Iran's stature has been enhanced. Its people are more self-confident and it's uh its control over the Strait of Hormuz is going to have a very physical impact on the way in which uh the region moves forward in in the years to come.
0:19>> Uh we have a special guest right now I want to get to uh quickly uh uh Seyed Mohammad Marandi is with us again. Uh he is a professor of English literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, a political analyst known for his critiques of Western media and culture, has appeared as a commentator on international news networks. He's a He uh He was born in the United States but returned to Iran when he was 13, later fought in the Iran-Iraq War. Please welcome back to the show Professor Marandi. Good to see you.
0:50>> Hi Jimmy. Thank you very much for inviting me.
0:53>> I'm so glad you could I'm so glad you could make it. So tell me that just let's start off with what's life like now in Iran.
1:01>> It's It's pretty normal. Um the unfortunately the last half of the school year was online and because of the war and uh our university classes were also online.
1:18So that I think is uh irreversible damage.
1:23Um our MA and PhD classes um for the since last week they were on campus so that's uh that makes things a bit better. Businesses are are are open like uh they used to be before the war but inflation is high and uh some jobs have been lost because factories have been bombed, pharmaceutical companies or factories.
1:50And uh the steel industry was bombed, petrochemical plants were bombed, schools and hospitals. So, we've had lots of damage. And then, of course, the siege on Iranian ports, although not 100% effective, but still they've uh increased the problems because the United States is trying to prevent grain, food, medical supplies, uh all of these from getting to the country. So, Iran tries to compensate through other borders, uh but its exports are affected, its imports are affected. So, it is it's more difficult than before, but the Iranians believe that uh just like in the war that they they they believe they won the war,
2:34uh they believe that they they will persevere uh under this uh sanction this uh siege on the Strait of Hormuz.
2:44>> And so, do you feel like Iran is in a It seems to me uh that Iran is in a much stronger position now after the war than it was before the war, and they're even seen now as uh a superpower at least in the Middle East. And can you talk about what what about Iran being stronger now than they were before?
3:07>> Yes, I think that's a um overwhelming belief here that Iran is in relative terms strong much stronger than it was before the war. One was the very fact One reason was the very fact that the United States failed to win the war.
3:22Uh a lots of people across the world, friends of Iran, may expected Iran to fold within a few days. Uh my Chinese friends, academics, think tankers, my Russian friends, my Brazilian friends, uh my Indian friends, people from everywhere, they almost almost all of them thought Iran would would collapse.
3:45And they were very pleasantly surprised to to say the least to to to see Iran remains steadfast. has made Iran stronger in itself. Its position on the global stage has been enhanced. And at home, it's given people a a sense of greater confidence because many believe people believe that we Iran would win the war, but many people were very worried and afraid about what would happen.
4:11But also, one big change that I think uh uh American elites and and Israeli politicians should be uh should be outraged about uh and should go after Trump and Netanyahu is the fact that uh Iran now controls the Strait of Hormuz.
4:30Iran never had the intention of uh of controlling the Strait of Hormuz. It wasn't even something that's ever been discussed in Iranian uh political quarters or uh you know, political platforms or in the media. Never. I I I do not recall ever hearing uh even once such a thing.
4:52Uh but uh at when the war started, the Iranians decided that they have no option but to control it. And that will have a huge impact in the future because they'll control who gets in and who gets out.
5:04So, the United States in future will not be able to militarize the Persian Gulf against Iran.
5:09And also, the Iranians are going to are currently getting fees from ships that pass through the Strait of Hormuz because Iranians have not shut the Strait of Hormuz.
5:18So, they're take getting fees from ships that do pass through. So, it's going to have a a uh an important financial benefit for the Iranians as well.
5:27So, I think Iran's stature has been enhanced. Its people are more self-confident. And it's uh its control of the Strait of Hormuz is going to have a very physical impact on the way in which uh the region moves forward in in the years to come.
5:46>> And so, those are the the two big things is for me that you know, Iran's the way they have won this war. One, they have the they can control the Strait of Hormuz, which everyone now it's manifest. Now everyone realizes that they have complete control.
6:01And the second thing is that um what I've come to learn, what everyone has come to learn is that Iran has the ability to wipe out the Gulf states in a sense that they can take out their power plants and their desalination plants.
6:14And which would then render those places unlivable, right? So if you don't have water, you can't live. And so in 72 hours, it would be a humanitarian crisis and there would be a mass exodus from those countries, a big immigration crisis, right? And so what would cause why has Iran not done that yet or even done it to one Gulf state? And what would cause them to go ahead and implement that plan?
6:42>> Well, you know, Jimmy, unlike what people here in the West we in in the West about Iran, uh Iran is not a an evil and monstrous regime. Uh it is is the only country that is actively opposing the genocide in Gaza. It it is the only country that is actively supporting the people in Lebanon.
7:07Uh and uh so they can't be that bad. And those who are calling Iran evil are the ones who are supporting the genocide in Gaza and the and the mass killings in in Lebanon.
7:19In this war, these five countries in the Persian Gulf region, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and and the Emirates, they all assisted the United States in slaughtering Iranians. The Americans used their used their bases.
