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In this episode of News Today, the focus is on the high-stakes peace negotiations between the United States and Iran, which will be held in Islamabad on Saturday.
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today. This is your prime time destination news without the noise.
00:06Friday night, our big talking point. All eyes now on the possibility of a peace deal between Iran and the
00:12US.
00:12The talks begin tomorrow in Islamabad. What can we expect? Can there be lasting peace among my special guests,
00:19top geopolitical guru, Ian Bremer. We have plenty as always with top guests on that conflict in West Asia.
00:27But as always, first, it's time for the nine headlines at nine.
00:33Less than 24 hours to go for the West Asia peace talks. US Vice President J.D. Vance heads to
00:41Islamabad.
00:43Iran demands a ceasefire in Lebanon, first before the negotiations.
00:48Vance hopes that things will be sorted out by the time he reaches Islamabad.
00:57Amidst the Hormuz standoff, UK Prime Minister says putting together a coalition of countries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,
01:06Iran demands fees in Riyal to pass through the crucial waterway.
01:11Trump wants Tehran to stop charging fees.
01:17India expresses concerns over the mass deaths in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes.
01:22MEA says protection of civilians must end.
01:25Must is a must and territorial integrity of a country must be respected.
01:33Amid's uproar, Melania, Trump denies any links with Jeffrey Epstein,
01:37has only briefly crossed paths in 2000, calls for congressional hearings for survivors.
01:46Months after discovery of cash at his Delhi residence,
01:49tainted judge Yashwant Verma submits resignation as Allahabad high court judge.
01:55Parliament was set to impeach him.
01:59The BJP launches cold manifesto for Bengal,
02:03promises to detect and deport illegals after coming to power.
02:06TMC's Abhishek Banerjee takes Ghuspatia Cassette Jai.
02:14The AIM, MIM of Asaduddin Ovesi calls off its alliance with Humayun Kabir in Bengal
02:21after a purported sting video goes viral.
02:24The Unayyan party chief claimed in the video that he was in touch with the PMO and top BJP leaders
02:30to divide the Muslim vote.
02:34Ahead of elections in Kamil Nadu,
02:36Vijay's last film,
02:38Janna Nayakan, leaked online.
02:40Film yet to receive censor board nod.
02:46And at least 10 people are dead after a boat capsizes on the Yamuna river near Mathura.
02:52Boat had crashed into a pontoon bridge.
02:55Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Yogi Arityanath expressed greed over the deaths.
03:14The story that we are breaking at this moment,
03:16Iran has set fresh conditions for their talks with the United States,
03:20saying extending the ceasefire must be extended to Lebanon,
03:25which, remember, has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes over the last 48 hours.
03:30Iran is also saying that our blocked assets must be released.
03:34U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, meanwhile, is headed to Islamabad in Pakistan,
03:39where the talks are to begin tomorrow.
03:41And he's saying we are trying to have positive negotiations.
03:45All eyes then on those talks.
03:47Listen in to what the U.S. Vice President said a short while ago.
03:52Look, we're looking forward to the negotiation.
03:55I think it's going to be positive.
03:56We'll foresee.
03:57As the President of the United States said,
03:59if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith,
04:02we're certainly willing to extend the open hand.
04:04If they're going to try to play us,
04:05then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.
04:08So we're going to try to have a positive negotiation.
04:11The President has gave us some pretty clear guidelines.
04:14Okay, let's go to our correspondents now.
04:17Geeta Mohan joins me.
04:18Also joining me is Pranay Upadhyay.
04:20I appreciate both of you, Geeta and Pranay, joining me.
04:24First to you, Geeta, what is the general belief
04:28that these talks taking place in Islamabad,
04:30what's the sense that you're picking up?
04:33Is it that this could be a major breakthrough or not?
04:36Well, this is a major moment, Rajdeep, for sure.
04:39The fact that, again, there are indirect talks.
04:43Pakistan is going to be a critical mediator
04:45when it comes to Iran and the United States of America.
04:48But this comes at a time when Iran has put forth its demand.
04:53That's the 10th point of the proposal,
04:56saying that Lebanon, ceasefire in Lebanon is essential.
05:00J.D. Vance is on his way to Pakistan.
05:02And like Trump said, Iranians are the toughest negotiators.
05:06They only have to, it will only take them half hour to 40 minutes
05:10to reach Pakistan.
05:12It is going to take J.D. Vance more than 12 hours.
05:15So they're negotiating and they're continuing to negotiate
05:18because once Vance and team reaches Islamabad,
05:21it will be very difficult for them to not have a meeting
05:24and go back empty-handed.
05:26So right now, Iran is trying to push and demand for things
05:30that they think should be on the table.
05:32It does not mean that they'll not go for talks.
05:35It just means that they're pushing hard.
05:37The talks will take place in Islamabad
05:39and we will have to wait and see how both sides find middle ground
05:44on areas that are absolutely opposite to what each side wants.
05:52The middle ground, the good point on which to go to Pranay,
05:56who is in Tel Aviv.
05:57Pranay, even as we talk about talks in Islamabad,
06:01the Israelis have certainly yesterday pounded Lebanon,
06:05more than 300 people dead.
06:07Donald Trump has asked Israel to hold off almost.
06:12What are the Israelis telling you where you are in Tel Aviv?
06:15Are they going to continue with the strikes on the Hezbollah?
06:20Razdeep, let me clarify that I am not in Israel.
06:23My BP jacket, my helmet is again back on my body.
06:25I have to wear this because I am in the northern part of Israel
06:28and not very far from the Lebanon-Israel border.
06:31And I am just visited, I have just been and covered the border areas
06:36where the thundering sound of the missile interception
06:40and the artillery shelling can be heard.
06:43You can feel those things.
06:44And in fact, the smell is in the air
06:49and you can very well see the helicopters hovering
06:52and fighter jets flying over your heads.
06:54So this is the reason and why I am here
06:57because I am standing very close to this shelter
06:59because in this region,
07:01you do not get time,
07:03more than five to seven seconds to reach a shelter.
07:06And that remains a reality.
07:07And that is the reason why many areas,
07:10many localities in this northern part of Israel
07:12have been vacated by people.
07:13And that is the reason why Israel is continuing this operation.
07:16As far as the statistics goes,
07:18in the last 24 hours,
07:19Israeli defense forces have carried out operation
07:22and they have claimed to eliminate
07:23around 150 Hezbollah terrorists.
