Jaw-Dropping Capabilities: Iran’s Khorramshahr-5 Can Hit the US! Geopolitical Trends

Hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. Excited to be with you as always. Have an interesting topic, uh, once I mentioned to you a few days ago and I said I will wait till I, uh, sort of confirm certain informations before I came, uh, or before I come on the air rather, and, uh, provide you my own analysis. This one has to do with Iran testing the, the Khamashar-5, which is an ICBM. The key things that I was looking for is whether it can be nuclear-tipped, and the answer was yes. So the second thing has to do with Russia, whether they assisted Iran in launching some type of satellites. So this is what I'm going to be providing you today in my own analysis. And given that I wrote a book about Iran, I'm going to be sharing some excerpts from the book pertaining to what's going on. So let me first say hi to our wonderful community quickly here, guys, because I got a lot to cover today. Uh, Liang, as always, good to see you. Willie Holman, uh, Carleon, uh, good to see you here. Abdul Fahd, Muhammad Mazharuddin, Truth Seeker, Coach Ohoy, good to see you. Taiwan Steel, as always. Rafael, as always, good to see you. Uh, and yes, the West is playing with fire. I couldn't agree more. Uh, Wong Casey, good to see you. It's been a while, it's been a while. So, and Sam Karina, good to see you here. Free Gaza, good to see you. And indeed, and, uh, who else is here? Sal, good to see you here. Uh, Z Young, good to see you. And Raven R, good to see you here. So, all right guys, let's get into our conversation. Before I'll do this, I want to just do some housekeeping items. Remember to join me tomorrow for my conversation with Professor Anna Melendog. It's going to be at 9 AM my time here in the Central Standard Time, 10 AM Manila time in the Philippines. Benjing, uh, and 10 PM in Beijing, China. Uh, so, uh, to those, especially for my viewers from the Philippines, you want to tune in for this one here because there is a lot going on behind the scenes. So tomorrow Professor Anna Mountdogg will be sharing some information with us. I also quickly, I am working on the analysis for you. I might do it tomorrow if I complete everything this afternoon. This one has to do with the 3 countries that are now seriously considering the nuclear deterrence. So in other words, will they move forward with it or not? So tomorrow I'm going to do the analysis for you and of course let you reach your own conclusion on that. So, so let's get in into our conversation here. So as I said, Iran has tested now the, the, uh, uh, Koba 5 ballistic. Here is what's interesting about this. Only one day after this new ballistic missile test, IRGC, Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, Aerospace Force, gives a fresh scare to Israel and the US. Why is this? It's because the IRGC, Aerospace Force— we're talking about the Aerospace Force specifically has shocked now Israel and the West with a new test of its Qased. It's, it's the, uh, uh, I think the Persian term for distant, a Qased. To those who speak the language, please correct me if I'm wrong. Uh, Qased, uh, uh, satellite launch rocket. Very, very interesting dynamics. So, and I found it very interesting that You have the test of the ICBM and you have the launch of a type of satellite rockets. So you put the two and two together and figure it out. Doesn't take genius to figure. But what this— what does it signal? What does it signify? What does it mean? That just— it means one specific aspect. It's the ongoing technological advancements in the ballistic missile technology regarding Iran. Which means what? That whatever the US did with the bombing didn't halt Iran's nuclear technology, uh, nuclear— I'm sorry, missile technology, that is. So, and this is all, of course, came just only a few weeks after the Israel-Iran war and the US involvement and, and so forth. So, and this is why, uh, to me, it's, it's— I'm seeing the writing on the wall almost. I feel I'm still cautious in my analysis, uh, but I am still also, uh, con— I'm also convinced that I'm starting to see the signs that maybe Iran is at a turning point. And we're going to get to that towards the end. I don't want to jump to conclusions quickly here, but suffice it to say that the, uh, Khorramshahr-5 testing— that is, now I, I think I have a picture But here's the thing, guys, the picture that I have is I think the Hormshahr 4, not the 5, is the 4 that I have here. So suffice it to say that this particular, uh, uh, uh, this particular test of the ICBM that now puts Iran on the list of countries with ICBM. So I mean, think about it. This is North Korea. So I got some images here which I will share with you later on as to the statements coming out of, uh, uh, what's her name, Kim Yo-jong. She's the sister of Kim Jong-un, uh, the, the leader of North Korea. And, and if you know anything