Transcript [00:00] Hey everybody, it is Monday, February [00:02] 9th, and this is the update on Iran. I [00:06] know we're we all think that we're just [00:08] sitting around and waiting, but there is [00:10] actually a lot happening. It is still a [00:12] very dynamic and changing situation. So, [00:15] let's start with what's going on with [00:17] Israel. Israel warns Trump, "We may act [00:19] alone if Iran crosses ballistic missile [00:22] red line. We told the Americans we will [00:25] strike alone if Iran crosses the red [00:27] line. we set on ballistic missiles. This [00:29] senior source said according to security [00:33] sources, Israeli intentions to dismantle [00:36] Iran's missile capabilities and [00:37] production infrastructure were conveyed [00:40] in recent weeks through a series of [00:42] highlevel exchanges. The military [00:44] officials said, "We told the Americans [00:46] we will strike alone if Iran crosses the [00:49] red line we set on ballistic missiles." [00:51] Okay. And this is a very important point [00:54] and it cannot be forgotten in the in all [00:57] of the conversation that's going on [00:58] right now about you know what is Israel [01:01] you know what's the United States going [01:03] to do? Is Trump going to make a deal? Is [01:05] it only going to be about the nuclear? [01:07] Let's make something very clear. Okay. [01:09] Israel's interests and the United States [01:11] interests are not identical. Of course [01:14] they overlap. They are close allies. [01:16] They have close cooperation together. [01:18] But that doesn't mean that their [01:19] interests are the same. [01:21] From Israel's perspective, the ballistic [01:23] missiles are an existential threat. Yes, [01:26] nuclear is an issue and and of course, [01:29] Iran suffered tremendous damage to their [01:31] nuclear program in the 12-day war, but [01:34] Israel cannot tolerate this ballistic [01:36] missile program. It cannot tolerate [01:38] these proxies that have been killing [01:40] Israelis for so many decades. The [01:42] interests of the United States and [01:43] Israel are not the same. And Israel is [01:46] absolutely correct by saying, "Look, the [01:50] United States can make whatever deal it [01:52] wants, [01:54] but that doesn't bind Israel." Okay? We [01:58] still have our national security [02:00] concerns and we're not we are not bound [02:03] by whatever deal the United States may [02:05] make the United States makes. So, let me [02:08] just bring this down to a real [02:10] possibility. Let's say the United States [02:11] makes a deal with Iran and part of the [02:13] deal is that the United States will [02:15] guarantee that Israel doesn't do X, Y, [02:17] and Z. They don't have the power to do [02:19] that. They don't have the ability to do [02:21] that. Israel has already shown, [02:23] especially over the later part of this [02:25] war since October 7th, that they are [02:28] willing to act independently of what the [02:31] United States wants. And this is a very [02:32] important piece of messaging while all [02:35] these negotiations are going on. And [02:37] along with that, just to add to that [02:39] mix, when Prime Minister Netanyahu goes [02:42] to meet with President Trump this week, [02:44] a very interesting change from the usual [02:46] personnel who go to these White House [02:49] meetings, he's bringing along with him [02:51] the incoming [02:53] commander of the Israeli Air Force. Isra [02:56] incoming Israeli Air Force Chief [02:58] Brigadier General Omar Tishler is [03:00] expected to join Prime Minister [03:01] Netanyahu on his trip to Washington DC [03:04] on Wednesday. Okay. Normally only the [03:07] prime minister's military secretary and [03:09] defense atache would join him. Uh and [03:12] now he's bringing Tishler along with [03:15] him. Tishller has been in some high [03:16] level meetings before and like I said [03:18] he's taking over the air force. He also [03:21] joined uh the IDF chief of staff at [03:24] meetings at the Pentagon [03:26] um uh uh recently. Okay. So he's been [03:31] involved in some of these high level [03:33] meetings, but this is significant and [03:36] it's also significant that it was leaked [03:37] to the media that he's going to be [03:38] there. So uh this is not just Prime [03:42] Minister Netanyahu, you know, having a [03:44] photo op and a conversation with [03:45] President Trump. He's bringing with him [03:47] again the head of the Israeli Air Force. [03:49] Okay. Now over on the Iran side of what [03:52] they're up to now. So the regime is [03:54] still in a state of panic about the [03:56] potential fall of the regime. And we [03:58] have this headline here [04:00] that um crackdown on disscent after [04:03] nationwide protests in Iran widens to [04:06] snare to ins snare reformist figures. [04:09] Okay. So the reformist movement in Iran [04:12] is is uh is a movement that has not [04:15] really uh overtly tried to bring down [04:18] the regime, but they're into having a [04:20] more liberal, more open form of Islam. [04:23] In fact, the current president, Masoud [04:25] Peshakyan, is actually part of that [04:28] reformist movement. And uh so they've [04:31] been