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In this episode of Newstrack, Maria Shakeel examines the escalating crisis in Iran as the nation faces its deadliest wave of unrest in decades.
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00:01Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shaquille.
00:04Iran is boiling over once again.
00:06Streets are on fire, anger is spilling out,
00:09and the regime is under pressure from both within and beyond its borders.
00:14As citizens protest deepening economic pain,
00:18Tehran is facing one of its deadliest waves of unrest in decades.
00:23But this unrest is unfolding against a far more dangerous backdrop.
00:28The United States president has threatened a 25% tariff
00:33on countries that do business with Iran, piling pressure on the nation.
00:39At the same time, renewed speculation of a possible American strike
00:42has raised fears of a wider confrontation.
00:46Donald Trump has also urged Iranian protesters to continue their fight,
00:50saying that help is on the way.
00:53So what's next for Khomeini's Tehran?
00:55Is Iran heading towards another showdown, perhaps, with the United States?
01:01We'll discuss that with top U.S. voice, Lisa Curtis,
01:05who will be joining me shortly, state from Washington, D.C.
01:09But first up, here's what happened today.
01:11Iran is boiling over once again.
01:22Citizens are up in arms against the Iranian regime,
01:25protesting soaring prices and economic hardships.
01:30It is one of the biggest protests the Shia country has seen in decades.
01:34Over 2,000 have been killed in Iran protests,
01:39and Tehran is blaming what they call terrorists for these deaths.
01:45The unrest escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump
01:48announced a 25% tariff on countries doing business with Tehran.
01:55Pentagon is set to present Trump with additional options to punish Iran,
01:59while diplomatic measures are also under consideration.
02:03President Trump is very good at,
02:05is always keeping all of his options on the table,
02:08and airstrikes would be one of the many, many options
02:10that are on the table for the commander-in-chief.
02:13Diplomacy is always the first option for the president.
02:16What sparked speculation about an American strike
02:19was Trump's statement on Sunday.
02:20Meanwhile, supporters of Supreme Leader Khamenei
02:42have taken to the streets in Tehran,
02:44protesting against the U.S. and Israel.
02:46Thekungzan, the U.S. President Donald Trump
02:48is now there.
02:53The president of the U.S. President Donald Trump
02:55has their own voice in the Supreme Leader .
02:56The U.S. President Donald Trump has been sent sent to him
02:57and兄 друзья who participated in the entire country.
02:59The U.S. President Donald Trump has been sent to them
03:00and it all hurt the whole thing.
03:01Even Iranian President, Masood Prezishkan joined a pro-government rally marching alongside
03:27supporters through the capital. Tehran, however, says it is ready for talks with Washington
03:33on the basis of mutual respect, yet prepared for war.
03:57Amid all the street and political drama, one question looms heavily.
04:19Will America strike Iran next?
04:31As protests rage and Iran curbs internet access, India today has tracked US military activity
04:37in the region using open source and flight tracking data.
04:41Al Uder Air Base in Qatar, home to over 10,000-year soldiers, shows a rise in operational activity
04:48consistent with reports of increasing tension. The base can accommodate large military aircraft
04:53including B-52 bombers and is a key hub for American operations in the Middle East.
04:58The United States maintains an extensive military footprint in the region with bases and naval
05:03assets across at least 19 locations.
05:06The strike by Israel and the US in Iran in June last year weakened Iran's economy and
05:12nuclear program, but a renewed escalation could have global consequences.
05:16While the world watches nervously, any misstep could ignite a wider conflict, impacting allies,
05:23oil markets and global stability.
05:25And joining me now is Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Programme
05:43at the Center for a New American Security.
05:46Ms. Curtis, really appreciate your time.
05:51President Donald Trump just a few minutes ago on Truth Social has posted saying that the
05:58calls, you know, basically he has said that Iranian patriots must go ahead and seize institutions
06:04and he has promised that help is on its way.
06:07How credible is this as a catalyst for regime change given his first-term record map?
06:14Well, I think these are protests that have started internally against the economic situation.
06:23They show the frustration of the Iranian people, but we've also seen a severe crackdown by the
06:30military establishment in Iran.