about this lady here, she doesn't bluff, you know. I don't know if you guys remember, right after the meeting of the US and uh, right after the meeting of North Korea and South Korea, I think she bombed one particular building where that meeting took place. I don't think so. She bluffs. And the reason why she's holding that position, because that's the key into the decisions, uh, that she consults with her brother. So, and, and we will get into that one as I move forward. So suffice it to say that the reports now coming out of Tehran based press is that the recent days, uh, and about, uh, Khorramshahr-5 ICBM with extreme high capabilities. I think Iran is sending another message again to not only Israel, in this case to the United States, because if you know anything about ICBMs is they can reach the US. This one here that I looked into, and I'm gonna share some, uh, some, uh, specs about it. You know, this one has a range of about 12,000 kilometers at a Mach speed of about 16 with a 2-ton warhead. And that is where, to me, why I reach my own conclusion regarding is Iran at a turning point. What do you guys think? I'd like to have your input. Do you think is Iran at a turning point as far as the nuclear deterrence, yes or no? So, and, and by the way, guys, while I'm thinking about it, thank you to the, uh, community members who, uh, corrected one mistake I made yesterday regarding Malaysia. I didn't update that specific information regarding the judiciary. The King of Malaysia did, uh, appoint the judiciary. So, uh, I Anwar Ibrahim did indeed, uh, presented the name. So thank you to the member of the community who, uh, uh, sort of corrected me on that one. So, uh, short answer from you guys regarding my question. Yes, definitely. Sal, Jesus Agar, good to see you. Yes, Truth Seeker. Yes, definitely. Irene, a couple of days ago, Iranian helicopter chased US Naval. I did see that, uh, footage, that clip. It was indeed Uh, uh, Kevin Baptist, you say yes. So it became clear to me, it became clear to me, guys, if Iran is announcing the testing of the ICBM, that just, uh, I'm, I'm starting now to feel, you know, that's— does Iran—

is—

or is Iran in possession as we speak of a nuclear deterrence? Might not be in the way you and I know it. As far as a bomb, but some sort of— because if this ICBM, uh, that will have, uh, uh, will be able to carry, to carry a nuclear warheads, remember one thing, with the United States dropping those bombs at those, uh, at Fardo and Natanz and all that, it didn't impact whatsoever the nuclear program in Iran. It's still standing. And Iran still maintain— now that I found out about 500 kilograms of enriched uranium, which is enough to build whatever they need. So, and this is where it comes to the concern as to why is this now both in, in, in, uh, in, in Tel Aviv and in Washington, there are concerns. This is why Trump came in yesterday and saying we're gonna bomb Iran again if it doesn't stop its nuclear program. You know, come on, man, how much can you bark? You know, can you do that with North Korea? Hell no, because we know what the answer is going to be. It's because North Koreans will not think twice about launching one at the US. This is why we couldn't threaten or even, uh, hint at threatening North Korea, because they will launch it. They don't care. And first of all, before they launch that one, they will take care of all the US troops in South Korea and in Japan. And this is why I am thinking in terms of, uh, uh, uh, for the concerns that Israel now has as far as this particular aspect. And let me play a clip with you guys that, uh, usually wasn't circulating before as to what Iran was able to do as far as destruction inside Israel, which wasn't reported at that time. So take a look here, guys, and we'll, we'll, we'll continue in our conversation. All right, let me share the screen with you, and you guys take a listen here. And this one by— this is the Wiseman, uh, Institute, which is considered— it conducts two aspects here, guys.— it conducts the military and it conducts the scientific research. One of the top institutes inside, uh, Israel. It was attacked by Iran. So take a lesson here, guys.

You're looking at footage from Rehovot, Israel, where Iranian missiles struck the Weizmann Institute of Science during the 12-day Israel-Iran war in mid-June 2025. The Weizmann Institute is one of Israel's top research centers, with both civilian and military research and development ties. The attack came after Israeli strikes inside Iran, a targeted hit on Israel's scientific brainpower. Two buildings were destroyed: one for chemistry labs, still under construction, another for life sciences and computational biology. Over 45 labs wiped out. Decades of cancer research, genetic cell lines, and global biotech projects— gone. Iran used Emad or Qiam-class missiles, both capable of precision strikes. You're looking at footage.

