Transcript [00:00] Hey everybody. This is going to be an [00:01] update on what is going on with the Iran [00:04] situation. We're going to take a look at [00:05] a couple of different aspects of it in [00:08] this video. Uh, and we're going to get [00:10] started with a short clip from Victor [00:12] Davis Hansen just to set the table on a [00:14] few issues. Here we go. Well, there's a [00:18] lot of things going on right now. First [00:20] of all, why would the Iranian government [00:22] suddenly say, "We are complaining that [00:25] you hit a civilian target." They didn't [00:27] really distinguish which, but this is a [00:30] government that sent hundreds, thousands [00:34] of drones and missiles into Israel for [00:37] the express purpose of hitting civilian [00:39] targets. That's what they do. They [00:41] always hit civilian targets. So why [00:44] would they think the world would be [00:47] sympathetic to this complaint if it were [00:49] true that the United States for finally [00:51] is hitting dual use targets? Dual use [00:54] means they can be used for either [00:57] civilian or military purposes. A bridge, [01:00] a power grid, an airport, a TV stu [01:04] studio, etc. So that shows you that [01:07] there is a element of desperation on the [01:10] part of the Iranians for them of all [01:12] people to say it's not fair that you are [01:16] hitting civilian targets. Second of all, [01:18] they said this is not fair that you [01:20] don't meet us in battle. If you were [01:22] really strong, you would meet us in [01:24] battle. Translated, that means, well, we [01:28] really liked it when you were in Iraq [01:30] and we could give shape charges to the [01:34] Ba'ist and then later the radical [01:37] Islamists to kill you Americans. We [01:40] really liked it when you fought our type [01:42] of war in the streets of Fallujah. But [01:45] you're not fighting our type of war. [01:47] You're fighting an air war where your [01:49] superior technology and firepower is [01:52] killing us. This is not fair. So again, [01:54] a second symptom that they seem to be [01:57] very angry. How about a third one? [02:01] Donald Trump said, and he says this a [02:04] lot, but he said that they they have [02:06] never been calling for talks more [02:09] eagerly. More eagerly. They're desperate [02:12] for talks. He says, [02:16] "What is going on?" [02:18] >> All right, let's just uh let's cut the [02:19] clip there and I just want to uh drill [02:23] down on a couple of things that he said [02:25] and I think there's I have a slight [02:27] disagreement with one thing that he [02:28] said, but let's just get into it. First [02:29] of all, on the point about civilian [02:32] targets. So what's happening is that the [02:34] Iranians are still raising this issue [02:38] every day about a wedding that was hit [02:40] and then uh another civilian a few more [02:43] civilians were killed the other day [02:45] allegedly and there was this UN factf [02:48] finding mission. This was published [02:50] yesterday. Iran UN factf finding mission [02:53] calls for immediate cessation of [02:55] hostilities after deadly US air strikes [02:57] at civilians. And the Iranian media is [02:59] making making a huge deal out of this. [03:02] Okay. And he makes such a Victor Davis [03:05] Hansen makes a great point about hitting [03:07] civilians. Let's first read what it says [03:08] in this UN factf finding mission report. [03:10] Again, this came out yesterday from the [03:12] UN and it's unbelievable. This is the [03:14] United Nations. This just shows you the [03:16] moral bankruptcy of the United Nations. [03:18] I mean, like we needed another example. [03:21] We don't. But it's worth reminding [03:23] ourselves what this actually is. The [03:25] United Nations is a is an anti-West. [03:29] It's a hostile organization. When I say [03:33] hostile, hostile to everything that [03:35] people like you and I believe in. This [03:37] is a a dangerous organization. It should [03:40] be disbanded. But look what it says [03:42] here. The UN independent international [03:44] factf finding mission on Iran today [03:46] yesterday urged all parties to the [03:48] ongoing regional conflict to abide [03:50] strictly by international law and cease [03:52] hostilities following