Transcript [00:00] All right. In this video, I'm just going [00:01] to do an update on where we stand with [00:04] the war in Iran, where things are with [00:06] Trump, how the Iranians are reacting to [00:08] that. That's what we're going to do. And [00:11] uh we'll get all caught up to date. Here [00:13] we go. Let's start with this statement. [00:15] You probably heard about this. Trump [00:16] said last week that the US will not [00:19] attack Iran before the midterm elections [00:22] in November. I'm not going to read the [00:24] rest of the story because that's pretty [00:25] much what it says. Now, [00:29] how are the Iranians reacting to this? [00:32] How do they see this whole thing? Well, [00:34] let's take a look at uh at their [00:36] analysis piece. So, this is the front [00:38] page [00:39] of WANA today. [00:42] Back to square one. This is the front [00:44] page story. If you go to the here, I'll [00:46] show you the front page. It's the top [00:47] story. Back to square one. Are Trump and [00:50] Netanyahu preparing for another war? [00:52] Okay, so this is the this is their top [00:53] piece here. We're going to read almost [00:55] all of it. We are going to read all of [00:57] it uh because it really it's a window [00:59] into how the Iran what the Iranians are [01:01] thinking right now and I'll unpack it as [01:03] we go. Public statements by US officials [01:05] and the substance of the Trump [01:07] administration's response to Iran's [01:10] 7-day proposal indicate that [01:12] negotiations have returned to square one [01:15] as if the 40-day war had never happened [01:17] and the two sides had never reached a [01:19] memorandum of understanding afterward. [01:23] In response to Iran's proposal, which [01:25] calls for seven conditions to be met in [01:27] exchange for reopening the street of [01:29] Hormuz, the United States has once again [01:31] brought Iran's nuclear program to the [01:33] forefront. Washington is demanding [01:36] concessions similar to those it sought [01:38] before and after the war under its [01:41] 15-point proposal. Thrron rejected those [01:45] demands and the nuclear issue was [01:46] eventually removed from the negotiating [01:48] agenda and consequently from the [01:51] memorandum of understanding. It was left [01:54] to be addressed only in the broad [01:55] context of future negotiations. Okay, [01:57] let me unpack this. When theou was [02:01] signed, the Islamabadou [02:04] that died a very quick death. Thatou did [02:07] not last very long. We we all remember [02:09] that. If you remember, one of the [02:12] biggest flaws in theou was that it did [02:15] not address the nuclear issue at all. It [02:18] just said it's going to be discussed at [02:19] a later date. So what they're saying in [02:22] these two paragraphs opening this piece [02:25] is that hm the [clears throat] Americans [02:29] seem to be rolling back the clock and [02:31] going back to their negotiating position [02:33] from before theou because now they're [02:36] saying that they want all sorts of [02:38] concessions right now on our nuclear [02:40] program [02:43] in order to in order to reach some sort [02:45] of settlement. And they're kind of [02:46] saying that's like that's not fair. We [02:49] already agreed that the nuclear is going [02:50] to come later, so the Americans are [02:52] behaving as though nothing happened. [02:54] Yeah, theou was a dumb document. The [02:57] Americans realized immediately that the [02:59] that it was a it was a bait and switch [03:01] and the Iranians were never going to [03:02] follow any of it. [03:05] So Trump's not interested in these [03:07] interim deals anymore. [03:10] But that's so that's their initial [03:11] framing. Let's see where they go with [03:13] this. First, Washington's current [03:15] position suggests that a return to the [03:17] memorandum of understanding is virtually [03:19] impossible. Good call, Iranians, under [03:22] the present circumstances, particularly [03:23] before the US elections. Even afterward, [03:25] a return to the agreement appears [03:27] unlikely, whether before or after [03:29] another military confrontation unless it [03:32] takes the form of an expanded plus [03:34] arrangement under specific conditions. [03:36] Nonsense. [03:38] Second, raising the nuclear issue in [03:40] this manner and demanding major [03:42] concessions despite full awareness of [03:44] Thrron's