7:34The Americans used even the bases of these countries, not just American bases, but the bases that belong to the armed forces of these countries, they use their airspace, their land, their territorial waters to assault Iran. So, these countries are part of the war.
7:50Yet, Jimmy, although Iran did a lot of damage to these countries, it was only in retaliation. In other words, when Iranian infrastructure, civilian infrastructure was struck, Iran would strike uh in the Israeli regime and these countries by striking their civilian infrastructure as well to uh to to prevent to to to uh in order to prevent the United States from pushing this further.
8:17But, you know, the interesting thing is that Iran lost 3,500 people in the war.
8:22And despite the massive destruction across these five regimes in the Persian Gulf, these US proxies, they collectively, I've searched on uh Deep Seek, um collectively they say roughly 20 people were killed by the by these Iranian missiles and drones.
8:41So, the conclusion is that the Iranians were not were never targeting civilians.
8:46They were never targeting civilian infrastructure. Yet, we had just that in one strike, the American uh armed forces murdered 168 kids on day one and on the in the first wave of the strikes, which in my opinion was intentional. Because I've been in war. And on the first day of any major operation, all the targets are very carefully vetted. They've they're vetted for weeks if not months.
9:13And on in subsequent days, targets become more difficult because there's so many changes taking place. But, on day one, usually those first targets, they want that maximum effect. And so, they are carefully carefully vetted. And so, the first place that was bombed with multiple missiles was the school in uh in the south of Iran. But, in any case, very few people in these countries were were attacked and the only reason why were killed. And the only reason why Iran struck infrastructure in these countries was in retaliation and in order to prevent the United States and the Israeli regime from continuing attacks on Iranian
9:54civilian infrastructure. So, if the United States restarts the war and the Israeli regime, the United States together, they restart this war and they do what Trump threatens to do and that is to obliterate Iran, to take Iran back to the Stone Age, to wipe out the Iranian civilization. He's used all of these terms on different occasions.
10:18That would mean destroying Iran's critical infrastructure as he has said himself, Iran's electrical power plants and so on.
10:26Iran's deterrent is to say we're going to do the same.
10:31Only in response.
10:33If they do that, then the Iranians will destroy their critical infrastructure.
10:38And I don't know if you've been to any of these countries in the Persian Gulf, these Arab regimes, in the summer, hot, very hot, very humid, intolerable, unless you have a you know, electricity and and very good cooling systems.
10:55If Iran strikes those crit- that their critical infrastructure, people will have to leave. These regimes will collapse, whether it's the Emirates or Kuwait or Bahrain or the Saudis or or or Qatar, they'll all collapse and people will immediately have to get in their cars, cross the desert, go into Oman, go into Iraq, go somewhere, but these these regimes would fall apart.
11:19But that is not what Iran wants. Iran did not start this war. It did not start last year's war. We're almost on the anniversary of that war. And Iran is the victim of of these countries, in fact.
11:31This is the third time that these countries have actively worked against Iran. In 1980, when the US encouraged Saddam to invade Iraq Saddam to invade Iran and the West gave him chemical weapons.
11:43These five family These five family regimes in the Persian Gulf, these Arab regimes, they gave Saddam Hussein hundreds of billions of dollars to kill Iranians.
11:52And in last year when the Israelis and Americans launched the war American bases in these countries were used to help the Israeli regime. And of course in this war they were more uh openly a part of this war. So, Iran has many grievances, but Iran has never initiated war against them.
12:09>> And so, um it's been was reported on the show on Monday uh by Larry Johnson and Pepe Escobar has since also reported that Iran now has multiple nuclear weapons.
12:23Can you Can you confirm that? Do people in Iran know that they have nuclear weapons?
12:29>> Well, in general, I believe that uh Larry Johnson and Pepe Escobar are very credible people and they are personal friends and uh people I've been with both of them. Uh I have no evidence of this personally.
12:47Uh the Iranian position on weapons of that mass destruction uh first became clear in the 1980s when Saddam Hussein was using those chemical weapons that the West gave to him, especially the Germans.
12:58And these Arab regimes were funding the program.
13:01Um back then, the West prevented Iran from even purchasing gas masks.
13:07And uh in order to help Saddam gas people.
13:11And uh so, you know, these these monstrous this monstrous behavior didn't begin with Trump.
13:18Um but uh back then, leaders in Iran went to Ayatollah Khomeini, the the founder of the revolution, the first leader, and said, "We need to produce chemical weapons." And he said, "No, they're immoral and you cannot produce them. You just have to deal with what is what is going on. You have to defend yourselves against chemical weapons and use conventional weapons."
13:41So, Iran never produced chemical weapons.
13:43When Ayatollah Khamenei, the the who was martyred 3 months ago, became leader, he gave a fatwa against chemical weapons, against nuclear weapons.
13:54And so, Iran has not developed nuclear weapons.
13:57And uh you senior Iranian figures like the former chair of the Supreme National Security Council, who was murdered in this war, as well as the former foreign minister, uh Dr. Kharrazi, who was also murdered in this war, both of them said that Iran could have developed nuclear weapons many years ago. Iran has that ability.
