- 2 days ago
As the West Asia conflict enters its 31st day, US President Donald Trump has issued a direct ultimatum to Iran, threatening to obliterate energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.
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00:00Evening, you're watching India First. I'm Gaurav Sawant. It's day 31 of that war in West Asia
00:04and U.S. President Donald Trump has just threatened Iran once again. It's his biggest threat yet to
00:12Iran. Donald Trump has said if Iran does not agree to his peace plan or words to that effect,
00:19America will target the civil energy infrastructure, power plants, oil wells and the Karga
00:25Island if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz immediately. Donald Trump said the U.S.
00:33is in serious discussion with the new and more reasonable regime in Iran but warned if a ceasefire
00:41is not agreed to, the U.S. will hit sites it has purposely not touched till now. Let me also
00:49get
00:49you more on the latest developments. A fire broke out at an oil refinery in the northern Israel.
00:55city of Haifa for the second time during this war that's been on for 31 days and counting.
01:01Look at that image. Large refinery tank, thick black smoke rising. Of course, that fire was put
01:09out quickly by fire and rescue services in Haifa. Israel has intensified the bombing of Beirut's
01:18southern suburb, including in Dahiya. One of the Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon targeted
01:23a military checkpoint and a Lebanese soldier, information that's just coming in, a Lebanese
01:29soldier was killed. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have now officially joined this battle and that
01:35marks massive escalation and horizontal expansion of this war. They've launched their second attack
01:43on Israel in the past 24 hours. They warned attacks will intensify. They will continue unless U.S. and
01:50Israel stopped targeting Iran. The question is, do we see a massive escalation? Is the United States
01:59now all set to launch a ground offensive? Why are we saying that? Remember, there already are about
02:0550,000 American troops deployed across West Asia. The number of American troops has increased by
02:1210,000. That's point one. Point two, reports say Pentagon is preparing for weeks of possible ground
02:18operations in Iran. There are five key indicators of a ground invasion, preparations for a ground
02:26invasion. One, President Trump has made his stance crystal clear. Open the Strait of Hormuz immediately
02:33or the U.S. will blow up Iran's power plants. Now, this isn't just another warning. While it's been
02:40issued twice in the past, this is the most direct ultimatum. Two, President Trump has said he wants
02:46to take Iran oil. He could now well take control of the Khark Island and that is a pressure point.
02:54Once targeted, according to American assessment, it will break Iran because in Iran, they will not
03:01have access to oil money. And without money, a war cannot be waged. Third, speculation is mounting
03:07that America is amassing a large number of special forces, paratroopers, marines, and they're poised
03:14to seize 500 kilograms of enriched uranium through a covert operation. This is what is being talked
03:21about. Fourth, the mobilization of troops. No routine military exercise. The presence of paratroopers of
03:28the 82nd Airborne Division, they're on an 18-hour standby. They could be launched in the next 18 hours
03:34should President Trump take that final decision. So, U.S. appears to be preparing for what initially
03:41may be seen as a limited ground strike. But once it happens, then you need more troops on ground.
03:46You need replenishment. You need more resources. You need men for what could possibly be ground
03:53occupation of at least some of the select islands. If not Gharg, there could be others.
03:58The fifth sign, there's speculation around the impending ground attack. U.S. CENTCOM
04:04Chief Admiral Brad Cooper, he flew to Israel. He's met the chief of the Israeli Defense Forces.
04:11And this is an indication that there's a joint war plan that's finally being agreed to,
04:18locked and loaded, waiting for President Trump's approval to launch that attack.
04:24I quickly want to now analyze what's happening. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to target
04:31Iran's civilian energy infrastructure, including power plants, oil wells, and the Khark Island if
04:36Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Now, in a social media post, President Trump warned
04:41of escalating action if a deal is not reached. He said, and I quote, great progress has been made,
04:47but if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the
04:54Strait of Hormuz is not opened immediately, open for business, we will conclude our lovely stay in
05:02Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of the electric generating plants, oil wells,
05:09and Khark Island, unquote. Can this actually be done just from the air, just airstrikes and
05:15missile strikes? Or does U.S. plan to take control of Iran's oil and control the Strait of Hormuz?