position points to another key [03:47] conclusion. The United States is not [03:49] currently pursuing serious negotiations [03:51] or a genuine agreement. Very nice [03:54] insight here from the Iranians. [03:57] The question is whether or not they're [03:58] right. What they're saying is, [04:02] excuse me, the fact that the Americans [04:04] are bringing up the nuclear issue now, [04:06] whereas again in the in theou [04:09] it was it was kicked down the road to [04:12] some later date. But now they're [04:14] demanding resolution on the nuclear [04:15] issue now means that the Americans [04:19] aren't serious about negotiating because [04:21] if they're serious about negotiating, [04:23] they would know that we don't want to [04:25] that we've already said that we're not [04:27] budging on the nuclear issue yet. [04:30] So they're saying, "Aha, the fact that [04:31] the Americans are insisting on the [04:33] nuclear issue means that this isn't a [04:34] real negotiation. It's just setting us [04:37] up for another attack. Instead, it is [04:39] framing the issue and its demands within [04:41] the media narrative about preventing [04:43] Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. [04:45] Another motive behind raising the issue [04:47] is to project a declared willingness to [04:50] negotiate and reach an agreement, [04:52] particularly in the current electoral [04:53] climate." In other words, the Iranians [04:54] are saying that what Trump is really [04:56] doing, Trump doesn't actually want a [04:57] deal, but what he's doing is he's [04:59] pretending he wants a deal because that [05:01] looks better in the electoral climate in [05:04] the ele um for the elections that he's [05:07] trying to get a deal. So, he's playing [05:08] along with the idea that they're [05:10] negotiating, but he's not really [05:11] interested in negotiating because if he [05:13] would, he wouldn't have the nuclear [05:14] issue in here at all. Overall, with [05:17] negotiations now almost back to square [05:19] one, and Washington showing little [05:21] willingness to return to the Islamabad [05:23] memorandum of understanding, [05:26] [snorts] [05:26] unless it includes uh unless it includes [05:29] uh concessions on the nuclear, the [05:31] launch of a new round of negotiations, [05:33] and the prospect of another agreement [05:35] will likely depend on the circumstances [05:36] that emerge after another military [05:38] confrontation. So they're saying, "Okay, [05:40] I guess Trump wants to have another [05:42] military confrontation and then [05:43] negotiate." [05:46] And now they talk about what the risks [05:48] are for Prime Minister Netanyahu. [05:51] Very interesting. They they maintain [05:53] that Netanyahu wants escalation before [05:56] the elections because that will help him [05:58] in Israeli electoral politics. So [06:00] they're they're on the lookout for [06:02] Israel wanting to escalate. [06:04] And then they and and then they have [06:06] this question against this backdrop. A [06:08] key question arises. If Netanyahu makes [06:10] a final decision to disrupt Israel's [06:13] electoral dynamics through military [06:14] strikes, will Trump join him? [06:18] I don't think he will, and I don't think [06:19] Netanyahu is going to is going to harm [06:21] America's position uh in this situation [06:24] either. I think the United States and [06:25] Israel are very much uh in [06:27] communication. And if Trump does not [06:30] want Israel to be striking right now, [06:32] they probably won't. Anyway, they end [06:34] off the piece by saying two scenarios [06:36] are possible. The first is a joint [06:38] military operation by Israel and the [06:40] United States. The second is that Israel [06:42] seeks to launch another war on its own. [06:45] Even in that case, it is difficult to [06:46] imagine Israel acting without full [06:48] coordination with Trump. True. [06:50] Alternatively, the United States might [06:52] initially stay out of the conflict and [06:54] after a short period assess the results [06:56] of Israel's military action before [06:58] deciding whether to join the operation. [07:00] The bottom line is that both Netanyahu [07:02] and Trump appear to be seriously [07:04] considering another military operation, [07:06] whether jointly or through Israeli [07:08] action alone. For this reason, the three [07:10] weeks leading up to the Israeli