- 5 weeks ago
As the West Asia war enters Day 27, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran is 'begging' for a deal.
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00:00Hello and welcome. It's 5 o'clock. That means we give you a roundup of everything that your day really
00:06had.
00:06We'll start with the top 10 developments that have come in only on the war front.
00:11Let's start with number one. A fast evolving situation in West Asia with simultaneous military escalation,
00:17limited diplomatic signaling, that means strikes, counterclaims and strategic movements are now spreading across multiple regions
00:24from the Gulf to the Black Sea, raising concerns over energy security and also regional stability.
00:33Quickly, on that, number one development at the moment is that Donald Trump has stepped up rhetoric saying that Iran
00:40wants a deal very badly,
00:41even claiming Iranian leaders are afraid to admit it publicly, fearing internal backlash or being targeted.
00:49Number two, of course, is the response to that then.
00:52Iran has flatly rejected U.S. claims for talks, claiming that they're all false and has made it clear it
00:59will not negotiate with military operations continuing.
01:05Number three, Iran claims it has targeted multiple U.S. bases in the region, suggesting a broader escalation in its
01:12response.
01:13Tehran, meanwhile, says it has downed a U.S. F-18 fighter jet,
01:17a claim that U.S. has denied, pointing to conflicting battlefield narratives.
01:24Then there are developments on the Gulf Cooperation Council.
01:27The GCC is set to meet in Riyadh as attacks continue across the region.
01:33Since the 28th of February, thousands of drones, hundreds of missiles have been fired,
01:38with the majority targeting GCC countries.
01:41The key question now is whether the GCC can actually arrive at a unified response.
01:49Meanwhile, there are reports indicating that Washington may divert some military resources
01:54and aid from the Ukraine towards the West Asia.
01:58War as tensions rise.
02:00Reports now suggest that components of laser-guided rockets,
02:04originally destined for Ukraine, may be redirected to U.S. Air Force units in West Asia.
02:13Meanwhile, also, U.S. media reports suggest that Iran may be laying naval mines near Khark Island,
02:21a critical hub for its oil exports amidst growing speculation of a potential U.S. ground operation.
02:29Now, according to reports, Iran has deployed additional troops,
02:33line parts of the island with mines and also strengthen its air defense systems
02:38in anticipation of a possible escalation.
02:42The developments come as thousands of U.S. Marines are also believed to be moving towards the Persian Gulf.
02:50The importance of that place will tell you on the program, so stick around for that.
02:53The number seven on our list is the chief of Iran's elite naval unit linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
03:01Operations has been killed, marking a significant development on the ground.
03:06Now, Ali Reza Tangsiri, who headed the naval wing of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,
03:13was reportedly killed in a strike in the southern port of Bandar Abbas, according to the Israeli officials.
03:19His death is now the latest high-profile casualty as the conflict enters its fourth peak.
03:28Iran says that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open for friendly countries.
03:32Iran announced that it would not impose a blockade on vessels belonging to five friendly nations, including India.
03:41Russia, China, Pakistan, Iraq.
03:44Abbas Aragachi, remember, the Foreign Minister of Iran, said that the Strait of Hormuz is not entirely closed,
03:51as ships belonging to several nations with whom Iran shares friendly ties are allowed to pass through.
03:59Meanwhile, a stroke, you know, a drone strike has hit a tanker carrying Russian oil in the Black Sea,
04:08expanding the risk of global energy supply chains altogether.
04:12And then finally, number 10, there is a missile, Shatnal, which has landed in UAE,
04:18with reported casualties underlining the risk of spillover beyond the core conflict zone.
04:31All right, so those were the top 10 war headlines.
04:34Let's tell you what else is making news very quickly around the country as well.
04:39We'll start with the Prime Minister, who held, will be, in fact, you know, holding that key meeting with CMs
04:47today,
04:47the Chief Minister's at 6.30, this will be a video conference to review the preparedness in light of the
04:53West Asia conflict.
04:54This even as governments push back against what it calls a deliberate misinformation campaign,
05:00asserting that India's energy supply remains fully secure.
05:03Authorities say there is no cause of concern and that they have warned of strict action against those spreading panic.
05:10So that meeting is going to happen in about an hour and a half from now.
05:13Meanwhile, shocking Rajwal Vanar Iran in Goa, the police there has arrested the 22-year-old Soham Nayak,
05:23son of the BJP municipal corporator.
05:26He has been accused of sexually exploiting several minor girls over the past three years
05:30and allegedly using videos to threaten them into silence.
05:34Authorities say a detailed investigation is now underway.
05:40Battle for Kerala is now heating up.