05:20Let me quickly bring into this conversation Colonel John Spencer, Executive Director of the Urban Warfare
05:27Institute. Colonel Spencer joins us from Denver, Colorado. Colonel, welcome. You're a veteran of the
05:33Iraq war. You study warfare very closely. What is your reading of President Trump's threat to hit Iran
05:40from power generation plants to oil wells to the jewel of the Iranian crown, the Khark Island? Is
05:46that an empty threat or is there a threat of massive escalation, sir? Well, it's good to be with you
05:52again, my friend. I don't, I think, I mean, all, all war is an act of force or a threat
05:58of force
05:59to compel your enemy to do your will. I don't think it's an escalation. I think it's a natural
06:04progression of getting to the outcome that the United States wants in these, you know, with all
06:10aspects of what they've set as their objectives and we can go through those. And I think that,
06:15you know, the threats that have been used are more so not about the Islamic regime and Iran's ability
06:21to continue to wage the war. That means, you know, the ballistic missiles, the drones, all of that has
06:28decreased significantly and it continues to, um, Israel just launched an attack along the Caspian
06:35Sea, you know, six, 1600 meters away from, or kilometers away from Israel to strike some vital
06:42infrastructure for the military. So, you know, if Khark Island is put into play, I think these are all
06:48of the options. Um, it's about taking a resource that the regime needs to main, to stay in power,
06:54right? So the number one concern for Iran is that the regime maintains power. And if you understand
07:00what economically was happening, you know, as you know, of course, during the January, 2026
07:05protests, president Trump is making, I think they're credible threats, um, and not civilian
07:10infrastructure, but infrastructure that the regime needs to continue to survive. It needs its revenue
07:17from the oil. It needs power to, I mean, it's controlling 90% of the internet right now. It needs
07:22power,
07:23you know, electricity to do that. So I see these all as credible threats to compel Iran. And we know
07:29there's talks going on in Islamabad very soon. Um, can whoever's in charge in Iran is to compel them
07:35to do these things that the United States and Israel are seeking. Is there any evidence on ground to
07:42indicate that these threats are working? Because these threats have been issued in the past. Of course,
07:48more than threats, there's massive carpet bombing for the past 30 days and counting. This is day 31 of that
07:53conflict. Iran continues to fight back. And even today, uh, it struck multiple targets. So is the
07:59US, uh, caught in an escalation trap? They're escalating to bring Iran to its knees. But each
08:05time Iran appears to be escalating it and widening the arc of the conflict, including like in the
08:10current instance, opening the second front on Bab al-Mandeb. Well, no. So my, my assessment,
08:18uh, of all the same information everybody else has, which I have a deep appreciation of all that we
08:23don't know, right? When president Trump says we're talking to somebody and they're, it's going very
08:28well. Other people are saying, you know, Iran's strong. It has all this capability, um, to stop
08:33traffic through the straight up Hormuz for now. Um, all of these elements, I have a deep appreciation
08:38of what we don't know. I don't believe in this nifty maxim to say that we're, president Trump is caught
08:43in an escalation trap that I think that's pretty, um, um, misinformed and very, um, simplistic when
08:51everything in a war seems simple, but even as simple as difficult. I think the United States
08:56and Israel, um, haven't been carpet bombing. I think they've deployed an amount of military
09:01force that nobody has seen in modern war to precisely attack targets, both the leadership
09:08of, uh, across the both political military and even law enforcement with the besieged and everything.
09:14Um, and an ability that no military has ever had in history. Um, but also to reduce the ability for
09:20it to, to launch missiles and against its neighbors to include Israel. Yes, it's still getting missiles
09:26off. Iran is a giant country, but you know, from 300 on the first couple of days down to 30
09:32a day.
09:32Um, and that those strikes are continuing, um, all wars, a contest of will and means. And I think the
09:39United States and Israel have very successfully reduced the means in which this regime has to
09:46leverage, um, what their goals are. Right. And we, we've seen this 15 point negotiation from the
09:52United States and then a reply by Iran with these four points that are just ridiculous. Um, I, I
09:58discount the whole escalation trap thing. Of course, uh, war is uncertain and there was no,
10:04you know, there's no plan that you start on day one and you just follow a checklist.
10:08You adapt to the situation that is in, that has unfolded.
10:13Is Iran holding out better than expected 30 days earlier? Uh, if they were expected to fold after
10:19the decapitation or assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top leaders, that clearly hasn't
10:25happened. They not only fight back, uh, you know, the command and control structure to an extent
10:30remains intact. They control the state of Hormuz even today. Um, uh, and, and president Trump,
10:35I mean, before the 28th of February, state of Hormuz was open. Now one of the war aims is to
10:40get the
10:40state of Hormuz open. So what has America been able to achieve? Yeah. So it's a great question. I
10:46mean, I think we have a fallacy in the, in the world about short wars, uh, what can be achieved
10:51in a
10:52short, short amount of time. Um, I think that we talk about the Islamic regime in Iran and we talk
10:57about Iran as a, a cohesive unit. Um, the leaders that were, that started on day one don't exist
11:03anymore. So who's in charge, who's making the calls. We've seen, um, disagreements with the
11:08president and, and, and the IRGC. We've seen reports of defectors, um, again, with a deep
11:14depreciation of what we don't know. I do not think that Iran is stronger today than it was 30 days
11:20ago.
11:20Um, and all of its means to do things. And while the Strait of Hormuz is closed for now,
11:25I think we've seen lots of reports, you know, on, you know, day five, people were reporting that
11:31nobody was going to help the United States in opening the straits. And that conversation has
11:35changed. Um, it's all about reducing risk. Of course, the United States is reducing risk,
11:39um, before it makes and fulfill its plans. And I know you keep, you talked about ground invasions as
11:45those threats are real, right? Not just to take Carg Island, but to take
11:48islands within the strait that are important to Iran's ability to threaten international
11:53shipping. Um, while that's a small ground force you're talking about, I was a part of the invasion,
11:58you know, 170,000 troops. Um, I jumped into Northern Iraq. I was a part of that, that ground
12:04force. And that's not what's being talked about, but some people jump from ground invasion to
12:09the fact that, you know, is there some type of taboo to put in any boots on any ground
12:14in Iran to achieve the pressures that you want on whoever's in charge now to do what the world
12:21would benefit from, right? The world, even India would benefit from the straits of Hormuz not being
12:27this economic coercion against the global economy whenever Iran wants.