14:17But, it has chosen not to do so.
14:19And unless there is an existential threat to the survival of the nation, uh under those circumstances, would Iran change its nuclear posture.
14:31I don't see at the moment an existential threat to the nation's survival, and I don't see this narrative in the public discourse.
14:43Having said that, most Iranians want nuclear weapons. Uh as before the last year's war, the 12-day war, it was half and half, even though like government officials and people in in power and the uh leaders of the country were speaking out against nuclear weapons, it was sort of half and half. Half people wanted them, half were opposed to them.
15:04After the 12-day war, I've seen polls where the majority want nuclear weapons.
15:07I haven't seen polls during the last 3 months. I would be surprised if that majority hasn't grown.
15:15Because I my own anecdotal experience is on the streets of Tehran when people come up to me is that they want nuclear weapons. But I don't see any sign that the state, the government has changed its policy or there's any new fatwa. So, at the moment I believe that nothing has changed, but at the same time I I I would always advise people to watch Larry Johnson. I watch his interviews and Pepe Escobar, too. Both very insightful and knowledgeable people.
15:48And quite funny.
15:50>> Yes, very much. So, there was there were reports that uh Trump has finally laid down the law to Benjamin Netanyahu.
15:58And um Well, before I get to that, let me So, uh uh Iran um right now I I don't doesn't really need a a peace deal with the United States in a sense because in a sense they've already won the this war. Now they have control of the strait and um but they also have they also want uh like tied into any peace deal uh I they're demanding that Israel uh stop slaughtering people in Lebanon and Gaza, right? And so um what what do you think the chances of that? So, that does I don't think cuz if Benjamin Netanyahu stops doing that, if he stops the war in Lebanon uh then he's going to be prosecuted and he's probably going to go to prison in
16:47Israel, right? So, the only reason he's not in prison right now is cuz he got these wars going.
16:52And uh so he knows uh cuz if I know he knows that if that's that's going to happen to him. So, um do you think that uh uh Trump will be able to get Well, here's what the the the Do you think Trump will be able to get them to stop uh Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war in Lebanon and stop slaughtering people in Gaza? And do you think Iran will keep that as a a definite a prerequisite for any kind of deal.
17:22>> Iran will definitely keep that as a as a as a as a a condition that must be met for any deal. That is 100% for certain.
17:35The Israeli regime must end the war and go back to where it was before the war began three, four months ago and the the killing must stop and the ceasefire must be implemented.
17:49Even though Iran believes that the ceasefire in Gaza was unjust and regional countries the leaders they went to Egypt the leader of Jordan uh Turkey these regimes in the Persian Gulf and others they went there basically and whitewashed Trump's crimes and and they they supported his ceasefire which was which was not a ceasefire. Since that ceasefire a thousand almost a thousand Palestinians have been slaughtered.
18:19So but the Iranians are demanding an end to the war in Lebanon and a real ceasefire in Gaza. That that won't change.
18:30With regards to US the US and Israel I don't think that the there's any di- there's any division between Trump and Netanyahu.
18:39And I think that you're absolutely correct that Netanyahu needs war to stay out of jail.
18:44uh And and of course Axios which has zero credibility and lies a lot and and just last year about around this time it was saying that Trump and Netanyahu have the differences Trump wants to give negotiations a chance and Netanyahu wants war and then immediately afterwards we had the war. We're almost on the anniversary of that war like in the 10 days or so.
19:07And Axios back then reported this too.
19:09So there's a lot of Axios does lies and it also helps people in the White House to place bets on the on the market and on the price of oil. They point they put out claims that we are we're on the verge of some deal, which was all fake, and then you saw the price of oil go down and the markets go up and people were making a lot of money, people around Trump. So, Axios has zero credibility. But in in this particular uh issue that you raised about Trump that what Trump allegedly said about Netanyahu, whatever the intentions were, personally I don't think it changes US Israeli relations, and we're already seeing that
19:53the US and Israeli armed forces are being merged together as we speak, or moves are being made to do it. Uh but um but perhaps that quote, which was whether it's true or or not, was put into Axios, was put there by influential people in Washington, maybe because they wanted to get rid of Netanyahu.
20:18This is just personal speculation because I think that maybe people in the White House, who are Israeli firsters, and the the Zionist lobby, they I think that maybe some of them are thinking that Netanyahu is destroying the Israeli regime. And I think he is destroying the Israeli regime because the world has turned against it turned against this genocidal regime.
20:41And so, when in the United States uh 60% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Israelis, and it's mostly young people, and when uh young Jews are turning against the Israeli regime, despite not only the propaganda of the state, but also the Jewish leadership in in the community, their propaganda, when you You young Jews saying like half of young Jews now I think are below the age of 35 are saying that Palestinians and Jews should live side live live side by side in peace in Palestine.
21:17That is basically an anti-Zionist position.
