- 12 hours ago
On this special report of India Today Global, host Geeta Mohan discusses the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new sanctions targeting 18 individuals and entities accused of helping the Iranian regime evade oil sanctions. Bessent stated, 'Today's sanctions target 18 individuals and entities that the regime uses to evade sanctions on Iranian oil and divert proceeds from its energy sales away from the rightful owners, the Iranian people.' The report highlights President Donald Trump's 'maximum pressure' policy, including a 25% tariff on nations doing business with Tehran. The programme also examines India's contingency plans to evacuate nearly 10,000 citizens from Iran amid the volatility. Professor Mohammad Marandi and other analysts provide insights into the potential for military escalation and the impact of these economic measures on the Iranian establishment and its people.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global.
00:24That's some big breaking news coming in on the Iran-America front.
00:27We're looking at sanctions from the United States of America.
00:3418 Iranian individuals and entities have been sanctioned.
00:38Treasury Secretary Scott Besant in an announcement, in a video announcement,
00:45has very clearly spelled out what America is going to do.
00:48This is America's next step of action.
00:52Target Iranian networks.
00:5325% tariff on nations doing business with Iran.
00:57Demands of Iranian legitimacy.
01:00As also, the Americans have now warned Iran that they will track Iran down.
01:09A message to Khamenei that it's still time for them to join the United States of America.
01:15Listen in.
01:15Today's sanctions target 18 individuals and entities that the regime uses to evade sanctions
01:25on Iranian oil and divert proceeds from its energy sales away from the rightful owners,
01:31the Iranian people.
01:33Tehran's natural resources belong to its people and not its brutal dictators.
01:38Treasury will continue to target Iranian networks and corrupt elites that enrich themselves at
01:45the expense of average Iranian.
01:48This includes the regime's attempts to exploit digital assets to evade sanctions and finance
01:54cyber-criminal operations.
01:57Additionally, President Trump has announced a 25% tariff on countries that continue to do
02:03business with Iran.
02:04Our message to the Iranian people is clear.
02:09Your demands are legitimate.
02:10You are protesting for a noble cause, and the United States support you and your efforts
02:16to peacefully oppose the regime's mismanagement and brutality.
02:21Our message to the Iranian leaders is also clear.
02:25U.S. Treasury knows that like rats on a sinking ship, you are frantically wiring funds stolen
02:32from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world.
02:37Rest assured, we will track them and you.
02:41But there's still time if you choose to join us.
02:46My colleague Pranay Upadhyay joins me for more on this.
02:48Pranay, very interesting developments.
02:50We were looking at a scenario, a situation where there could have been military intervention
02:55and then we saw a climb down.
02:57President Trump actually saying that the killings have stopped.
03:01Then we see reports of Saudi pressure.
03:03And now we're seeing sanctions rather than military intervention.
03:09Neeta, these are all parts of President Donald Trump's maximum pressure policy on Iran.
03:13You know that, you know, after assuming White House for the second term,
03:16President Donald Trump signed the executive order of maximum pressure policy on Iran.
03:20And if you have seen, in the last one year, President Donald Trump has taken various measures against Iran.
03:25So, you know, he might have given this indication that presently or in the given condition,
03:30Iran may be off hook from any imminent military action in the immediate, you know, in the near future.
03:39But he doesn't want to give out the message that, you know, Iran is off hook from his policy.
03:43And therefore, he might have tweeted that, you know, we are looking forward for a situation where, you know,
03:48Iran is not taking any capital, not carrying out any capital punishment against the protesters or punishing them.
03:55But there is pressure on Iran.
03:58They are taking economic measures.
03:59In fact, this is President Donald Trump and his administration's policy to tighten the nose of those factors,
04:06the reasons which actually caused people in Iran to come out on the street,
04:11making things difficult for Iran to do business with other countries,
04:14be it 25% additional tariff or putting additional economic sanctions.
04:18What does it lead to?
04:19It leads to the economic, you know, worsening of the condition for Iran.
04:24But Pranay, at the end of the day, there are pressure points.
04:26It's a military intervention would have meant spillover into Gulf, would have meant spike in oil prices,
04:33and would have meant near complete collapse of economy, including the United States of America.
04:38I'm sure these are considerations why we are looking at a delayed response military.
04:44Not only the domestic consideration for President Donald Trump and US economy,
04:48but also the consideration for the West Asian economies, for Gulf countries,
04:53some of the important and significant allies for the United States,
04:57be it Saudi Arabia, be it Qatar, be it other countries where the US has significant interest
05:02as well as their significant military presence.