12:34But of course, pre 28 February, there was no economic coercion and a lot of our energy supply
12:39that comes from there, uh, was, uh, was coming so smoothly because this is impacting global economy
12:45and this threat of global recession, uh, right now that looms large and God forbid if, uh, Babal
12:51Mandab follows the strait of Hormuz example. But tell me this, sir, the talk of amassing troops in the
12:57region from the marine expeditionary units to the 82nd airborne, um, as a military veteran who
13:04para-dropped, uh, who was para-dropped into Iribil if I remember correctly in 2003. That's where, uh,
13:09you were airdropped, uh, in, in 2003. So is America all set for an airborne assault or, uh, uh, you
13:16know,
13:16amphibious assault on one of the islands, uh, to open the strait of Hormuz? Is that your reading?
13:23That's not my reading because of how much I, uh, intelligence we don't know. And yes,
13:28my jump into Northern Iraq was a different time, a different situation, different context, different
13:32enemy. Um, I just did an interview with somebody who did the attack on Baghdad when the regime
13:39changed by just putting a force of less than 3000 inside the capital of Iraq. Um, that was 23 years
13:45ago. Uh, that, that entire unit had one drone. The world is different. Warfare is different. Um,
13:52do I think that there'll be an airborne para-drop? I think that's unlikely. I think that the United
13:57States has a lot of options that people keep discounting. Um, and I think that's why these
14:02threats aren't empty threats, um, on what the United States is planning, could be planning,
14:08um, the realm of possibility. And I know you talked about special forces, um, doing a, a ground
14:14mission to seize some of that 400 kilogram or 1,000 pounds. I do pounds of, uh, nuclear fissile material.
14:22I think there are all possibilities and all of these forces being moved into place are about
14:27giving the U S president and Israel because it is a joint operation options. Right. And, and so that
14:34when you make a threat, it's a credible threat. Um, but I can't guess on where, what those forces
14:39will be used or not used for. I do, I can't say it's not a ground invasion force as people
14:44are
14:44inferring of like, you know, troops in Tehran, you know, things like that. Um, I would say that's less
14:50likely. Troops in Tehran less likely, but, uh, the mouth of Shade of Hormuz or some of the islands
14:57there or the Khark Island taking control of Iran oil, um, or, or controlling, uh, who comes out.
15:03In, in your military appreciation is all of this possible without massive casualties, uh, uh, and
15:10body bags, God forbid, going back to the United States, uh, ahead of midterms, will, will people in
15:16the United States accept it? I'm told oil prices are rising. I'm told this war is already unpopular
15:21in the United States, uh, president Trump's popularity ratings are going down. How long
15:25can he continue in your view, sir? So those are two different questions on the casualty aversion
15:32aspect of it. I think the United States military will not commit forces to any scenario without
15:37strong risk planning. Um, and again, this is a different world with different capabilities.
15:42What we've seen so far without the loss of a single U S or Israeli aircraft by enemy contact
15:49is phenomenal. I mean, the low number of casualties, despite the magnitude of this war in comparison
15:58to all past wars. But I also think we're living in this world, of course, all war is violence that
16:04begets violence. Um, and you do have losses in war. And I think the United States makes those decisions
16:09with very prudent risk on what they would or would not do. How long can the U S president,
16:15you know, uh, all wars politics by other means. It's definitely a factor. Um, I personally,
16:20in my own personal opinion, think that this operation will create a greater peace. You talked
16:25about the closing of the straits, not before, um, this operation, but the, the Iranian Navy built
16:31capabilities to do this whenever it wanted to, right? It's the size of his Navy, that the mines,
16:38to take a hold of international waters. Um, I think is, is, is a dangerous presence for any
16:45nation to do. I mean, yes, we have territorial waters, but to seize international global shipping
16:51lanes, um, because you can, and you build a military for the sole purpose of doing that
16:55is problematic. And that we come out of this with a much more secure economic global connectivity.
17:04Would you want to risk hazarding a timeframe? Uh, is there an exit strategy? Because often
17:10it's easier to get into conflict, more difficult to get out, uh, uh, unless you have one, either
17:16defined war aims or two, uh, know when to declare victory and to ensure that you're safer. Um, and in
17:23your view, do you see further escalation, uh, before things settle down?
17:30Yeah, that's a great question. And, and, you know, I, I taught strategy at West Point. I, I, I still
17:35study the great masters, um, and Carl von Clausewitz's ability for people to understand what a limited
17:41war and an unlimited war is, right? So I was involved in an unlimited war by overthrowing the
17:46Saddam regime. Um, and then we stayed to build a nation. Uh, I believe that the U S and Israel
17:52to
17:53be clear, um, especially with the United States has set very limited goals and regime change is not
17:59one of those. Although, um, you still get to the objectives of the United States with the missile
18:04program, with the, uh, the ability to hold the Straits of Hormuz as a global coercion, uh, the nuclear
18:11program. You still can achieve those if the regime fell. And I think that we're kind of discounting
18:16how fragile the regime was all the way back in January of 2026, based on its inability to even
18:23provide essential services. I mean, they were going to move the capital of Tehran because they
18:27couldn't provide water to its millions of, of residents. I think the undiscussed card is what
18:33happens when the bomb stopped falling. But the objectives, I believe, and, uh, the secretary of
18:40state Rubio was on TV this morning, reiterating the main three, if not four objectives that you
18:46can achieve through coercion, um, and the threat of use of force, but you can't discount the fragility
18:52of the new regime. I think, you know, everybody again talks about the regime. Like it's, it's still
18:58there, uh, the, the regime leadership, both this political and military. Yes, there are new people
19:03that have some of the same always of thinking. And this is what we don't know when I believe the
19:07United States is talking to somebody, uh, what will happen next? I think it's very, uh, it's not
19:13an unlimited war with unclear objectives. Um, but I was involved in a war where we had a very clear
19:19objective and then it changed when we stayed to build a democracy and all that it took to do that
19:25nation building forever war. I don't think that's, this is, that is this, and that keeping those goals
19:31limited allows you to say when you've achieved those and the enemy always gets a vote. So I don't
19:37think we're there. And I definitely don't think we're in some false escalation trap. I think that
19:41the war has progressed against the stated goals progressively, but the enemy always gets a vote,
19:48like it's doing attacking, uh, Gulf state infrastructure. And it's now it's threatening
19:53desalination plans of other states that aren't even involved in this operation. And I think that's
19:58problematic, but not wasn't unforeseeable. Um, and this is why taking away the means of the enemy to
20:04wage wars as important as compelling them to seek that political agreement, which I think is more
20:09likely than a giant ground invasion. Before I let you go, let me ask you, do you think, um,
20:16America now wants Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and other GCC countries to join active combat? And,
20:23uh, uh, you know, would that justify America's, uh, bombing of Iran point one point two? Uh,
20:30should that happen? Would it lead to a wider Shia Sunni conflict in the region?
