Transcript [00:00] The big question today is is the [00:02] ceasefire actually over? Because there's [00:06] been breaking news overnight and we're [00:08] going to get into all of it and we're [00:09] going to look at the at the broader [00:11] picture of what took place. The United [00:14] States has been carrying out strikes and [00:17] we're going to understand exactly why [00:19] and what they're doing there. Let's take [00:21] a look at this Fox News clip. [00:22] >> That we are following up for you. This [00:24] being a reported by Reuters very own [00:27] Bill Stewart. Putting this out on X. [00:29] >> US forces carry out strikes in southern [00:33] Iran in self-defense. US Central Command [00:36] says US strikes targeted missile launch [00:39] sites in Iranian boats seeking to lay [00:42] mines. US Central Command says US [00:45] military will defend US forces while [00:48] using restraint during the ongoing [00:50] ceasefire. Central Command says so [00:53] activity is brewing right now in the [00:56] Middle East here and this all comes as [01:00] negotiations seemed like they were going [01:02] in a positive direction. [01:04] Over the weekend we heard a multiple [01:07] times from President Trump via Truth [01:09] Social saying that negotiations were in [01:14] a good favor and again it seemed like it [01:17] was getting close to the finish line. [01:20] Now earlier President Trump put this out [01:22] on Truth Social saying the enriched [01:24] uranium nuclear dust will either be [01:27] immediately turned over to the United [01:29] States to to be brought home and [01:31] destroyed or preferably in conjunction [01:34] and coordination with the Islamic [01:36] Republic of Iran destroyed in place or [01:39] at another acceptable location with the [01:41] Atomic Energy Commission or its [01:44] equivalent being witness to this [01:47] event. Thank you for your attention to [01:50] this matter President DJT. So we take [01:53] you now back out live right now to the [01:55] White House As uh we're learning that a [01:58] new report from Reuters that uh there [02:01] has been now strikes uh happening in [02:04] southern Iran. Now, we're also learning [02:07] this from Fox uh Fox News's very own [02:10] Jennifer Griffin saying uh [02:13] putting this out saying CENTCOM [02:15] spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins to Fox [02:17] says US forces conducted self [02:20] self-defense strikes in southern Iran [02:23] today to protect our troops from threats [02:25] posed by Iranian forces. Targets [02:28] included missile launch sites and [02:30] Iranian boats attempting to emplace [02:32] mines. US Central Command continues to [02:35] defend our forces while using restraint [02:38] during the ongoing ceasefire. So, now [02:41] Reuters and Fox News continuing to [02:43] report on this breaking news of strikes [02:46] now in southern Iran from the US forces [02:50] uh feeling that they needed to do so [02:53] in self-defense. This is all happening [02:56] as negotiations are trying to get it to [02:59] that finish line. We'll continue to [03:01] follow the very latest here for you on [03:03] live now from Fox. But, on this Memorial [03:06] Day learning that there is now some big [03:08] activity going on in southern Iran now [03:11] from US forces right now. We'll keep [03:15] >> Okay. [03:16] Uh so, that [03:21] So, we have that. We have these these [03:23] strikes in southern Iran. And so, what [03:24] do we learn from this report? What are [03:26] we told? We're told that they were in [03:27] self-defense [03:29] and that they were targeting Iranian [03:31] boats that were seeking to place to [03:33] emplace, which means to install for [03:36] operational use, to install mines more [03:39] mines in the Strait of Hormuz [03:41] and that they were attacking missile [03:43] launch sites in southern Iran. [03:47] Okay, and they say that it's in [03:48] self-defense. Now, let's get some more [03:50] details. Where exactly were these [03:52] strikes in southern Iran? Cuz they [03:54] really tell the [03:57] the story about what's actually [03:58] happening here. So, this is from the [03:59] National News. This is a United Arab [04:02] Emirates outlet giving their reporting [04:03] US strikes on Iranian missile sites as [04:05] mediators press ahead with talks. The US [04:09] military said it launched overnight [04:10] strikes on Iranian missile sites and [04:12] boats laying mines [04:14] as the mediators press