07:26And in fact, they claim that in last 40 days,
07:30they have eliminated 1,400 Hezbollah terrorists
07:33and have targeted 4,300 locations related to Hezbollah.
07:38And they think, they say that that is the reason,
07:40this area is the reason why they can't stop this operation
07:43because if Iran want to insist,
07:45Iran should bother,
07:46Iran should confine its ceasefire with United States
07:50and within its own territory.
07:52If they want to expand,
07:53let Israel deal with the Lebanese government for that.
07:56Why Iran want to meddle with that?
07:57Why Iran want to go beyond its border
08:00and assert that the ceasefire need to be expended
08:04because their territory,
08:06the northern part of Israel,
08:07is being threatened by the Hezbollah.
08:09And this is the situation at a time
08:11when the elections in Israel are hardly six months away.
08:19Interesting, very clear signs that Israel now pursuing a divergent path.
08:24Now, thank you very much Pranay and Geeta
08:26because all of this, remember,
08:27is coming amidst the shadow of talks.
08:30The hope that this fragile ceasefire withhold,
08:33the very fact that the U.S. Vice President
08:36is on his way to Islamabad,
08:38suggests that the American administration
08:39is taking the talk seriously.
08:41In a moment, I'll be joined by our top geopolitical guru,
08:44Ian Bremer,
08:45but first take a look at the state of play
08:47ahead of those talks.
08:54The West Asia truce is under severe strain.
08:59Differences have emerged
09:00between the U.S. and its partner in the war, Israel.
09:06Israel is pounding Lebanon,
09:08ignoring American pressure to scale back its operations
09:12ahead of the U.S.-Iran talks,
09:14scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Saturday.
09:22I want to tell you there is no ceasefire in Lebanon.
09:25We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with force
09:28and we will not stop until we restore our security.
09:31Following the repeated appeals from the Lebanese government
09:34to enter into peace negotiations with us,
09:36last night I instructed the cabinet
09:39to open direct negotiations with Lebanon
09:41in order to achieve two goals.
09:43One, the disarmament of Hezbollah.
09:46Two, a historic, sustainable peace,
09:49agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
09:54The U.S. says Lebanon
09:55was not part of the two-week ceasefire
09:58agreed upon with Iran.
10:00White House played down reports
10:01of divide between the U.S. and Israel.
10:05The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night.
10:08In that private conversation,
10:10Prime Minister Netanyahu
10:11relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly,
10:13that he supports the President
10:14and Israel remains a key ally and partner to the United States.
10:18They've been a tremendous partner
10:19over the course of the past six weeks
10:21and we thank them for their heroic efforts as well.
10:26Iran so far has not allowed free traffic
10:28through the Strait of Hormuz,
10:30the one condition laid by President Donald Trump
10:32for the ceasefire.
10:34A frustrated Trump on Thursday posted on Truth Social,
10:38Iran is doing a very poor job,
10:40dishonorable, some would say,
10:42of allowing oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz.
10:45That is not the agreement we have.
10:48Tehran stays defiant.
10:50Citing the attacks on Lebanon,
10:51Iran has threatened to pull out of the talks in Pakistan.
10:56Iran has shown to everybody
10:58that hardly negotiate,
11:00but when negotiate,
11:01honor its words
11:01and trying to commit to what has been agreed upon.
11:04And nobody can think of a peace in the Middle East,
11:07lasting peace in the Middle East,
11:09unless there is an inclusive agreement
11:12for everyone involved.
11:15So this is not just for Iran,
11:17it is the responsibility for everybody
11:20to make sure that Lebanon
11:21is included in any peace settlement
11:24that it is going to happen.
11:26The stage is set for talks
11:28aimed at reaching a deal between the US and Iran.
11:31But the deep mistrust and saber-rattling
11:34have already clouded the summit.
11:36One thing is certain,
11:37no easy breakthrough is in the pipeline.
11:41With Pranevapadhyay, Bureau Report, India Today.
11:52And with all eyes on the talks
11:53that are set to begin in Islamabad tomorrow,
11:56I'm joined by a very special guest,
11:58joined by Ian Bremmer,
12:00one of the world's leading political risk consultants,
12:03founder and chairperson of the Eurasia Group.
12:06Appreciate your joining us here,
12:08Mr. Bremmer, on India Today.
12:10I want to understand from you
12:11that big question that we are posing.
12:13Do you really now expect a lasting peace
12:18out of these negotiations?
12:19Or are we still at a very fragile state
12:23when it comes to this conflict in West Asia?
12:25I don't know about a lasting peace,
12:29but I think it's a very big deal
12:31that the American president has,
12:34who unilaterally started this war,
12:37has decided that he wants to climb down.
12:41I mean, he's the one that decided on the war goals,
12:44the timing, the extent.
12:47And the Iranians were prepared
12:49to offer these same terms weeks ago,
12:52and Trump said no,
12:54and now he's changed his mind.
12:57So he has the ability,
13:00irrespective of what other countries do in the region,
13:03if he wants to stop fighting and declare victory,
13:06he can do that.
13:07So what I guess I'm saying to you is,
13:09I think that that change in Trump is very significant.
13:17But what caused this change?
13:19As you say,
13:20these terms that the Iranians have put down
13:22were also on the table,
13:24possibly a couple of weeks ago.
13:26Then the Americans seem to reject them.
13:28They seem to have a maximalist position.
13:30Now, two weeks later,
13:32we have negotiations taking place in Islamabad
13:35to be led by none other than the U.S. vice president.
13:38So clearly, a lot of political equity
13:40in these negotiations.
13:42What has changed, Mr. Bremer?
13:44Well, the costs have added up.
13:47This morning,
13:48we saw an inflation number of 3.3 in the United States,
13:51and that's only going up from here.
13:55Gas prices are $4 a gallon,
13:58diesel over five.
14:00This is, you know,
14:01Trump has never had direct responsibility
14:03for a major economic downturn before.
14:07You couldn't blame him for COVID until now.
14:10And he is polling very badly.
14:12He's going to lose midterms
14:14on the back of this decision
14:16and his performance on economic affordability.
14:20So he knows this is not going well.