Okay, I just wanted to share that with you guys to say, and my point in this, if they are— if Iran was able to at least reach the depth of Israel using its missiles, whatever it has, just think about with the capabilities of ICBM. I'm not saying they're going to go on a rampage as to, but deterrence is crucial to the Iranians. So what I found very interesting about this Khorramshahr-5 is that the announcement didn't come out of the Ministry of Defense, you know, unlike previous sort of official unveilings of a major Iranian military operation or testing or what have you. So, and this usually, as I said, because I've been following, uh, sort of, uh, Iran trajectory regarding this, most of those announcements will come out of the Ministry of Defense, not this one here, or even the IRGC, but not this one here. So the Khorramshahr-5 originated from an unofficial source, and that was one of the reasons, guys, why I decided to hold off on, on sharing this till I check and confirm, uh, what the information is all about. This is why, uh, I decided I'm not going to rush into this. So, and that is why it's important for you guys to understand. So now, one thing about this, uh, before I move into the second part of this conversation regarding the satellite launching, so Iran has always, uh, uh, and, and I've noticed a pattern, has always maintained Of course, its missile program is for defensive, but now when you have ICBM, the equation is changing. Well, rightly so, after what we did to the Iranian regarding not only the JCPOA, which the US pulled out unilaterally, as you know, or the Europeans now that they are turning back on Iran by threatening sanctions, you know. And that's why makes me wonder, why will Iran even consider now opening the door for the IAEA to come in? The International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, is the back door of the US government. Let me just say it straightforward, I won't even trust them. And, and what's his name, Rafael Grossi, you can't trust that guy. He's a flip-flopper. Of course he's gonna sort of issue the report based on what we want the people around the world to know. Oh, Iran is enriching this or that. You know, they go— they keep going back and forth, the IAEA, that is. So, but here is the thing about this, uh, uh, Iran, uh, uh, testing here. Iran has always sort of maintained some sort of a self-imposed range regarding its missiles, you know, to sometimes it reaches about 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers, but 12,000? You know, and this, if I am to go back in a record, when I did the research for my, uh, uh, Iran book, because I remember I had to go back few years. We're not talking about the history here, we're talking about the, the, the military aspect. And I went back to 2015, as recently as the time of the GCPUA, and sort of reaffirmed to me that the, the Iran has always maintained that kind of range, 2,000, 4,000. Within the vicinity of West Asia, that is. So, and even the missiles from the IRGC were part of that. However, it never denied pursuing— I, I, I— because in the past Iran said we never get involved in ICBM. Well, of course things have changed. Policy will have to change to meet the new challenges that we are imposing on Iran. So to me, if I said, if I were advising the Iranian government, I would suggest, you know, you better consider the new, uh, the North Korean model. Don't do the Libyan model, don't do the Pakistani model, even though Pakistan did the same as North Korea, withdrew from the NPT and moved forward. So, and this is why, once again, the reason I shared this clip with you is to highlight it to you now, the existing missiles, just the existing missiles that Iran were sufficient enough to neutralize certain aspects in, in, in Israel. I mean, just consider the, uh, uh, the ICBM. And it is my belief that this message was intended for the US, given the recent threats by Donald Trump. Donald Trump, that is. So And when you think about the regional changes that's taking place in the Middle East or West Asia geopolitically and from a security perspective as well, and when you consider the unprovoked Israeli-American, uh, sort of aggression, uh, against Iran, because it was unprovoked, there was no need for that. So there is now— I'm, I'm starting, and I get a word that there is now voices inside Tehran that now trying to redirect the trajectory of the nuclear program towards acquiring the deterrence necessary to protect the country. So, and this is why that possibility of the longstanding stance, it's being revised as we speak, and the testing of the Hormshahr-5 is a testimony to that. In my opinion. So, so this is why, uh, uh, uh, like I mentioned, the ICBM here is about 12,000 kilometers, a distance that covers the entire mainland of the United States. You get the point, right? And don't, don't think that now, especially with Iran now using the Chinese a Beidou system as far as locating targets, which won't be that hard. The one thing that I read about the Chinese, uh, Beidou system is can get as accurate as within 1 meter. That's it. And 1 meter for, for, for a missile, it's, you know, doesn't have to be a 0%, you know, 1 meter is not bad. It's not bad when you consider, uh, uh, the comparison with the GPS. And this is again why I'm thinking in terms of what Iran decide to go ahead with this. It's again, this is a nuclear deterrence