21:20So I think there are many Israeli firsters who are saying that Israel is in danger because everyone's turning against it. And maybe maybe because elections in Israel are close they would like to weaken Netanyahu and then have someone else take his place who's just as genocidal but they could try to create a new image for him and blame Netanyahu for all the crimes even though as I said these people would be just as genocidal.
21:48I think that this may be one reason why this tweet was put this act has put this out because this has damaged Netanyahu a lot in the Jewish um sorry in the Hebrew media media uh he's being attacked not just by his opponents his political opponents but also by his political allies.
22:11So I think some damage has been done to him. And his but I may be wrong. This is just speculation on my view.
22:19>> So it isn't it true that his opponents in the election are actually more hawkish on Lebanon and they're actually pushing him to do more strikes quicker and bigger?
22:31>> Yes yes they're they're just as genocidal. I mean it's a unfortunately it's a genocidal society.
22:39And you know one of the things that Israel did during the war against Iran is that they bombed a synagogue.
22:46In Tehran they completely demolished a synagogue. Why?
22:50Because it's not a Zionist synagogue.
22:52And so the real enemies of Judaism uh are are the Zionists. The real enemies of Christianity are the Zionist Christians. And the real enemies of Islam are the takfiri Wahhabis and you know, these Salafist terrorists that have always been working for Western intelligence agencies. I mean, the Saudis and the Qataris and the others and and intelligence the intelligence agency in Turkey uh and others in in Jordan they've been funding them but they never attack Israel. And as we speak like the ISIS and Al-Qaeda government in Syria, they're helping with the siege on Lebanon against Hezbollah against the
23:32resistance. So, you have a proxy government in Beirut that the Americans and and the Saudis and others installed that will not allow the refugees in southern Lebanon to go to different parts of Lebanon. I don't know if you know this.
23:44>> No, I didn't.
23:45>> The refugees like over a million refugees, they've left the south and they will not the prime minister the president and others will not allow them into different parts of Lebanon.
23:57They say you're not allowed in these areas. It's their own country but they prevent them. And they prevent aid from Iran and Iraq to go there like my friends have tried to get out to get some money to for people to give some money so that they can send it to Lebanon. They're blocking all aid. The Lebanese government is doing this. So, the ISIS and Al-Qaeda government in Syria is helping Israel. The Lebanese government is working against the resistance. The Israeli regime is carrying out a genocidal attack and we are being prevented from even giving humanitarian aid.
24:30But in any case, ISIS and Al-Qaeda is just as anti Islamic as Zionism is anti Jewish and Zionism is anti Christian.
24:42>> Um why would Lebanon be doing do Why would the government of Lebanon So, it's almost like they're in they're in collusion with the people attacking them. Is that what Is that what I'm Is that what I'm hearing you say?
24:56>> Yes, that's exactly what they're doing.
24:59>> I Can you explain that? Why would that Why would they be in collusion with people attacking their own country? I don't understand this.
25:06>> Well, we we there's a lot of that going on in in in our region because almost all of the countries in our region are in the US camp and they're mostly proxies of the United States. Some may have a bit more independence like in Turkey, some less independent, but uh they're all in the American camp and the Americans with the help of Saudi Arabia and others installed the current president and the prime minister.
25:37And uh they they've been carrying out peace negotiations with Israeli regime which is against the constitution of the country.
25:44And uh which is a huge concession to the regime as it's killing people in southern Lebanon.
25:50And uh they're basically obedient to the United States. They were put in base put in power by the Americans and they will pursue American policies. And so you Western NGOs in Lebanon which have a lot of funding, they promote and the Western embassies, they promote the these positions, not allowing uh and so as as the same is true with those who are funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the others in in the Persian Gulf these best spots that are in the American camp. They're all against the people who support the resistance. So they're preventing aid from getting in, they're preventing them from moving to
26:29different parts of Lebanon as refugees.
26:33And uh it's basically because they and they're preventing us from sending aid.
26:38Why? Because they wanted to crush the resistance. They want to humiliate them.
26:42They want to bring them to their knees because that's what empire wants. That's what empire demands.
26:49>> Wow.
26:50Um so it's >> I mean, Jimmy, let's just go back to Yemen. Remember when the Saudis and the Emirates waged that genocidal war in Yemen. What they were doing to Yemen is not all that different to what was going on in Gaza and in Lebanon.
27:05All these regimes in our region were supporting this. They all supported the Saudis and Emirates. The West were giving They sent advisors. They were giving weapons. They were ammunition so that the Saudis could wipe them out. I remember that a US a a former US official said that someone who became critical.
27:30He said that I was actually on the ship in the Red Sea on American naval ship.
27:34And they stopped a boat that was taking medicine like smuggling medicine into Yemen.
27:42And they went and dumped all that medicine into the sea. That was during the genocidal war against Yemen.
27:48All these countries were support supporting the Saudis and the Emirates including Qatar and Turkey, but later on Qatar and Turkey split from the Saudis when the Saudis and Emirates imposed that siege on Qatar.
28:01So, this is not you.
28:04None of these countries helped the people of Gaza. None of them gave a single bullet to the people of Gaza to defend themselves.