14:23And also, militarily,
14:26the Iranians were showing much more capacity
14:28to continue to engage in ballistic missile strikes,
14:33even after their stockpiles have been hit.
14:37CENTCOM had initially assessed
14:39that it would take them months
14:40to dig out those missiles.
14:41In some cases,
14:42they've done it in less than 24 hours.
14:45So I think a combination
14:46of the economic consequences,
14:50the military capacity of the Iranians,
14:53and the fact that Trump did not have
14:55a workable military plan in the near term
14:58to reopen the strait changed his orientation
15:04to how he wanted to play success or failure in his war.
15:14Let's break down exactly what you've just said,
15:16Mr. Bremer,
15:17the economic consequences.
15:18You're telling me that you believe
15:20that Donald Trump has finally recognized
15:22that a prolonged war
15:24is going to hit America's economy.
15:26It's possibly, of course,
15:28going to hit the global economy.
15:30It's already done so.
15:31Rising fuel prices,
15:33elections in November,
15:35that was the primary driver.
15:37Surely he would have been aware of this
15:39a couple of weeks ago.
15:41Was he expecting a quick war?
15:43And that never happened.
15:45He thought the Iranians
15:47were going to capitulate at the beginning.
15:50This is what the Israeli prime minister told him.
15:52But it also comported
15:54with his own personal experience with Iran.
15:56When he ordered the assassination
15:58of Qasem Soleimani,
15:59head of the Quds Force,
16:00at the end of his first term,
16:02when he engaged with the Israelis
16:04in the 12-day war last June.
16:06In both cases,
16:07the Iranians talked a big game,
16:09but they actually did very little
16:11to respond militarily
16:13against the United States.
16:14So Trump felt like he had their number.
16:17He also, of course,
16:18in Venezuela,
16:20experienced enormous success
16:22at the beginning of the year
16:23with his own military.
16:25So he believed
16:26that after the supreme leader
16:28was assassinated
16:29with a tremendous display
16:31of American military force,
16:33that the new Iranian leadership,
16:37rather similar to the old Iranian leadership,
16:39would be willing to cut a deal
16:41the way that Delcey Rodriguez has
16:43in Venezuela.
16:44That was Trump's perspective.
16:46And of course,
16:46he was also being told
16:48by his own advisors
16:50how brilliant he is,
16:52how successful his military plans.
16:54Even those that were skeptical
16:56were not willing to give him
16:58an unvarnished criticism internally,
17:02which is always a dangerous position
17:04for a leader of any organization to be in.
17:07You want their best experts
17:09to tell them what they really think.
17:11Trump has created an environment
17:13where they don't do that,
17:15where instead they flatter him.
17:16Now, one thing we know
17:19is no matter how much flattery he receives,
17:22Trump reads the news.
17:24He knows what gas costs.
17:26He sees the markets.
17:28He watches it every day.
17:29And so that can't be obscured
17:31by his own advisors
17:33in the way that military success
17:36and scenario planning can be.
17:42Let's then turn to that military success
17:44that you spoke about.
17:45It appeared in the initial stages
17:47that the Americans
17:48and the Israelis
17:49were successful
17:50in to substantial extent
17:53targeting Iranian infrastructure,
17:55assassinating several leaders
17:57from the regime.
17:58What changed?
17:59Did the change in your view
18:00that has led to the situation
18:02that we now have these peace talks,
18:04once the Iranians recognized
18:06how they could weaponize
18:08the Strait of Hormuz,
18:09was that the turning point?
18:10And was that in a way
18:12where Donald Trump
18:13and the Israelis
18:14perhaps misread the situation,
18:16Israel's ability,
18:17Iran's ability
18:18to use the Strait of Hormuz
18:20as this weapon?
18:22That's not a surprise.
18:24Every administration for decades
18:26that has thought about Iran
18:29and the Middle East
18:30understands geography.
18:32The geography hasn't changed.
18:34The Strait is very narrow.
18:36Iran is on one side of it.
18:37Their capacity to disrupt it
18:39has always existed.
18:42Now, there is much greater
18:45drone capability.
18:47We've seen this with Ukraine
18:49and Russia
18:49and the war in the last four years.
18:52Certainly, America's ability
18:55to reduce or destroy
18:57Iran's ability to use drones
19:00against the Strait
19:01and against countries in the Gulf
19:04and their own infrastructure.
19:05I mean, the strikes
19:06on the Qataris
19:08and their LNG facility,
19:10which will take five years
19:12to repair
19:14and has caused
19:15some $20 billion of damage,
19:18that certainly is new.
19:21And I do think
19:22that Iran's ballistic missile capabilities,
19:26hypersonic missiles
19:27with long range
19:29that have the ability
19:31to evade defenses
19:33for some of the most
19:34hardened facilities
19:35in the world.
19:36Here I'm thinking about
19:37the Prince Sultan Air Base
19:39in Riyadh.
19:41I think that was a surprise
19:43to the U.S. military.
19:45I think they did not believe
19:46the Iranians
19:47had that capability.
19:48So that factored in.
19:50But the ability
19:51of the Iranians
19:52to disrupt the Strait
19:54was not new.
19:55Trump discounted it
19:57because of his overconfidence
19:58that the military strikes
20:00would lead the Iranians
20:02to give up
20:04and capitulate
20:05the way they had
20:06in previous U.S. attacks
20:08that were, of course,
20:10much more restrained.
20:15Let's come to the specific risks
20:17involved in the scenarios
20:19from these talks.
20:20Even as the talks take place,
20:22there's uncertainty
20:23about what Israel,
20:24for example,
20:25does with southern Lebanon.
20:26The Iranians are insisting
20:28that Lebanon
20:29is part of the negotiation,
20:32that there was a commitment
20:33that the strikes
20:35would stop in Lebanon.
20:36But we've still had,
20:37even this morning,
20:38strikes take place.
20:40Albed fewer than yesterday
20:42in which approximately
20:43300 people were killed.
20:45Are we seeing, therefore,
20:46Israel's objectives
20:47still very different now
20:49from the Americans?
20:50The Americans, as you say,
20:52are willing to talk,
20:53willing to negotiate.
20:54The Israelis are particularly keen
20:56to use this moment
20:57to, in a way,
20:59send a very strong message
21:01to the Hezbollah
21:02and the various Iranian militias.
21:05Well, they have the same enemies,
21:07right?