ahead. [04:17] And I'm going to jump down to where it [04:19] says what happened here. [04:21] US Central Command said that they were [04:23] self-defense strikes, very nice. The [04:25] targets were missile launch sites and [04:27] vessels that were attempting to lay sea [04:28] mines. [04:30] Okay, what where were they? Here we go. [04:32] Iranian media reported explosions in [04:35] coastal areas including Sirik and Jask [04:40] close to the Strait of Hormuz. [04:43] The Tasnim news news agency said three [04:45] blasts were heard in the southern city [04:47] of Bandar Abbas. [04:50] While other outlets reported the [04:51] situation was under control and port [04:53] operations and civilian activity were [04:55] unaffected [04:56] and then of course the Iranians claimed [04:58] that they failed. And then again it gets [05:01] into the the fact that Prime Minister [05:02] Netanyahu is [05:04] called to ramp up activity in Lebanon. [05:06] We will get into that a little in a few [05:08] minutes, a little bit later in this [05:09] video because it's all connected. [05:12] The US strikes on Iran came hours after [05:14] reports that Washington and Tehran were [05:16] nearing a de-escalation agreement [05:18] raising questions about the effect of [05:20] the military action on the fragile [05:22] ceasefire and negotiations. [05:25] Current talks have focused on technical [05:26] language and verification mechanisms [05:29] as both countries continue to exchange [05:31] warnings over military action. [05:34] And then it talks about the stockpile of [05:36] uranium. Very nice. Now, [05:40] uh I just before we get into the exact [05:42] locations of all of this, I just want to [05:44] share a couple more stories. And these [05:46] next two stories are both from Turkish [05:48] government media, from the Anadolu [05:51] agency media. Okay, so it says here, [05:54] Iran says, this is also from today. [05:56] Okay, this is So, what So, first of all, [05:58] we have the strikes in southern Lebanon. [06:00] We now have locations which are [06:03] Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Jask. And then [06:06] we have [06:07] uh Iran saying it downed a US drone and [06:10] forced other aircraft to retreat from [06:12] airspace. Now, this is just Iran [06:13] claiming this. [06:15] We don't have independent corroboration, [06:17] but look what does it say here? Iran's [06:18] IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard [06:20] Corps, said Tuesday, that's today, that [06:23] it shot down a US MQ-9 drone and claimed [06:25] that an RQ-4 drone and an F-35 jet also [06:29] entered Iranian airspace before [06:31] retreating. [06:33] The aircraft entered Iranian airspace [06:34] over the Gulf region. [06:36] Um the force also said it was reserves [06:39] the right to respond to any ceasefire [06:41] violation by the US. And now look what [06:42] it says. Earlier Tuesday, [06:45] that's today, [06:46] Iran's semi-official Fars news agency [06:48] reported that US and Israeli aircraft [06:51] struck Iranian vessels [06:54] south of Larak Island near the Strait of [06:57] Hormuz, [06:59] killing several Iranian nationals. [07:02] The claims could not be independently [07:04] verified. [07:05] Okay? So, now we have another location, [07:08] Larak Island. [07:09] Okay? And now we have one more. Is US [07:13] Israeli aircraft strike Iranian boats [07:14] near Strait of Hormuz. [07:17] This also mentions Larak south of Larak [07:20] Island in the Strait of Hormuz. [07:23] Okay. Now, [07:25] what are we talking about here? So, here [07:27] is the Strait of Hormuz. [07:28] Okay? Let's back it up a little bit. [07:30] This is the Strait of Hormuz. [07:32] Okay? What's all these red dots here are [07:35] all ports. [07:37] Okay, this is the United Arab Emirates, [07:39] and these are their major ports and [07:41] their smaller ports. [07:43] Okay? These are all the ports in the [07:44] Strait of Hormuz. [07:46] Now, at the tip here, this is this is [07:48] this is part of Oman, but these are all [07:50] the ports in the Strait of Hormuz. [07:53] Now, let's take a look at what what are [07:55] the places that were struck. So, we were [07:56] told Bandar Abbas, that's right here. [08:00] We were also told [08:03] about Sirik. [08:05] Sirik is right here. [08:08] See, this is the tip. [08:10] Let's back it up a little bit. Sirik is [08:11] right here. [08:13] Here's Sirik. [08:15] And Jask is down here. Jask is actually [08:18] like on the outside of