28:12Uh Turkey and the the the regime in Azerbaijan um it sells cheap oil to uh Israel. Turkey under Erdogan transports that oil to Israel. Even now when there's a world global shortage, they're sending their oil.
28:28Uh Sisi, the Egyptian government, buys gas from the Israeli regime. The Jordanian government does trade and collaborates with intelligence. Syria, huge part of their their country is now occupied. They won't lift a finger to end the occupation and they're actually collaborating against the resistance in Lebanon.
28:47And in the Persian Gulf, we saw how they assisted the United States in invading Iran.
28:53They are part of the aggression against against the country. So, you know, the the empire is on the decline, but its power has always been very quite immense.
29:05>> So, Turkey is still set So, I mean, I'm sure you've heard people from Naftali Bennett to, you know, former spy Everybody's saying that the next war for Israel and the greater Israel project is going to be with Turkey.
29:19And so, isn't Turkey aware of this? Why why would they still be >> Well, you know, Jimmy, there are many questions in on in this world that I I'd love to have the real answers to. I have my own views, but you know, uh Tucker Carlson, you saw his interview with the US ambassador to Israel.
29:41And in that interview, the ambassador said if the Israelis take the entire region, that's fine.
29:49That includes parts of Turkey, that includes all of Syria, that includes Lebanon, that includes Jordan, that includes part of parts of Iraq, that includes major parts of Saudi Arabia.
29:59That includes parts of Egypt.
30:00>> Egypt.
30:01>> What did these governments do?
30:03What did they say?
30:05Nothing. They just wrote a a joint communique saying this is, you know, they condemned this. That's it.
30:11That is the real policy of the United States. That is the policy of European governments. The unofficial policy.
30:19Greater Israel. And that's why they're allowing for the the slaughter in Gaza, the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. I mean, European diplomats, just today, they've been tweeting about European diplomats in Israel, have been tweeting about participating, I think, in uh uh uh pride What's it called? Pride parade?
30:40A gay >> gay pride parade.
30:42And but they don't tweet about Gaza.
30:45They don't tweet about ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
30:49You know, So, this is the world that we live in.
30:53>> What do you think >> you know, >> So, what is So, what is the stranglehold that Israel seems to have on, you know, European governments? I know the United States, they have uh you know, with the it's it's referred to as a Zionist occupied government, which because it is, and they say that's anti-Semitic to say that because it's anti-Semitic to say a fact.
31:13And uh but that's a fact, and they and they brag about it. Uh but if you say it, then then you're considered an anti-Semite. What do you think is the Like the UK just uh denied uh entrance by uh Cenk Uygur and Hasan to go and speak there to Americans, uh and that was at the behest of Israel. And so, what is the stranglehold that they have?
31:37Uh They're all country of what, 9 million Jews? How How do they have this kind of power?
31:44>> You know, I I think that I I don't want to, you know, just say chat the chat uh you know, the Epstein files. Uh I think it's there many Epsteins out there. But all of these princes and kings and their families, they spend much of their uh their life in the West. Their kids go to school there. They go to university there. They have investments there. I'm sure there's a lot of dirt that they have on these people. Uh and and if you want to get into power in in many instances, you have to be you have to be compromised, I'm sure.
32:20So, part of it is that. Part of it is just, you know, they see these people see their interests in being with the United States because their personal interests override their nation's interests. I mean, look at the war against Iran.
32:33Why did these five countries participate in this war? Why did they facilitate US aggression against Iran? What benefit Maybe at the beginning of the war, they thought that the Americans would be defeat Iran in three or four days, and then uh Iran would be wiped out and destroyed. But then, after a week or two, when they saw that the United States was failing, and then after the ceasefire, you'd think that they would say, "Okay, the United States should leave. We do not want any more US bases.
33:02We're not going to allow our territory to be used against Iran." Why? Because if this war breaks out, and if this another wave of violence breaks out, our regimes will collapse.
33:13But are they willing to take that position? No, because they're compromised. Because they don't have the autonomy to take a stance against the Israeli regime. I think that to degree is a problem in Turkey for different reasons, in Jordan for many reasons.
33:31The United States has had control over, and before the United States, the British and French had so much control over this region for so long that they they they're they have they have a lot of say over what the elites do.
33:46But I believe that this is coming to an end. I don't think this is this can last much longer because the whole system is falling apart.
33:55And the Israeli regime is now despised across the region and across the world.
34:01These despots and dictators in this [clears throat] region that have been assisting the US empire severely weakened after their indifference to the plight of the Palestinians, but also the damage that has been done to them during the the war against Iran. I I don't think that the current status quo is sustainable for very long.
34:21>> Yeah, I mean, the people have certainly turned against Israel around the world. It's the governments that are still controlled.
34:30Um So, [snorts] um You say ISIS and Al-Qaeda are enemies of Islam. And so, everybody here in the West thinks that they're, you know, the defenders of Islam and they follow Islam. What Can you explain that to me?
34:46>> Of course, they're they I mean, Trump himself, when he was campaigning for his first presidency, once said this the quiet part out loud. He said that um that you know, that that Obama created ISIS and and Al-Qaeda.