05:43Kerala Chief Minister Mr. Vijayan has launched a sharp attack,
05:47questioning Rahul Gandhi's political maturity and accusing him of failing to learn from past experiences.
05:54In a strong remark, the Kerala Chief Minister even alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are acting as a
06:00B-team of the BJP.
06:04An Air India A350 aircraft en route to London Heathrow was forced to return to Delhi
06:12after a suspected technical issue mid-air was noticed.
06:17Sources indicate that concern was linked to the cargo compartment,
06:21prompting that the crew had to take precautionary decisions after several hours of flight.
06:27The aircraft landed safely and further checks are now underway.
06:33Meanwhile, crude oil prices are turning volatile amid rising tensions evolving the US, Israel and Iran.
06:42Brent crude has crossed the $100 per barrel mark, climbing around 103,
06:47while US WTI is nearly 92 a barrel.
06:58All right, at the centre of the current standoff is a widening gap between Washington's proposals and Tehran's demands.
07:08Across ceasefire terms, regional control, sanctions and long-term security.
07:13Now, while Washington has pushed a sweeping 15-point framework,
07:17covering nuclear rollback, missiles and regional influence,
07:21Tehran has rejected it outright and responded with their own set of demands.
07:28They have five of them.
07:30Let's quickly tell you the difference between the demands that have been put out by the US
07:35versus the demands that have been put out by Iran.
07:39Number one there, on ceasefire,
07:41Donald Trump is proposing a one-month pause in hostilities
07:45to create space for negotiation.
07:48Iran, however, is insisting on a complete and immediate halt to all attacks
07:54before it even comes to the table.
07:57That's the significant difference, number one.
08:00Difference number two, on the state of Hormuz,
08:03the US position is clear.
08:04Keep the route open for global shipping and energy flows.
08:08Iran, on the other hand, says it's seeking formal recognition of its sovereign rights
08:13over the strategic passage.
08:16That's the point of difference, number two.
08:18Number three point of difference between the two demands over there.
08:22On regional influence,
08:24Washington wants Iran to scale back the support to proxy groups across the region.
08:30Tehran is countering that demand,
08:32calling for an end to military action against all its allied forces.
08:40Number four, difference between the two sides.
08:44This one is on sanctions.
08:45The US is indicating the possibility of easing sanctions as part of a broader deal.
08:52Iran is going further,
08:53demanding compensation for economic and infrastructure losses
08:57that they have faced in this conflict.
09:00How does one even calculate that?
09:03What is the number?
09:03Nobody knows at the moment,
09:05but that's a major point of conflict between the two sides as well.
09:09And number five on the list,
09:12future security.
09:14The US wants to take up Iran's mission program
09:17at a later,
09:18missile program over there,
09:20at a later stage in negotiations.
09:22And Iran is now pushing for firm guarantees
09:27that there will be no future war or any sort of military escalation.
09:34That is another point of difference between the two sides.
09:39What exactly will happen?
09:39We'll have to see.
09:40But amid the tussle,
09:43White House has now hinted that the conflict with Iran could be over by the time.
09:48And this is important,
09:50Donald Trump travels to China
09:52for his sort of rescheduled visit with the Chinese President Xi Jinping
09:57on the 14th and 15th of May.
10:01How critical is this timeline?
10:04What exactly is expected from it?
10:06The next report will bring you more.
10:13On day 27 of West Asia war,
10:16US President Donald Trump has hinted at winding down operations in West Asia.
10:22But Tehran has five conditions for ending the war.
10:26Iran wants a complete halt to aggression and assassinations by US and Israel.
10:32Iran also wants a formal recognition of its right to control maritime activity in Strait of Hormuz.
10:38Iran also insists that any peace deal include groups like
10:42Hezbollah aligned with Tehran and an end to Israel's invasion of Lebanon.
10:47This comes right after Trump's 15-point proposal for Iran to end the war.
10:53Trump insisted that Iran was taking part in peace talks,
10:56suggesting Tehran's denials were because Iranian negotiators feared being killed by their own side.
11:04We did a lot.
11:05We settled eight wars.
11:07People sort of forget.
11:09And we're winning another one, I tell you.
11:11We're winning so big, nobody's ever seen anything like we're doing in the Middle East with Iran.
11:16And they are negotiating, by the way.
11:18And they want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it
11:22because they figure they'll be killed by their own people.
11:25They're also afraid they'll be killed by us.
11:28Trump also portrayed an Iran armed with nuke as a cancer,
11:32saying the United States has cut it out through its ongoing military operation against the Islamic Republic.
11:41Energy prices, oil prices would go up higher.
11:44I thought the stock market would go somewhat lower.