06:33A lot of people are reportedly being killed in this crackdown.
06:37So, you know, there are a lot of questions about, you know, what impact the US can have on this situation.
06:45And while people were talking about a military option, I think the Trump administration is moving away
06:53from the idea of military strikes because those could, in fact, backfire.
07:00I think, if anything, they would focus on the sanctions, the economic blockade.
07:07Because if you talk about a military strike, that could actually backfire.
07:11It won't help the protesters in any way.
07:13And, in fact, it could backfire because it could allow the military establishment in Iran to focus
07:20people's ire on a third party, on the United States.
07:24So, I think what we see is the Trump administration may be backing away from that idea that it will
07:30interfere militarily in Iran right now.
07:34And it's really focused on trying to encourage the protesters and help the protesters.
07:40President Trump has also been talking about, you know, Starlink and trying to break the internet,
07:45the internet crackdown in Iran.
07:50So, that seems to be the focus now, trying to help the protesters in any way that the United States can.
07:57So, are you then seeing this, that what's really on the table of a US president is not military option,
08:06but perhaps the maximum pressure stance will be essentially of that tariff punishment,
08:13a punitive tariff, with any nation that trades with Iran?
08:18Yes, that does seem to be the focus of the Trump administration now.
08:22And I know that could impact India, because India does have some trading relations with Iran.
08:29India invests in the Chabahar port in Iran.
08:34So, there could be an impact on India-Iranian trade, as well as many other countries.
08:41So, I think the economic pressure is what President Trump seems to be focusing on at the moment.
08:50Because again, the military option could badly backfire and would not really help the protesters in any meaningful way.
08:58So, I think the focus now is on economic pressure on the regime, trying to get information in and out of Iran through different ways,
09:07and making sure that the protesters know that the United States supports them and what they're trying to do.
09:17But it's going to be tough.
09:18There's a severe crackdown on the Iranian protesters.
09:22And the sense is that things will likely only get worse for those protesters.
09:27Okay, since you've spoken about India, let's try and put the spotlight on India, ma'am.
09:32With India maintaining Chabahar port development and energy ties to Iran, despite the U.S. sanctions,
09:38how should New Delhi then balance its strategic autonomy against Washington's pressure,
09:43and especially under this Trump's renewed maximum pressure campaign?
09:48Well, India did cut its imports of Iranian oil in 2019 during the first Trump administration.
09:57So, India has many trading partners.
10:01Iran is just one.
10:03So, I think that there will be a desire to work with the United States.
10:09We now have the arrival of the new U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gore, who arrived in India last week
10:16and has been making positive statements about the trade negotiations because there had been some concern that those negotiations had stalled.
10:27So, there's some hope that, with the arrival of the new ambassador, we'll see some new energy put into concluding those trade negotiations.
10:38So, yes, the sanctions on countries that are trading with Iran won't be helpful, but at the same time, I think there is a desire on both sides,
10:51both the United States and India, to complete a trade deal and to move forward with the relationship.
10:58And so, I think, you know, we can have some hope that things will change.
11:03Of course, it was recently announced that India was invited to join Paxilica, the critical and emerging technology group.
11:12And so, I think this is a positive sign that the United States sees India as a critical partner on so many issues,
11:21defense cooperation, technology, trade and investment.
11:25So, I think that while the Iran situation is putting a little bit more pressure on the U.S.-India partnership,
11:35I don't see it as, you know, coming to some kind of breaking point.
11:40I think we're seeing some positive movement with the arrival of the U.S. Ambassador to India,
11:46and they'll be able to work through the trade issues that are currently dividing them.
11:52And just minutes ago, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jay Shankar has put out a tweet, Ms. Curtis,
11:59and he has said that just concluded a good conversation with Secretary Rubio,
12:04discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defense and energy,
12:08agreed to remain in touch on these and other issues.
12:11So, are you sensing that there is potentially now both the countries looking at common grounds
12:18and the trade deal could very well be on the anvil?
12:22I mean, the sense in New Delhi was that a trade deal with U.S. would be perhaps in 2025, that did not happen.
