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Long Siege, US Plan For Iran Mirrors Syria Playbook

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Long Siege, US Plan For Iran Mirrors Syria Playbook

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333 segments

0:00

All right, Alexander. Let's talk about

0:01

the situation in Iran, or actually the

0:04

situation between Iran and the United

0:06

States

0:07

and the the deal that will be signed

0:11

maybe maybe today, maybe tomorrow.

0:16

Who knows when, but all all signs, at

0:19

least from the Trump administration and

0:21

some signs from from Iranian officials,

0:23

including the foreign minister, is that

0:25

we're very close to the signing

0:27

of this MOU. Of course, we've heard that

0:30

40 times before. So,

0:32

what's what's the situation? Or how do

0:35

you see things?

0:36

>> The the thing that makes it look as if

0:40

this time it is for real is that the

0:43

Iranians appear to be saying that we are

0:45

indeed close to this.

0:47

And it's not been widely talked about,

0:49

but there was a meeting between Iran

0:51

representatives from Iran, China, and

0:53

Russia. So, it looks as if the Iranians

0:56

were briefing the Chinese and the

0:58

Russians about the deal, and that

1:01

suggests and the Pakistanis are also

1:03

saying that we are about to get a deal.

1:06

It could be signed on Sunday

1:09

or it might be signed a little later,

1:12

but we are close to a deal. If so, then

1:15

everything that I'm hearing about it um

1:18

everything I'm learning about it

1:20

suggests it is exactly the same deal

1:23

that was there basically on the table

1:25

about two, three weeks ago. And then if

1:28

you remember, we had a troop of neocons,

1:30

uh um

1:32

um uh Lindsey Graham, um um

1:35

um others as well, Ted Cruz, all came

1:39

out and criticized the deal. Netanyahu

1:42

telephoned Trump. The deal then fell

1:46

apart at the last moment. We then had an

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extraordinary period of military

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escalation that lasted for several uh

1:53

weeks.

1:54

Uh and then uh we've gone through all of

1:56

that. Nothing much has been achieved

2:00

during that period. In fact, nothing at

2:01

all has been achieved in that period.

2:04

Inflation numbers are rising in the

2:06

United States. Trump's popularity in the

2:09

United States has been falling. And

2:12

well, it looks like we're back to where

2:14

we were

2:15

two or three weeks ago as I said with

2:17

the essentially the identical deal was

2:20

on the table.

2:21

>> This is not really

2:23

an end to to the conflict. What you're

2:26

looking at if this does get signed.

2:28

You're you're looking at at an MOU and

2:31

the beginning

2:33

of real negotiations. I mean, that's

2:35

that's what we're talking about here.

2:36

This is not going to This is not a a

2:38

deal that ends everything and and all

2:40

the fighting has stopped.

2:42

And we've come to some sort of a

2:43

resolution between the the various

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sides. We're looking at real

2:48

negotiations

2:49

beginning for 60 days.

2:52

>> This is a vitally important point. We

2:56

are not anywhere close to an actual

3:00

deal. All we are looking at in effect is

3:04

an extension of the current ceasefire.

3:07

Now, there going to be certain things

3:09

that will happen supposedly as a result

3:12

of that. The Strait of Hormuz is going

3:14

to be reopened, but it's going to be

3:17

reopened with the Iranians still

3:20

in essential control. They're not going

3:22

to be levying fees apparently. But they

3:25

are going to still be there. The United

3:28

States is going to back off its sea

3:30

blockade. But essentially, it is a

3:33

return to the situation which existed

3:36

before the 28th of February when the

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conflict began except of course with the

3:42

critical difference that before the 28th

3:45

of February, the United States thought

3:48

that it could attack Iran,

3:50

achieve regime change, or at the very

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least

3:54

push the Iranians towards some sort of

3:57

capitulation.

3:59

And now they know that they can't and

4:03

that Iran is much more powerful and much

4:06

stronger than they assumed it was. So,

4:09

the balance

4:11

the the balance of negotiating power

4:15

will have shifted in favor of the

4:17

Iranians. But, that doesn't mean that

4:20

the deal is uh done or anything like it.