05:05But you have seen, you know, Gita, in the past,
05:07we have seen that, you know, how President Donald Trump has given conflicting messages,
05:10but he did carry out military action, as he said, you know,
05:15against Iran and targeted its military establishment.
05:18We have seen that he has consistently delivered on, you know,
05:22tightening news against Iran and taking stringent measures,
05:26be it his first term of 2016 to 2020.
05:30And even during his second term, we have seen a consistency of his policy
05:34on putting pressure on Iran and weakening the Iranian government.
05:38Now, this is for the Iranian establishment, Iranian government and Islamic regime,
05:42how long they can hold.
05:43But there are repeated signs.
05:45And now we have to see that how Iran delivers for their domestic audience
05:50and for their own people to ease up the economic situation and economic conditions.
05:55Because repeatedly, Iranian society is also giving out this message
05:59that things are not going okay in Iran.
06:02Right.
06:02Absolutely.
06:03For now, there's a massive squeeze again on Iran.
06:06But we'll have to wait and see what President Trump does when it comes to an intervention.
06:11Any aircraft carrier is a week away.
06:14Franet, stay on with me because now we're looking at how that impacts Indians in Iran.
06:18With Trump tempering down on Iran when it comes to military intervention
06:22and instead looking at economic sanctions,
06:25countries across the world are watching and monitoring the situation very closely.
06:29Many have issued advisory to their citizens to leave Iran.
06:33Meanwhile, Indian government is preparing to facilitate the return of its citizens,
06:37including students.
06:38For now, the plan is not going to be put into action,
06:41but New Delhi wants to be prepared in case of any eventuality.
06:46The Indian embassy currently is focused on ascertaining the number of Indian nationals
06:52and students who are residing or staying in Iran.
06:55Internet shutdown is posing a major hurdle in contacting citizens.
07:00But according to estimates, there are some 10,000 Indians in Iran, including students.
07:04Pranay, a serious matter because we have seen in the past
07:08how the Indian administration had to scramble when it came to the Russia-Ukraine war.
07:13They don't want a repeat of that situation.
07:15Absolutely, Geetha.
07:17And not only the Russia-Ukraine situation,
07:19we have seen how Operation Sindhu was carried out
07:23when Israel and the United States carried out action military strikes against Iran.
07:27And we had to evacuate our people from Iran just a few months ago.
07:31And now, again, the situation still remains tense and volatile in Iran,
07:35though the street protests have stopped.
07:38And with stringent measures, the Iranian government has largely contained the situation.
07:43But the situation still remains tense.
07:46And that's why the government of India, Ministry of External Affairs,
07:48on one side, advised Indian nationals present on Iranian territory, Iranian soil,
07:53to remain vigilant, remain in touch with the Indian embassy in Tehran.
07:56On the other side, the preparations have also been drawn and been done for any evacuation plan.
08:03And because we have to keep our contingency plan,
08:06we do not know how the situation can unfold.
08:09And therefore, we have our legitimate concern regarding Indian nationals in Iran,
08:13which you also mentioned, that around 10,000 Indians are there.
08:16And that's why, just about 24 hours ago,
08:19Indian Foreign Minister, our External Affairs Minister, Dr. Jaishankar,
08:22spoke to his Iranian counterpart, Sadee Abbas Araki,
08:25and they did discuss the Iran situation.
08:28Right, right.
08:28Pranav Pazir, thank you so much for joining me here.
08:33Iran's judiciary halted the execution of protester Irfan Sultani,
08:38a move that was welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump
08:41amid rising tensions between the two countries.
08:43Despite that pause, fears of escalation remain,
08:46as Trump, while has not ruled out military action,
08:50has also U.S. forces repositioned in the region.
08:54Mahashweta Lala with this report.
08:56The much-hyped execution of 26-year-old Iranian Irfan Sultani
09:08was cancelled by Iran's judiciary.
09:11Sultani was currently being held in the Central Penitentiary of Karaj,
09:16is being charged with colluding against the country's internal security
09:19and propaganda activities against the regime.
09:26Amid fears of a possible U.S. strike on Iran,
09:29President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social said,
09:32the news of executions being stopped is a good news
09:35and hoped that this would continue.
09:38We have been informed by very important sources on the other side
09:42and they've said the killing is stopped
09:44and the executions won't take place.
09:46There were supposed to be a lot of executions today
09:49and that the executions won't take place
09:51and we're going to find out.
09:53I mean, I'll find out after this, you'll find out.
09:55But we've been told on good authority
09:58and I hope it's true.