in my opinion. Why? Because the ICBM is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Whether they will do it or not, I can't answer that one at this point. So, and when you think in comparison to Khorramshahr 1 through 4 Those are basically, uh, are basically estimated for range of about, as I said earlier, between 2,000 to 4,000 kilometers. Uh, Khorramshahr-5 with the Mach, the Mach speed of about Mach 16, which is approximately about 20,000 kilometers per hour, which is typical of an ICBM., uh, in mid or, uh, sort of terminal flight. This is something to consider given what's going on. Liking this video so far? Don't just be a watcher. Go ahead and hit the like, share, and subscribe button, and don't forget to tap the bell so you will not miss any of my videos or live streams. This way you will be supporting the channel that stands for the truth and objective reporting. The choice is yours. Thanks for your support. Now let's just briefly, to those who might not be familiar— and again, I don't like to assume that, uh, you know, just in case, I always like to share, uh, uh, the basic, uh, information regarding whatever I'm talking about, whether people know it or not. So what is an ICBM? The intercontinental ballistic missiles. So the ICBMs were first developed by the United States back in the late '50s. That's how far back we got. So, and of course, it continued to be sort of, sort of a critical weapon at that time, uh, regarding the US, uh, nuclear, uh, arsenal, uh, and still today.. And of course we are not the only one. You think about Russia, China, and even Pakistan. It is working on developing now an ICBM because Pakistan is also looking at, we don't want to be the next arrow. We're not gonna take chance with it. And rightly so. So, and the range of the ICBM when they came on were about 6,000 to 9,000 to my knowledge at that time. So, which basically makes every location, uh, on the world, uh, any target in the world more vulnerable. But not with what, for example, the Chinese have now, or the Russians, uh, uh, as far as their capabilities. Here is the important thing that I need you to understand before I move into the second part of this analysis. Here is the nuclear deterrence. That is one of the key, I think, why Iran announced this at this particular time. So ICBMs are a cornerstone, for often nuclear deterrence. And, and, and I am starting to feel more comfortable moving into that direction of stating I think Iran has the nuclear deterrence to this. The US will have to think now twice about targeting Iran once again. Like I always say, think about the example of North Korea. Can the US dare to threaten North Korea? Because we know what is going to be happening, and, uh, either Kim or his sister, they ain't gonna think twice about doing what is need to be done, uh, for them. They, they're not gonna— that's why we in Washington, they cannot take a risk with this. We can take a risk with Iran right now, but now with the ICBM, no. Because it is a nuclear deterrence. That is what I need you to understand. The other thing is that the concept of this nuclear deterrence is that the threat of a devastating retaliatory ICBM is used. Of course, Iran will reserve the right to defend itself like every other sovereign country. And this is why I don't get it when Donald Trump is barking loud about, we're gonna threaten Iran, we're gonna bomb Iran again if they don't stop. And I, I shared this with the community, come on Donald, do you remember how things turn out for you against the Houthis or Ansarullah? You know, that's to me, that's when you realize what the American so-called politicians or leaders They just bark, no more, no less, no more, no less. So, and that's again the message that Iran is sending with this ICBM, because the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead across continents, which means if Iran is attacked, it reserves the right to strike right here at the US. And again, do you think they're gonna hesitate? I don't know. It's because you're looking at an escalation. What do you guys think, in your opinion, based on— and don't, don't think emotionally here, think strategically. Do you think Iran will use restraint in not escalating to that level? So, but one thing is sure, not only with this ICBM, the Khorramshahr-5, is that Iran has already demonstrated this technological capability when it tested the hypersonic Fatah. So that is one of the key things you also need to understand, because the hypersonic, the, the Fatah, also reaches a speed of Mach 15. So, and of course, the Fatah missile has a special, uh, uh, sort of resistant materials and the complex sort of guidance to it. And now with the Iran ditch, which already ditched GPS, the US Global Positioning System, and adopted the Chinese Beidou, as we say the saying, sky is the limit, which means they can pinpoint exact targets as, as where things are. So, and one other aspect I want to mention quickly here, it has to do with feature, another feature of the Khorramshahr-5 ICBM, and this is according to the reports. So it's, it's, uh, it's 2-ton, uh, warheads, you know, which is said to be comparable in power to American bunker buster bombs that we used. You know what it means. If the US will use a bomb, Iran will use a missile. So, so, and that's one of the, uh, uh, and then regardless whether it's 2,000 kilometers, 5,000 kilometers, or 12,000 