20:35So, no, um, to start off the end of it, you know, the Shia Sunni divide that I lived in
20:41Iraq very
20:42strongly. Um, while, of course, uh, Iran is a Persian Shia dominated country. It, it, you look at the
20:49statistics of the Islamist fundamentalist warping of Islam. That is not a shared, uh, even within the
20:57society of Iran aspect of a coherent, you're attacking the Shia nation by doing this. No,
21:04actually the regime and the way it governs is highly unpopular. Uh, and there was a greater
21:09percentage. So no on the Gulf States though. Well, I mean, I would think it justified for a Gulf state
21:14to reply directly to Iran's attacks of their nations, although they're not involved. I do
21:20not think the United States needs that to, to get to these objectives. And what, um, I think the Iran
21:25strategy, again, it's not escalation is both, both sides implementing their strategy. Iran's strategy
21:32to, um, S escalate, to bring all these other Gulf states into it and try to get them to cause
21:39an
21:39action was, uh, it has failed. And you've seen even in the United nations was a 13 to zero, um,
21:45with the two China and Russia abstaining, but also, you know, the trillion dollar deals like the United
21:52Arab Emirates of 1.4 trillion dollars, the United States Qatar with 1.2 trillion dollars. All the Iran
21:58has done is solidified these Gulf nations, understanding that they need to make relationships
22:04that are not with Iran and that Iran is this threat to even regional stability. And, you know,
22:10that's why I think this operation needs to progress to its, uh, foreseeable conclusion, which is,
22:17of course, we all talk about the Strait of Hormuz and preventing that from happening again,
22:20but also this, you know, the ballistic missiles, I mean, it's launched ballistic missiles that it said
22:25it never had the capability to launch over 4,000 kilometers, right. To, to Diego,
22:30to the U.S. base. Uh, I, I think that, no, I don't think that's working and no, it wouldn't
22:36spark this giant religious, uh, war between Shia and Sunnis.
22:41Colonel Spencer, for joining me here on India First, Mary, thanks. Hope to have you back quickly,
22:45uh, as this war progresses and hopefully comes to a conclusion quick sooner than later.
22:51Mary, thanks for joining me. Thank you.
22:55I now want to talk a little more in detail about President Trump's threat, his threat to blow up
23:00and completely obliterate Iran's power plants and take control of Khark Island if a deal between Tehran
23:06and Washington DC is not reached soon. But why is President Trump focused on the Khark Island?
23:12I now want to show you that Khark Island on the map, it actually sits way inside, way away from
23:20the
23:20Strait of Hormuz northwest in the Persian Gulf. It's hugely important because of how it connects to
23:29the Strait of Hormuz. The Khark Island handles 90 percent of Iran's oil exports. It's connected to
23:36various major oil fields inside Iran via a maze of pipelines. It's also a deep water port for large,
23:45very large oil tankers, a key revenue source for Iran. All of this makes it one of the most crucial
23:52assets for Iran and possibly the new battlefield, the new theater of war. On the 13th of March,
23:59U.S. launched a number of airstrikes, precision airstrikes to take down military infrastructure
24:05on the Khark Island, but it isolated. It did not touch the oil infrastructure because of the potential
24:12challenges in invading the island. Military action to destroy the island's infrastructure would be
24:16hugely damaging to Iran. But then there were reports that said they targeted the airfield.
24:22The same airfield could have been used for airborne operations, for troops to land. This will probably
24:28send oil prices. Should there be an attack on the Khark Island, it'll take global oil prices soaring
24:35once again even higher and it could lead to Iran targeting more energy infrastructure across West Asia.
24:40A month into this war, Iran still has the capacity to launch a number of low-cost, high-value,
24:48high-explosive drones to take out high-value targets across the Gulf region, also Iran. And if it
24:55wants, it can target vessels in the region. And then they've already opened the second front.
25:02Khark Island is just one of the Iranian islands in the region. There are multiple other islands. Let's talk
25:08about some of the seven islands that hold key to the Strait of Hormuz. The largest of these islands
25:14in the Persian Gulf is the Keshem Island. And Keshem is seen as the gatekeeper of the Strait of Hormuz.
25:22And this is a fortress, the best defended island. Keshem is a huge island. It's actually very close to the
25:30mountains. So it's protected by the mountains on one side, has a large number of underground missile
25:35sellers. Now, the deepest penetrating bombs of America, these missile sellers are even deeper
25:41and that they open straight into the sea. And they have hundreds of anti-ship missiles and suicide
25:46drones that are deployed here. Round the clock. Boiled to sink any vessel that Iran seems,
25:53says is a threat to it. Crucial to the island owned by Iran in the Strait is the Larak Island.