4:24

It doesn't mean that we don't have a

4:26

real possibility of a return to conflict

4:29

later. The Iranians early on in the war

4:32

said that they were not going to end the

4:33

conflict. They weren't going to stop

4:35

fighting until there was a final

4:38

settlement agreement because they

4:40

worried that if there was an interim

4:42

agreement, a temporary ceasefire in

4:45

effect, which is what we are getting,

4:48

then the Americans would go back, come

4:51

back, and they would try again, and

4:54

there would be another war. They were

4:55

saying this very clearly throughout

4:58

March. And then China told them, "You

5:01

have to agree to a ceasefire." And they

5:04

agreed to a ceasefire. And this prolongs

5:08

that ceasefire. But, it doesn't mean

5:11

that we're going to get a final

5:12

agreement between the United States and

5:14

Iran on nuclear issues, on any other

5:17

issues.

5:19

There's a possibility that we could be

5:20

back in a war situation. But,

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nonetheless, and notwithstanding,

5:27

the balance of strength now has tilted

5:30

much further towards Iran.

5:33

>> Is this just about buying time, even if

5:35

we get a signature to this MOU?

5:38

Is this really all about buying time for

5:40

the United States and and Israel? They

5:43

They can restart, they can rearm.

5:46

They can rethink

5:47

how to go after after Iran.

5:50

Of course,

5:51

this also gives Iran time as well. If if

5:53

they're coordinating with China and

5:55

Russia, this gives them time to to

5:57

prepare as well.

5:59

Um is is much of this just about media

6:02

optics at least for President Trump to

6:05

have this virtually signed on his

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birthday while he has the the big MMA

6:11

fight and 250 years and and all of all

6:14

of this Bretton Woods stuff for him to

6:16

have this this deal signed today

6:19

virtually.

6:20

He can then come out and give give a

6:21

speech and then talk about how he's the

6:23

peace president and he's resolved 10

6:25

wars or 15 wars or whatever. Give me a

6:28

Nobel Peace Prize. It's my birthday,

6:29

everybody. I mean,

6:31

is that what this is really about? Are

6:33

are we

6:34

are we seeing both sides trying to to

6:37

genuinely

6:38

figure out how to how to end the

6:40

fighting? It doesn't feel like that's

6:42

that's what's going on.

6:44

>> It is exactly how you have described it.

6:46

There is no good faith and no trust

6:49

between these two sides. As far as the

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Israelis are concerned, this is

6:53

obviously unfinished business. The

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Israelis absolutely still want regime

6:59

change in Iran. If you follow the

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Israeli media as I do, you can see that

7:04

there has been no change in Israel's

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long-term objectives with respect to

7:09

Iran. Netanyahu's objectives have not

7:12

changed. Um Netanyahu doesn't want this

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agreement um

7:17

because he worries that the Iranians

7:19

will use it to strengthen their

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positions. But of course, if there is a

7:24

ceasefire, you are absolutely correct.

7:27

That is exactly what each side is going

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to do. They are going to prepare for the

7:32

next round. Now, here we come back to

7:35

that meeting between the Iranians, the

7:36

Chinese, and the Russians because I

7:39

assume that the Iranians understand this

7:41

perfectly well. They probably realize

7:44

that it's very unlikely that even the

7:46

terms of the MOU are going to be

7:49

implemented. I mean, the chances that

7:52

the US will unfreeze assets and pay back

7:57

Iran money, I would have thought are

7:59

nil, actually. So, this is preparation

8:03

for the next round. The question is, who

8:07

will prepare faster

8:09

and better?

8:12

And Iran, this time, I think, probably

8:16

understands that

8:19

in the future, it does need to accept

8:22

more of the help that it's been

8:24

previously offered by its friends. And I

8:27

suspect that's what that meeting with

8:30

the Iranians and the Chinese and the

8:31

Russians was about. So, we we will

8:34

probably be back in war in a year's

8:36

time.

8:38

>> If if everything gets signed and we have

8:40

60 days.

8:41

>> If everything gets signed and we get

8:43

>> is is is quite a long time.

8:45

>> And realistically, 60 days is not going

8:47

to be enough for a final agreement. Not

8:50

Not Not over such a very complicated

8:53

issue as the one we're seeing. And with

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so many outside parties, the Israelis on

8:58

the one hand and the Chinese and the

8:59

Russians on the other, different

9:01

factions within Iran, different factions

9:03

within the United States, very very

9:05

difficult to And no negotiating team

9:08

on the part of the United States. I

9:10

mean, unless if we're talking about Wed

9:11

Golf and Kushner, they're not going to

9:13

be able to negotiate anything. So, um

9:16

it's Expecting that this is going to be

9:18

resolved fully and completely and

9:21

finally in 60 days is, I think,

9:24

completely unrealistic.