and US [07:12] elections could prove even more critical [07:14] than the period that follows them. In [07:16] other words, they're saying, "Wait a [07:17] second here." Trump just said he's not [07:19] going to attack us before the midterms. [07:22] He's also saying that he's kind of [07:23] negotiating, but the negotiating [07:25] position that he's digging in on is one [07:27] that we this like we thought we already [07:30] got out of making concessions on the [07:32] nuclear when they moved the goalpost in [07:34] negotiations and now Trump says, "Oh, [07:36] sorry. I don't care that you moved the [07:37] goalpost. We're going back to before you [07:39] moved them." They're like, "What? You [07:40] can't do that." But but Trump is doing [07:42] that. So what they're saying now is, [07:44] "Aha, the fact that Trump is doing that [07:46] means that he doesn't really want to [07:47] negotiate and they're really planning to [07:49] attack us. Now we have these three weeks [07:51] where Trump doesn't want there to be [07:52] attacks. What do we do with that? And [07:55] sure enough, check out this piece here. [07:57] This is from Iran International. Now, [07:58] Iran International is an opposition p uh [08:01] uh outlet. So, it's opposed to the [08:03] regime. It publishes from outside of [08:05] Iran in Persian and English. [snorts] [08:08] And in this one, they the the author of [08:10] this piece does a bit of a review of [08:14] what is being said about the current [08:16] situation in Persian language state [08:18] media. Okay, so check this out. Three [08:22] golden weeks, Trump's no strike pledge [08:24] fuels calls in Iran to act first. [08:27] President Donald Trump's pledge not to [08:29] attack Iran before the November 3rd US [08:31] midterm elections has been greeted in [08:33] Tehran as either a bluff or an [08:36] opportunity with some hardliners urging [08:39] Iran to exploit the 3-week window to [08:41] strike first. Trump wrote on social on [08:45] Thursday that he's not going to attack [08:46] before the midterm midterms and that [08:47] they're having negotiations. [08:50] Heshmatah [08:51] Fala Falahhat Pish, [08:55] did I get that right? A former chairman [08:56] of Parliament's National Security and [08:59] Foreign Policy Committee wrote on X that [09:01] plans by the United States, Israel, and [09:03] their regional allies for another war [09:04] with Iran had nothing to do with [09:06] elections in either country. He argued [09:08] that Trump's declaration that Washington [09:10] would not attack Iran before November [09:11] 3rd was intended to prevent Iran from [09:14] launching a preemptive strike. [09:17] Parisa Nasser, a journalist considered [09:19] close to Iran's foreign ministry, [09:21] meaning she's basically a government [09:23] mouthpiece, similarly dismissed Trump's [09:25] statement in a commentary titled, [09:27] "Forget Trump's nonsense. A third war is [09:29] imminent." Quote, "The evidence suggests [09:32] that Trump's claim that any military [09:33] attack on Iran will be postponed until [09:35] after the US midterm elections is above [09:38] all more like a political game and a [09:40] psychological operation," she wrote. [09:42] Hardline commentator Alireza Tagavinia [09:45] also described Trump's remarks as [09:47] deception, pointing to US and Israeli [09:50] military movements and coordination with [09:52] Saudi Arabia and the UAE as indications [09:54] that a confrontation was approaching. [09:56] Some Iranian hardliners argue that Thran [09:59] should use the period before the US [10:01] midterm elections to launch preemptive [10:03] attacks against American and Israeli [10:05] interests. Supporters of this approach [10:08] say the objective would not necessarily [10:09] be to trigger an all-out war. Instead, [10:12] limited strikes could put pressure on [10:14] oil markets and force Trump to accept an [10:17] agreement on terms favorable to Iran. [10:21] Politician Abdul Resa Davari argued on X [10:23] that Trump had inadvertently exposed a [10:26] weakness by ruling out a new military [10:29] attack before the elections while [10:31] simultaneously describing negotiations [10:33] with Tehran as constructive. Davari said [10:36] Trump feared the electoral cost of war. [10:38] In other words, he's saying this is [10:40] another one of these hardliners. this [10:42] polit this Iranian politician is saying [10:45] the fact that