26:00It's often
26:00considered a part of Iran's layered defense system in the Strait because of military installations on
26:05the Larak Island. There's, of course, the Hormuz Island that sits at the peak of Iran's arch defense.
26:11Iran has therefore ensured limited access to island despite massive tourism potential. But it's a military
26:17island. It's again built like a fortress. Then you have the Hingam Island. Similar has great tourist
26:24potential, according to reports. But Iran has ensured limited access because of the missile silos and the
26:29underground bunkers that are built here. And then there are a number of smaller islands in the
26:34disputed territory between Iran, UAE and Oman. The Abu Musa Island has been claimed by the UAE.
26:41It's disputed because there are apparently huge oil and mineral potential at the Musa Island. Iran
26:46maintains military presence on this island and is clearly controlled by Iran. UAE says this, of course,
26:51is our territory. Then let me talk a little more and show those my islands to you on a map.
26:57If you
26:58notice all along, you have the Greater Thumb Island or the Thumb Island or the Lesser Thumb Island. Now,
27:03the Greater Thumb is crucial because it's used for surveillance, surveillance of tankers. It provides
27:09very important military staging points to Iran. Both the Greater Thumb and the Lesser Thumb, they're
27:15located very close to each other at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz. Both islands are controlled
27:19by Iran, but again, claimed by the United Arab Emirates. You've seen these islands. Now,
27:26take a look at the missile cities around this region. Iran has resolved to use missiles in these
27:33missile cities. These are sites that could well prove to be a death trap for any American soldiers
27:39trying to attack Iran, especially in this area. So, apart from the key Keshem Island, there are two
27:45other missile cities and Keshem is like a very powerful potential missile island. Look at these images that
27:50we're showing you. We're very strategically positioned at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz,
27:55Khorgo Island, for example. This is Iran's ballistic missile powerhouse. Hundreds of feet beneath the
28:01Earth's surface, incredibly robust, layers of concrete, and then it has the vertical missile silos.
28:08They've been constructed and we'll show you the location from where these missiles are fired. So,
28:13the cover is removed and then the missiles fire. Then the cover comes on once again. So, from this
28:19location, lethal missiles, including the Khaybar Shikan, they can target multiple US military bases
28:26in the region within minutes. And America would have to take out all these islands before they can set
28:34foot on these islands. Then there is the Hajiabad Island. The Hajiabad Island is actually the headquarters
28:41of Iran's tunnel army. It's known as the center of Iran's missile tunnel city. There's a vast network
28:49of subterranean tunnels and they stretch hundreds of kilometers deep within the mountains. Now, this site
28:57houses a swarm of mobile missile launchers. Apparently, should there be a ground conflict,
29:05this would deny United States even a moment, even a moment of setting foot unless all of this
29:12is destroyed. And news is coming in. Iran has issued a counter warning to the United States of America,
29:19which reports that Washington is preparing for ground operations. Iran has warned that its forces are
29:24waiting for US ground troops so that they can rain fire on them. Iran has said US is plotting a
29:31ground
29:32attack despite publicly engaging in diplomatic efforts. They warned American soldiers will become
29:38food for sharks. Listen in.
29:58I now want to bring in my colleagues. I now want to bring in my colleagues. I know I want
30:24to bring in my
30:24colleagues. Sandeep Unnithan, four more on this. Sandeep, when you look at Iran's led defense,
30:30now to get to Khark Island, America would have to go really inside whether it's an amphibious assault or
30:36even if it's an airborne assault. The way Iran has cited its defenses, this is a task that's easier said
30:42than done. Absolutely, Gaurav. You know, the northern shoulder of the Persian Gulf is entirely controlled
30:47by Iran. The IRGC missiles, fast attack craft, unmanned surface vessels, all of that are dotted in
30:55geographical features all along the Persian Gulf. So that is fraught with hazard, you know, negotiating the
31:02Persian Gulf, going there to the end to capture Khark Island. Khark, of course, could be captured by
31:08purely from the air as well. But holding that is a problem as is going to be the similar problem
31:14with
31:14all the other islands that you just mentioned. You know, Abu Musa, Tun, Greater Tun, Lesser Tun,
31:20and of course, Hormuz and Larnak. All of those islands have little fortresses that Iran has built,
31:26developed over the years. They're all controlled by the IRGC. They're very key to ensuring Iran's maritime,
31:34you know, choke hold on the Strait of Hormuz. Now, Iran has mastered this, you know, art of
31:41choke point warfare, Gaurav. It has literally perfected this in a way that few other countries
31:46in the world have. And if you look at the Arabian Peninsula, there are three choke points.
31:50There's the Strait of Hormuz, there is the Bab el-Mandab to the southwest, and of course,
31:54there is the Suez Canal to the northwest. You know, I'll come to the choke points in just a moment.
31:59But for the moment, I want to stay on the islands. And why attacking these islands, Sandeep,
32:03would be a nightmare for American forces? Unless, is there a war plan that would help them if they
32:09were to use, you know, unlimited number of their B-2 bombers and B-1s, B-2s, B-52s, if
32:16they have
32:17total control of airspace, and they don't need stealth, and use those 5,000 pounder bombs, can they
32:23beat Iran into submission from the air and then put boots on ground?
