiani is helping [25:45] organize a conference in London next [25:47] week for hundreds of Iranian opposition [25:49] figures." "Said those attending had [25:51] heard nothing meaningful from the West." [25:53] This entire article is about how the [25:55] Americans are making a huge mistake [25:58] by not engaging with the Iranian [26:00] opposition [26:02] figures [26:04] um and and and what a terrible error [26:06] that is. That's what this article is [26:08] about. Okay? [26:11] um [26:13] And it's That's what That's the entire [26:15] substance of the article. [26:17] Why would they be running this? You know [26:19] what? I know this video's gone a little [26:21] long, [26:22] but it really is worth [26:24] uh reading this article. So, let me go [26:26] through some of it. "West failing to [26:28] engage with Iranian opposition as war [26:29] grinds on. There has been no serious [26:31] attention given to anybody by any world [26:33] power." Prominent Iranian-American says. [26:37] That's Mardi. "The US and other powers [26:39] are failing to adequately engage with [26:40] Iran's opposition movement and its vast [26:43] diaspora to plan for what happens once [26:44] the war ends. Iran's focus has been on [26:47] wiping out the Iranian military, but [26:48] with the war approaching the 1-month [26:50] mark, it remains unclear who Washington [26:52] wants in control in control in Tehran." [26:55] But, here's the thing, it doesn't remain [26:56] that unclear. [26:58] It remains unclear who the individual [26:59] would be, but Trump has said he wants [27:01] the Venezuela option, which means that [27:03] the regime guys stay there. [27:05] Mehrdad Mardi Yussefiani is helping to [27:07] organize a conference in London, right? [27:09] With the opposition figures. [27:11] "We're in touch with every major name [27:13] brand group, ethnicity, and entity that [27:15] claims any relevance to the Iranian [27:16] political universe. We are in touch with [27:18] them and there has been no serious [27:20] attention or patronage given to anybody [27:21] by any world power, including Washington [27:24] and arguably Israel and the Europeans. [27:26] Political solutions are typically [27:28] studied and worked on before military [27:29] actions. I remain concerned that not [27:32] enough nurturing has been offered to the [27:33] Iranian opposition spectrum domestically [27:36] or in exile." [27:38] Okay? And they're they're going to have [27:40] all these representatives from all the [27:41] different groups. [27:43] And he says, "I see it as a big red flag [27:45] danger that there's no viable serious [27:46] effort to engage, even if it stands at [27:49] 5% chance, with the political process. [27:52] The White House did not immediately [27:53] respond to a request for comment." Now, [27:55] when you see a line like that, remember [27:57] that line doesn't have to be put there. [27:59] They could ask the White House for [28:00] comment and not get it and not include a [28:02] sentence like this. When they include a [28:03] sentence like this, they're trying to [28:05] say [28:07] that this is a problem. "US President [28:09] Trump claimed on Monday that he has held [28:11] productive conversations with Tehran and [28:13] postponed military strikes on Iranian [28:15] power plants and energy infrastructure [28:17] for 5 days. Tehran said they The Tehran [28:20] denied it." [28:21] And then it says that, you know, Trump [28:23] says he's talking to the top person in [28:25] the regime. "Mr. Yussefiani, who worked [28:27] for nearly two decades as chief of staff [28:29] of Reza Pahlavi, is concerned that the [28:31] war is creating fissures among [28:33] opposition groups." [28:36] Okay? And then and then he warns at the [28:38] end he warned at that time is not on the [28:41] Trump administration's side. [28:43] "And with each passing day, the regime [28:45] remains in power and it increases [28:47] anxiety. The longer regime collapse [28:49] takes, with neither liberty nor safety [28:52] nor security on the horizon, any [28:53] population will start to question." In [28:56] other words, this entire piece [28:58] is wagging a finger at the Trump [29:00] administration saying, "Why are you [29:03] ignoring the opposition? [29:05] And you're enabling the regime to remain [29:08] in power." And it's calling them out. [29:10] Again, [29:11] there's no pushback in the piece. [29:13] Just like the piece that that [29:16] that was a news item about how Israelis [29:18] are opposed to the talks and are worried [29:20] about the talks. And here is about how [29:22] the opposition, the Iranian people, the [29:24] opposition, they're worried about the [29:26] talks also. They're not happy with it [29:28] either. [29:30] What we have here is without the UAE [29:33] coming right out and saying we're [29:34] opposed to these negotiations, [29:36] they're elevating voices that are [29:38] opposed to the negotiations and they're [29:40] spinning the negotiations as unlikely to [29:42] succeed, right? They're talking about [29:44] who the people are that could be that [29:47] could be [29:48] negotiated with and they're all not very [29:49] good. They're elevating the Jew the [29:53] Israeli voices of concern. They're [29:55] elevating Marty Youssefiani saying that [29:57] these negotiations are are with are are [29:59] basically a deal with the devil and will [30:01] and will keep the regime in power. [30:04] And meanwhile, you have the Saudis Saudi [30:08] prince is said this is the New York [30:09] Times [30:11] This is the New York Times from today. [30:14] Saudi prince is said to push Trump to [30:16] continue Iran war in recent calls. Okay, [30:19] so the Saudis Saudi Arabia is pushing [30:23] for war to bring down the regime. [30:28] It's that it's a historic opportunity to [30:30] remake the Middle East. [30:32] You see what's going on here? [30:36] Folks, let me sum this up. This is huge. [30:40] It's it's a huge narrative that is [30:42] unfolding in real time over the last few [30:45] days. [30:46] We have the Pakistanis, [30:48] the Qataris, the Egyptians, the Turks. [30:53] They're pushing for negotiated end they [30:56] want the regime to remain in power. [30:57] They're happy it's weak. They love that, [30:59] but they want it to remain in power. [31:00] They don't want it to fall. [31:02] And they're pushing in that direction. [31:04] And then we have the Saudis and the [31:06] Emiratis. [31:08] Presumably some other Abraham Accords [31:10] aligned Gulf states who are pushing [31:14] who are saying who are pushing against [31:16] the negotiations. They want this war to [31:18] topple the regime, but they're not going [31:20] to come out and say it explicitly. So it [31:22] gets leaked to the New York Times. [31:25] The New York Times is not going to run [31:26] something like this. [31:28] They don't want to get on on MBS's bad [31:30] side. Trust me, this is an authorized [31:32] leak. [31:33] Saudi prince is said to push Trump to [31:35] continue Iran war. [31:37] Right? [31:40] American officials, according to people [31:42] briefed by the American officials, [31:45] uh okay, this is what happened. This is [31:47] this is what the New York Times is for. [31:48] They leak these things. [31:50] So we have camps now emerging within the [31:52] Muslim world within Arab / Muslim world [31:56] for and against negotiations. [31:59] That is what this video is about and we [32:01] see it [32:02] we see it by reading the news carefully. [32:06] I hope you found this helpful. [32:08] And if you're following the war through [32:09] this channel, please drop a comment and [32:12] let me know what you think, but please [32:14] also tell other people what we're doing [32:16] here. I've heard from a number of [32:17] members of our audience that they're [32:19] finding that they get the most complete [32:22] and in-depth war coverage and [32:24] understanding of what's really going on [32:26] from these videos. I'm flattered to hear [32:28] it. I'm happy to hear it. Please tell [32:30] other people what's going on on this [32:31] channel. We'll grow the audience [32:34] and stay informed. And I'm going to do [32:36] more videos like this where we where we [32:37] read the news carefully. We read the [32:39] news carefully and you when you read [32:41] between the lines and you put the [32:42] stories together, you start to see what [32:44] is taking shape. So that's the big [32:46] takeaway from this video. There are now [32:48] camps forming that are for or against a [32:51] negotiated end to this with the [32:54] that would keep some of the the current [32:56] regime members in power and the UAE [32:58] seems to be [33:00] dead against it and and the Saudis as [33:02] reported by the New York Times seem to [33:03] be dead against it and they're in [33:05] conflict with once again, they're on the [33:08] opposite side of the Qataris and the [33:10] Turks and this is an old story even [33:13] though the Saudis and the Emiratis seem [33:15] to be getting along with the Qataris [33:16] lately. Let's remember they almost went [33:18] to war a few years ago. Real war [33:21] over the Qatari support of the Muslim [33:22] Brotherhood who they all ban. The UAE [33:25] and and the Saudis ban the Muslim [33:27] Brotherhood the and and and Qatar is the [33:29] base of the Muslim Brotherhood. As with [33:32] Turkey. You see you see how things are [33:33] lining up now. [33:35] Very interesting turn of events here and [33:37] we'll see [33:38] at which way Trump goes because all of [33:40] these states on both sides of this [33:43] are states that the United States [33:45] uh is is in close connection with and [33:47] values and values its relationships [33:50] with. So there's pressures on both sides [33:51] here as Trump uh [33:55] quite possibly is looking for a way to [33:57] bring this thing to a close. [33:59] Thanks for watching.