kilometers, the Iranian Defense Minister General, uh, Brigadier General Aziz Nasr Zadeh— I think I have, uh I have a picture of him right here. Yeah, this is the general who, by the way, uh, had a visit to China and to acquire some Chinese military hardware, and I think they did. So he did not mention these warheads in the context of the ICBMs, but said— but however, he said that it could be used for existing medium-range missile. Of course they don't want to disclose this because you're going to remove the element of surprise. That is the only reason I see it so. And by the way, all this comes in a time when the United States used about a quarter of its high-end missile interceptors in the Iran-Israeli War, exposing now this supply gap in the United States. Yeah, because we don't have— I have a picture, uh, I think I did, I hope I did. Yeah, I have picture of the TAD systems here that were delivered. And by the way, this were delivered to Israel. I was familiar with this one here. So the US now runs, uh, the Saudis have one. This is the Saudi one in Saudi Arabia. Or the missile, which by the way, the Saudis are so dumb that they are paying billions of dollars in a system that end up being inefficient. You know how I know? It's because I wrote an article back then in 2016. I'm gonna dig it out for you guys when I used to write for the Huffington Post. And in it, the Houthis launched a missile at an oil refinery in, in, in Saudi Arabia And the Saudis were saying, oh, the Patriot missile system intercepted that, which was a lie. They never intercepted it because I had proof they never intercepted it. So when the Saudis goes and buy billions of, you know, it's just useless. Can they even defend the, the poor Palestinians that they are defenseless? I don't know how those Sunni Muslim countries, Arab countries that is, watching what's going on in Gaza. Because once again, guys, if this doesn't touch you, what's going on in Gaza with the massive starvation, I don't know what will. That just, uh, like I always say, it was only, only the Houthis or Ansarullah, they were able to march into the street, while other Muslim, Sunni Muslim countries, especially Jordan, Egypt, their security clamping down on the demonstrators. That's why I have no, zero respect for those so-called, uh, leaders. They are hypocrites, incompetent. No more, no less. It's not a personal attack. I know somebody one time put a comment, Dr. O, you're so angry. Come on, man, it's not about being angry. Is that if this kind of touch to your heart then I don't know what, what, what will. Because to me, I see the hypocrisy, I see the double standards. When the Saudis will go and buy billions of that, that is just sitting there collecting dust. They don't even know how to use it because we have to be there to do that. You know, I was aware of an incident and I'm gonna share it with you. It's not classified, but it was one of those off record. It was one of the princes in the higher-ups in Saudis. Wanted to go on a plane, and he didn't want to ride with a Saudi pilot. He said, you know, I like to have an American fly in the plane. That just tells you the story right there. But anyway, that's a conversation for another day. So, and this is why I'm saying, when you think about for us depleting our, uh, our stocks of, uh, the tar, that just puts us in a very, very, very, uh, awkward, uh, uh, defense position. Because if Iran will start launching its own, uh, ICBMs— in case, I'm not seeing evidence as of now that Iran will go forward with this. They might, they might, but they might or they might not. But when it comes down to comparing this to North Korea, it's a different ball game. North Korea is not going to think twice about this one. If we provoked the North Koreans. Simple as that. This is why, and I am convinced about this, Washington is refraining from even stating any statement that can be misconstrued or misinterpreted in North Korea as a threat. They want to avoid that because they know what Kim and his sister are going to do. So, and I was even surprised that Kim, Kim Jong-un himself issue statements about the arrest for Netanyahu or what Israel is doing and so forth. I didn't expect Kim Jong-un to even get involved in something like that, and he did. So I was, I was very, very surprised at that. So now let's move on into talking about the satellite, Khased, satellite carrier that the IRGC launched recently. Very interesting aspects to this. And Yakhased, that's the name to those who understand. I think the, uh, the, uh, the purpose of it— by the way, the only information I was willing— I was, uh, working on confirming is whether the Russians got involved in this, and it turns out they did. So, so I had a chance to read an article by Ivan Kesik. So, and, and, and I could see some aspects of his, but I digged into information elsewhere coming out of the, the, the company that launched the satellites for Iran in Russia. So, so nonetheless, it behooves us to ask the key question: what is the strategic significance of Qased, uh, uh, satellites carrier at this time. So this latest test, so, well, because nobody saw this coming when, uh, when Iran or IRGC successfully carried out this suborbital test using the Qased satellite carrier. And this has two objectives to it, in my opinion. One is to test and assess and evaluate the capabilities, technologically speaking, of Iran's