32:27You know, Gaurav, that's easier said than done, simply because Iran has built tunnels
32:32over the geographical features to the north of those islands. Now, let's not forget that all of
32:37those islands that you just mentioned, they're just 20 to 40 kilometers away from the Iranian mainland,
32:43which means they're within rocket range, they're within missile range, they're within drone range.
32:48And Iran can use those missile cities to launch missile salvos at anyone who comes into those
32:54islands, literally make it a death trap. Now, it has surrounded those islands with mines. The
33:00islands themselves have been mined. There are IRGC sitting there with the FPV drones. So it's going
33:06to be a very bloody campaign. You know, if I may say so, it's a smaller version, of course,
33:11of the island hopping strategy that the United States employed during the Second World War in 1944
33:17and 45, to capture the Pacific islands from Imperial Japan. This is, of course, a much smaller
33:22area that they're going to be focused on. But it is going to be equally bloody, Gaurav,
33:27precisely for these reasons. The fact that Iran is so close there, mainland Iran is there,
33:33their forces are still intact. The IRGC is intact, their land forces are intact. All of those forces
33:39have to be taken out first with heavy waves of bombing. But, you know, like you mentioned,
33:44you have those missile cities, you have tunnels. This is a war that Iran has literally planned to
33:49fight for decades, Gaurav. And this is something that they're going to throw everything that they
33:53have into this. Because for them, it's not just a battle for survival. It's a battle for prestige.
33:58And it's a battle that they're fighting. And they call it their second Karbala. You know,
34:03they're fighting as their religion, as their scriptures tell them to do, fight to the last
34:09man, last bullet. But tell me this, do the Americans have an honourable exit plan from this battle?
34:16If President Trump, by the time he wants to meet President Xi Jinping mid-May, can he conclude this?
34:2231 days already. If Iran still retains a part of its warfighting capabilities,
34:28America then would ideally have the next 30 days to finish the task. If not, even by then,
34:33world economy would be in recession. But America, how long will it take for them to finish their task?
34:38Well, Gaurav, you know, it's very clear now from the language that Trump is running out of patience,
34:44right, with Iran. He needs a big win. He needs to exit honorably. He needs to have that big photo
34:50op.
34:50And I believe that photo op is going to be a picture like Iwo Jima in 1945, when the six
34:56marines
34:57planted that stars and stripes on Mount Suribachi. They want that kind of a victory here on Iranian soil.
35:05They want marines to plant a flag there and then for Trump to say, mission accomplished,
35:10and then exit with some big military leverage over Iran. Unfortunately, Iran isn't giving that to him.
35:17So they need that win, which is why they're rushing troops into theater. The marines are there. The 82nd
35:23Airborne are there. The deltas are going to follow. So everything literally that the United States has
35:29is going to be thrown into theater to give Trump that big win so that he can exit honorably and
35:34then
35:34meet Xi Jinping, look him in the eye, shake his hand in that very, very significant meeting that's
35:40slated for the 14th and 15th of May in Beijing next, in May, just a few weeks from now, Gaurav.
35:47Stay with me. As of now, Iran is not rolling over to play dead. In fact, it's expanding the arc
35:55of this conflict.
35:56Iran-backed Houthi forces have opened the second front. They've launched two back-to-back attacks on Israel
36:02in the past 24 hours. And the arrival of the Houthis comes with the threat to choke the world's second
36:09and
36:10very crucial energy and trade lifeline. I want you to look at that map. Tehran has already restricted access
36:15through the Strait of Hormuz. Now there's another critical choke point, the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
36:20That's come into picture. Houthi's most potent weapon is the ability to disrupt traffic through
36:26the sea traffic through the Bab al-Mandab, a maritime choke point linking the Red Sea to the global trade
36:32route. And that is why I want you to look at this map very closely. If the Strait of Hormuz
36:37at its
36:38narrowest is about 33 kilometers, the Bab al-Mandab at its narrowest for ships to pass is barely 29 kilometers.
36:44So why is it called the Gate of Tears? And why is this Gate of Tears so significant? It is
36:51the narrow
36:52waterway of one of the most critical arteries of global trade. It's the world's fourth busiest oil
36:58choke point. It handles nearly 12% of global seaborn oil trade, a figure that makes it indispensable for
37:06global energy markets. For those who are unaware, Bab al-Mandab controls access to the Suez Canal,
37:14the shortest maritime route between Asia and Europe. Any vessel passing, moving from the Arabian Sea,
37:21Indian Ocean towards the Mediterranean Sea has to pass through this very narrow corridor before it
37:27enters the Suez Canal controlled by the Egyptians. And the Suez Canal itself is the lifeline carrying 12
37:33to 15% of global trade, including oil, LNG and critical goods. So each year, each year,
37:40cargo with nearly 1 trillion US dollars transit transits through this Gate of Tears of Bab al-Mandab
37:47with an estimated 4.5 million barrels of oil flowing through it every single day. And that is what makes
37:54Bab al-Mandab not just a very critical regional choke point, but a gateway to one of the busiest shipping
38:00lanes in the world. I want to get you more in this report.
38:22Yemen's youths, a staunch ally of Iran, have made a delayed entry into the Iran war,
38:29opening another front in the conflict.
38:36The Iran-backed group has launched two waves of strikes on Israel in 24 hours,
38:42and has vowed to continue military operations in the coming days until Israel seizes its aggression.
38:51Houthi military spokesperson has confirmed that the group carried out the second wave of strikes
38:56attacks against Israel with a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting key military sites.