10:00Who knows, right?
10:01Who knows?
10:03But this has not de-escalated the tension
10:05that lurks from Trump's threats.
10:08Trump has not ruled out the use of military in Iran.
10:11According to reports,
10:13battleship USS Abraham Lincoln
10:15and its carrier strike group
10:17is being moved from the South China Sea to the Middle East.
10:21Meanwhile, Flight Radar 24
10:23shows Iran closed its airspace to all flights
10:26except international flights
10:28to and from Iran with permission.
10:33Reacting to Trump's offer
10:34that help is on its way for protesting Iranians,
10:37Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi
10:39warned the United States
10:41not to repeat the mistake
10:42that it had done in June 2025.
10:46And is considering some kind of action
10:48to help the protesters on the ground.
10:51If you have a message for him,
10:53what is the message?
10:53My message is do not repeat the same mistake
10:57that you did in June.
10:58You know, if you try a failed experience,
11:01you will get the same result.
11:03Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi,
11:06has been urging Iranians to come together
11:09in greater number to protest
11:10against the theocratic regime.
11:13In an exclusive interview to Reuters,
11:15U.S. President Trump said,
11:17Reza Pahlavi seems very nice
11:19but expressed uncertainty
11:21over whether Pahlavi would be able
11:23to muster support within Iran
11:25to eventually take over.
11:27Iran in recent days
11:28has also seen pro-government protesters
11:30who have come out in support
11:32of Ayatollah regime.
11:37Earlier, Iranians had come out
11:39onto the streets
11:40to attend the funeral processions
11:41organized by Iranian government
11:43for individuals killed in protests
11:45in another rally.
11:47With Mahashweta Lala,
11:49Bureau Report, India Today.
11:55Now, in India,
11:56pro-Iran protesters
11:58carried posters of Supreme Leader
11:59Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
12:01and chanted slogans
12:02in India's Ladakh region.
12:04According to the local media,
12:05rally was held under the banner
12:07of the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust.
12:11Tehran is seeking to deter
12:12U.S. President Donald Trump's
12:14repeated threats
12:14to intervene on behalf
12:16of anti-government protesters.
12:18The U.S. has withdrawn
12:19some personnel from bases
12:21in the Middle East,
12:22that's West Asia,
12:22after a senior Iranian official
12:24said Tehran had warned neighbors
12:26it would hit American bases
12:28if Washington strikes.
12:30Those are visuals
12:31from Ladakh in India.
12:33And joining me
12:38is a guest from Tehran,
12:41Professor Fawad Ezzadi.
12:42He is an associate professor
12:43at the University of Tehran.
12:45Thank you so much,
12:46Professor Ezzadi,
12:47for joining me.
12:48What is the current situation?
12:49Is this a major warning sign
12:51for the regime
12:52to implement reforms?
12:57The current situation
12:58is stable.
13:00In Tehran,
13:01for the last four nights,
13:02we haven't had any riots.
13:06The riots started
13:08as peaceful demonstrations
13:10about two weeks ago.
13:13We had some merchants
13:15who had difficulty
13:16with foreign currency fluctuations.
13:21The demonstrations
13:22were peaceful.
13:23The police was taking care
13:27of the demonstrators.
13:28There was no clash.
13:30Everything was okay.
13:31Then we had this
13:34organized opposition,
13:35the monarchists,
13:36the supporters
13:37of the former Shah of Iran,
13:40started doing
13:42a regime change operation.
13:44This was a joint
13:45Israeli venture.
13:49The Shah's son
13:50visited Israel
13:51two times
13:51in the last year.
13:54And this is not
13:54the analysis
13:55we have here.
13:56We had Mike Campo,
13:57the former CIA director,
13:59the former secretary
14:00of state,
14:01sending New Year's greetings
14:04to Mossad agents.
14:07This is a quote
14:08from his tweet.
14:09Mossad agents
14:10walking alongside
14:11demonstrators.
14:13We had the former
14:15defense minister
14:16of Israel,
14:16Gilad,
14:17saying the same thing.
14:18Jerusalem Post,
14:19many Israeli media outlets
14:22gloating
14:23about the idea
14:26of Mossad
14:27operating in Iran.
14:28And we even had
14:30one
14:30channel 14,
14:32Israeli channel 14,
14:34experts saying
14:35that they are shooting
14:36at the supporters
14:37of the government.
14:38And they did.
14:39This is a true
14:40fact.
14:41So they were shooting
14:43at different people.