11:47But it didn't matter to me.
11:49Short term, what we had to do is get rid of the cancer.
11:52We had to cut out the cancer.
11:53The cancer was Iran with a nuclear weapon.
11:57And we've cut it out.
11:59Now we're going to finish it off.
12:01White House has now hinted the conflict with Iran could be over
12:05by the time President Donald Trump travels to China
12:08for his rescheduled visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15.
12:15White House has signaled a limited war timeline,
12:18claiming an estimate of four to six weeks before the war ends.
12:21This comes amid Trump's rescheduled visit to China on May 14 and 15.
12:26This two-day visit to China by U.S. President is seen as winding down of West Asia war.
12:32This is now seen as the soft deadline for Iran conflict.
12:36However, Iran continues to reject any ceasefire, escalating attacks on U.S. and Iran.
12:43White House, meanwhile, has cautioned media over speculation
12:46and reporting about potential truce talks that could take place in Pakistan.
12:52I've seen a lot of speculation and reporting about potential talks
12:57that could happen later this week.
13:00Nothing should be deemed official until it is announced formally by the White House.
13:04I would not get ahead of our skis on reporting about any talks this week
13:08and until you hear directly from us.
13:09It now remains to be seen whether the new proposal of truce will remain in place
13:14or is just a smokescreen before a massive escalation.
13:18Bureau Report, India Today.
13:25All right, in the middle of this almost 30-day conflict on the Western Asian front,
13:32there's one word that you have constantly heard of.
13:35Khark Island.
13:37Now, Khark Island is fast emerging as a critical flashpoint in the West Asian conflict
13:42with tensions escalating sharply as both the United States and Iran
13:46step up military positioning around this very strategic oil hub.
13:52But what makes Khark Island so important, so strategically sort of, you know, critical?
14:00And also, how exactly is the entire space built up?
14:04The next few minutes, we'll explain that to you.
14:06So let's start with that.
14:07On one side, the U.S. media reports suggested that Washington is significantly increasing
14:13its presence in the Khark Island region.
14:16You see that over there?
14:17That's the Khark Island, right?
14:19Now, over 7,000 troops are being moved into West Asia,
14:23including elite airborne paratroopers, indicating readiness for a rapid deployment.
14:29These are also, you know, there are reports that are coming in of contingency plans
14:33that could involve securing or even seizing the Khark Island,
14:38underlining how central it has become to this entire evolving conflict.
14:44On the other side, you know, what's happening on the Iran front?
14:48Iran is moving to fortify the island, meaning reports are now indicating
14:52that naval mines are being laid around the Khark Island.
14:57Additional troops are being deployed there as well, and defensive systems have been strengthened.
15:04The island is now effectively being turned into a fortress,
15:08with Tehran preparing for any possible military escalation.
15:13And the reason that is important, it is pretty much clear.
15:18Khark Island handles nearly 90% of Iran's oil exports and serves as its primary export terminal.
15:28It is connected to major oil fields through pipeline networks and functions
15:33as a deep water port capable of handling large crude tankers.
15:39So all of these reasons make this Khark Island so, so important.
15:45And you will hear more about this in the days to come if the war progresses the way we think
15:51it will progress.
15:52But let's get an idea a little bit in detail about this with my colleague Sandeep joining us.
15:57Sandeep, help me understand currently who controls the Khark Island?
16:03And how are you seeing this escalate as a major point of sort of a major battlefield between the two
16:11sides?
16:11Well, Khark Island, as you mentioned, Sonal, is one of the most valuable islands on earth.
16:17It is Iranian territory.
16:19It is, as you mentioned, 90% of Iran's oil and gas flows out of that one island.
16:23It's about 25 square kilometers.
16:25But most importantly, it's just 20 kilometers off the coast of Iran.
16:29Now, that island can handle something like 10 super tankers simultaneously.
16:3410 tankers can be lined up, they can be filled up.
16:37And then they make that journey of over 600 kilometers across the Persian Gulf and into the Indian Ocean region.
16:43Now, that's one reason why Iran has heavily defended this island from the beginning.
16:48Right through the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Iraq had made several attempts to attack this island.
16:54All of those were repulsed.
16:56Iran, over the years, has fortified this island heavily.
16:59There are IRGC naval bases there.
17:01There is an airstrip there.
17:03They've moved in drones.
17:04They've moved in troops over there.
17:06They have turned that island into a fortress of the kind that we haven't seen in the region in a
17:11very long time.
17:12That is because they anticipate that the United States could try and forcibly enter and occupy Khark Island through the
17:19air and from the sea.
17:21And once they do that, they will have possibly some military leverage over Iran.