39:07With Allah's help and reliance upon Allah, the Yemeni armed forces carried out the second military
39:14operation in the Holy Jihad battle with a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting several vital
39:20and military sites belonging to the Zionist enemy in southern occupied Palestine.
39:28This operation consided with military operations being carried out by our Mujahideen brothers in Iran
39:34and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and by the grace of Allah, it successfully achieved its objectives.
39:42Houthi's arrival in the war comes with another massive threat to global shipping,
39:46after that already caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
39:50Houthi's most potent weapon is their ability to disrupt traffic through Bab Al-Mandeb,
39:56the maritime choke point linking the Red Sea to global trade routes.
40:01The Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, or the Gate of Tears, connects Asia to Europe via the Seuss Canal,
40:07and is the world's fourth busiest shipping choke point. It handles about 12% global oil trade.
40:15The oil market could be pushed into deeper turmoil if the Houthis resume
40:19attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
40:25Based on declared intent, a resumption of attacks on shipping is now considered more probable than
40:31merely possible. The European Union's maritime security body has warned ships to avoid entering
40:38Yemeni waters, saying the Iran-backed group could resume attacks on merchant ships in the region.
40:50The question is, will Iran now fully deploy the Houthis or use them
40:54as a leverage it needs in any potential talks with the United States?
41:00Vero Report, India Today.
41:052009, then Prime Minister of India, late Dr. Manmohan Singh described left-wing extremism as the
41:12biggest threat to India's internal security. At the peak of Red Terror, more than 180 of India's
41:18then 600-plus districts were impacted by left-wing extremism. There have been several high-stakes and
41:24high-profile attacks by these armed Maoist terror groups like the Chintalnaar massacre, for example,
41:29in 2010, in the Taarmetla forest that resulted in the killing of 75 CRPF personnel. And then the
41:35entire leadership, virtually the entire leadership of Congress Party being wiped out in a Red Terror
41:40attack in Chhattisgarh. Now, speaking in Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave details of India's
41:47war on Red Terror and the victory. This was Red Terror that extended across 12 states, 70% of the
41:53territory and 20% of the country. He gave details of Red Terror that bled India for decades from the
42:011970s to 2026. He said Bastar now is almost Red Terror free. There are schools and healthcare centers and
42:09ration shops that give five kgs of ration to every individual. He asked why all this development and
42:15more was not done in the past 50 years. He took on those who tried to justify Red Terror and
42:21armed
42:22revolt against the state saying that in the Narendra Modi government, anyone who picks up a weapon against
42:27the state democratically elected governments would be dealt with accordingly. He asked the Congress
42:34government why that the Congress was in power for the past 60 of 75 years since independence. Why did the
42:41Congress not work for the development of the Naxal affected areas? Amit Shah insists Red Terror
42:47free India is one of the biggest success stories post independence and left-wing extremism ending
42:54has been possible due to the support of the people of the country and the sacrifices made by young
43:01soldiers and Central Armed Police Force personnel. Listen in to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
43:07So, they that the Congress was at the5th stop the state of Congress. They were a livre from the
43:26shriek. The shriek. The shriek. The shriek. The shriek. The shriek. The shriek. The shriek. The shriek. The shriek.
43:36kishan kandri sasastra sangars cpi ml party unity bihar
43:44me bani dalit kishan kandri sangars in kya udech thar 98
43:49me people's war group bana or us me maho wadiyo ka
43:54ekatri karnao itna sab karne ke baad bhi woh safal nai
44:00huyye aur 2000 me PLJA bana jiye bana joh sainya wing bani gurula force
44:08banaii manoeuvre aur 2004 me ye PWG MCC doono ka vilay ho ga
44:16to theory ware aur hathyaar uuthanne waale dono 2004 me wili wili ni karan huwa
44:2414 me modi ji aye aur 26 me sabki sambaabti ho
44:30mahi aaj puchna chaata hoon abhi congress ke loog baut johr johr se
44:35adivasi ka vikas nai huwa vikas nai huwa vikas nai huwa khe tethi
44:38aur raj kumar road jaysse adivasi yuva sunsat bhi
44:43ware ki lalaj me congress ka samarthan kar rhe thay
44:46congress ki theory ka samarthan kar rhe
44:49may unko puchna chaata hoon bhai 75 sal me 60 sal toh
44:55sasan aap nai kiya adivasi abhi tak vikas ke bagar kuyo bach gaya
45:04vikas toh abakar narendra modi ji kar rhe
45:09saati sal tuk usko ghar nai dhiya
45:14usko pani nai dhiya
45:16usko pani nai dhiya
45:17iske liye school naihi bani
45:18mobile tower naihi pohunch nai dhiye
45:22banki facility naihi pohunch nai dhi
45:24aur ab aap hi sab mong rhe ho
45:27aray bhai jag thoda toh aapne gireban me jhaak kar dhekho
45:32ki dhosi korn hai
45:33e 70 se 2004
45:37ee pura kalkhand me
45:39maniwa dh 4 sal chhoď kar
45:43pura samay congress party ka sasanda hai
45:46ee unko yad rakhna chahi
45:49kab maoadhi vichar dara phelli
45:51panphi
45:52ekatrit hui
45:54voha aapko yad rakhna chahi
45:56aur maniwaar
45:57sattar komi me yad kena
45:59abhi ek maniya sadasya ji nai bataya
46:01ki sattar me kya hua tha
46:04sattar me
46:07eek nara laga tha
46:10atma ki yawad par matdan ka
46:12antar atma ki yawad par
46:17indiraj ji nai laga ya
46:19aur sanjeev redik ke khilaab
46:50aapna ek pratyasi
46:51nai yahi
46:52woh maoavadi vichar dara ki ghirap me rai
46:56aur maniwaar yehi samay hai
47:00jab naksal badhi se surua hua ee andolan
47:04bara rajo me phail gaya
47:06desh ke satra pratyasat
47:08bhubhaag me phail gaya
47:09aur das pratyasat se jadi
47:12aabadi me paunch gaya