9:26

>> Look, with the money, they found a

9:27

workaround. I I wouldn't be surprised if

9:29

Iran gets some money, 3 billion, 6

9:31

billion, 10 billion. Um

9:33

They They figured that out. Qatar and

9:35

and the UAE will give that money to Iran

9:37

so the United States can say well we

9:38

didn't give any money to to Iran and and

9:40

that's important for Trump because Trump

9:42

is bashing Obama all the time because he

9:44

sent pallets of cash to to Iran. And so

9:47

it's very important for Trump not to

9:49

appear to be giving money

9:51

to Iran. So they figured that one out.

9:53

They told Qatar just give them 5 billion

9:55

or 10 billion. What's 10 billion to

9:56

Qatar, right? Anyway, so so they figured

9:59

that part out.

10:00

Uh the the thing that that that it looks

10:03

looks like to me is going on

10:05

just to wrap up the video is that the

10:08

the United States forget about Trump.

10:10

The US strategic planners, the the war

10:12

planners, and the deep state in the

10:14

United States has figured out that the

10:16

best approach, given everything that's

10:18

happened, perhaps the only approach to

10:21

pick apart Iran now

10:23

is is to to do it like they did Syria.

10:27

Yeah, over time. Step by step so you

10:29

have this this slow burning conflict

10:32

that starts and stops, starts and stops,

10:34

and and you have all of this stuff going

10:36

on over over 6 months, a year, 2 to 3

10:39

years, whatever. Even the administration

10:41

changes and you get a new

10:42

administration. But over time

10:45

they're they're they're thinking we can

10:46

pick apart Iran in much the same way

10:48

that we picked apart Syria. I mean

10:51

is is that how how you're seeing it? It

10:53

doesn't look like they're they're

10:54

thinking about going for the quick

10:56

knockout anymore. Obviously they're not

10:57

going to get the quick knockout win

10:58

anymore, which is what Trump would have

11:00

preferred to have, a 2-3 day uh

11:03

uh strike on Iran, regime change, and

11:06

you get the the win like in Venezuela.

11:08

That's not going to happen. So

11:10

you move to the next scenario which is

11:13

to try and and just degrade them over

11:15

time.

11:16

>> The long siege, which is exactly what

11:19

the Iranians were afraid of and what the

11:22

the supreme leader who was killed,

11:25

Ayatollah Khamenei, warned against that

11:28

Iran needed to try and avoid a long

11:31

siege. And I think that is exactly the

11:33

strategy the Americans and the Israelis

11:35

are going to follow. The Americans in

11:36

particular are going to follow. It'll be

11:38

exactly as you say.

11:41

Um the Syrian

11:43

scenario worked in Syria.

11:47

But it need not have worked in Syria. Um

11:51

what made it possible in Syria was

11:54

certain very

11:56

unwise decisions

11:58

made by the Assad government, by Assad

12:01

himself,

12:02

and by some of his officials.

12:05

Iran is in a much much stronger country

12:07

than Syria ever was. And if the Iranians

12:12

use the time that they are given and

12:17

work efficiently

12:19

and successfully,

12:21

then they can defeat that, too.

12:24

But they need to work with their

12:27

friends. They can't afford to just try

12:30

and do everything by themselves because

12:33

a long siege is indeed going to put

12:36

enormous pressure on Iranian society.

12:39

>> Yeah. And if they make one mistake, one

12:42

misstep, and they're not working with

12:44

their partners, with BRICS, their

12:45

friends, their allies,

12:46

>> Yes. Yes.

12:47

>> then they then the US and Israel will

12:49

capitalize on it.

12:50

>> Absolutely.

12:51

>> Yeah. Just like they did in Syria.

12:53

Correct. And Assad made some some

12:55

critical mistakes. Yeah.

12:56

>> Exactly.

12:57

>> And they capitalized on it. All right.

12:58

We'll end the video there. The Duran

13:00

locals.com. We're on next one Rumble.

13:01

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box down below. Take care.

13:07

>> [music]

13:15

[music]

Interactive Summary

A conversa aborda a iminente assinatura de um memorando de entendimento entre os EUA e o Irã, que funcionaria essencialmente como um prolongamento do cessar-fogo atual, em vez de uma resolução definitiva do conflito. Analisa-se que a balança de poder pendeu a favor do Irã, que não é mais visto pelos EUA como um alvo de fácil "nocaute" ou mudança de regime. O cenário futuro provável é descrito como um "longo cerco", uma estratégia semelhante à aplicada na Síria, onde os EUA e Israel buscam degradar o Irã lentamente ao longo do tempo, forçando-o a depender de alianças estratégicas com China e Rússia para resistir à pressão.

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