17:26They don't have any leverage over Iran.
17:28Trump has been trying to threaten the Iranians to try and open the Strait of Hormuz.
17:32They've refused.
17:33This is one card that the US could play.
17:36Move in the airborne troops, move in special forces, move in marines to try and capture that Khark Island.
17:42But it's not going to be easy.
17:43As easy as it sounds on paper, it's going to be extremely difficult because you can take the island.
17:48You can take the island.
17:49You can't defend it because it's just 20 kilometers off the Iranian coast and Iran's defenses have not been degraded.
17:57Its rocket forces are intact.
17:59Its drone forces are intact.
18:00It can continuously shell that island.
18:03It can harry US troops.
18:05It's going to be a bloodbath of a kind that we've not seen in the 21st century, Sonal.
18:10Wow.
18:10A bloodbath of a kind you've not seen in the 21st century.
18:13That's a big statement to make, Sandeep.
18:16And you're saying that at the moment, both US and Iran are prepping up to make this sort of the
18:23ultimate or the first of the battlefields.
18:26Is that where it's headed as we speak?
18:28Well, boots on the ground, as the US has indicated, could come.
18:32As we've been seeing over the last couple of days, the US has been moving Marines.
18:36It's been moving the elite 82nd Airborne.
18:39There are about 6,000 or 7,000 troops that the US has committed to the theater so far.
18:44They're in various stages of moving in.
18:45Some are coming in from the sea, the Marines.
18:47Some are moving in from the air.
18:49Now, those numbers are not enough for a full-scale ground invasion of Iran.
18:54So, therefore, the only reason they could be used there is to capture Khark or possibly even the other islands
19:02in the Persian Gulf.
19:03Now, you know, Iran has about 30 islands in the Persian Gulf.
19:06There are some like Larak and Hormuz that are at the Straits of Hormuz, at the entrance to the Strait
19:12of Hormuz.
19:13Now, Khark is far inside the Strait of Hormuz.
19:16It's nearly 500 kilometers, which means that US forces, if they travel, have to travel through something like 500 kilometers
19:23of hostile territory that Iran can constantly bombard them with.
19:27So, one other option, a possible plan B, is to capture those two small islands at the entrance to the
19:34Strait of Hormuz.
19:35One is Larak and the other is Hormuz.
19:37There is, of course, a bigger island over there called Keshim.
19:41It's twice the size of Mumbai.
19:43And that's, again, very close to the coast of Iran.
19:47That is almost like, you know, invading Iran itself.
19:50So, it's possible that they will look at these smaller islands.
19:53But, of course, Khark remains front and center on the US plans.
19:57All right.
19:58Stay back with us, Sandeep, because what you're saying at the moment is that in strategic terms,
20:02control of Khark Island actually goes far beyond territory, directly impacts Kabul oil flows as well,
20:07Iran's revenue lifeline as well, and sort of brought a balance in the conflict.
20:12And as tensions now surround the Strait of Hormuz, Iran says it would not impose a blockade on vessels
20:19belonging to five friendly nations, at least for India being one of them.
20:24So, that's good news for us for now.
20:27But here's a deep dive.
20:40On day 27 of the West Asia war, the focus has shifted to Khark Island, Iran's oil hub and Akili's
20:47heel.
20:52A tiny island belonging to Iran, it handles nearly 90 percent of the country's oil exports
20:59and is connected to major oil fields through pipelines.
21:05All of this makes it one of the most crucial assets for Iran and a possible new battlefield.
21:12US media reports that the Pentagon is sending thousands of troops to West Asia.
21:17Elite airborne paratroopers who are trained to conduct parachute assaults are also being deployed,
21:24amid reports that the US may be planning to seize the island.
21:28Iran, on the other hand, is bracing for a possible US attack on the island.
21:32Iranian forces are laying mines on Khark Island.
21:36Troops have moved in, turning it into a fortress.
21:39Iran has also threatened strong retaliation if its island is attacked.
21:45Without naming the island, Iranian Speaker Mohamed Ghalibaf said that intelligence suggests enemies are planning to occupy an Iranian island
21:54and warned that if any step is taken, Iran will launch continuous and relentless attacks on vital infrastructure in the
22:01region.
22:02The US, on the other hand, has hinted at escalating aggression in the conflict.
22:10The US wants to keep this option open, that if required, you know, they can occupy some territory.
22:17And this is a well-known military strategy that to negotiate with a country, if you occupy its territory,
22:23then, you know, the pressure mounts on that country to negotiate it further with the other party or with the
22:31other force.
22:31So, certainly, the US wants to keep this option open on the table.
22:35But on the other side, this is also being used as a pressure tactic.