12:32In 2026, are you able to sense some kind of a timeline now?
12:39Well, I hate to make any predictions on this trade deal because we go back to the spring when everybody thought
12:47that the U.S.-India trade deal would be the first trade deal completed between the Trump administration and other countries.
12:56And, of course, that didn't happen. And then we started hearing that, well, by November, a trade deal will be completed by November.
13:03So I would hate to be too optimistic here.
13:06But what I do sense is that there is interest being shown through the arrival of the new U.S. ambassador to India,
13:18the fact that he will be able to improve the communication lines,
13:23hopefully will be sensitized to some of the issues in India,
13:28and, you know, will understand the sensitivity, the political sensitivity of the agriculture sector in India,
13:36and why India has had protectionist policies for so long in this sector,
13:42and that they will come to some kind of understanding that the U.S. will also be willing to move toward India
13:50in recognition of the importance of the strategic partnership.
13:54Look, at a volatile time in the world that we see right now, Venezuela, Iran, Middle East, all these issues,
14:02India is an important country.
14:04It's an important swing state that the United States needs to, you know, have a good relationship with.
14:12So I think there's growing recognition of the importance of the U.S.-India strategic partnership,
14:18and there may be some willingness for more give and take when it comes to those sticky trade issues.
14:25Ms. Curtis, before I let you go, a word on what is being sensed here,
14:31particularly with regards to the support that the U.S. president has openly extended to the protesters against the Khomeini regime,
14:39that he's working on Israel's agenda, that U.S. is pushing Israel's agenda for a regime change in Iran.
14:49I don't think that's correct at all.
14:52I don't know what Israel's agenda would be, but, you know, the idea here is that these protests were spontaneous.
15:02They are because people are frustrated and fed up with the corrupt Iranian regime.
15:09They are fed up with the economic hardships that they face day in, day out.
15:15So they are organizing amongst themselves.
15:18This is not something that the United States has started.
15:22This has been organic.
15:24It has started within Iran itself.
15:26And so President Trump is simply trying to support those protesters for their freedom.
15:33And so I don't think it's correct to say that the U.S. is really doing anybody's bidding except for the people of Iran
15:42and trying to support their aspirations for freedom for political change.
15:47All right, Lisa Curtis.
15:49Pleasure speaking to you, ma'am.
15:50Thank you for joining us and sharing your thoughts.
15:53Of course, this is a developing situation and we hope to connect with you again soon, whenever that deal is inked.
16:00Thank you for joining us.
16:02Remember, three years ago, they cut their hair in protest.
16:06Today, they are burning the image of absolute power.
16:08Now, Iranian women are reigniting resistance, one flame, one act of defiance at a time,
16:15challenging a regime that has long ruled through fear and reminding the world that this fight is far from over.
16:22Here's that report.
16:23We have seen this before.
16:24Women rising up against oppression, demanding justice.
16:38Three years ago, women from Iran cut their hair in protest, following the death of 22-year-old Massa Amini, who was pulled from the streets of the airport.
16:51Tehran by morality police and taken to a so-called re-education centre.
16:58Today, Tehran is burning once again, and women across the globe are holding up a mirror to the regime in Iran.
17:07A striking new protest trend is going viral online, where women are burning photographs of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and lighting cigarettes from the flames.
17:20What may seem symbolic is actually a bold act of defiance, challenging both political authority and strict social restrictions, including mandatory hijab laws and restrictions on women's freedoms.
17:35This trend first appeared in Canada in 2022 after Mahas Amini's death and has now resurfaced, spreading across social media worldwide.
17:48In Iran, burning the supreme leader's image is a serious offence.
17:53Yet the act, combined with smoking, turns rebellion into a powerful, provocative statement.
18:03The protests come amid mounting economic pressures, soaring inflation, a weakening currency and rising food prices.
18:10While large street protests in the nation have been violently suppressed, killing many, these symbolic acts travel faster than the state can control.
18:22No walls, no laws, no threats can stop these women.
18:29Women from Iran are resisting, and the world is watching.
18:35Bureau Report, India Today.
18:39And joining me now is Masih Ali Nejad, a journalist and activist.
