00:00And let's talk a little bit more about Iran, because the government is actually now putting together what I can
00:07understand is this fact-finding committee to investigate the recent protests.
00:12What can we actually expect from this report? And Derek, in your opinion, do you think it will be transparent?
00:22Well, I mean, if past is present, right, then, I mean, we have to figure that this report is not
00:29going to be honest.
00:32It may be transparent in some sense, but it will certainly favor the regime and how the regime has handled
00:40the protesters.
00:40And, you know, it will likely refer to them as secessionists or as terrorists that are instigated by foreign powers
00:50to include the United States and Israel.
00:52So I don't expect much out of it. And I also think that it is a way of Iran signaling
00:59to the United States, look, we're doing something.
01:01And so that will, from Tehran's perspective, hopefully let some of the air out of the sails here that are
01:08heading toward war.
01:10But I doubt that it will actually be a genuine effort. That said, it may be enough for Trump.
01:19Trump has not really been so keen on human rights and democracy in the second term.
01:25He speaks loudly sometimes about it, but usually he doesn't, and usually the issue withers on the vine.
01:32And so I wonder if Iran's strategy here might actually work, even if it is a very uncredible type of
01:40attempt to appease.
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