21:08I mean, in the sense
21:09that the Americans,
21:10you know,
21:11think Hezbollah
21:11is a terrorist organization,
21:13so does Israel.
21:14The U.S. would like them destroyed,
21:16so does Israel.
21:17The Americans see
21:18the Iranian regime
21:19as a rogue state,
21:21and they were fully prepared
21:24to support the assassination
21:25of the supreme leader,
21:26so does Israel.
21:27The Iranians say
21:28death to America,
21:29death to Israel.
21:30The two countries
21:31perceive it in a similar way.
21:32Almost no other countries
21:34in the world
21:34perceive it that way,
21:36but the U.S.
21:37and the Israel
21:37are broadly aligned.
21:39Having said that,
21:40Trump's war goals
21:42have changed.
21:43The U.S. is thousands
21:45of miles away
21:46and is kind of sick
21:47of this war
21:48at this point.
21:49The Israelis still have
21:50many things
21:50they wish to accomplish,
21:51and it seems pretty clear
21:52to me
21:53when the Pakistani
21:54prime minister
21:55tells the Iranians
21:56that the ceasefire
21:57includes Hezbollah
21:59and Lebanon,
22:00that they heard that
22:01from the Americans,
22:02and the Israelis
22:04refuse to go along.
22:06So I think that
22:07that does show
22:08a willingness
22:09of the Israelis
22:10to act unilaterally,
22:12even as they follow
22:13the Americans
22:14in accepting a ceasefire
22:16on Iranian territory.
22:18Trump has been
22:19a little angry about that,
22:22and as a consequence,
22:24you've heard
22:24the vice president,
22:26Vance,
22:27say that they've asked
22:28the Israelis
22:29to tone it down a bit.
22:31A bit is not exactly stop,
22:35but we've seen
22:36an announcement
22:36from the Israeli
22:37prime minister
22:38that they are going
22:39to engage directly
22:40in negotiations
22:41with the Lebanese government
22:44in Washington
22:45early next week.
22:47That could lead
22:48to a ceasefire
22:49agreed with Beirut,
22:51perhaps,
22:53with a stronger timeline
22:55on disarmament
22:58of Hezbollah,
22:59which they had agreed
22:59to heretofore,
23:00but they had not
23:02been able
23:02to execute on it.
23:04So I could see
23:06that ceasefire
23:07actually coming
23:09into place,
23:09and that would,
23:10of course,
23:10create more confidence
23:11that you could maintain
23:13a broader ceasefire
23:14with the Iranians
23:15going forward.
23:16But as of today,
23:17we don't have that.
23:22You see,
23:22as of today also,
23:23we still don't have
23:24any kind of trust
23:25between the Iranians
23:26and the Americans
23:28on significant points,
23:30whether it's nuclear
23:31enrichment,
23:32whether it is who
23:33will control
23:34the state of Hormuz,
23:35whether the Iranians
23:36will be free
23:36to charge ships
23:37that come through
23:38the state of Hormuz.
23:39on a number
23:40of issues,
23:41Mr. Bremer,
23:42we do not seem
23:43to have that basic
23:44agreement because
23:44there is so much
23:45mistrust on both sides.
23:47Given that,
23:48do you really believe
23:49that these talks
23:50are anything more
23:52than just the two sides
23:53sizing each other
23:54up at the moment?
23:55Well, first of all,
23:57we didn't have talks
23:58a week ago.
24:00We only had
24:01indirect sharing
24:03of different positions
24:04by the foreign minister
24:05and by Steve Whitcoff.
24:09So this is obviously
24:10a significant step up
24:11in a willingness
24:12to engage.
24:13I agree there's no trust,
24:15but it's not like
24:15the Americans
24:16trust the Chinese.
24:19It's not like
24:20the Americans
24:20trust the French
24:22at this point
24:23or the French
24:24trust the Americans.
24:26So I'm not sure
24:27trust is the key question
24:28to ask about here.
24:30And as I said
24:31at the beginning,
24:32if Trump decides
24:33he doesn't want
24:34to fight this war anymore,
24:35you don't need trust
24:37to stop fighting
24:38against the Iranians.
24:39You just say,
24:40I won,
24:41I'm done,
24:41it's over.
24:42And if the Americans
24:43don't have
24:44an effective military strategy
24:46to reopen the strait,
24:48then the U.S.
24:49can be angry
24:50about Iran
24:51charging tolls,
24:52but they can't
24:53do anything about it
24:54and other countries
24:55around the world
24:56will find a way
24:57to engage with Iran
24:58and sooner or later
24:59more ships
25:00will go through.
25:01After all,
25:01the Americans
25:02have suspended
25:03sanctions
25:04against the Iranians
25:06to allow their tankers
25:07to sell oil
25:08to countries
25:09around the world,
25:09including your own country,
25:11at a significant premium.
25:12That was a decision
25:13by the United States.
25:15So Trump obviously
25:16doesn't like Iran,
25:17wants to blow up Iran,
25:19but is happy
25:21to have them
25:21make money
25:22if that means
25:23that oil prices
25:24are coming down.
25:25His preferences
25:26in this regard
25:27are fairly clear.
25:29So I do think
25:31that if Trump
25:32is focused
25:33on ending the war,
25:35then I don't think
25:36trust really matters.
25:37There is,
25:38of course,
25:39another way
25:40to read
25:40what's happening.
25:41And we haven't talked
25:43about all
25:44of the American
25:45ground forces
25:46and the third
25:48aircraft strike
25:49carrier group,
25:51which is steaming
25:53its way
25:53into the region,
25:55even as we speak.
25:57The ceasefire
25:57hasn't stopped that.
25:59And American
26:00military officials
26:01have told Trump
26:03that the U.S.
26:05is not in place
26:06and is not yet capable
26:08of engaging
26:10in ground operations
26:12for at least
26:13another few weeks.
26:14So if you want
26:15to be skeptical,
26:16about the ceasefire,
26:18you could say
26:20that Trump
26:21doesn't care
26:22about any of this.
26:24He's just
26:25trying to talk
26:26the markets up,
26:28talk oil prices down
26:29until he has troops
26:31in the region
26:32that are ready
26:33to do the ground
26:34attacks that he wants.