22:39The White House has denied the need for congressional authorization for operations in Iran.
22:48That formal authorization from Congress is not necessary because we're currently in major combat operations in Iran.
22:55The Department of War and the President, as I said, estimated about a four-to-six-week timeline for the
23:00full completion of these military combat operations.
23:03We're again on day 25 today.
23:10Meanwhile, a major Hormuz win has come for India.
23:13With Iran allowing ships from India, Russia, China and Pakistan to move freely in the Strait of Hormuz.
23:25Many ship owners or countries that own these vessels have contacted us and requested that we ensure their safe passage
23:32through Strait.
23:34For some of these countries that we consider friendly or in cases where we have decided to do so for
23:40other reasons,
23:41our armed forces have provided safe passage.
23:45You have seen in news, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, India.
23:51India, two of its ships passed through a few nights ago and some other countries and even Bangladesh, I believe.
24:02Will Khark Island fight be the next phase of war?
24:06With Praneh Upadhyay in Tel Aviv, Bureau Report, India Today.
24:17All right, let's cut across to some more developments coming in.
24:21This is U.S. Embassy in Israel, which has now issued an alert.
24:25U.S. Embassy says the security situation in Israel makes departures difficult
24:29and the government of Israel currently limits the airport in Tel Aviv to one departing flight per hour with no
24:39more than 50 passengers.
24:41Now, what is U.S. telling its own citizens at the moment?
24:44That the fastest option to depart from Israel is to land, is actually by land and to go to Egypt
24:53or Jordan.
24:54Commercial air opportunities are also available from airports in Jordan and Egypt
24:59and contact airlines directly is what the advisory there is coming in to U.S. citizens who are still in
25:08Israel at the moment.
25:10Sandeep, this basically says that the U.S. is prepping up.
25:15Am I reading too much into this to say that is this business as usual
25:20or does this mean there is a slight escalation that we are looking at?
25:24Well, you know, it continues, the war continues in a way that Iran has been continuously firing missiles and drones
25:32at Israel.
25:33That hasn't stopped.
25:34The numbers may have reduced but they continue firing.
25:37And that has made, you know, airspace in Israel pretty hazardous,
25:42which is why they have reduced it down to just one flight a day.
25:45Israel is not a very large country.
25:47It's just about 22,000 square kilometers.
25:49And that is the reason that even a few missiles can make a, you know, passage through that airspace hazardous.
25:55So, they're doing the best that they can do in the present situation, which is limit flights.
26:00Getting out of Israel is not very easy by aircraft.
26:03So, a lot of people, especially journalists, visitors to Israel are using the land border.
26:09Our colleagues have traveled through land.
26:11They've flown into Jordan and then driven into Israel.
26:14So, that's the way the situation is.
26:16And it's going to continue as long as this war with Iran continues.
26:21All right, Sandeep.
26:23They're decoding what this means for everybody who's still there.
26:27And as you rightly pointed out, for all the journalists who are reporting from the region as well.
26:47All right, but let's move on now to understand and perhaps decode or peel off another strategy of the U
26:57.S. when it comes to wars.
26:58Now, as the U.S. weighs its next move in West Asia, it's sort of worth looking at a pattern
27:05that has defined American military strategy in the past as well, but especially here in 21st century.
27:13So, what we've done for you is we've picked up the last three major wars that U.S. was engaged
27:18in.
27:20Afghanistan, Iraq, and then Libya.
27:24U.S. interventions have reshaped the region.
27:27They have also left behind long, sort of complex consequences out of it as well.
27:34So, I'm going to cut across to Sandeep to understand more details.
27:38But first, here's sort of a broad framework for you to understand, okay?
27:43Let's start with Afghanistan.
27:45In Afghanistan, the U.S. entered after 9-11 to sort of dismantle Al-Qaeda, right?
27:52It toppled the Taliban, installed a pro-U.S. sort of government, you know, to sort of get in place
27:58as well.
27:58But after 20 years of war and over $2 trillion spent, the U.S. withdrew in 2021.
28:08And then the Taliban returned to power just within days.
28:13A war, remember, that lasted from 2001 to 2021, all undone just in a few days.
28:22In 2003, what happened?
28:24Let's look at that.
28:25Let's turn our focus to Iraq now.
28:29The invasion was justified on weapons of mass destruction.
28:35Saddam Hussein was removed.
28:36But no WMDs were ever found.
28:40And years of insurgency, instability followed, costing thousands of lives, money, all of that.
28:46And that, again, that entire thing rusted from 2003 to 2011.
28:54And in 2011, right?
28:56As one war ended, another one began.
28:59This time it was Libya.