14:44They wanted to increase
14:45the number of
14:46people who were
14:47killed
14:48because Trump
14:49had said
14:50that he may
14:51attack Iran,
14:52he will attack
14:53Iran if
14:53people are killed.
14:55And they wanted
14:56to encourage
14:56Trump to attack
14:57Iran again.
14:58Professor Ezadi,
14:59but there have
15:00been sanctions
15:00that have been
15:01imposed by the
15:02United States
15:02of America
15:03on the one hand.
15:05But on the other
15:05hand,
15:05Trump recently
15:06said that the
15:07killings in Iran
15:08have stopped
15:09and they are
15:09reviewing plans.
15:10Is this a step
15:11down when it
15:12comes to Iran
15:13because they are
15:14not looking at
15:15military option
15:15right now?
15:16should they look
15:18at a military
15:18option that
15:19could turn
15:20quite disastrous
15:21for Iran,
15:22for America?
15:28Yes,
15:28it's going to
15:29be disastrous
15:29for Iran.
15:30It's also going
15:31to be disastrous
15:32for the United
15:33States.
15:34Last time in
15:35June when the
15:36U.S.
15:36attacked Iran,
15:38Iran was
15:39surprised because
15:40the attacks
15:41came in the
15:42middle of
15:43negotiations.
15:45And
15:45today no
15:47one is going
15:48to be surprised.
15:49I think the
15:50Iranian leaders
15:51have decided
15:51to hit back
15:52hard.
15:53I think at
15:54least 500
15:54American soldiers
15:55will be killed
15:56if the U.S.
15:57attacks Iran.
15:58They have
15:58about 50,000
15:59soldiers in
16:00this part of
16:01the world,
16:0110 bases
16:03in the Middle
16:05East, and I
16:05think all of
16:06them or most
16:06of them will
16:07be hit if
16:08the U.S.
16:09decides to
16:09attack Iran.
16:10The reason
16:11Trump changed
16:12his mind was
16:13because he
16:14realized that the
16:15regime change
16:15operation failed
16:16and he realized
16:17by attacking
16:18Iran, the
16:19cost to the
16:20United States
16:20is going to
16:21be quite
16:21severe.
16:23Right.
16:23Professor
16:24Ezadi, Iran
16:25has never been
16:26colonized, but
16:27is this an
16:27existential threat
16:28for the
16:29regime itself?
16:30Is the
16:30intention here
16:31to break
16:32Iran into
16:33pieces,
16:33balkanization
16:34of Iran?
16:35Yes, I
16:39think this is
16:40the ultimate
16:40goal that
16:41Israelis and
16:41Americans
16:42have.
16:43They want to
16:44balkanize Iran.
16:45They want to
16:45disintegrate Iran.
16:47They want to
16:47separate the
16:48oil-rich areas
16:50of Iran, put a
16:51puppet government
16:52there, and the
16:54other parts of
16:54Iran not having
16:55access to oil
16:56money would
16:56become very
16:57poor, and the
16:59country would
17:00end to exist.
17:02This is the plan
17:03they have.
17:03They wanted to
17:04reach this
17:05goal in June.
17:07They failed.
17:07They wanted to
17:08reach this goal
17:09again in the
17:10last couple of
17:11weeks.
17:12They failed.
17:12They will
17:13continue to
17:13fail because
17:14although Iranians
17:15may have
17:16economic
17:16difficulties or
17:17have disagreements
17:19with the
17:19government, they
17:20like their
17:20country.
17:21Indians like
17:22India.
17:23Iranians like
17:24Iran.
17:24You remember
17:25what happened
17:26when there was
17:26a confrontation
17:27between India
17:28and Pakistan
17:29a few months
17:30ago when a
17:32country is
17:32in war.
17:34There is this
17:34rally around
17:35the flag
17:35effect.
17:37This is what
17:37happened in
17:38Iran in
17:38June.
17:39This is what
17:40happened in
17:41Iran in the
17:42last couple
17:42of weeks.
17:43If Americans
17:44think they
17:44can end
17:46a civilization
17:47that is 7,000
17:48years old, a
17:49country with
17:50the history of
17:51249 years
17:53wants to end
17:54a civilization
17:54that is 7,000
17:56years old,
17:57that's a foolish
17:57idea.
17:58It's not going
17:58to happen.
18:00Professor
18:00Ezadi, thank
18:01you so much
18:02for joining
18:02us here on
18:03India Today
18:03Global.
18:04Indeed, a
18:04pleasure.
18:05We'll try to
18:05keep coming
18:06back to you
18:06to get a
18:07sense of
18:08what's
18:08happening in
18:08Iran.
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