26:35And that's why
26:36he keeps talking
26:37about taking the oil
26:38is he wants
26:39to control
26:40Karg Island
26:41where the Iranians
26:43export 90%
26:44of their oil
26:45and he wants
26:46to use that
26:46as a lever
26:47against the Iranians
26:49disrupting the strait.
26:51And if they disrupt
26:52the strait,
26:53then they're not
26:54going to get
26:54any oil out themselves.
26:55Now, if he does that,
26:57oil's at 200, right?
26:59So there are costs
27:00to Trump.
27:01But you could argue
27:03that he doesn't have
27:05that military option
27:06until all those troops
27:07show up.
27:07so in the interim,
27:09why not
27:11say there's going
27:12to be peace talks
27:13even if you don't
27:14believe they're
27:14going anywhere,
27:15you'll still do better
27:16for having tried.
27:21You know,
27:21you're saying
27:22something significant.
27:23You seem to suggest,
27:24therefore,
27:25that that possibility
27:26of a ground invasion
27:27is not entirely
27:28off the table.
27:29To that extent,
27:31Donald Trump
27:31may just be buying time,
27:33even though,
27:33as you've repeatedly said,
27:35this has been a war
27:36without a clear strategy.
27:38What does this say
27:39about Donald Trump's
27:40leadership
27:41and choices
27:41that he makes?
27:44Trump is the decider.
27:46He's not listening
27:48to his experts.
27:49He believes
27:50that he's the one
27:51that makes
27:52all of the best decisions.
27:54And they're not
27:54telling him
27:55100% of what they think.
27:57They're making him
27:59sound like much more
28:00of a genius,
28:00much more positive,
28:01which is, again,
28:02a very dangerous position
28:04to be in.
28:05So I do worry
28:07that Trump
28:08frequently makes decisions
28:10on the basis
28:11of his own
28:12personal interest
28:13and not the interest
28:14of the country.
28:15I think we saw this
28:16on Greenland,
28:18for example,
28:19which did a lot of damage
28:20to America's relations
28:21with its NATO allies
28:22with no discernible benefit
28:24to U.S. national security
28:26whatsoever.
28:27And that was because
28:28Trump made
28:29those decisions himself.
28:30There was no clear aim
28:32or goal
28:33other than
28:34the aggrandizement
28:35of Trump.
28:36And I worry
28:37that that can lead
28:39to mistakes
28:40on a much
28:41broader scale
28:43and we might be
28:44seeing that play out
28:45with Iran.
28:45Certainly,
28:46in my view,
28:47this Iran war
28:48is the biggest
28:49foreign policy mistake
28:50that Trump has made
28:51in either of his
28:53two administrations.
28:58That's a big thing
28:59you're saying.
28:59In your view,
29:00the Iran war
29:01is the biggest
29:02foreign policy mistake
29:03that Donald Trump
29:04has made
29:05in both his terms
29:06put together.
29:07There's one other
29:08interesting angle,
29:09Mr. Bremer,
29:09which is Pakistan
29:10and that interests
29:11us a lot in India.
29:12The fact that Pakistan
29:13is the venue
29:14for these talks,
29:15the Pakistan foreign
29:16minister today
29:17seemed to lash out
29:19at Israel,
29:19called it evil
29:20and had to pull
29:21down the tweet.
29:22Should Pakistan
29:23really be seen
29:24as a serious player
29:26or is it simply
29:27a facilitator
29:28for these talks
29:29on behalf
29:30of the United States?
29:31Do you see
29:31any bigger role
29:32for Pakistan
29:33at all?
29:34Sure.
29:35I mean,
29:36I think that Pakistan
29:38now has
29:39a much more
29:40public defense
29:41alliance
29:42with Saudi Arabia.
29:44I see the emergence
29:45of a regional quad
29:47that also includes
29:49Turkey
29:50and Egypt
29:51in addition
29:51to the Saudis
29:52and the Pakistanis.
29:54Very different
29:55from the UAE,
29:57Israel,
29:58U.S.
30:00India
30:00relationship
30:01that we see
30:03emerging
30:04in and extending
30:06from the Gulf.
30:07So I think Pakistan
30:09is more credible
30:10in acting
30:11as a peace
30:13convener,
30:14especially because
30:15they have made
30:17some personal
30:18inroads
30:19with the Trump
30:19family
30:20in part
30:21by throwing
30:22money at it.
30:23And also,
30:24of course,
30:25they maintain
30:25a more functional
30:26relationship
30:26with China
30:27than India does.
30:29So in that regard,
30:30I think Pakistan
30:31has really helped
30:32improve their
30:33diplomatic position
30:34in the region
30:35and globally.
30:37Having said that,
30:38Pakistan has nowhere
30:40near the military
30:41capability,
30:41the technological
30:42capability,
30:43the economic
30:44influence
30:44that India
30:45does globally.
30:46And so I would
30:47not read
30:48from what's
30:50happening right now
30:51around the Iran
30:52talks.
30:52I would not
30:53suddenly read
30:54from that
30:55a projection
30:56of Pakistan's
30:57geopolitical power
30:58in a new
30:59global order
30:59that is beyond
31:01what its real
31:01capabilities are.
31:06So let me ask
31:07you in conclusion,
31:08Mr. Bremer,
31:08and this is
31:09something that you
31:09do at the
31:11Eurasia Group,
31:11just predict
31:12in a sense
31:13what happens
31:14next.
31:14What's your
31:15sense?
31:17Will we be
31:18two weeks
31:18down the line
31:19by the end
31:19of the month
31:20in a better
31:20place than
31:21we are today?
31:22Or do you
31:23fear,
31:23as you mentioned,
31:24that this is
31:25only buying
31:25time,
31:26possibly
31:27sizing
31:28each other
31:29up and
31:29then making
31:30alternative
31:31strategies,
31:31a plan B?
31:33What do you
31:33see happening
31:34by the end
31:34of the month?
31:35Will we
31:36have a
31:37relatively
31:38more stable
31:39situation in
31:40West Asia?
31:41Are we in
31:42for prolonged
31:42instability?
31:44We're in
31:45for prolonged
31:46disruption
31:47economically.
31:48I don't
31:49think the
31:49strait is
31:50going to be
31:50fully reopened
31:51in the
31:52foreseeable
31:53future.
31:53I worry
31:54about that
31:55and the
31:56knock-on
31:56economic
31:57consequences
31:57are massive.