Trump is saying he doesn't [10:46] want war before the midterms [10:49] and that he's having constructive [10:50] negotiations means that Trump feels [10:52] vulnerable and that kinetic action that [10:56] actual uh kinetic war is actually so bad [11:00] for him that he's now saying oh no no no [11:02] no we're not attacking we're having [11:03] negotiations and he's trying to calm [11:05] everything down because he fears the [11:07] electoral cost of war there might be [11:08] some truth to that there probably is [11:10] quote From today until November 3rd, a [11:13] window of approximately 3 weeks has [11:14] opened before Iran. He wrote, quote, the [11:17] Islamic Republic must use this [11:19] opportunity to intensify military action [11:22] as a means of bargaining and forcing [11:24] Washington to accept Iran's legitimate [11:26] demands. In another post, he was [11:28] blunderter. Grab the enemy by the throat [11:30] right now and do not let go. [11:33] This debate comes as Iran is already [11:36] increasing pressure in and around the [11:38] straight of Hormuz. Iranian officials [11:39] and military forces insist the waterway [11:42] remains closed except to vessels tan [11:45] authorizes contrary to statements by [11:48] Trump and other US officials and say [11:50] restrictions will remain until [11:52] Washington accepts Iran's seven [11:53] conditions. Okay. Now in terms of the [11:56] straight of Hormuz being closed, I got [11:57] to share this one with you because it is [11:59] just a hoot. Now if you watch my channel [12:03] over the last few weeks, I've mentioned [12:05] this before. [12:07] Whenever there is strikes on ships in [12:10] the straight of Hormuz by the Iranians [12:13] when it gets report the Iranians love to [12:15] amplify those stories because it helps [12:18] their narrative that the straits of [12:20] Hormuz are closed. Great. But sometimes [12:24] they're actually lying. And how do you [12:27] how can you tell they're lying? This [12:29] one. And this is the the pattern I'm now [12:32] seeing is that when they actually fire [12:34] on ships, those are often true. They [12:36] have been firing on ships. They've fired [12:37] on like 10 ships in the last week. [12:40] They're trying to escalate there. [12:41] They're trying they're they're trying to [12:43] get the narrative out there that the [12:46] straits are closed and that it's [12:47] dangerous to go through there. Ships [12:49] getting hit. That would mean that that [12:51] uh the [12:54] the ship the shipping companies would be [12:56] afraid to send their ships through. This [12:58] causes a spike in oil prices. That's [13:00] what they want. But they're also [13:02] claiming that they still have mines in [13:04] the straight. Now, Trump announced uh [13:06] like over a month ago that all the mines [13:08] were cleared. And then we had the [13:10] Iranians trying to re trying to to [13:13] remine the straight by putting mines on [13:16] rockets and launching them into the [13:17] straight. The Americans scuttled that. [13:19] They're still claiming that there's [13:21] mines, but I don't think there actually [13:22] are. So, what we're now seeing is that [13:25] periodically they claim that a ship hit [13:27] a mine. And the way you can tell that [13:29] it's that it's nonsense, that they're [13:31] lying, is that there's no information [13:33] about the ship. Because whenever there's [13:35] information about the ship that came [13:37] under attack by the Iranians, they [13:38] always give it. They say what flag it [13:40] was flying. They say the name of the [13:42] ship. They'll quote the UK MTO, the the [13:45] United Kingdom Maritime Trade uh [13:47] organization that maritime trade [13:50] organization. I think that's what it's [13:52] called. UK MTO, whatever it is. The UK [13:53] MTO that monitors traffic in maritime [13:56] maritime traffic around the world, [13:58] they'll they'll quote a report from it. [14:01] But when they don't do any of that, you [14:02] can tell it's nonsense because they [14:03] would quote it if it was. Look at this [14:05] story. Iran's Navy says tanker caught [14:08] fire after striking sea mine in the [14:10] straight of Hormuz. And this is supposed [14:11] to be from today from the 10th. Iran's [14:14] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said [14:16] Navy said a super tanker carrying crude [14:19] oil caught fire after