29:01A NATO-led intervention backed by U.S. helped sort of overthrow a dire Gaddafi regime and all of that.
29:09But the aftermath saw the collapse of the state and the civil war that continues even today.
29:16Remember, this started in 2011, 2026.
29:19It's still going on.
29:21So, as tensions sort of rise again, the big question at the point that we are trying to understand is,
29:28is this West Asia war another long one, like the one we've seen earlier, and should we brace ourselves for
29:36it?
29:36Or is it different in terms of strategy that the U.S. has, in terms of the way they are
29:42handling it,
29:42and in terms of also how the world is responding, their allies are responding?
29:47All right?
29:49So, let me cut across to Sandeep to understand more details on that.
29:54So, Sandeep, when we look at these three wars, right, let's start with Afghanistan.
30:00Yeah.
30:01Right?
30:01In 2001, what are you seeing U.S. do here, which is different from 2026?
30:09Well, what the U.S. did in Afghanistan was to go in there.
30:12The Al-Qaeda were being sheltered by the Taliban, and the U.S. entered, they conducted major commando operations,
30:20they teamed up with the Northern Alliance, they overthrew the Taliban, the Taliban fled.
30:25But the U.S. then decided to stay on, install a pro-Western government, and begin fighting the Taliban.
30:31So, there was a sense of mission creep.
30:34This was not the mission that you had come into Afghanistan for.
30:36They ended up fighting the Taliban for two decades.
30:39They lost over 2,000 soldiers, they spent over 2 trillion dollars, and finally, in 2021, there was a humiliating
30:47withdrawal.
30:48Yeah.
30:49Yeah.
30:49So, this was a mini-Vietnam of sorts, if you can call it that.
30:52No big one Vietnam, but…
30:54But the difference I see is that there was an immediate trigger.
30:57Yes.
30:58Do we understand why the current war is being fought?
31:00Do we understand the immediate trigger?
31:02Well, the immediate trigger is, I would think, it's hubris, that you unseated the president of Venezuela, that appeared to
31:10be an impregnable country, that was in your backyard.
31:13And that kind of got to the head of the planners.
31:16They said, if we did it in Venezuela, sure, we can do it in Iran as well.
31:19Yeah.
31:20And that is what led to miscalculations.
31:22And see, when you are the dominant superpower, you have such a large and powerful military, you think you can
31:28solve a lot of problems with the military.
31:30But clearly, that isn't the case.
31:32That isn't the case.
31:32Let's move to the second one.
31:34Let's move to 2003.
31:35What happened here?
31:38What's happening in 2003 in Iraq?
31:40In Iraq, Iraq was actually the war that the United States, the George Bush administration, always wanted to fight.
31:47Afghanistan came before that.
31:49They cooked up this thing of weapons of mass destruction and they went after Saddam Hussein.
31:54They made a whole case for it.
31:56There's that famous photograph of Colin Powell waving that thing in the United Nations.
32:01The U.N. said, no, you can't go in.
32:03There's not going to be a U.N. mandate for this invasion.
32:06But the U.S. went in regardless.
32:08They created a coalition.
32:10They went in with their allies.
32:11They unseated Saddam Hussein.
32:14He was picked up and executed.
32:16And the interesting thing is that if you look at the parallel between Iraq of 2003 and Iran of 2026,
32:2325 days into the conflict, the U.S. had unseated Saddam.
32:29They defeated his military and they captured the country.
32:32But that was because they had boots on ground.
32:35And that's not happening in Iran.
32:37So this is the kind of trap that they've been caught in.
32:40They went into Iraq thinking it's going to be a shock and awe campaign, as they said.
32:46But it ended up into a long war.
32:48It's interesting how you're calling it a trap.
32:50You're saying this is not what the intention was.
32:53But they were sort of caught into that.
32:56Which brings me to Libya then.
32:58Yes.
32:58Right.
32:59One war ended in 2011.
33:01Another one started.
33:02But this one is perhaps closest to what we are seeing at the moment in terms of U.S. strategy?
33:07Exactly.
33:08Because there's no boots on the ground in Libya.
33:10And the U.S. is already fighting two wars.
33:14Afghanistan and Iraq.
33:15And they decided in 2011 that maybe we can't intervene on the ground.
33:20But let's unseat Gaddafi from the air.
33:23There are people on the ground there who are the guerrillas who they are backing.
33:27And so this begins, Libya begins as a campaign to protect the civilians from the Gaddafi regime.
33:34After the Arab Spring.
33:35And once Gaddafi is unseated, the civilians take over.
33:39The U.S. continues bombing in support of the rebel forces on the ground.