35:04And he did. If you First of all, as you know, the 2000 2012 email, February the 12th, or very early on in Syria. Uh the email by Jake Sullivan uh to Hillary Clinton, who was the Secretary of State back then, that I Al-Qaeda's on our side in in Syria.
35:22Well, that was a decade after 9/11. That was 10 years after 9/11.
35:27Not 50 years, not 100 years. Like someone who's seen what was happening on 9/11, let's say at the age of 20, he'd be 30.
35:37And now the United States is is on the same side as Al-Qaeda.
35:41And then there's a US Defense Intelligence Agency document of 2012 that and back then Michael Flynn was the head of that agency, the biggest military intelligence agency in the world.
35:56In that, they said US allies in the region were trying to create a Salafist entity between Syria and Iraq to isolate the Syrian government.
36:08Later on, General Flynn on a on Al Jazeera said that it was US policy to support it.
36:16Obama supported this. So, who who is that Salafist entity? It was ISIS.
36:22So, the United States and and this and you know, we had um um the US Secretary of State after Clinton uh Kerry in a leaked audio uh to the so-called Syrian opposition activists at the UN building, I think.
36:37He said that the United States allowed ISIS advance on Damascus.
36:43So, the relationship between ISIS, which was funded by these very same Arab dictatorships in the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the others.
36:52And the the the ideology was first funded during Afghanistan. I mean, in in the Jimmy Carter >> Yes.
37:01>> his na um his uh national security advisor uh at that time.
37:08>> Zbigniew Brzezinski?
37:10>> Brzezinski. He uh they agreed to fund the so-called Mujahideen in uh against the government in Afghanistan in order to encourage the Soviet Union to invade.
37:23Many people think that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and then the US funded these groups. No, it was the other way around. And they did it and Brzezinski said this openly to encourage the Soviet Union to invade in order to create a Vietnam for the So, they sacrificed the people of Afghanistan to get revenge on to hurt the Soviet Union.
37:45And they began funding these extremist groups.
37:48And the first books that were published with this extremist takfiri ideology they were published in the United States.
37:58Not in Saudi Arabia or They were published at um Oh, gosh.
38:04uh uh Ne- Nebraska Omaha University Press.
38:10Uh you your your colleagues can look it up right now.
38:13They published these books for school children in on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan so that these kids would grow up with uh you know, with this Takfiri hatred for for Russian soldiers, for Soviet soldiers. But uh this, you know, extremist Wahhabi ideology, which came from Saudi Arabia. So, the Saudis and and these regimes were funding it both for for the sake of the Soviet Union, but also because of Iran, because they wanted because they they wanted to prevent the revolution from spreading.
38:44So, their their purpose was to create hatred between different sects, to create sectarian divide as it continued to do with less effect nowadays.
38:54So, this extremism was something that the empire deployed from the very beginning and they've been using it ever since.
39:04Just like the Contras in uh against Nicaragua, just as the neo-Nazis or the fascists in Ukraine. Um and Zionists, of course, being the most important of them all, whether Christian or Jewish. They use the worst of the worst to get what they want and then throw out them.
39:24>> Um Yeah, uh I Yes, we had predicted on the show back in 2017 that if uh Assad gets if everything works out for the United States and they get rid of Assad that uh uh Al-Qaeda will take over and now we have the former head chief head chopper of ISIS in charge of it and then he puts on a blue suit and he goes to Downing Street and he comes to the White House and everybody as we still have a pretend war on terror. Was this is hilarious. Um Uh let me let me just I was listening to um uh Colonel Wilkerson and Judge Napolitano and they were talking about the negotiations between Iran and the United States and it seems crazy to me.
40:06Let me see if I can find that video.
40:08>> not diplomacy. It's nonsense. And it's the kind of nonsense that people like Dick Cheney and in this case do in order to stop diplomacy and not to have it be effective.
40:19>> How if >> So so what he's what what I take it he's saying that the the people negotiating or who were negotiating with Iran that they didn't really want diplomacy to work. Is that is that what you hear when you when you hear that?
40:36>> Yeah, why would they? And of course he's a very credible person. He he was he he knows a very decent person and I I he's one of the people who people should be listening to. But um you know, when before the war last year, I mean, let's go back to the nuclear deal. When we had the nuclear 15 the nuclear deal in 2015, the Iranians carried out all of their obligations. The United States under Obama, this is not Trump, did not.
41:03And they cheated Iran. So Iran did everything it was supposed to do and the Americans didn't. So from the back of then the American government was cheating Iran.
41:12Then comes Trump. He tears up the deal, of course.
41:16But then Trump in this he murders General Soleimani as General Soleimani was going he he traveled to Baghdad to to see the Prime Minister to talk about rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
41:30The Saudis had sent a letter to the Iraqi Prime Minister. The Iraqi Prime Minister invited General Soleimani. He went there. In Baghdad airport the Americans and Israelis because Netanyahu and Trump were supposed to do this together to murder General Soleimani.
41:45And Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi leader of the resistance against ISIS and al-Qaeda.
41:51And then at the last moment Netanyahu pulls back and Trump does it himself.