31:58But I
31:59do think
32:00that in
32:00part as
32:01a consequence
32:01of that,
32:02President
32:03Trump really
32:04doesn't want
32:04to restart
32:05this war.
32:05He really
32:06doesn't want
32:06it to
32:07escalate.
32:07When he
32:08was threatening
32:08the end
32:10of Iranian
32:10civilization,
32:12that sort
32:12of genocidal
32:14tweet that
32:15he put out
32:15a couple
32:16mornings ago,
32:17that was
32:17never credible.
32:18That kind
32:19of escalation
32:20against Iranian
32:21infrastructure
32:22that would
32:23lead
32:24the Iranians
32:25to destroy
32:26Gulf
32:27infrastructure,
32:28that was
32:29never on
32:29the table.
32:30And I
32:31think Trump
32:31does want
32:32to unilaterally
32:33de-escalate
32:34irrespective
32:35of where
32:36the Israelis,
32:37the Emiratis,
32:38the Iranians,
32:39Hezbollah,
32:40the Houthis
32:41go over
32:42the coming
32:43weeks.
32:43And that
32:44should create
32:45some greater
32:47predictability
32:48and perhaps
32:49reduce tensions
32:50in this region
32:52going forward.
32:56But, you
32:58know, we're
32:58looking at it
32:59from a Trump
32:59perspective.
33:00What about
33:00the Iranians?
33:01Do you see
33:01that the
33:02Iranians are
33:02serious about
33:03these talks
33:04or not?
33:05Again, the
33:07reason I'm
33:07focusing on
33:08Trump here is
33:09because Trump
33:10started the
33:10war and the
33:12Iranians don't
33:13have the ability
33:14to hit the
33:14United States
33:15directly.
33:16So to the
33:17extent that
33:18Trump wants
33:19to end the
33:19war, that
33:20has a major
33:22outcome
33:23irrespective
33:23of what the
33:24Iranians do.
33:25I think that's
33:26really important.
33:28I mean, we're
33:28not going to
33:29see regime
33:29change.
33:30That was an
33:31initial effort
33:32of Trump.
33:33He's given
33:33up on that.
33:34That matters.
33:35But, I mean,
33:36are the Iranians
33:38going to
33:38actually give
33:39up on nuclear
33:40enrichment?
33:41I don't think
33:42so.
33:42I think they're
33:43interested in
33:44extending talks
33:45that they'll
33:46engage in for
33:47months and
33:47months if the
33:48Americans are
33:48willing to,
33:49that will
33:50ultimately be
33:50disappointing.
33:51But if the
33:52Americans still
33:53don't want the
33:54war because it's
33:54too costly,
33:55then the
33:56Iranians have
33:57created a level
33:57of deterrence,
33:58not through
33:59having nukes,
33:59which they don't
34:00have, but
34:01rather through
34:01having the
34:02ability and the
34:03willingness to
34:03engage in
34:04disruption in the
34:05strait, which
34:05creates a level
34:06of security for
34:07them that is
34:08what they've
34:08wanted all the
34:09way through.
34:10So, again,
34:11I don't really
34:12think this is
34:13about how the
34:14Iranians are
34:15going to play
34:15the talks.
34:16I expect that
34:16they will engage
34:18in further talks
34:19going forward,
34:20but they won't
34:20give up very
34:21much.
34:21The question is
34:22whether or not
34:23that matters to
34:24Trump, and
34:25increasingly, I
34:26think it
34:26probably doesn't.
34:31So, in
34:32conclusion, at
34:33the end of
34:33these six weeks,
34:34we're entering
34:34week six, who's
34:36really won and
34:37who's really
34:37lost?
34:39Oh, there are
34:40no winners
34:41here.
34:42I mean, the
34:43Russians have
34:43won, the
34:44Chinese are
34:45winning long
34:46term, but you
34:47can't say that
34:48the Iranians
34:49have won.
34:49I'd hate to
34:50be the
34:51Iranian regime
34:52in six
34:53months and
34:53a year's
34:54time.
34:55Their more
34:56competent
34:56leaders have
34:57been killed.
34:58They've got
34:59elite fracture
35:00potential internally.
35:01Their industry
35:02has been
35:03destroyed, and so
35:04much of their
35:04infrastructure, the
35:05petrochemical
35:06plants, for
35:07example, railways,
35:08and it's
35:09going to be
35:09very hard for
35:10them to
35:10develop the
35:11capacity to
35:11rebuild that
35:12quickly.
35:13At the same
35:14time, the
35:14Americans have
35:16shown that
35:17they have an
35:17incredible
35:18military, but
35:19political
35:19dysfunction in
35:20a glass jaw.
35:21They can't
35:21take much
35:22pain.
35:22And the
35:23Chinese last
35:24year with
35:24critical minerals
35:25and now the
35:26Iranians with
35:26the straight
35:27have shown that
35:28they're able and
35:29willing to
35:30back the
35:30Americans down,
35:31despite all of
35:32Trump's bluster.
35:33So I don't see
35:34any winners here.
35:36The Israelis, of
35:37course, are doing
35:37what they want
35:38militarily, but
35:39now most young
35:40people in the
35:41United States,
35:42even most
35:42Republicans under
35:4350, say they
35:44don't support
35:45Israel anymore.
35:46Israel looks
35:46increasingly isolated
35:48long-term.
35:49The Gulf states,
35:50they've had a
35:51model that has
35:52really been
35:53successful on
35:55the back of
35:55convincing
35:56expatriates around
35:57the world that
35:58this is the
35:59Switzerland of the
36:01Middle East, and
36:02in reality, the
36:03Middle East is
36:04rearing its ugly
36:06head, is showing
36:07that it's not a
36:08Switzerland, it's
36:09much more
36:09unstable and
36:10much more
36:10dangerous.
36:11So there are
36:11no winners that
36:12come from a war
36:13like this.
36:17There are no
36:18winners that
36:18come from a war
36:19like this.
36:20Those words, I
36:21think, should
36:21ring home to
36:22all the various
36:23stakeholders.
36:24Ian Bremer,
36:25pleasure talking to
36:26you.
36:26Thank you so
36:27much for
36:28shedding so
36:28much clarity
36:29on all that's
36:30happened in
36:31these rather
36:32turbulent past few
36:34weeks.
36:34Thank you so
36:34much for joining
36:35me.
36:35My pleasure.