the Strait. Like, [08:19] if you're at Jask, you're already [08:21] outside the Strait of Hormuz. [08:24] Jask, right there. Jask. [08:31] Okay, Jask. And then we have Oops. [08:37] Sirik, [08:39] Bandar Abbas. And how about that island, [08:41] Larak Island? That's right here. [08:44] Okay? [08:45] So, let's pull it back now and take a [08:47] look at the map again. Larak Island, [08:49] Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask. [08:53] Those are the sites that were hit. [08:55] And what were we told was hit? We were [08:57] told they were they were first of all [08:59] striking boats in the area that were [09:00] laying mines, but also these are the [09:03] on-land locations that they hit, that [09:05] they were striking missile launch sites. [09:08] Missile launch sites. Larak Island, or [09:11] the area of Larak Island. [09:13] That's where the mines probably would [09:14] have been laid, [09:15] and the missile launch sites. Now, why [09:17] are the missile launch sites there? Why [09:18] am I showing you all the ports? [09:21] And why is Jask part of it? It's outside [09:23] the Strait of Hormuz. [09:25] Well, [09:26] I told you a number of weeks ago that [09:29] the UAE, [09:32] which [09:33] its main ports for the export of oil [09:35] generally are the ports along here. [09:38] Okay, Khalid [09:39] and Jebel Ali, these are the major these [09:42] are the major ports that they use. [09:44] Okay? [09:45] But ever since the the war and the all [09:49] the trouble in the Strait of Hormuz, [09:50] they started rerouting much of their oil [09:53] through a pipeline that they built that [09:56] goes out to [09:57] to the coast here to to [10:00] these two ports here to Fujairah. [10:03] Fujairah is right here and Khor Fakkan. [10:05] These two ports have ramped up their [10:07] usage for the UAE to get their oil out [10:10] of [10:11] the [10:13] out of the Persian Gulf out into out of [10:16] the you know to bypass the Strait of [10:18] Hormuz. [10:19] Now the Iranians throughout this whole [10:22] ceasefire [10:24] their big threat [10:26] the reason that they have the Strait of [10:27] Hormuz closed. Let's back up. Why are [10:29] the Strait of Hormuz closed? The [10:30] Iranians don't have a navy. So why did [10:32] the Strait close? First of all they've [10:34] laid a bunch of mines. They've laid [10:35] mines and they're now it we learn from [10:37] this news item that they've been trying [10:39] to lay more mines. [10:41] But they've also threatened [10:43] to fire missiles at the [10:48] at the oil facilities and the oil [10:49] shipping facilities [10:51] across the Strait of Hormuz. [10:55] Okay? Now that is very hard to defend [10:57] against. That's the problem. The reason [10:58] the Strait of Hormuz is closed is [11:00] they also threaten to fire at boats at [11:03] ships passing through. [11:06] The missile launch sites are very hard [11:09] to track. There's all these a lot of [11:10] them are built into the mountainside. [11:11] They're built into the coastline. [11:13] There's all these missile launch sites [11:15] that the Iranians set up to kind of [11:16] booby trap the area so that they could [11:18] disrupt the Strait of Hormuz and that's [11:20] very hard to do to completely eliminate. [11:23] Even if you destroy their navy and [11:24] destroy their air force, all it takes is [11:26] you know like a [11:27] you know a small missile launch site [11:28] right across the Strait. [11:31] So what's the US doing? [11:33] The US identified [11:35] these missile launch sites that are [11:37] directly across from these assets here, [11:41] the Khor Fakkan Port [11:43] and the and the Fujairah Port, which [11:45] were the UAE's way of bypassing the [11:47] problem of the Iranians closing the [11:49] Strait of Hormuz, while the Iranians had [11:51] a had a way to fight that, right? [11:53] Because here's they have the Jask Port. [11:55] They have this They have Bandar-e Jask, [11:58] which is right across from Khor Fakkan [12:00] Port. [12:01] And they And then the Iranians have [12:04] probably missile launch sites in Sirik, [12:05] which is right across the Kumzar and [12:07] Khasab ports, which are [12:09] uh two major shipping hubs for Oman [12:12] right at the tip of the of the Strait of [12:14] Hormuz there. [12:16] Uh those are not generally used for oil. [12:18] They're more used for commercial goods, [12:20] but they're right there used But you [12:21] notice where the sites are. Look at the [12:23] sites