18:44Masih, we had spoken in 2022 during the uprising.
18:47You have described the current unrest as Iran's Berlin Wall moment, with reports of over 500 protesters dead, internet blackouts and the regime labeling demonstrators as terrorists to justify lethal force.
19:04How do you assess the protesters' resilience and, of course, the regime's grip on power amidst this violence?
19:11This is no longer an unrest or protest.
19:18This is a revolution, and the regime waged war against unarmed people.
19:26Right now that I'm talking to you, sources from inside Iran reporting to the media broadcasting outside Iran, such as Iran International,
19:38that 12,000 people have been killed less than 48 hours when they shut down the internet.
19:48Yes, they shut down the internet.
19:51They put the entire nation in a total blackout communication, digital blackout.
19:59So in the darkness, they started to slaughter protesters.
20:06They injured thousands of people.
20:08And they even finished those who have been injured in the streets.
20:12People say that when they go to the hospital and they want to get the lifeless body of their beloved one,
20:18actually the regime asked them to pay money to get their beloved one back and bury them.
20:26So in one family in the city of Jajam, they killed four family members, the entire family.
20:34That actually shows you that this is not a protest anymore.
20:39This is a revolution and the regime in Iran using military weapon to oppress people, to silence them, because this is no longer...
20:48Masi, in 2022, it was the women of Iran who were leading these protests.
20:52We are seeing similar images of women on the front line.
20:56How are you seeing the two protests as different?
20:58Of course, the issue is far different because this is about economic unrest.
21:02Look, the Iranian people took to the streets many times.
21:12My country have faced six major uprisings since 2009.
21:192020, 2022, when Masaj, you know, I mean, he got killed.
21:25It sparked a revolution.
21:27So in my opinion, this is the continuation of women's life freedom.
21:34But this time, it's beyond the uprising that we have faced.
21:40People are all together with the family members in the streets.
21:44It's a mix between women, workers, shopkeepers, teachers, nurses, middle class, working class.
21:54This time, as I say, people feel this is a revolution.
21:59This is the Berlin Wall moment for Iranians.
22:02And that's why I am angry when I see that the global feminist movement are absolutely quiet.
22:09Where is the outrage?
22:11Where is the rage of all those people who took to the street for women's march saying that we are all about feminism?
22:19We are all about human rights.
22:21Where are those who were chanting free Palestine?
22:24Why don't you chant free Iran right now?
22:26When 12,000 innocent people being slaughtered, being killed.
22:31When thousands of people are in prison without having access to their lawyers.
22:36Where is the outrage?
22:38And I don't even see that the leaders of the free world taking the right actions.
22:43People of Iran are being killed hour by hour.
22:47The number of those who have been killed increased.
22:50The Europe should be brave enough to shut down their embassies.
22:54They have to kick out the Islamic Republic officials from their own soil.
22:57The U.S. government, the president of the United States.
23:00You have spoken about actions.
23:01Donald Trump just minutes ago has said that the protesters must continue.
23:06He has also warned of strikes if killings continue and is considering military option.
23:13How are you seeing this?
23:16What's the way forward?
23:18This is like ISIS.
23:23The Islamic Republic is an ISIS in power.
23:28They are not a legitimate government.
23:30What happened?
23:31Like, think about it.
23:33President Obama during the massacre in Syria kept quiet.
23:38So the Syrian government, Syrian dictator, kept continuing slaughtering people.
23:44This is the same moment President Trump should not make the same mistake as President Obama and President Biden.
23:54When he promises to the people of Iran, then people take this promise serious.
24:00We believe that he should be united with Europeans.
24:04He should call his allies and remove the terrorists.
24:08Believe me, removing terrorists, removing Ali Khamenei is not a tragedy.
24:15Because this is a war.
24:17Unarmed people being slaughtered by ISIS mindset.
24:20All right, Masih, we have really come to the end of this discussion.
24:25I hope to see more of you on my shows in the next few days.
24:29Thank you so much for joining us.
24:30We are putting out that interview on our website and also on our YouTube channel.
24:34That's all from me.
24:35Thanks so much for watching.
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