a series of deadly [03:55] US air strikes in southern Iran. [03:59] The strikes which hit a wedding [04:00] celebration and a residential home [04:03] killed and injured civilian families [04:05] including women and children from [04:07] already marginalized minority [04:09] communities. [04:11] So, it's it's talking about Iranian [04:13] civilians who were hit. I I guess we'll [04:16] read more before I really give my full [04:17] comment. Quote, "These strikes are yet [04:20] another devastating reminder of the [04:22] human cost of the conflict between the [04:24] United States and Israel and Iran," said [04:28] Sarah Hussein, chair of the factf [04:29] finding mission. "Civilians must be [04:31] protected at all times, and constant [04:34] care must be taken to spare civilians [04:36] and civilian objects from the effect of [04:38] hostilities." Despite insisting that its [04:40] military was not targeting civilians on [04:44] on one September, a US air strike hit a [04:46] house in Kuhistak City, Hormosan [04:49] province where a wedding where wedding [04:50] celebrations were reportedly underway. [04:53] According to credible reports and [04:54] information obtained by the factf [04:56] finding mission, Iranian media reported [04:58] that five people were killed, [05:01] including two children and one woman and [05:03] dozens more were injured. On 30 July, [05:06] another reported US air strike destroyed [05:09] a residential home in Kash in Keshum [05:11] City. Also in Homer's gun province, [05:13] reportedly killing a man, a woman, and [05:15] their two-year-old son while injuring [05:17] two other children. Repeated air strikes [05:19] causing civilian casualties raised [05:21] serious questions about whether all [05:23] necessary measures are being taken to [05:25] comply with states obligations under [05:27] international law. They're calling out [05:29] the Americans for not complying under [05:31] international law, for hitting some [05:33] Iranian civilians, including to take all [05:35] precautionary measures to avoid civilian [05:36] deaths, said Max Duples, an expert [05:40] member of the factf finding mission. [05:41] Now, [05:43] Victor Davis Hansen raised such a [05:44] valuable point. [05:47] Where was a condemnation like this? [05:49] Where was a statement like this when [05:51] Iran was raining rockets down on Tel [05:54] Aviv and other major civilian population [05:57] centers in Israel? Like the [06:00] even if the Americans killed civilians, [06:02] which I believe, you know, civilians do [06:03] get killed. There's collateral damage in [06:05] in warfare. [06:07] It wasn't their intent. The Iranians [06:10] literally, and everyone knows this, and [06:12] they don't deny it, they were proudly [06:14] firing rockets at Israeli population [06:16] centers. Where is and and I checked, by [06:19] the way, there was no such condemnation. [06:21] There was no such call for everyone to [06:22] follow international law and how [06:24] terrible this is that they're targeting [06:25] civilians. [06:27] You understand [06:29] this is the United Nations is an evil [06:31] organization. [06:36] The Iranians [06:38] deliberately, proudly target Israeli [06:41] civilians. [06:43] And there was this a a uh a report like [06:46] this, a factf finding mission to then [06:49] call out all sides. But they're not [06:51] really calling out all sides. They're [06:52] saying that everyone should stop. And [06:53] then they're saying that this raises [06:55] very serious questions about whether the [06:57] Americans were actually targeting [06:59] civilians or not and whether they were [07:00] following international law. [07:04] So that's number one. Now, he also he [07:06] brought up this uh statement by Masud [07:08] Peshan [07:10] that they're saying, why don't you meet [07:11] us on the battlefield? So here's the [07:13] statement he was referring to. This is [07:14] it's a tweet from Peshkan. If Americans [07:17] are warriors, let them face our valiant [07:19] military forces. Why wage war on [07:21] civilian infrastructure, food supplies, [07:23] and livelihoods? [07:25] If they're human, why deny people access [07:27] to water, food, and medicine? Our people [07:29] can't be bullied into submission? Iran [07:31] won't