America targeted yesterday. Jask [12:24] is right across from these two ports. [12:26] Sirik is right across from these ports. [12:29] And then you have Larak Island, which is [12:31] this little island right here, [12:32] which is also, you know, and it said [12:35] just south of Larak Island is where they [12:36] were targeting [12:38] uh where they were carrying out strikes. [12:39] Probably that's where the mines were [12:40] being laid. [12:42] And you have Bandar Abbas right here. [12:45] What do I think is happening? [12:49] So, Marco Rubio keeps saying in every [12:52] statement, "One way or another, the the [12:54] Strait of Hormuz is going to get [12:55] opened." [12:57] So, as the Iranians are driving a hard [12:59] bargain. And we talked about this in the [13:01] videos we made the last couple days, and [13:02] I've been very down on the deal. I'm [13:04] still down on the deal. [13:05] Uh [13:06] the deal as it's been presented to us in [13:08] the media is terrible. [13:10] But the Iranians, thankfully, God bless [13:13] them, have also been driving a really [13:16] hard bargain [13:17] and ramping up their threats. And here [13:19] you see that they're trying to lay lay [13:21] mines. They're they're they're digging [13:23] in on their positions. They're trying, [13:25] you know, they're playing hard to get. [13:27] Well, I think that these strikes [13:28] yesterday [13:30] were really about the Americans saying, [13:31] "Listen, we're going to keep negotiating [13:34] with you or waiting for you to agree to [13:35] capitulate, but we're not going to wait [13:38] around for you to open up the Strait of [13:40] Hormuz." [13:41] And these strikes yesterday, they were [13:42] called self-defense to protect America's [13:45] troops. That's the way you saw the Fox [13:46] News item there and the official [13:48] statement from CENTCOM. [13:50] They called them self-defense, [13:52] but what they're really about is opening [13:54] the Strait of Hormuz because if the [13:55] United States could take out the missile [13:57] launch sites in these areas here that [13:59] face the the ports [14:03] of Oman and the UAE on the Strait of [14:05] Hormuz, [14:07] and they could deal with the mine [14:08] situation in this critical spot here [14:11] south of Larak Island, which is the [14:12] narrowest spot in the Strait of Hormuz, [14:16] then the Hormuz then they could really [14:18] This is the process of opening the [14:20] Strait of Hormuz. If we wonder to [14:21] ourselves, how can America open the [14:22] Strait of Hormuz? And sometimes people [14:24] will say like, "Why can't America's so [14:25] powerful? Why can't America just open [14:27] the Strait of Hormuz?" It's not a door [14:28] that you push open. [14:30] Opening the Strait of Hormuz means that [14:32] you deal with all the missile threats [14:35] and the mine threats. And that's what [14:37] these attacks yesterday are. When you [14:38] look at the locations of the attacks, [14:40] it's pretty clear what they were [14:43] attacking. Now, [14:45] at the same time, we have this item that [14:48] also broke overnight, which is Prime [14:52] Minister Netanyahu ordering the IDF to [14:54] intensify blows against Hezbollah amid [14:57] surge in drone attacks. [15:00] Israel will escalate strikes against [15:02] Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister [15:03] Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday [15:05] evening last night as as a US official [15:07] said the terror group had ignored [15:09] warnings to halt firing at Israel in a [15:11] conflict that could threaten US-Iran [15:14] negotiations. The Prime Minister's [15:16] remarks were followed by confirmation [15:17] from the IDF that it had launched a [15:19] fresh wave of strikes against Hezbollah [15:22] uh Hezbollah targets in eastern and [15:24] southern Lebanon. Lebanese security [15:25] sources said people started fleeing, [15:27] okay. [15:28] Um, schools were shut. [15:31] A senior US official indicated on a [15:33] Monday amid a surge in drone attacks [15:35] targeting Israel that Washington could [15:37] soon green-light a larger Israeli [15:40] operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. [15:43] Hello. [15:44] And then a few hours later the United [15:46] States starts carrying out strikes in [15:48] the Strait of Hormuz [15:51] against these strategic locations that I [15:54] just showed you on the map. [15:56] And Israel makes an announcement that [15:58] they're