33:44But then in 2014, the country breaks up.
33:48It splits up.
33:48There's a horrible civil war.
33:50Because Gaddafi is actually the guy who's holding that country together.
33:53And in 2014, the country splits.
33:55And it's not the same even in 2026.
33:58So that was a very high cost of U.S. intervention.
34:01It might have been a light cost for the United States in terms of money spent or ordinance expended.
34:06It could have been $2 billion as compared to the $2 trillion wars.
34:10But you destroyed a country.
34:11You destroyed a country.
34:12And, you know, currently what's happening, Sandeep, the worrying part is, it seems to me, and we've just picked up
34:18the last three wars.
34:20Would it be correct to say that over the past 20 years at least that we have noted from, say,
34:26a little more than 20 years perhaps,
34:28U.S. has constantly been at war with some country or the other, regardless of who's the president, regardless of
34:39what's the narrative, regardless of who's the enemy as well.
34:42Is that telling us a story?
34:44It's telling you a very big story, Sonal.
34:47And the story is that when you have a hammer in your hand, every problem starts to look like a
34:52nail.
34:55And that's what they've been doing in the last couple of years.
34:57If you look at it, the pattern of U.S. intervention is military intervention.
35:01And Syria is possibly one place where they didn't send boots on the ground, nor did they directly engage the
35:08regime.
35:08There was a collapse that was triggered off with various other factors.
35:13And, you know, these are countries that are really weak.
35:16They appear to be very big, strong, united countries, but they're built on sand, literally.
35:20And when a dictator collapses, the country breaks up into mayhem.
35:25There are no institutions there.
35:26And that's what's happened across.
35:27There's a similar pattern in Libya, Syria, Iraq kind of, it went and descended into insurgency,
35:33but then it kind of, you know, picked up once again after 2011, after the withdrawal of the United States.
35:38You have a fairly stable government in place there.
35:40And then we thought that it's going to be a new president, a new government.
35:43He does not want war.
35:45There will be a department of war.
35:46He'll want peace prices.
35:48But here we are in the reality that we face.
35:50Thanks, Andi, for putting all of that into perspective.
35:53So much to think about, so much to look into with all these data and statistics.
35:57That are coming to us right from 2001 to 2026.
36:02All of these wars that U.S. has been involved in means a very, very big story.
36:11All right.
36:12Meanwhile, a war that is far away, but also now hitting home.
36:18This time, it's not in the battlefield.
36:20It is in our kitchen.
36:22Our grocery bills, our gadgets as well.
36:25And even at the cost of building of house.
36:28Indian imports, mostly India, remember, most of the imports that are coming in of its energy and huge share of
36:35critical raw materials from the very region, which is now in conflict.
36:39So when oil spikes, shipping routes turn risky, the supply chains, they just snap, right?
36:45Prices here do not rise gradually.
36:48They jump.
36:49And we are seeing that already sort of crippling in with the government trying to absorb that shock a little
36:56bit.
36:56But price is still going up.
36:58This is not routine inflation that we are looking at.
37:00Remember, this is a war-driven cost shock.
37:04Now, the measure, to measure all of this, the impact on everyday consumers, we compared prices on Amazon.
37:11A very common marketplace used across India tracking that what are the items and what, some of the items that
37:19are critical to you and me.
37:21And what did they cost before the war versus how much do they cost now, right?
37:26We are about to see in the real world a snapshot of what this war has really costed you and
37:32me.
37:32We included essential items, food, technology, construction, daily use products as well.
37:39And we tried to understand how exactly is it different.
37:42So let's cut to that sector by sector, item by item.
37:46Let's start with the fuel.
37:49Fuel for the home, LPG shortages are forcing families to switch.
37:54Induction cooktops, remember?
37:56They costed about 2,800, 2,900.
38:00Now, they are over 4,500.
38:04Even electric cookers have risen.
38:06It used to be about 1,900.
38:08It is now over 2,000.
38:10The fallback is no longer, you know, at the moment, almost doubled over there.
38:16And of course, one could say that this is because there is a shortage, there is a bit of a
38:20hype.
38:20So we thought we'd look at other items as well.
38:23Festive sort of plate and daily pantry supply disruption has also happened.
38:28This is pushing up imported food items.
38:31This includes, you know, things that are hitting your daily nutrition and tradition as well.
38:37Foods, imported foods and even dates, they have moved from, they are moving from about 797 to about 957.
38:46And now, the imported, you know, you know, the numbers there, also a disruption.
38:53We are seeing at least a 200 rupee up in just these 30 days of the war.
38:59Let's also try and understand technology then.
39:02Technology is feeling a pinch as well.