arresting a lot of the leaders of [04:32] the reformist movement now, meaning it's [04:34] not just arresting protesters. And most [04:36] notably this this hit the news just [04:39] today that Iranian Nobel laurate [04:43] um [04:44] Nobel Prize winner Nargus Muhammadi has [04:47] been handed seven and a half more years [04:51] of prison time by an Iranian court. The [04:54] human rights activist was sentenced to [04:55] six years for quote gathering and [04:59] collusion and one and a half years for [05:01] propaganda activities by a court in the [05:04] northeastern city of Mashad. [05:06] Muhammad Muhammadi was arrested in [05:08] December for making quote provocative [05:11] remarks at a memorial ceremony. Iranian [05:13] authorities said at the time her family [05:15] said she was taken to hospital after [05:16] being beaten during the arrest. The [05:19] 53-year-old was made a Nobel laureate in [05:22] 2023 for activis activism against the [05:25] oppression of women in Tehran. So the [05:28] regime rather than going a little soft [05:30] maybe in advance of the of the of the [05:32] talks with Trump no they are doubling [05:35] down on their oppression and their [05:38] repression of dissenting voices in the [05:40] country. So even uh like I said, even [05:43] the reformists who have not necessarily [05:45] been overtly uh overtly hostile to the [05:49] regime or overtly calling for the regime [05:51] to fall, they're now also getting [05:53] arrested across the country. Now also in [05:57] Iran, in Thran, in the capital city of [06:00] Iran, there is a a public square that [06:03] they call Palestine Square. And the [06:05] regime tends to use Palestine Square as [06:08] a place to put up big billboards and [06:10] messaging to, you know, to uh I guess to [06:15] threaten Israel or to talk trash about [06:17] Israel for lack of a better term. So [06:19] look at this Tehran mural depicts [06:22] potential strike targets in Tel Aviv. So [06:24] in Palestine Square yesterday, here's [06:26] what they did. They put up a mural, [06:28] which is a map of Israel. This picture [06:31] here that you see is a map uh of the [06:34] central part of Israel. There's the [06:36] Mediterranean coast like Tel Aviv is [06:37] around there. And look what it says [06:39] here. A large mural displaying a map of [06:42] potential targets in Tel Aviv's [06:44] metropolitan area has been unveiled in [06:46] Tehran's Palestine Square. Hebrew [06:49] language text appears on the mural that [06:52] says on it, "Facing a reign of missiles. [06:56] This is a small area." and and alongside [06:59] that is the English slogan that says, [07:02] "You start, we finish it." So, it's this [07:05] threatening mural flexing their muscles, [07:07] threatening the Israelis. [07:09] Um, now on the on the side of the [07:12] Iranian public, you might think that the [07:15] protests are gone. People are in their [07:17] homes. But let's recall, and I've [07:19] pointed this out a few times, that the [07:21] reasons for the protest, what sparked [07:23] the protest, the economic collapse of [07:25] the country and the fact that people [07:27] don't have money and their their [07:28] currency is worthless and they don't [07:30] have water. Uh, this has not gone away. [07:34] So, as we read in this article here, [07:36] Iran is on the brink as citizens call [07:37] for nationwide day of rage on February [07:40] 17th and 18th. So, that's coming up uh [07:43] next week towards the end of next week. [07:45] There there is a call for more for more [07:49] protests. With the Grand Bazaars set to [07:52] shutter and the real collapsing, [07:54] merchants and activists unite for a [07:56] historic strike. Okay, now let me [07:59] explain how significant this is. the [08:02] bizarre owners who started the protest, [08:05] who were really the backbone of this [08:06] wave of protests. This was the first [08:09] time over the last couple decades that [08:12] the bizarre owners were really driving [08:14] the protests or greatly participating in [08:16] them because they tend to be more more [08:18] Muslim and more aligned with the regime. [08:20] So, this was that's part of the reason [08:22] why these protests were so much more [08:25] impactful than past protests. It wasn't [08:27] just that the regime is weaker because [08:28] of the 12-day war. It's also because [08:31] because this was driven by economics and [08:35] the driving force was the shop owners of [08:37] the bazaar and now the shop owners of [08:40] the bazaar are calling for another round [08:44] of protests and that is that's very [08:46] interesting here it says here [08:47] traditional merchants bazaris in the tan [08:49] in tan's grand bazaar as well as markets [08:52] in tabre isvan and rash have now [08:55] committed to a total shutdown beyond the [08:58] bazaar's labor unions and oil and [09:00] prochemical sectors have signaled they [09:03] may join the February 17th strike which [09:06] would effectively freeze the Iranian [09:08] economy because if the bazaars and and [09:10] the and the labor union shut down and [09:13] everyone working in the oil sector which [09:15] is really what brings in the revenue to [09:17] the