striking a naval [14:21] mine while attempting to leave the [14:22] straight of Hormuz through an [14:23] unauthorized route. According to a [14:25] statement by the IRGC's Navy's public [14:27] relations office, the tanker sustained a [14:29] powerful explosion hitting after hitting [14:31] a sea mine. The statement said the [14:33] vessel had switched off its navigation [14:34] and positioning systems and was engulfed [14:36] in a massive fire. [14:39] The IRGC Navy warned that any tanker [14:41] violating security regulations and rules [14:43] governing passage through the street of [14:45] Hermuse would face similar consequences. [14:47] Why would it switch off its navigation [14:49] and positioning systems after it was [14:50] hit? Doesn't it want to be found? [14:54] You see, they're saying that because [14:56] they want to say just in case you can't [14:58] find it, it's because they turned off [14:59] their systems. They don't say any [15:01] details about where the ship was. They [15:03] don't say any details about the ship. [15:05] I'm calling BS on this one. I've been [15:07] right before. Okay, just saying. Anyway, [15:10] back to this whole uh strategic issue. [15:13] The Iranians, what we're seeing from [15:14] these pieces that we've seen so far is [15:17] that the Iranians are looking at Trump's [15:20] um driving a harder bargain on the on [15:22] the nuclear issue and not wanting to go [15:24] back to the Islamabadou, [15:27] saying that he's not going to attack [15:28] before the midterms. [15:30] They're looking at this and they're [15:32] saying he's planning to attack us. [15:33] Listen, they're also seeing more more [15:36] aircraft carriers coming into the region [15:38] and they're saying, "Wait a sec. What [15:40] should we do here? Maybe we should be [15:41] escalating now." [15:44] And that's what they're talking about. [15:49] Let's go a little further. [15:52] Iran retains missile and drone [15:54] production capabilities despite months [15:56] of US-Israeli strikes. Report. This is a [15:58] new report that just came out like today [16:01] in Bloomberg. [16:03] Iran has retained the ability to [16:05] manufacture ballistic missiles and [16:07] drones despite eight months of US and [16:08] Israeli air strikes, allowing Thran to [16:10] replenish its weapons stockpiles as US [16:13] President Trump debates delaying further [16:16] military action until after the November [16:17] midterm elections. Bloomberg reported on [16:19] Friday, sorry, it was Friday, two days [16:21] ago or yesterday, citing Western [16:23] officials familiar with intelligence [16:24] assessments. One Western official [16:26] assessed that Thran still possesses [16:28] significant stocks of ballistic missiles [16:30] and certain anti-hship weapons with the [16:33] capacity to manufacture additional [16:35] munitions relatively quickly. The [16:37] official also claimed that Russia has [16:39] been supplying Iran with missiles [16:41] consistent with a separate intelligence [16:43] assessment from June. Russia's defense [16:45] ministry did not respond to Bloomberg's [16:47] request for comment. So Bloomberg is [16:48] reporting this. Is Bloomberg getting [16:51] good information? I mean Bloomberg is a [16:53] pretty legit outlet. The White House [16:55] spokesperson, Anna Kelly, rejected the [16:57] Western officials assessment, defending [17:00] the effectiveness of American operations [17:01] against Iran's nuclear and conventional [17:03] military infrastructure. Quote, "First, [17:05] President Trump obliterated Iran's [17:07] nuclear facilities during Operation [17:08] Midnight Hammer. Then, Operation Epic [17:11] Fury successfully destroyed the [17:13] conventional shield that Iran sought to [17:15] create over a nuclear program, including [17:17] their ballistic missiles, production [17:19] facilities, and navy." End quote. The [17:21] extent of damage to Iran's military [17:23] industry has remained disputed. A [17:25] September report citing US and Middle [17:28] Eastern officials indicated that Tehran [17:30] had resumed limited ballistic missile [17:33] production using existing components, [17:35] including at underground facilities, [17:37] although manufacturing remained below [17:39] pre-war levels. So, does Iran or have or [17:43] not have ballistic missile production [17:46] still going on? We don't really know. [17:50] Iran has intensified attacks on