space agency technology and so forth. And second is to send the message that we will have the capability to, if we are to deploy ICBM, because ICBM will end up having to depend on those particular satellites and so forth. As a matter of fact, the members of Congress were laughing at Iran's launching the satellites, you know, trying this arrogance of— it was none other than Tom Cotton, an AIPAC slave and a guy who is, you know, you all know how members of US Congress, they're all corrupted, no exception. There's one or two, one is Thomas Massie, I've been reading on him. But the rest you all know what it is. But we're not going to get into that. So suffice it to say that the launching of this Orbital by the IRGC, because it comes at a crucial time to— for Iran to enhance its capability of its satellites. Not only the satellites, you have— you have to consider the satellites, you have to consider the launch systems. And you have to consider the broader, uh, space, uh, sort of infrastructure, if I may use the terms. And this is once again, if I am to think, given the, uh, the what's going on on the geopolitically speaking, or what's going on on, on, on the geopolitical landscape, uh, uh, Iran wanted to ensure moving forward with the acquisition of the Chinese hardware And also the Russians now assisting with the satellites and the deployment or the testing of the ICBM. Iran doesn't want to take any chances anymore because it wants to pre-possess itself just in case. So, so when we think about this Qased, uh, uh, carrier rocket, what is it? Qased means Persian for messenger. That's the term for it. So what does it mean in a simple language? And I'm not getting into the technical side because that's not my background, so I don't get involved in something I do not know much about. So I kind of stick to what I know, uh, the most. So, but suffice it to say that you read on certain aspects, at least for me to inform our community, is that this particular rocket is a three-stage satellite launch, what they just did. Let me share again the picture with you right there. So the launch vehicles deployed by Iran, IRGC, Aerospace Force. So, and the purpose of it was to place the small satellites, one of them for recon and imaging, into low orbits. Well, when you think about recon, reconnaissance, that is, and imagery, that's usually you think about targeting. This is what we were doing by providing the Saudis and the Emiratis against Houthis or Ansarullah few years ago when they were targeting, you know, the Saudis and Emiratis couldn't do it on their own. We were the one providing the entire, the targeting and all that. As a matter of fact, some might have even get involved in flying certain planes or even use the drones, American ones, because the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia Jordano, they are all incompetent. Basically, they all here, they come over to train. I was involved in training some of their special ops and all that back then, but you know, they kind of just not, uh, not up to the task. I'll say it straightforward. So now when you think about what does it mean for, uh, and, and by the way This test took place on July 21st of this year, so it wasn't, it wasn't far. So it was launched from the Khomeini Space Center. Remember, there are two events going on right now. One of them is the one that the IRGC Aerospace Force did, and the other one has to do with Russia carrying out satellites for Iran. So two significant events, all of them coincide with the testing of the, uh, uh, of the, uh, Khorramshahr-5 ICBM on July 25th, 4 days ago. This is why I decided to hold, uh, to, uh, hold on sharing this till I confirm a few things. And once again, you're going to think in terms of, you know, how significant is this, how important that is. Well, it is. Because when you consider what the Russians have did by blasting a new Iran satellite space on July 25th, so, and I, and I got you guys pictures for you to see. This is from the company called Roscosmos, uh, uh, company, it's Russians. This is what you are looking at, the stream, live stream of the, uh, uh, release part of that particular satellite. So, so Russia has launched a new Iranian communication satellite into orbit with one of its Soyuz rockets. And once again, you think about the meaning of this, uh, because I'm sure a lot of people— I was one of those also— saying that Russia should have come to the assistance of Iran. Well, they didn't. Maybe now they're making up for it. Whatever it is the case, they are— this particular, uh, event suggest now both Iran and Russia are even deepening their relationship, uh, for this strategic partnership. That's the way I look at it. Okay, let me make sure All right, where was I? Yeah, Soyuz. Excuse me. Now with this launch, all of a sudden you have now concerns in the US and all Western allies, you know, because after the, the, uh, sort of the launch or the rocket lifted off from the Votskone launch pad in far eastern Russia— I think I have another picture for you guys. Yeah, this is the Soyuz rocket as of July 25th. So, and I have the link and I will share it with you. You guys can see it with your own eyes. So, so, uh, uh, and, and those ones include, by the way, uh, uh, the, uh, observation satellites along with Eran-2 satellite and 17 smaller Russian satellites. And once again, the key question that's going to loom large is why