surrender. Now, they know that the [07:34] Americans aren't going to invade on the [07:36] ground. There's no reason for them to. [07:39] So, I it's one of these it's one of [07:42] these posturing moves where you say, [07:45] "Oh, you're too afraid to do X, Y, and Z [07:47] when you know that I don't want to do X, [07:49] Y, and Z for other reasons." [07:52] So, you make it look like I'm, you know, [07:54] I'm backing down or I'm being weak or [07:56] something. And I think I think Victor [07:58] Davis Hansen is right on this point that [08:00] it is one of these signs of Iranian [08:02] desperation. It shows you how how the [08:06] the what the Americans are doing which [08:09] is not and here's where I disagree with [08:11] his assessment. He said, "Oh, it's [08:12] because we don't like the type of war [08:14] you're waging hitting us from the air, [08:16] etc." I think it's we don't like the [08:18] type of war you're waging [08:20] with the economic sanctions. What's [08:23] really crippling the regime, what's [08:25] really bringing it closer to collapse [08:26] than anything else that has been done is [08:29] not kinetic activity. I've been saying [08:31] this since the beginning of the war. The [08:32] kinetic activity, I'm all for it. And [08:35] some of it was actually very necessary, [08:37] taking out the ballistic missile sites [08:39] and all that, you know, the launchers. [08:42] But right now, the Trump administration [08:45] is doing exactly what it should be [08:47] doing. It is strangling the regime [08:49] economically, and that is what's [08:51] working. And he's saying here, why are [08:52] you waging war on the civilians? You [08:54] know, strangling them economically is [08:56] doing that. Now, that's true. It is [08:58] having that collateral effect, but [09:00] that's the way it works. It's the only [09:01] way to it. It It is It is what will [09:05] eventually bring down the regime. That [09:07] together with something they're not [09:09] doing, which is more decapitation [09:11] strikes against the leadership. That's [09:13] what I've been calling for. Actually [09:15] hitting the IRGC, hitting the besiege, [09:18] decapitation of leadership, make them [09:20] afraid that they will die. Notice we [09:23] haven't taken out any top Iranian [09:24] leaders ever since the Israelis left [09:26] this battlefield at the ceasefire on [09:29] April 8th. [09:31] And I think that that's why these that's [09:33] why this is dragging on. That's really [09:35] what the Americans should be doing in my [09:36] opinion. But I digress. But I think he's [09:39] right that this is a sign that what the [09:42] Americans are doing are working. It's [09:44] it's it's [09:45] trying to call out the Americans for [09:48] hitting civilians. call out the [09:50] Americans for starving the Iranian [09:52] people. [09:53] Look, if if the regime falls, everything [09:57] will be just fine. Anyway, um on the on [10:01] the topic of the of what the Americans [10:03] are doing economically to the Iranians, [10:06] look at this news item that slipped [10:08] through the radar. US attorney seeks [10:10] forfeite of $61 [10:12] million in cryptocurrency from Iranian [10:15] military's black market oil sales. This [10:18] is from the United States Attorney's [10:19] Office of the Southern District of New [10:21] York. This is a long complicated piece. [10:23] I'm not going to read the whole thing to [10:24] you. Let me just sum it up for you. [10:26] Basically, what it says is this. US [10:28] federal prosecutors in New York are [10:30] moving to seize $61 million in [10:33] cryptocurrency, saying that it's tied to [10:35] Iran's black market oil trade. According [10:39] to the Justice Department, there are two [10:41] companies posing as a wealth management [10:44] firm and a commodities broker, and they [10:47] were actually fronts for laundering [10:49] money for Iran. The scheme uh allegedly [10:53] funneled over uh a billion and a half [10:56] dollars from illegal sales of sanctioned [10:59] Iranian oil into cryptocurrency. And [11:02] some of it ended up with the IRGC, with [11:05] the Iran, with the Islamic Revolutionary [11:06] Guard. um that are a terrorist [11:10] organization. So, investigators trace [11:12] the money through the crypto