vessels [17:52] operating near the street of Hormuz with [17:53] at least 10 ships struck over the [17:55] preceding week. [17:57] According to the UK Navy, UK MTO, the [18:00] attacks have increased concern about [18:02] maritime security and potential [18:03] disruption of global energy supplies, [18:06] particularly as the US continues its [18:08] naval blockade of Iranian oil exports. [18:11] Israeli estimates placed Iran's [18:14] ballistic missile stockpile at [18:15] approximately 2,500 before the war, [18:19] while Western intelligence assessments [18:20] in June suggested Iran still possessed [18:23] roughly three quarters of its pre-war [18:25] munitions. [18:27] Earlier Israeli military assessments [18:29] indicated that extensive strikes on [18:30] Iranian military-industrial facilities [18:33] could require years of reconstruction, [18:35] although the ability to restore [18:37] launchers and other components remained [18:38] a concern, meaning they might be able to [18:40] restore launchers quicker than other [18:42] things. The discrepancy between [18:44] assessments of Iran's remaining [18:45] stockpiles and its manufacturing [18:47] capacity highlights the difficulty of [18:50] determining how much military capability [18:52] tan can regenerate without further [18:54] external assistance. What this whole [18:55] article is basically saying is it's very [18:57] likely that Iran still has a lot of [18:59] missiles. Okay. But the Americans are [19:02] now saying no, they don't really have [19:04] that capability. For Washington and [19:06] Israel, Iran's continued access to [19:08] ballistic missiles and anti-hship [19:09] weapons raises concerns about its [19:11] ability to retaliate against renewed [19:14] military action. With the Islamic [19:16] Republic facing mounting economic [19:17] pressure from the US naval blockade, [19:20] Western officials assess that Thran [19:21] could increasingly rely on asymmetric [19:24] operations, including attacks on [19:26] maritime traffic to impose costs on its [19:28] military on its militarily superior [19:31] adversaries. Another way of saying Iran [19:33] knows that bottom line is causing a [19:36] spike in oil prices is the best way to [19:38] hit back at Trump. It's the best way to [19:40] hit back uh uh you know and and and if [19:43] they can do that by disrupting things in [19:44] Hormuz, they're going to keep doing [19:46] that. Now, let's take a look at at a [19:48] couple more stories from Iranian state [19:50] media to close us out. These are from [19:52] today. Senior Iranian security official, [19:55] Iran ready to respond decisively to any [19:57] US attack. I'll just read a couple lines [19:59] from this. A senior Iranian security [20:01] official said Iran was fully prepared to [20:03] respond to any US military action, [20:05] stressing that the country had developed [20:07] its defensive and offensive strategies [20:09] based on the possibility of a prolonged [20:11] confrontation. He also warned that in [20:13] the event of a new conflict, Iran would [20:15] unveil new and surprising military [20:17] equipment and would see no reason to [20:19] exercise restraint or limit the [20:21] geographical or operational scope of the [20:23] battlefield. So they're saber rattling, [20:26] they're warning of escalation. [20:28] Razi warns us to prepare for repeated [20:31] historical defeats. This is a cute piece [20:33] here. Ibrahim Razi, he's the head of the [20:36] national of the Iran's Supreme National [20:38] Security Council, Major General Mosen [20:41] Razi. He has warned the United States to [20:44] be prepared for a repetition of [20:45] historical defeats in response to recent [20:48] remarks by US Secretary of State Marco [20:50] Rubio. So he's actually responding to [20:52] the speech that Rubio gave in front of [20:55] the Acropolis in Greece. Raza said that [20:59] when after the defeat and humiliation in [21:02] confrontation with Iran, when they go to [21:04] Athens to shape a narrative of [21:06] civilizational war, it would be better [21:08] to also read another important part of [21:10] history. The episode in which the Roman [21:12] emperor knelt before Cassani and King [21:15] Shapur I. So he's So what happened was [21:19] Rubio gave this beautiful speech at the [21:20] Acropolis. I made a video about it the [21:22] other day, an important speech. Um [21:28] and and in that speech he he