41:55So he murders General Soleimani. Why?
41:58Because they didn't want rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
42:02So that happens. Then in this administration last year at about this time we were had we had negotiations with the United States.
42:12But but Trump was secretly conspiring to start a war against Iran. So, the negotiations were fake.
42:20And then before this war, the second war, 3 months ago, the Iranians were also negotiating with the United States.
42:28And the and the mediator, the Omani foreign minister, said progress was made. And he went to Washington state to say, "Look, a lot of progress was made."
42:36But they attacked Iran.
42:38So, why should the Iranians trust the United States? The only reason The only way that the Iranians are going to agree to anything with Trump is if the United States is forced to carry out its side of the bargain first.
42:54>> And >> So, if the United States hands over uh half of Iranian stolen assets at the beginning, if the United States lifts the siege on Iranian ports, and stops the slaughter in Pal- in Palestine, Gaza, and in Lebanon, and forces the Israelis to retreat, then the Iranians will also carry out their side of the bargain. This time round, the Iranians are not going to be cheated like before, and just talk and then be cheated. This time, the Iranians are saying, "If you And that is one reason why uh so far Trump has not been serious at the negotiating table. The The The hope in Iran is that because of the economic
43:34crisis that is looming, Trump will ultimately agree to some sort of deal. But no one knows, because it's Trump.
43:42One day he'll say something, the next day he'll something he'll say something else. One minute he says something, the next minute he says something else. He may agree to a deal, and then the next day take a completely different position.
43:54So, when you have someone like that in power, and who is so ruthless that he is slaughters people, and he supports genocide, then the chances for successful for a deal, and let alone a successful deal, are not very high.
44:09>> Well, United States is burning through the reserves of oil and it's going to be out in a few weeks and there's already been news reports that California will be out of oil and gas in a couple weeks and so they say, you know, I've heard many credible people predict gas prices to shoot to $10 a gallon here in the United States which to me that will certainly foment unrest in the United States. So I I think that more than anything is what will force Donald Trump into a deal. If anything will can If anything can, I think that will be the thing that does it. But I just wanted to play this to you how crazy
44:48the quote-unquote negotiations are actually going on. Let's listen to Judge Napolitano describe it.
44:53>> effective can it be for two real estate agents to be sending messages to the chief Can't make the separate sense like a joke. Two real estate agents send handwritten messages to the chief of the army of Pakistan. They're translated into Urdu and then into the Farsi and sent to the president of Iran. Does this actually happen?
45:13>> Uh, probably.
45:16That's It sounds like a car cartoon sketch or something, something from Saturday Night Live. What That's really what's going on. Were you aware of that at that time this was happening?
45:26>> Well, let me give you my own example of something that I was involved with with. I went to the delegation to Islamabad when they were negotiating, when Vance was negotiating with the Iranian speaker of parliament, Dr.
45:39Qalibaf.
45:41Uh, the Iranian side was there. They were prepared. Qalibaf, the speaker of parliament, uh, an associate professor at my university, to his to one side he had the foreign minister, another PhD holder, Dr. Araqchi, and to his other Dr. Bagheri, who was the deputy head of the Supreme National Security Council, another academic at one of the universities in Tehran. On the other side, Americans, there was Vance, and then there were the two Israeli firster real estate guys.
46:16And throughout the negotiations, even though Vance was surrounded by these two Israeli assets, he had to make a dozen phone calls.
46:26It was obvious he had no mandate. And one of the people who he called was Netanyahu. And Netanyahu in an interview said that Vance reported to him. I mean, it's amazing how how he used that language.
46:39He's the vice president of the superpower reports to this puny, you know, >> Yes.
46:44>> regime uh somewhere on the Mediterranean.
46:48But um he made a dozen phone calls. So, the Iranians went there, and the delegation had experts like nuclear experts, uh uh central bankers, and others so that they can discuss all the issues. But the other side just they had nothing.
47:06Two real estate agents, Vance, who didn't know what he was talking about, constantly making phone calls throughout the day. So, the negotiations were not serious.
47:14And the Americans walked away. Right now, there there are ex- there I don't know about now, but there have been exchanges of letters, and some progress has been made. But at the end of the day, Trump is going to have to make a decision.
47:29And then, you know, it was one morning he wakes up at er in the morning and starts tweeting about how he's going to demolish Iran or how he's going to Iran has to give up this and do And then, he destroys all the progress made at the negotiating table.
47:46With the influence of this Zionist lobby, with even, you know, I I don't think there's a chance of a deal unless, and this is the Iranian the what the Iranians are saying is exactly what you just said a couple of minutes ago.
47:58Unless the pressure on the US builds so much because of the economic crisis that Trump is forced and the people [snorts] around him are forced to take a position where US interests for once are prioritized over Israeli interests. That is the only way that we could possibly have a deal. And we'll have to see if that proves to be correct in the coming weeks.
48:23>> So I just wanted to play uh one last video clip of Donald Trump recently um and he was asked about uh being able to make a deal with uh the supreme leader of uh Iran after he murdered their family, his family. So let me just play this for you. You can turn this is going to be low, so turn it up, okay? And I just want to get your response to this video.