it matters, what it does. Not only it underscores this technological, uh, uh, uh, partnership or cooperation between the two countries, uh, aimed— the Russian aimed the, uh, US rhetoric about both countries, let alone what Donald Trump just said yesterday about pushing the Europeans for more sanctions on Russia. As a matter of fact, uh, that's how dumb European leaders are. We're not talking about the people, it's the, is the so-called incompetent leader. Ursula von der Leyen agreed to US, uh, US tariffs, 15%, right? And we're gonna talk about this one on the other channel on Thursday, but I just want to give you a heads up, which means now Europeans wants to buy liquefied natural gas from the US at 10 times the price. Now, if somebody is not smart enough with numbers, that just shows you how the level of stupidity— that, that's what it is. So, so this is why when you think about Iran and Russia, uh, moving forward into this, because they both have a, a common enemy, and you're going to have to move forward with this. Now this leaves us— and I'm getting closer to my conclusion here, guys, because I want to keep this, uh, uh, to the point for you, uh— it becomes now the question of Iran's choice. I just heard that the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, they are considering allowing the IAEA inside the country. Why? Why would you do that when Donald Trump is threatening we're gonna bomb Iran again if their nuclear program— you know, this is what I'm saying. Iran should— you know, it's over for that kind of conversation because Iran was using pragmatism, thinking that they will be talking to pragmatic people. There is, there is a leadership deficiency in the collective West. That's my word to you. Another word, in a simple language, there are no competent leaders left in the West whatsoever. So why will Iran even consider entering into any negotiations? Either make a decision, tell the IAEA, you know what, your work in Iran is done and we are withdrawing. Remember, I did share this with you, that within the clauses and the treaty of the, uh, uh, nonproliferation, the NPT, A country has the right to withdraw, to withdraw from the treaty if it starts to feel a sort of, uh, security threat regarding its sovereignty. It fits the profile for Iran. The only difference is you have to give them 3 months notice. So I would say to Iran, maybe you need to consider that and go the same route like what North Korea did. And by the way, the ICBM that Iran tested has some hallmark of North Korea in it, and it's not a secret North Korea has been cooperating with Iran regarding this particular aspect. I mean, they even stated that they will come to the defense of, uh, of Iran if it is attacked again. And this is why you think about Iran choices and also the US options. What options do we have? Because like I said, what we've done to Iran by bombing those three nuclear facilities, you know, sort of convinced now certain voices inside Tehran to reconsider the possession of this nuclear program. In other words, to move forward with it, fast-track it, because once they are declared, now Iran could play that card of ambiguity the same way Israel is doing. But do you think Israel will have a chance by the time Iran— if Iran is attacked, Iran will have no choice but to wipe out whatever. Even that, it might lead to a really serious outcome. And that's— you're going to see the involvement of the major powers. And like I always say, and I'm still standing by my statement, that should it come to that point, it will be the last nail on the coffin for the US. That's the way I see it moving forward. So, and this is why Iran now will have to really think hard about this, uh, because they need to make a decision sooner than later. Dragging this longer is going to just create more problems for Iran, because remember, Iran still have to deal, for example, with the infiltration of its intelligence services. To take care of a purge of that magnitude, it takes time. So, and Iran has no, no time to waste into this. Because the bottom line is this: you have to consider the element, uh, of risk involved, you know. This is should the US embark on whatever policy, including the containment, uh, in the aftermath of Iran acquiring the green weapon, which will be too late anyway for that. So, because remember, Russia and China will come to the support of Iran, not the US, of course. No, excuse me. And that in itself, uh, uh, uh, because Iran might be tempted, uh, to see how far it could push the US. But this possibility provides the real context, in my opinion, based on my own research that I conducted about Iran, in which the United States could really, really break away its verbal threat, which they already did once, and move into some sort of direct confrontation, which they already did by trying this bomb. But Donald Trump quickly— because I, like I said, when Donald barks, he should remember he said the same thing about Ansarullah, and we all know what the outcome was. So, and that is why I am convinced that this particular containment policy is going to fail, is going to fail. So, because remember, just use history as your guide. When US managers managed similar a crisis— no, you think about, for example, Pakistan, or North Korea for that matter. Yeah, the containment policy, uh, sort of will be a strategy resting on the rubble of a decade worth of failed