he framed [21:32] Iran as the enemy. Okay. [21:36] So he added, Razie added that anyone who [21:39] brought history into the discussion [21:41] should also be prepared for its [21:42] repetition. Marco Rubio, US Secretary of [21:44] State, recently delivered a speech at [21:46] the Acropolis in Athens in which he [21:48] sought to portray Iran as the threat to [21:50] the West since ancient times while [21:52] overlooking or censoring parts of the [21:54] historical record. In his speech, Rubio [21:56] invoked ancient history in framing [21:59] Western civilization, recalling the [22:01] Persian army's attack on Athens in 480 [22:03] BC, the resistance of the Athenians, the [22:06] destruction of the Acropolis, and its [22:08] reconstruction during the time of [22:09] Pericles. Rubio described Athens as the [22:12] birthplace of many characteristics that [22:14] he said shaped Western civilization, [22:17] including individualism and ambition, as [22:19] well as the desire for exploration, [22:21] competition, knowledge, and discovery of [22:23] the unknown. However, in his historical [22:26] account of the ancient period, the US [22:28] Secretary of State did not refer to the [22:30] numerous wars between Iran and Greece or [22:32] to Alexander the Great's invasion of [22:34] Iran, the burning of Perisopoulos, [22:38] of Procepilus, and the destruction and [22:40] plunder of Iran by Greek forces. The [22:43] events took place in 330 BC and remain [22:46] among the significant episodes in the [22:48] history of ancient Iran. What's the [22:49] point of this piece? Let's remember most [22:51] of the stuff on Wana is translated from [22:55] Persian. So this piece probably ran in [22:56] Persian. And this goes back to something [22:58] that the Iranians were doing a lot near [23:01] the beginning of this war. And they do [23:02] it whenever the opportunity arises where [23:05] they present themselves not as the [23:08] Islamic Republic of Iran that has [23:10] allegiance to Islam and Muhammad and [23:13] Shiite Islam, right? but rather as the [23:16] Persians, [23:18] Persian history, appealing to Persian [23:20] history, talking about Persian heritage [23:23] sites that have been damaged by the [23:24] Americans. And this is trying to appeal [23:27] to the Persian identity of the people [23:28] because most of the people in Iran want [23:30] nothing to do with the Islamic identity [23:32] of the republic anymore. So, this is uh [23:34] that could be what's partly behind this [23:38] this messaging. They're always looking [23:39] for messaging about Persian pride, [23:43] trying to rally the people around the [23:45] regime. Anyway, that's my update here [23:48] for what's going on with Iran. What we [23:50] basically see is the Iranians are [23:53] expecting escalation. [23:55] They don't believe that Trump really [23:57] wants to negotiate. And there's now a [24:00] debate going on inside Iran about [24:02] whether the smartest thing for them [24:03] would be to escalate now ahead of the [24:05] midterms. That could be what they're [24:07] starting to do with attacking ships in [24:09] the straight of Hormuz. Let's see if it [24:10] goes beyond that. And alongside that, we [24:13] also have this report in Bloomberg that [24:15] they still actually have some some [24:16] ballistic missile capabilities. So, we [24:18] could be seeing some uh you know, some [24:20] real kinetic activity. Before I let you [24:22] go, last thing. Uh we had a fantastic [24:25] town hall, a Knesset elections town hall [24:27] in English in downtown Jerusalem for the [24:29] English speaking community here in [24:30] Israel. Sold out event, packed house. It [24:33] was amazing. We had candidates from 10 [24:36] party lists who laid out their [24:37] platforms, answered tough questions. It [24:39] was a great event and really learn a lot [24:41] about what's going on with the [24:43] elections. So, if you want to watch this [24:45] this event, just uh click the link in [24:47] the description of this video or go to [24:49] israel365.com/occtober [24:51] 4th, October the number fourth and uh [24:55] you could you can get access to the full [24:58] to the full event to watch it. So, so go [25:02] ahead and click that and go ahead and do [25:04] that. All right, we're going to keep [25:05] watching the Iran situation obviously [25:06] very closely, bring you more updates as [25:08] we go. God bless.