48:46>> meet [clears throat] with the new Ayatollah, the new supreme leader.
48:49>> I don't want to meet, but if if I did meet, I'd be honored to meet him. I I'd like to see if we make a deal.
48:55>> Would that be >> But if we make a deal, it's possible that I would meet him. I'd be okay with it.
49:00>> happen here in the US, White House or something?
49:02>> I I haven't really heard too much about it. I just I I didn't suggest it, but some people have suggested it. If it happened, it would be happen. I'd be I'd be respectful.
49:10>> Do you think it's easy to meet him because Epicurean killed his dad and his wife and his kid that he's got hard feelings and wouldn't want to meet?
49:19>> Well, I I would say I'm not his favorite person. But with that being said, he's probably a profession I don't know. He's probably a profession.
49:27In some circles, he has a very good reputation actually. You know, sometimes some people say bad, but a lot of people say bad about me. It's totally false, of course.
49:36>> Mr. President, >> So it just you know, this I don't know. Almost trying to put aside the flippant way he refers to slaughtering the guy's family and then yeah, I I'd respect him. I >> [laughter] >> I don't I don't did you have a reaction to that video clip?
49:54>> I don't believe any Iranian leader would ever meet him.
49:59And then he is it's not just that he murdered Ayatollah Khamenei, the the person who did more than anyone else in this region to support the Palestinian people. He slaughtered 168 kids and he refuses to apologize. He refuses to acknowledge it. And the IRGC forces refuse to acknowledge it. Even though I believe it was intentional.
50:19And the reason why I believe it was intentional was because that I've been in military operations. On the first day of any major military operation, all the targets are carefully vetted.
50:31Months, weeks, months, sometimes years.
50:35And in subsequent weeks, you know, when the things move around, mistakes could be made.
50:41But this school was a known entity.
50:43Many of the kids were children of the children of officers.
50:47>> Right.
50:47>> So, I find it impossible to believe that this was an accident.
50:52Impossible. Having been in war.
50:56But in any case, no acknowledgement, no admission of guilt, no apology.
51:03This is a ruthless person. And of course, you know, the support you helping since the so fit since the fake cease fire in Gaza, almost a thousand Palestinians have been slaughtered. Just a few hours ago, yesterday I think, a family was burned alive. But I tweeted tweeted the images.
51:21Uh you know, I retweeted uh a few hours ago. I mean, in Lebanon, they're just pounding uh apartment blocks, flattening them, slaughtering families.
51:34This is you know, why would any leader ever I mean, Iran is not like any of these other countries in the region. We don't consider Trump to be an ally or a friend. We consider him to be the uh enemy of of humanity. And I don't think any Iranian leader would ever contemplate meeting him. But at the end of the day, an agreement with the United States government that would serve to end the killing in Gaza and the slaughter in Lebanon is something that the Iranians would prefer to have.
52:06And uh and something that ends the siege on Iranian ports, which is a a starvation siege. That's what the Americans are trying to do.
52:14But uh but you know, whether there a deal emerges or not, we'll have to see.
52:20But to see Trump as anything different than an Netanyahu, uh I think that's impossible.
52:27>> Uh Professor Marandi, I really appreciate uh you being generous with your time and uh and taking time to talk to everybody on our show. I always appreciate your insight and it's good to get uh it's good to get uh information directly from inside Iran. So, I really appreciate you doing that and I hope to talk to you again soon.
52:47>> Thank you very much for having me, Jimmy Jimmy. Just one thing, uh and I've said this elsewhere and I'm sure some of the peop- some people who watch me before will begin to laugh.
52:57But uh I I think it's time for people to learn more about Iran. And I've been saying that there there two three books that I would advise people to read. One is called Going to Tehran by Flynt and Hillary Leverett, Hillary Mann Leverett. They both worked in the White House, both academics. And it's a good book and deals with a lot of the myths and they were saying the United States should move towards rapprochement, otherwise will move towards crisis. And they turned out to be correct. Another book is by Al- Alister Crooke, who I'm sure you've seen on some of these programs including with Judge Napolitano.
53:31Uh he wrote a book called Resistance, the Islamic the essence of the Islamic or Islamist Revolution.
53:37Uh that's also a good book to read.
53:40And with regards to the the lies about the Iranian nuclear program, there's a book called Manufactured Crisis by Gareth Porter and another small slight book called Dangerous Delusions by Peter Oborne who's British. These books, I mean Dangerous Delusion is a very small book.
53:59It's easy to read.
54:01So, these are book good books that I think people should read because there are very few, I think read good books on Iran that are printed in the English language, unfortunately.
54:11>> Okay, thanks for those suggestions. I appreciate that. Okay, thanks again and stay safe and we'll hopefully talk to you again soon.
54:20Everybody, come see me on tour. I'll be in Spokane, Tacoma, Los Angeles special video panel show with special celebrities and then we'll be in Levittown, New York, Rosemont, Illinois and Chicago. Go to jimmydore.com for a link for tickets.
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