to the regime it means a total [09:20] shutdown of the economy. [09:23] Okay, so that is huge. So put that on [09:26] your calendar the 17th and 18th. So this [09:28] lull in the protests regardless of what [09:31] America does between now and then. Even [09:32] if America keeps sitting on its hands [09:34] and doing nothing, there is going to be [09:36] another wave of protests. And they know [09:39] and they know that uh that there's going [09:41] to be, you know, the the internet [09:44] crackdown and possibly more deaths. But [09:46] look what it says here. To prevent [09:48] another Black Weekend news leak, the [09:51] regime is reportedly preparing a total [09:53] telecommunications blackout testing a [09:56] new localized internet system to cut [09:58] citizens off from the global web. In [10:02] addition, the judiciary has warned that [10:04] any merchant participating in the Day of [10:06] Rage strikes will face permanent seizure [10:09] of their business licenses. [10:11] Okay, so here's what's planned. February [10:13] 16th, Eve of Rage, rooftop chanting and [10:16] localized protests. February 17th, day [10:18] one of the strike, total closure of [10:21] Grand Bazaars, memorials for the 40th [10:24] day, meaning of the original massacres. [10:27] And day two of the strike, nationwide [10:29] marches, and potential clashes for the [10:32] IRGC. So, this is what to look for [10:34] because the strike and the rooftop [10:36] chanting doesn't involve people going [10:38] out into the street. But on February [10:40] 18th, on day two of the strike, when [10:42] they start hitting the streets, that's [10:44] when we um they're they're basically [10:47] challenging the regime, [10:50] uh go ahead, commit more atrocities, [10:53] come after us, and that's where they're [10:55] really risking their lives. And that's [10:56] so that's that is coming next week, and [11:00] we'll bring you updates on how that uh [11:02] how that is being talked about in the [11:03] days leading up to it. As for support [11:06] around the world, yesterday in England, [11:09] uh outside the Iranian embassy, there [11:11] was a massive pro uh pro-Persian people, [11:16] anti-regime demonstration. And take a [11:19] look at this footage. You'll notice in [11:20] the crowd, there are both traditional [11:22] Iranian flags and Israeli flags being [11:25] held by the crowd. Take a look at this [11:27] footage. [11:33] This is yesterday in the United Kingdom [11:36] in England. [11:38] See the Israeli flags here and the [11:40] Iranian flags. And this is really [11:42] something that must drive the left crazy [11:44] because, you know, here are people [11:45] protesting against oppression by [11:48] Muslims. They're pro-Trump. They're pro- [11:51] Israel. They're pro-America. They're [11:54] pro- West. Um and they're and they're [11:57] demonstrating for their freedom, you [11:59] know, which of course speaks to the [12:00] whole hypocrisy of the left not [12:02] supporting the protesters. Anyway, [12:04] that's uh so that's where things stand. [12:06] My my big point in in today's update is [12:10] that what again what feels like a lull [12:12] while negotiations are going on. There's [12:15] a lot happening beneath the surface. [12:16] Just to sum up, the regime is further [12:18] cracking down on any dissenting voices [12:22] uh adding uh you know this prison [12:24] sentence for this Nobel laureate who has [12:26] been fighting for women's rights. The [12:28] Israelis are signaling as they see the [12:31] United States maybe looking for an [12:32] offramp and maybe looking to make a deal [12:34] only on the nuclear. The Israelis are [12:35] saying are putting it out there that [12:39] Israel is willing to to take its own [12:41] military action if the US does not [12:44] against the ballistic missiles. [12:46] And of course the the other issues that [12:49] Israel is concerned about, the ballistic [12:50] missiles and the proxies, those are the [12:52] big issues for Israel. Israel's willing [12:54] to take action. They already do take [12:56] action against the proxies, but they're [12:57] saying they're willing to strike the [12:58] ballistic missile sites regardless of [13:00] whatever deal the United States makes. [13:03] And that's huge. And of course, the big [13:05] big news, uh, which is that the Iranian [13:08] people are planning another round of [13:12] protests and shutting down the economy. [13:14] So this is far far from over even [13:18] separate from the question of what the [13:20] United States is going to do. Okay, [13:22] that's the Iran update for today. Let's [13:24] keep following this and I'll try to keep [13:26] you updated, try to pull together [13:28] various headlines and news items that [13:29] could just give you in, you know, in a [13:31] few minutes what is actually going on [13:33] with this whole Iran situation. I hope [13:35] you're enjoying these videos. I hope [13:36] you're finding them useful. Please make [13:38] sure to like and share and subscribe and [13:39] do all that good stuff. And also, as [13:41] always, please check out all the content [13:43] we're putting up at the Israel 365 News [13:46] YouTube channel. God bless.