diplomacy from the US. So what containment we're talking about? They used to say the same about China. We're going to have to contain China. It's too late. You could have done this back in the early '80s, late '70s. It's too late now. You know, so, and again, I fall back to the examples of Pakistan and North Korea. This is what Iran has, the only option for them. So, and let me conclude with my conclusion here with an excerpt from my Iran book. Uh, this is what I wrote back then, uh, especially when it comes down to Donald Trump barking about the threats. We're gonna bomb this and bomb that, and, and, and he just, just a man has no clue as to what he's saying. And but again, some of us Americans voted for him. I don't vote. I would not vote for anyone anyway because there are no, no, no, no qualified candidates anyway. So that is what I, what I wrote, and I'll conclude with this one here. When an American president gives foreign policy statements to Iran and other countries Those countries hear only meaningless bravado, absurd prating about global leadership, a global leadership being a rare political commodity these days. America lacks resolve, and its greatness in standing for so-called freedom and democracy amounts to nothing but a consumption of ink. That's it. That's how I see it. Anyway, guys, I hope you enjoyed listening to this brief analysis. Let me say thank you to our wonderful supporters. Uh, thank you, Army with Harmony, for gifting— for gifting a membership, uh, to another individual here in the community. Thank you so much for that. Uh, Kevin Baptist, as always, greatly appreciate your continued support for the channel. I'm, I'm very grateful to you. Uh, you're a doctor or military. Do strategists learn more from past military defeats or victories? Curious in your opinion. They learn from defeats, in my opinion, because victories, you, you might think it's easy, but it's the defeat part that you have to be concerned about. That is, to me, in my opinion, where the And, and if you— that's why I keep saying about Iran needs to make a decision, because the US saw the outcome with Pakistan and North Korea. What can we do to Pakistan now? What can we do to North Korea? Nothing. That, that's in my opinion. So, Rafael, as always, appreciate your continued support and generosity in support of the channel. I'm very, very grateful. Doc, I was watching Russian TV They said that they know that Europe and US are broke and disaster, uh, uh, for them, uh, are soon. Russia will not be one to take care of them in the next 100 years. What you say? Well, the first part of the statement is accurate because when you think about, you know why we forced the European to buy, uh, liquefied natural gas? Because we wanted to figure out how we're going to manage now the massive debt. As a matter of fact, the, the, the US government now, Donald Trump pathetic government, is asking us to give donations to help them with the national debt. How ludicrous! You know, I'll give donation to somebody who deserves it, but how can I give you donations when you are the one creating the problem? That just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. So you're absolutely— the first part is correct. It's the US and Europe are, are sinking economically. They're just not going to admit it. Look no further than how England is. I, I talk to people in England, it's very bad. Of course, Starmer is showing up this attitude of, you know, we're gonna fight the Russians, but, uh, No, no. But also, the Russians sort of take care of, uh, Europe. I don't see them doing that. Russia now sort of learned the hard way, you know. Once again, history tends to teach us certain things. Russians will never ever trust the West again, ever. And they shouldn't, they shouldn't. Same thing that Chinese now doing. You can't trust the West. So, and that is the same statement I would say about Iran. They need to learn the hard way. So once again, thank you so much, Rafael, for your support, uh, of the channel. Uh, to those who wants to support my upcoming trip to Asia, here's the link. Let me share the link with you in the chat box. Uh, I'm very grateful to already, uh, those who, uh, donated in support of this particular, uh, uh, trip. Uh, I have one in mind that just donated this morning, and I want to give it a shout out if I could get to it. Uh, bear with me here, guys. Quickly, buy me coffee, because I— it's just the right thing to do. Uh, yeah, Rocky. I want to say thank you to Rocky. To Ice, Kiki, Paul, American Citizens, uh, and, and, and others. So thank you so much for your support for my upcoming Asia trip. And to those who also, who supported the channel, here's the link for it should you decide to. And I also want to thank Paul for sending a donation through PayPal. So truly appreciate you for that. So, all right guys, uh, remember to join me tomorrow at 9:00 AM, uh, that will be my Central Time here. It will be 10:00 PM in Manila for very interesting conversation with Professor Anna Malandag. I will be working also, and I'll do a live stream for you later on about the analysis regarding those three countries that, uh, are really considering. I have doubt about two, but I am thinking one will go forward with it. So anyway, thank you so much for being here, guys. As always, I truly enjoy sharing this time with you, and I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.