exchange [11:14] accounts, including on Binance, before [11:16] flagging the $61 million that's now [11:19] targeted for forfeite. [11:22] Okay? They haven't charged anyone [11:23] criminally yet. Uh but the government is [11:26] going after this money. It's the And [11:28] it's just it's another sign that [11:31] Washington is using cryptotracking tools [11:34] to squeeze Iranians oil sanctions [11:36] evasion network. Okay, that's what this [11:39] is about. That's what this that's what [11:40] this piece is about. And along the same [11:42] lines, this is also from yesterday. US [11:44] sanctions Russia's VTB bank over Iran [11:48] ties as financial crackdown widens. So [11:52] um you know, it's important to note that [11:55] things are happening every single day. [11:56] The regime is is getting strangled more [11:58] and more. They're getting weaker and [12:00] weaker. The United States on Monday [12:01] imposed new Iran related sanctions on [12:03] Russia's VTB bank [12:06] on Monday. It said on Monday twice. [12:08] Okay. Accusing the already heavily [12:10] sanctioned lender of helping tan evade [12:13] restrictions through banking [12:14] relationships and payment arrangements. [12:16] Treasury Department's Office of Foreign [12:18] Assets Control designated VTB under [12:21] Executive Order 13902 for operating in [12:24] Iran's financial sector. expanding [12:26] Operation Economic Outcast to one of [12:28] Russia's largest banks. The action [12:30] follows measures targeting banking [12:32] channels in Turkey and the United Arab [12:36] Emirates. Treasury said VTB established [12:38] correspondent relationships with [12:40] sanctioned Iranian financial [12:41] institutions over the past three years. [12:43] If you want to know what correspondent [12:44] banking is, I did a whole video on it [12:47] like I don't know what it was a week [12:48] ago, a week and a half ago. Did a whole [12:50] video on how correspondent banking [12:52] works. It's far beyond the scope of this [12:54] video to discuss it here, to explain it, [12:56] but basically it's it it's the way that [13:00] money moves internationally between [13:02] banking systems that are not necessarily [13:04] linked to the same currency. Um that it [13:07] where where a foreign bank will open a [13:09] bank will open an account in another [13:12] country and they'll hold money there and [13:14] then when someone in their country wants [13:16] to move money somewhere else, it [13:18] basically it the money moves from that [13:20] account. So it makes it harder to track [13:22] uh and it's called correspondent [13:24] banking. Anyway, so VTB established [13:26] correspondent relationships with [13:27] sanctioned Iranian banks and took steps [13:30] to move billions of dollars billions [13:32] with a B in frozen Iranian assets and [13:34] created a settlement system using real [13:37] and rubble denominated accounts. That's [13:39] how correspondent banking works uh to [13:42] trade between Russia and Iran. VTB has [13:44] also had presence in Thran since 2023 [13:48] when it became the first Russian bank to [13:50] open a representative office in Iran. So [13:54] again, the economic crackdown continues. [13:56] We see the crypto, we see the Russian [13:58] bank. Uh before I go on this March, [14:02] March 7th through 14th 8day trip to [14:05] Israel hosted by myself and Dr. David [14:10] Worms. Dr. David Wormser, one of the [14:12] greatest experts in the Middle East, uh, [14:14] in the world, served in multiple white [14:16] houses, served in the National Security [14:18] Council, in the State Department. He [14:20] he's, uh, he's amazing, and he is going [14:23] to be joining us in Israel for 8 days, [14:26] March 7th to 14th. This is a five-star [14:30] uh, VIP trip, exclusive trip. It's going [14:32] to be limited to uh, 15 20 people max. [14:38] And uh, it's going to be an amazing [14:39] trip. We're going to be meeting with uh [14:42] with officials from the Israeli [14:43] government. We're going to be meeting [14:44] with uh with people who are of high rank [14:48] in the defense uh in the defense [14:50] community here in Israel. We're going to [14:52] have briefings at critical spots like [14:55] the Lebanese border, the Syrian border, [14:58] uh certain