The Iranians are running out of assets and options. You know, their economy before this all started was ranked either 23rd or 52nd, depending on the measure, but they're importantly both measures. They're behind Nigeria and Bangladesh. And let's park on that a minute. Bangladesh, known for cyclones and mudslides, had a stronger economy than Iran did before all this started.
So, what we're seeing is now that the recent period of ceasefire has ended, I think the Iranians are trying to continue to drag this out. They're wary of increased military consequences. They are struggling with the economic consequences. And so, I think this is moving towards its end game. All right, that is Colonel Mike Jernigan.
And I do believe that's correct on America's reports yesterday. A really good guest was Brian Hours, Michael Makofsky, President and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, the Ginza, a leading Washington, D.C. based policy and education organization. Michael, your thoughts about the President looking for economic warfare over warfare?
Well, I think it's welcome. First of all, thank you very much for having me again, Brian. Look, I think it's great. It's something we should have been doing anyway. I give the President a lot of credit for focusing so much on it.
I think there are really two questions going forward, or maybe three. One is, does the President have the patience to maintain this pressure. Um what are the Iranians going to do in response? And I guess how long does this really take to have a serious impact on the regime? Because we hear the Russians are bypassing it and arming up.
Along with China arming up Oron again, have you heard that? Yeah. No, I hadn't, but it doesn't matter. Yeah, okay. Um, it wouldn't surprise me.
I guess the question I would have is: the Iranians are not going to just stand pat. I think there's been some very positive news. From our perspective on the economic side, one is what you're just talking about, and this economic D-Day. The other thing is this Axios report that I think came out yesterday that suggests that maybe a lot more oil is coming out of the Persian Gulf, non-Iranian oil that we're facilitating, that maybe up to 10 million barrels a day is coming out, which would be about half of what the pre-war amount was. If that number is true and consistent, that would obviously also be very encouraging, while almost no Iranian oil is coming out.
So I think there's a number of positives on the economic side. The question is, you know, what impact that's going to have.
So let's talk about what's happening in the region of Israel. And that is that Gaza yesterday, Israel hit and took out a few of those Hamas commanders. And it was okay. What Jerry Kushner asked for is a little bit of room and said, you guys got permission to hit what you want to hit, but there's reason to believe that he thinks this thing is making us moving. and that they're the Hamas is about to give up their weaponry.
What would convince you that maybe they're on this track that I never thought we'd get to in the 15-point plan? Right. First of all, I mean, we even got to this point because President Trump's twenty point plan last year, which also let all the hostages the remaining hostages out and so on. I guess I think for Israel, from what I could tell, the issue will be. Uh okay, we're all for Hamas disarming, but they gotta disarm.
before Israel wants to really withdraw much. And I think not just to some arsenal inside Gaza, but completely disarm. And I think that's one of the issues for the Israelis. I think the second issue for the Israelis is a political issue for Netanyahu because he's being criticized. For being kind of weak.
And he's got an election coming up at the end of October, and he's got to be very careful. You know, that he doesn't look like he's making too many concessions. You really think that Netanyahu's perception is that he's weak? He's being criticized by opposition. I know it's hard to believe outside of Israel that he's perceived that way, but I think he's seen as making sometimes too many concessions To the United States, I think it's criticized inside Israel for that.
But I think, aside from the politics, I think Israel has a legitimate concern, which is. They have to fully disarm Hamas for Israel to then, I think, withdraw. Uh, from the areas of Gaza that they control, and I think that's a legitimate issue for the Israelis. Isn't home where we all want to be? Reba here for Realtor.com, the pro's number one most trusted app.
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Here's Dan Hoffman. He feels like Iran doesn't really care about waiting CUP 30. Iran is trying to drive up the cost for the United States. They feel like if they can impose significant costs on us, that they can withstand the costs we're imposing on them.
So that's what he went on to say. He doesn't think that they care about the economic sanctions. But I would love to see if there was some type of way to arm the Population so they could try to take back their country, and the Iranians could feel pressure from the inside. I agree. I mean, there was one effort at the beginning of the war.
You know, to have Kurds from outside, from Iraq, to come into the country. And I think President Trump had my understanding is whether the plan was a good one or not, I don't know. Although I've talked to senior Israelis about it, and I've heard both sides, President Trump, my understanding, has initially agreed, but then President Erdogan, the Turkey president, told Trump, you know, he can't allow it or he might come in and get involved. And President Trump then withdrew the idea.
So that was one effort.
So I think the Israelis now were reconsidering. There's a new Mossad director. He's a very smart guy. They're re kind of rethinking what's the best way to help. Destabilize the regime from the inside, in addition to anything that the U.
S. or Israel is doing militarily.
Well, it's going to be interesting to see what happens. When are the elections in In Israel. It's October 27th. And you know, he's He and Netanyahu you know, they're in Israel they poll about a million times.
So you see different polls. There was one poll the other day that had actually Netanyahu up, but a number of polls have him kind of more down. And he's been in power a long time and there's a lot of fatigue, but it's not just about him. I think it's also about his coalition partners are rather generally unpopular in the country.
So I think that's another issue. Michael Makovsky, also, is it true that Israel had to give a warning to Turkey to stay out of Syria? And if you go continue on there, we're going to target you?
Well, yeah, I think so. What we saw the other what we saw that Israel attacked these this airfield in northern Syria, it's not the first time they've done that. But it's been a while since they did do that. They've tried to, they've made clear to the Turks they will not allow. Uh any uh Turkish anti-aircraft Facilities or any further military presence, I think, in Syria.
And it was a warning shot.
Now, Tom Barrick, our ambassador to Turkey. Who is very close who seems to echo Erdogan? In Turkish rhetoric a lot, it was criticized Israel. Israel for this, but I think this has been a consistent view of the Israelis for a while now. They will not allow Turkey to get involved.
We shouldn't forget they are a NATO ally. But Erdogan generally support is a big supporter of Hamas. generally the support of Muslim Brotherhood groups in the Mideast in general, has talked about criti has talked about liberating Jerusalem. You know, he's not he's not it he's not the Ayatoll in Iran. But it does make the Israelis nervous.
And as Iran has gotten weaker, the Turks' presence has gotten stronger, especially because the Shara, the new Shara government in Syria, is seen as very friendly with the Turks.
So the Israelis are wary of any more Turkish encroachment that gets any closer to their borders. All right. And in terms of interceptors, do you have any idea if Israel's okay with the ad stockpile? My understanding from the Israeli standpoint is they're fine, that they're ready, you know, if there's another. If there's a resumption of military activity, at least on the Israeli side, that they feel they have enough.
Michael Makovsky, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Great, thank you. Have a good day. Did you know Fox News has a wine shop?
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