36:39Okay, so let's
36:40widen the debate.
36:42We've heard from
36:42Ian Bremer.
36:43Let's get in more
36:44top global voices.
36:46Will this cease
36:47fire, fragile
36:48cease fire, hold
36:49or not is the
36:50big question being
36:51across in, being
36:52asked across global
36:53capitals.
36:54Joining me now,
36:55Elizabeth Terkel,
36:56senior fellow and
36:57director at the
36:58Stimson Center,
36:59also joined by
37:00Dalia Sendelin,
37:02political analyst,
37:03joins me from
37:03Tel Aviv, and
37:04Kian Tajbaqsh is a
37:06former political
37:07prisoner, democracy
37:08activist, and a
37:10professor of
37:10international relations
37:11at NYU and
37:12expert on Iran.
37:13Let me come to
37:14all of you one by
37:15one.
37:15Kian Tajbaqsh, your
37:17reaction.
37:18Do you believe that
37:19what we are seeing
37:19unfold at the
37:20moment in Pakistan
37:21will hold, or do
37:23you believe, how do
37:24you see the Iranian
37:25position in particular?
37:29Well, thank you for
37:30having me on.
37:31I think that a lot
37:33depends on whether
37:35behind the scenes the
37:36American president is
37:39willing to resume
37:41military operations
37:42after a two-week
37:43cease fire.
37:44But since it seems
37:47unlikely, or at least
37:50the probability seems
37:51low, it seems to me
37:54to be currently a
37:57negotiation in the
37:58advantage of the
38:00Islamic Republic of
38:01Iran.
38:01I mean, even the
38:03fact that Vice
38:05President Vance is
38:06willing to meet with
38:09Iranian delegation, if
38:12he is willing to meet
38:13indirectly, it would be
38:16a sign, a big
38:17symbolic indication that
38:20the United States has
38:21not been even able to,
38:23after a month of big
38:26military operations, has
38:28not been even able to
38:29make the Iranians meet
38:31in a direct negotiation.
38:34And I think that that
38:35shows that the United
38:37States is currently very
38:39uncertain about what its
38:41options are, and Iran
38:43looks very much like it
38:44has a strong advantage
38:47going into these talks.
38:52But very quickly, the
38:55Iranians in particular, do
38:56you believe that they are
38:57serious about meeting
39:00the Americans halfway, or
39:02are they going to take a
39:03maximalist position,
39:04particularly on issues
39:05like nuclear enrichment?
39:08In my view, it would be
39:11very unlikely that the
39:12Iranian regime currently
39:14would give up the
39:15advantage that it has
39:17gained in having a
39:19strong influence on the
39:21Straits of Hormuz.
39:22From inside Iran, the
39:25ability of the Iranian
39:26regime to have
39:28weathered the military
39:30assault, but come out
39:32with a strong card
39:34controlling the Straits of
39:36Hormuz, must be seen and
39:38is seen as a great victory
39:40over the United States.
39:42After all, the Iranians
39:45pushed, used the Straits of
39:47Hormuz to increase the
39:49costs on the U.S., to make
39:50them cease the military
39:51operation.
39:52And that's what they have
39:53done.
39:54So I don't think the
39:55Iranians will actually meet
39:58them halfway.
39:59The idea that Vice
40:02President Vance said that
40:03they are negotiating in good
40:05faith seems to belie the
40:07very reason that the United
40:08States argued that they
40:10entered into the war, which
40:11was that there was no
40:13meeting of minds with the
40:14Iranians.
40:15So I don't think the
40:16Iranians are in any mood to
40:17compromise much on the key
40:22issues of enrichment and the
40:25proxies and the issues
40:28around the Straits of Hormuz,
40:30which is now a new card they
40:32have.
40:35You know, given what you've
40:37just heard, Dalia Shandalin,
40:40do you believe that the
40:41Israelis are in a way feeling
40:44increasingly infuriated that
40:47talks are taking place in
40:48Pakistan and the Iranians are
40:50insisting that Lebanon be part
40:53of the deal, that Israel has to
40:55stop hostilities in Lebanon?
40:58Do you see Israel actually going
41:00along with this or do you believe
41:01eventually Israel will say we are
41:04pursuing our own unilateral
41:07policy in the region?
41:09I think this is definitely a
41:11point of tension.
41:12Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
41:14sees this as an incredible
41:16success that he has been able to
41:18work with President Trump to even
41:20have this war.
41:21And it seems to me that we all
41:22knew throughout this time that
41:24there were some diverging
41:26interests between the two of them,
41:27but that from Mr.
41:28Netanyahu's perspective, it was a
41:30great opportunity to do what he's
41:32been wanting to do for a very long
41:33time, which is military action
41:36against Iran.
41:37Now, the issue of Hezbollah is
41:38somewhat separate, but of course,
41:40very closely connected.
41:41And I think that there was it was
41:43quite clear from the
41:45partial partial ceasefire in
41:47the fall of 2024
41:49that this was eventually heading for
41:52another round.
41:52Now, Hezbollah joining the original
41:54war with Iran gave
41:56Netanyahu the excuse that he needed to
41:58go back in.
41:59But I think this is exactly where
42:01we're seeing some divergence of
42:03the needs of the United States or
42:05what we understand to be the
42:06preference of President Trump from
42:08what Israel wants to accomplish.
42:09First of all, there is a difference
42:11because Mr.
42:12Netanyahu would have preferred to
42:13keep the war going with Iran
42:15right already.
42:17The ceasefire itself
42:18was not his preference.
42:20And in fact, the Israeli public isn't
42:22very thrilled about it either.
42:23But with Hezbollah, the situation is
42:25different.
42:26Israelis feel the strength of
42:28Hezbollah and the fact that Hezbollah
42:29was able to rearm itself
42:31after that original partial
42:32ceasefire from
42:33the fall of 2024.
42:35And there is strong public opinion
42:37supporting the ongoing fighting
42:39against Hezbollah because Israelis
42:41essentially have been told by their
42:42leadership year after year
42:44there is no other way to deal
42:46with Hezbollah except
42:47or Iran, for that matter,
42:49except for extreme military force.
42:51Now, from that perspective,
42:53Netanyahu and his government
42:54would have absolutely
42:55But the fact is, but the fact is,
42:58but the fact, Dahlia,
43:01but the fact is, Israel is not on
43:03the table.