critical locations in Judea [14:59] and Samaria. We're going to we're going [15:01] to meet with community leaders like the [15:02] Jews and the Jews community, the [15:04] Christian community in Israel, the [15:06] Jewish community in Judea and Samaria. [15:08] We're going to meet with prominent [15:09] journalists. It's going to be a very [15:10] unique trip to Israel March 7th to 14th. [15:14] Check it out. The link is in the [15:15] description of this video. [15:17] Now, on the ground in Iran, things are [15:20] getting bad. Iranians say basic food [15:23] slipping beyond reach as bread prices [15:25] soar. Iranians are struggling to afford [15:28] basic food as bread prices rise sharply. [15:31] And citizens describe soaring costs for [15:33] vegetables, snacks, and other everyday [15:35] purchases. According to a local media [15:38] report and messages sent to Iran [15:40] International on Monday, bread prices in [15:42] the Iranian capital have risen sharply [15:44] without official authorization, putting [15:46] even bread and cheese beyond the means [15:48] of some workers. Now, when he says [15:49] without official authorization, a lot of [15:51] these countries have fixed prices for [15:54] certain staples um like bread and what [15:58] this means is that the prices are just [15:59] rising anyway. putting even bread and [16:02] cheese beyond the means of some workers. [16:04] Labor focused ILNA news agency reported [16:07] quote things are very bad with bread and [16:09] the unofficial increase in bread prices [16:11] has become staggering. There was a time [16:13] when a worker could at least count on [16:15] bread and cheese but today they can no [16:16] longer afford even that. Ali Tor [16:20] Tashvand executive secretary of the [16:22] workers house told ILNA the pressure [16:25] comes as Iran's official minimum wage [16:28] stands at about 166.3 million real per [16:31] month equivalent to roughly $72 per [16:34] month at the open market exchange rate [16:38] messages sent separately to Iran [16:40] international described sharp increases [16:42] across basic food and household [16:44] purchases one citizen said several [16:47] kilograms of vegetable vegetables had [16:49] cost 25 million real equivalent to about [16:53] 15% [16:54] of the monthly minimum wage. That's the [16:56] number that matters. 15% of the monthly [16:59] minimum wage for a couple kilos of [17:01] vegetables. Then it goes on with more [17:03] and more products and how out of reach [17:05] life is becoming. [17:08] Prices for some staples have risen far [17:10] faster than overall inflation with rice [17:13] increasing by more than 200%. [17:16] by more than 200%. That means it's like [17:18] three more than more than three times [17:20] the price it was before. Cooking oil by [17:22] more than 300%. [17:25] Anyway, that's what's going on in Iran. [17:26] So, look, there's this is a powder keg. [17:28] There's only so long this can go on [17:30] before the people uh have to step out [17:32] into the streets. Now, this a totally [17:34] different front in this whole thing. I [17:36] I'm bringing this up because I brought [17:38] this up in some earlier videos last [17:40] week. One of the things that Iran keeps [17:42] doing is claiming that there are still [17:47] mines in the street of Hormuz and [17:50] manufacturing these fake stories of [17:52] ships hitting mines. And they do that [17:55] because they're trying to scare off [17:57] international shippers from using the [17:59] straight. This way they can effectively [18:03] have the straight closed. They can [18:04] suppress traffic in the straight of [18:06] Hormuz again with these fake stories of [18:09] minds. And I called this out, what was [18:11] it about a week and a half, two weeks [18:12] ago of a few stories that looked [18:15] suspicious. And here's another one. This [18:17] was from yesterday. Super tanker Elga [18:20] Gaya here. They named the boat. So I was [18:22] like, "Oh, maybe it actually happened." [18:23] Hits naval mines in southern straight of [18:25] Hormuz. Interesting. the Islamic [18:28] Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said that [18:30] the super tanker Algaaya and it even [18:33] gives a maritime identification number [18:34] because I pointed out