47:16i also want to bring in my colleague aishwarya paliwal and sandipuneetan for more on this
47:21aishwarya
47:22amit shah hit out at those who compared these red terror supporters to shaheed bhagat singh
47:33and bhagwan birsa munda
47:35i mean he hit out at them saying
47:37this this is unacceptable give us details of this
47:40attack on the opposition and the opposition's response to the government saying finally
47:44in their regime
47:46red terror
47:47has been ended
47:49well you know one of the things got up let me tell you very very clearly it was a history
47:53lessons of sort from the beginning till what has happened till now and tomorrow is the day
47:5731st march let me tell you uh on the 24th of august 2024 almost two years back we heard
48:03it was the home minister who had said then and that was the time when he had given the deadline
48:07that by the 31st march 2026 we will make sure that our country is free of naxalism so that's a
48:13promise that was made almost two years ago a promise that has been fulfilled and we also heard
48:17home minister amit shah speaking about in detail the history of how naxalism came about in fact you know
48:23let me tell you one of the interesting anecdotes that he spoke about is the fact that in the last
48:28six days
48:28he said that he's read more than 2 000 articles all of them written by those who used to believe
48:33that they
48:33one should sympathize
48:35with the naxals and he said that the real face of naxalism is something that was being hidden
48:40and was being hidden by the congress party in fact he also pointed fingers at the opposition benches and said
48:45that it was the sonia gandhi lad neck they were the ones the nac at that time they were the
48:49ones who
48:50used to make the law and used to protect those who pick up arms the message very very clear loud
48:55and
48:55clear gaurav that if you will pick up arms in our country then the government the bharti janta party
48:59will not spare you gaurav sandeep you and i were reporting red terror very extensively when late dr manmohan
49:07singh then as prime minister of the country had called left-wing extremism as the biggest threat
49:12to india's internal security 2009 to 2026 large number of maoists have either been neutralized or
49:21they've surrendered it does indicate that those who compared maoists to shaheed bhagat singh and
49:28bhagwan birsa munda a change in the government has led to some kind of a prolonged sustained campaign
49:37to wipe out red terror absolutely gaurav you know and let's not forget that maoists were called gandhi's
49:42with guns also by a very famous writer so you know they all kinds of you know honorifics were given
49:49to
49:50the maoists who were actually going around butchering security forces so one is of course the it's a huge huge
49:56success gaurav and the fact is that most insurgencies they last about 10 to 12 years on an average but
50:02this one lasted several decades longer than that because primarily because of the terrain and they
50:07were deployed in all of these very very difficult inaccessible uh spots and states could not coordinate
50:13their responses the center didn't know what to do but you've seen in the last couple of years a
50:18concerted effort effort made to defeat this uh red terror threat and you've seen as of last year
50:25some incredible uh field successes where the leader that's uh nambala keshav rao being killed in
50:32combat in in the field in in chhattisgarh in 2025 and several of their very key leaders have been
50:38killed in encounters firefights with the police uh the security forces this is something that has not
50:43happened in a in a in a very short span of time the security forces have been able to break
50:49the back
50:49of you know of this uh terror organization this red terror organization and the most important
50:54takeaway also gaurav apart from defeating the maoist threat is the fact that you had 60 000
51:00paramilitary forces that were tied down in the center of the country fighting this insurgency
51:05they are now going to be released free to be deployed in other areas especially uh you know
51:11especially along the borders where we face threats uh from our neighboring nations that's a very critical
51:16point that you make uh of course some will have to remain to consolidate uh because there are some
51:21remnants of red terror uh that still remain in the rural area and if i may sandeep the equally big
51:29threat or the bigger threat of urban naxals amongst us is a huge challenge for the government even now
51:36or for the state even now well absolutely gaurav you know see the the the the maoists had a you
51:42know a
51:43rural insurgency which was what is being destroyed but the urban aspect of that continues now they had
51:49very significant intelligentsia who were actually uh you know the overground workers uh they were the
51:55you know the so-called uh urban naxals that were actually keeping this movement alive that is pretty
52:01much intact that part of that uh maoist movement remains intact the ideologues the intelligentsia all
52:07of those uh are still there i'm you know they have not picked up weapons uh but they remain a
52:13very
52:13powerful ideological font for this movement gaurav oh absolutely because everyone must keep in mind
52:20if ajmal amir kasab was dangerous as a pakistani terrorist hafiz saeed the ideologue was equally
52:28dangerous if not more so it's not just the terrorist with a gun but it's the ideologue that's equally if
52:34not more dangerous and do keep in mind as amit shah said from tirupati to pashupati that is how
52:42wide the red terror corridor was once upon a time now restricted just to a few districts just to a
52:50few pockets but then it must be dealt with effectively both in the rural areas and the urban
52:57naxals and that's a story we'll be tracking very closely that is all i have for you on india first
53:01this evening many thanks for watching news and updates continue on india today stay with us
53:06you
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