going to intensify their [15:59] strikes. And Israel then puts this out [16:01] late last night that they've struck [16:03] 70-plus Hezbollah infrastructure sites [16:05] using around 85 munitions in several [16:08] areas across Lebanon. [16:09] Uh, 10 command centers, weapon storage [16:12] facilities, additional infrastructure [16:14] sites used by Hezbollah. Additionally, [16:16] Hezbollah terrorists operating on [16:17] motorcycles were eliminated. What Israel [16:20] is putting out there that they're [16:21] ramping up the offensive against [16:24] Hezbollah. [16:25] They're ramping it up. [16:28] This is all connected, as you see here. [16:30] A senior US official indicated [16:33] that Washington could green-light soon [16:36] larger Israeli operations against [16:37] Hezbollah in Lebanon. [16:40] And this has a lot to do with, you know, [16:41] it talks about these drone attacks. The [16:43] the drone situation has been a really [16:45] very problematic situation for Israel. [16:48] Because [16:49] over the past eight days, as it says [16:50] here, Hezbollah has fired over a [16:52] thousand drones and more than 700 [16:54] rockets at Israel. This is not really [16:56] what they reported. Everyone thinks that [16:57] there's kind of a low a low flame up [16:59] there, and that there's we're not really [17:01] at war so much in Lebanon, and it's kind [17:03] of sort of cease-fire-ish. Not true. [17:06] Not true. [17:07] It's been pretty intense, and I know [17:09] this not only from media, but also [17:10] talking to [17:12] personnel who are up there. [17:14] It is pretty intense fighting up there. [17:15] Look at that. Over [17:17] over the past 8 days, Hezbollah has [17:18] fired over a thousand drones and more [17:20] than 700 rockets in Israel. [17:23] In an apparent bid to derail talks [17:25] between Jerusalem and Beirut. [17:29] Right? [17:31] And the drone threat [17:33] Hezbollah in recent weeks has been [17:34] steadily increasing the number of drone [17:36] UAV and rocket attacks on Israeli troops [17:38] deployed in southern Lebanon and on [17:41] northern Israel communities. [17:43] Undeterred by the US brokered ceasefire. [17:47] And what they're doing with these [17:47] drones, look at this. [17:49] In a rare public acknowledgement, the [17:51] IDF official told Channel 12 on Monday [17:53] that that Israel has found itself [17:55] defenseless against the drone threat [17:57] posed by Hezbollah. [17:59] With the terror group increasingly [18:00] deploying first-person view drones [18:02] guided by fiber optic cables, which are [18:05] largely immune to electronic jamming. [18:08] They're actually very low-tech drones. [18:09] They're very inexpensive drones. They're [18:11] they explode. They're the drones that [18:13] come in and then they explode. And [18:15] they've been killing soldiers. They've [18:16] been uh and and they've been attacking [18:18] civilians with them. [18:20] Um and it's a very big problem. [18:22] So, what they do is the drone is [18:24] attached to a thin fiber optic cable and [18:26] it doesn't fly wireless. It flies [18:28] through the fiber optic cable and that's [18:30] why you can't jam it because it's not [18:32] based on a [18:33] on a wireless connection. [18:36] And that makes them very difficult. So, [18:37] the the official said Israel's using [18:38] makeshift methods to defend against the [18:40] surge in drone use. [18:42] They're coming up with all sorts of [18:45] attempts like nets and soldiers are just [18:47] firing their machine guns at them hoping [18:49] to knock them down. [18:51] And then he goes on to say [18:53] "The truth is our hands are tied and it [18:55] needs to change soon." [18:56] Okay. [18:58] Um [19:00] you know, and of course the BBC, when [19:01] they report it, Netanyahu says Israel [19:03] will intensify strikes against Hezbollah [19:05] and it talks about it that Hezbollah is [19:07] firing drones to retaliate against [19:08] Israel, which is also absurd. The only [19:11] reason we have any hostilities with [19:13] Hezbollah is because they started [19:14] attacking us. [19:15] First after October 7th, we did not [19:17] attack them. They started attacking us [19:19] and then there was a they were quiet, [19:21] but then after the Iran war started, [19:23] they started attacking us again. So [19:25] Hezbollah continues to attack us and [19:27] that's why we go in there and we're [19:28] trying to clean it out. So how do we [19:30] interpret