that when they [18:36] made up these stories in the past, the [18:38] fake stories didn't include information [18:41] about the ships and that was the tell [18:42] that it was fake. But here they give the [18:45] name of the ship, they give its ID [18:46] number that it exploded after hitting [18:49] naval mines while attempting while [18:51] attempting to pass through a restricted [18:53] area of the straight of Hormuz. [18:54] According to a statement issued by the [18:56] IRGC Navy, efforts to contain the fire [18:59] were unsuccessful, leaving the tanker [19:00] engulfed in flames. The statement said [19:02] warnings had been issued about the [19:04] dangers of using the unauthorized [19:06] passage. [19:07] The IRGC Navy said the straight of [19:09] Hormuz remains closed and under smart [19:11] control, but what's the problem? SenCom [19:14] denies report oil tanker explosion [19:16] following mine collision in Hormuz. [19:19] And they said that the ship actually had [19:21] been struck by a missile last month. So, [19:23] there are pictures of that ship on fire, [19:26] but that ship was actually hit by a a by [19:30] a missile a while ago, and nothing hit a [19:33] mine. It's a fake news story. Nothing [19:35] hit a mine. There are no more mines that [19:38] we know of in the Straight of Hormuz. [19:40] The Americans have cleared them. The [19:41] Iranians have not been able to lay any [19:43] more any more new mines as evidenced by [19:45] the fact that they were coming up with [19:47] this new system of trying to launch [19:49] rockets with mines into the strait in [19:51] order to to get them. But this is [19:54] another sign of their desperation. These [19:55] stories and finally we have this. What [19:58] else is new? Iran rejects any talks with [20:01] US after Trump remarks. This is from [20:03] today. Iran's security chief on Tuesday [20:06] rejected any talks with the US after [20:07] President Trump said he was open to [20:09] resuming discussions on the Middle East [20:10] war. Quote, "Don't get distracted by the [20:14] US president's mixed signals from no [20:16] negotiations to we're ready to talk." [20:18] The Secretary of Iran Supreme National [20:20] Security Council Mosen Resi posted on X. [20:22] The stakes around oil and the straits [20:24] have changed. Damage control won't stop. [20:27] What's coming? No talks until Iran's [20:29] conditions are met. Period. He added. [20:31] Trump on Monday said he was opening he [20:33] was open to holding talks with Iran [20:35] after weeks of saying it was too early [20:36] to make a deal to end the war. Quote, [20:38] "The failing nation of Iran wants to [20:40] make a deal quickly and badly. I will [20:43] determine whether or not the USA will [20:45] choose to engage." The concept of which [20:47] we are open to. [20:50] Okay? Meaning we are open to the concept [20:52] of engaging in talks. Why? I don't know. [20:55] Iran has repeatedly listed demands [20:57] including war reparations and the [20:59] lifting of sanctions as preconditions [21:00] for ending the war and its blockade on [21:02] the straight of Hormuz. So there you go. [21:05] That's an update of what is going on [21:07] with this Iran situation. Bottom line is [21:09] this. [21:12] This is going to take time. [21:14] This is going to take time. Uh Iranian [21:17] Iranian officials are now running around [21:19] the world having meetings. uh Aragchi, [21:22] their foreign minister, is going to be [21:23] in Beijing, I think tomorrow. Um and [21:26] there's another one of them who's [21:27] heading to Turkey. I think their [21:28] interior minister is heading to Turkey [21:30] in the next uh today or tomorrow. So, [21:33] they're they're uh trying to find [21:35] friends wherever they can. And I think [21:38] that it is correct. I think that Victor [21:39] Davis Hansen is correct that they are [21:41] they are in a state of absolute [21:43] desperation. [21:44] Uh and uh and we'll see we'll see what [21:47] happens. So, that's my update. I hope [21:49] thanks for watching. Hope you found this [21:50] helpful. Get you up to date on Iran and [21:53] uh I'll keep bringing you updates as [21:56] news changes. Thanks for watching. Make [22:01] sure that you're subscribed. All that [22:02] good stuff. God bless.