39:04Component shortages are now driving prices up.
39:07A basic LP or HP laptop if you were to look at, right?
39:12That would cost about a lakh 5,900 and to about 1 lakh, you know, almost about a lakh, a
39:20little over, just around 2 lakh.
39:22And now those Dell laptops have gone up over 45,000 as well.
39:30They have gone up by that price.
39:31But before I go on with this list, I'm told there is some more updates that are coming in.
39:35So let's quickly look into that.
39:37We'll return to the pricing.
39:46All right, we're now told that the LPG carrier Apollo Ocean has docked at near the new Mangalore port.
39:54The Vietnam flagged vessel has been brought in.
39:57This is about 17,600 metric tons of LPG providing much needed relief to supply concerns.
40:03The tanker, which transported the fuel from Qatar, where the port in Gujarat has now arrived at the Mangalore port
40:14today.
40:14This is carrying about 17,600 metric tons of LPG.
40:19So like we said, another breather there that has been provided in for LPG supply, that crisis that has hit
40:29the country.
40:30So that's a little bit of an update.
40:33So easing out and filling in our supply chains.
40:39Have you also wondered if platforms like YouTube, like Instagram, Facebook, for example, do they lead to addiction?
40:48Well, don't wonder anymore because according to a case in United States, now this has been established.
40:55A 20-year-old woman in the United States has won a $6 million in damages as a verdict that
41:04came out against the big tech.
41:06And the verdict is simple.
41:07That platforms that are run by Meta, run by Google, are indeed the ones that lead, are designed to cause
41:17addiction in young teens.
41:19Now, what happened here, let's decode the entire story for you.
41:23Now, this young girl testified that her usage began as early as the age of six.
41:29And over time, platforms design, the entire algo itself, contributed to serious mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression.
41:38And for the first time ever in the history of the world, really, or the existence of these platforms, the
41:45jury agreed, holding tech accountable for not content, but how their platforms are actually built.
41:53Again, the petitioner in this case told the court that she started using YouTube and Instagram, you know, at the
41:59age of six.
42:00Her central claim was that these platforms are addictive by design.
42:05She argued that features built into apps kept her hooked and that this prolonged exposure worsened her mental health condition.
42:13To this, the jury actually agreed, finding that these platforms were negligent in design and that companies knew the risks
42:22to minors and failed to warn users inadequately.
42:26They knew and they did not do anything.
42:28The result, of course, like we said, six million dollars of verdict that has come against Meta and Google.
42:35Now, one platform, a couple of them, like Instagram, for example, and YouTube, we are looking at now reasons what
42:45the jury actually said, why they found it very clear and significant.
42:49They came out to say that Instagram and YouTube are designed to hook young users.
42:53They also said the companies knew about the risks to minors.
42:56They said they failed to warn any users adequately.
43:00Social media was found to be a substantial factor in causing harm as well.
43:04And they also said the responsibility had been split.
43:07And this is interesting.
43:09Meta held 70% of the responsibility.
43:12YouTube, 30%.
43:14The damages now include three million dollars and compensation and another about three million as punitive damages as well.
43:26So what exactly was under scrutiny in this case, features like infinite scroll, which removes any natural stopping point, features
43:37like autoplay, which keeps content running continuously, notifications designed to pull users back even if that app is off.
43:45And most importantly, algorithms that personalize content to maximize engagement, their job is to get you addicted to the screen.
43:55The argument there by the big tech, these are sort of deliberate design choices, not accidental features.
44:02Meta pushed back on that saying that mental health is complex and cannot be linked to a single app.
44:08YouTube argued that it is a video platform, not a social media platform at all.
44:12And both companies denied any direct sort of link and say that they offer safety tools as well.
44:20Now, they have said after the verdict that they will be appealing it.
44:25But this case could have wide implications.
44:28It shifts the focus from what users see to how platforms are actually designed.
44:33It puts the spotlight on mental health risks for minors.
44:37And it could also possibly influence thousands or similar lawsuits already underway against big tech companies across the globe.
44:45This is just the US, this is one case, but what happens next, it could open other floodgates as well.
44:51This may well be the beginning of a larger shift where the design of digital platform, not just the content,
44:58faces legal and public scrutiny.
45:01And this, we're looking at social media, we've not even come to AI just yet.
45:06But that's a solid piece of information and a solid judgment there that has come into US.
45:11That has got all of us, especially all parents, thinking.
45:19On that note, this is all we could pack in this edition of Five Live.
45:24Stay tuned, we've got lots more for you as Friday hits in all the war updates.
45:29Also, all the other news that you need to know as the day comes to a draw.
45:33Thanks so much for watching. See you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
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