Israel's behavior here? First [19:32] of all, we have that statement from the [19:33] American official about green lighting. [19:35] We also know that the Israelis have not [19:37] been happy about the possibility of this [19:39] deal [19:40] with Iran as it's been reported and with [19:43] the [19:44] potential that the deal could be [19:47] happening [19:48] Israel it makes sense for Israel to ramp [19:51] up the attacks now with the [19:54] dual objective. [19:57] A sort of a hedge like if there is going [19:59] to be a deal, let's get in as much [20:01] damage to Hezbollah as we can before the [20:03] deal goes through and America ties our [20:05] hands if that happens. [20:08] Alternatively [20:09] Iran has been insistent that part of the [20:12] negotiation for for a ceasefire deal for [20:14] an end of the war deal is that the war [20:16] in Lebanon also has to end which means [20:20] that [20:21] they want to see the hostilities in [20:23] Lebanon end and Israel knows that and by [20:25] ramping up the attacks in Lebanon, they [20:28] could actually scuttle the possibility [20:31] of there being a ceasefire deal which [20:32] would be in Israel's best interest. [20:34] So there's a few reasons why Israel [20:36] might be doing that. But again, like I [20:38] said [20:39] it seems that the United States also [20:40] gave a green light. Also, the fact the [20:42] United States is carrying out strikes [20:44] last night against target against [20:47] the sites [20:50] in in southern Lebanon in the Strait of [20:52] in southern Iran, sorry, in the Strait [20:54] of Hormuz in Bandar Abbas and Sirik and [20:56] Jask and and Larac. [20:58] The fact that the United States is [20:59] carrying out these strikes here also [21:01] gives cover for Israel to carry out its [21:03] own strikes against Hezbollah. [21:05] If you put all of this together, [21:08] here's what I think is happening. [21:10] I think the chances of a deal are very, [21:11] very slim. [21:14] And [21:15] Trump is taking the leverage back away [21:18] from Iran. [21:20] Right? I've been critical of Trump the [21:21] last few days, [21:23] but I think Trump is a smart guy and [21:24] he's taking the leverage back. I think [21:26] he sensed [21:27] that the Iranians were digging in, they [21:29] were taking advantage of the quiet, [21:31] and they were using it in their favor. [21:35] And now Trump is saying, "You know what? [21:36] I'm not going to wait around for you [21:37] guys to open the Strait of Hormuz. [21:40] I'm going to I'm going to start [21:42] degrading the very specific [21:45] um [21:46] capabilities you have that allow you to [21:49] keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. [21:53] And I'm going to degrade those [21:54] capabilities [21:56] so that the Iranians now start realizing [21:58] that they may not even be able to keep [22:00] the Strait of Hormuz closed. Cuz if all [22:02] the rocket sites, if all the threats [22:04] from Jask, Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Larack, [22:07] if all the threats from there, this is [22:09] the key area. [22:11] If they take out all the threats there, [22:14] then [22:15] the United States could actually get the [22:16] Strait of Hormuz open. So, it'll be [22:18] interesting to see if these strikes [22:20] continue over the next few days, if we [22:23] see more of this activity here, or if it [22:26] was just a kind of shot across the bow, [22:27] a warning shot to the Iranians. [22:30] I I think again, let me sum up this [22:31] video this way and bring it to a close. [22:34] I believe that this wasn't about [22:35] self-defense. That's the way it's being [22:37] reported. I think this was about sending [22:39] a message to the Iranians, [22:41] "Hey, [22:43] we can open the Strait of Hormuz [22:45] ourselves. So, if you guys don't start [22:47] moving on submitting to our demands, [22:49] we're just going to take matters into [22:50] our own hands and it's going to be even [22:52] worse for you." I think that that's what [22:53] this is about. And meanwhile, Israel is [22:57] is doing the right thing and ramping up [22:59] attacks against Hezbollah [23:01] at the same time. Either way you slice [23:03] it, [23:04] um it looks to me like this what we've [23:07] what we're calling a ceasefire [23:09] uh is not really a ceasefire at all, and [23:11] that's a good thing. That's a good [23:12] thing. So, [23:14] that's my take on the news. Hope you [23:16] found this helpful. God bless.