43:04The table has the Americans and
43:06the Iranians.
43:07So do the Israelis feel left out now
43:09having gone along or having ensured
43:12that Donald Trump went along with
43:15Netanyahu suddenly find themselves
43:17no longer on the table?
43:18So if tomorrow Lebanon is put
43:22as a negotiating tool,
43:23will the Israelis accept it
43:25or will they be able to draw
43:26a red line with Donald Trump?
43:28I mean, we don't have to entirely guess
43:30because already Netanyahu
43:32at first did not want to accept
43:34offers of the Lebanese president
43:36to negotiate over the disarmament
43:37of Hezbollah.
43:38But now, last night, yesterday evening,
43:40he made a surprise announcement
43:41that his government will allow
43:43those negotiations to happen.
43:44And we all believe that was probably
43:47because of the pressure of
43:48President Donald Trump.
43:49We don't know it for sure,
43:50but it seems very likely that
43:52that is one manifestation
43:53of what you're talking about,
43:55that Israel is not exactly
43:56calling the shots in its own policy.
43:58However, I think that if there is
44:00some attempt to work with
44:02President Trump, because, of course,
44:03Netanyahu doesn't have that much leeway
44:05to completely go against
44:06what the president wants,
44:08I do think that this is probably
44:10not the end of the story
44:11and that in the future, we'll see,
44:13you know, it's very likely
44:13that we're going to see future rounds
44:15of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah,
44:16no matter how those negotiations go
44:18between Israel and the Lebanese government,
44:20because they will be slow.
44:21We don't know if they will achieve anything.
44:23It's never happened before.
44:25And I don't know if they can achieve anything.
44:27I would imagine we're in for future rounds
44:29between Israel and Hezbollah
44:31at a point where I think Netanyahu assumes
44:34that President Trump may lose interest
44:36in the Lebanese front,
44:37just like he didn't seem to have any interest
44:39in the Lebanese front all day on Wednesday
44:41after the ceasefire was declared.
44:43Israel began bombing Lebanon,
44:44unilaterally declared that it was not included
44:47in the ceasefire,
44:48and Trump said nothing
44:49until six o'clock that evening.
44:53Yeah, but much has changed since then.
44:56Elizabeth Trenkel,
44:57from what you've now heard from Tel Aviv,
45:00from what you've heard from someone
45:01who understands the Iranian regime,
45:04do you believe that Iran is going into these talks
45:06holding all the cards?
45:08They hold the Strait of Hormuz card.
45:10They hold the card of using their missiles,
45:13as we've seen,
45:13to create regional instability across West Asia.
45:17Do they?
45:18Is one side going with a stronger hand into these talks?
45:23Well, first of all, thank you for having me.
45:25I should be clear,
45:27I focus primarily on South Asia
45:29as a region of expertise,
45:30and so certainly wouldn't want to speculate
45:32on the details of a very intricate negotiation
45:36involving the Middle East actors.
45:38But I think the situation as I see it now
45:42in some ways is one that shows the seriousness
45:46with which both sides are taking these negotiations.
45:50It is no small thing
45:51for the vice president of the United States
45:54to travel halfway around the world to Pakistan
45:58on just a few days' notice
46:01and engage in these talks.
46:03And I think that speaks to the extent
46:06to which the U.S. certainly is invested
46:09in these outcomes.
46:11And the challenge, I think, going forward
46:13is, as your other commentators have made clear,
46:17is there are multiple parties
46:20with a stake in the outcome
46:22and potential interests
46:25in terms of spoiler actions
46:27that could play out.
46:29And so looking ahead,
46:31what sort of framework
46:33can we imagine coming out of these talks
46:36and how much tolerance will both sides have
46:39for what are likely to be continued violations
46:44of the ceasefire, unfortunately?
46:45And I think that speaks to the political will
46:48on both sides
46:49and we'll really only be able to gauge that
46:51depending on how the talks themselves play out.
46:57But let's turn to something that, you know,
46:59your focus on South Asia,
47:01the very fact that these talks
47:03are taking place in Pakistan,
47:06that Pakistan has sort of made itself
47:08or tried to make itself relevant
47:10to a dialogue process.
47:11Has that surprised you?
47:14You know, they have been uniquely well positioned
47:17throughout not just this conflict,
47:20but the months preceding.
47:22Pakistan represents Iran's interests in Washington,
47:26so they wear an official hat in this.
47:30But I think more than that,
47:31it also speaks to the balancing act
47:33that Pakistan has had to strike
47:35given the border it shares with Iran,
47:38the sizable Shia minority population,
47:40its defense agreement,
47:42and of course financial ties
47:43with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners,
47:46the relationship that it has rebuilt
47:48with Washington and the Trump administration
47:50over the past year,
47:52and its ties to Beijing.
47:54And so by virtue of those connections,
47:57which can be both a liability,
48:00but also have allowed it to position itself
48:04in the center here,
48:05you know, it remains a tightrope walk.
48:07And for Pakistan,
48:09I think it really is to its credit
48:11the extent to which it has been able
48:13to navigate those challenging relations
48:16and sometimes conflicting interests.
48:19But at this point,
48:20it provides a venue,
48:22it provides facilitation,
48:24but it is not in a position
48:26where it necessarily has leverage
48:28over any one side
48:30to really be able to twist arms
48:32if that becomes necessary.
48:34It will come down to the interests
48:36of both parties at the table.
48:39Okay, I'm going to leave it there.
48:41Three voices from giving me
48:43distinct perspectives.
48:45That's what we try and do here
48:46on the news today.
48:48I appreciate my guests joining me
48:50on the show tonight.
48:51Thank you very much.
48:53Let's turn now to election news.
48:55The BJP released its manifesto
48:57for West Bengal today,
48:59spearheaded by Home Minister Amit Shah.
49:02The party is promising
49:03a uniform civil code in the state
49:05as it's tried in other BJP ruled states.
49:08Also, their promises,
49:10zero tolerance, it says,
49:11for infiltrators,
49:13implementation of the 7th Pay Commission,
49:15rupees through 3,000
49:17for every woman,
49:18central schemes like Ayushman Bharat
49:20and 1 crore new jobs
49:22and self-employment opportunities
49:24for five years.
49:27You said one more big thing.
49:28You said that no one will stay in Hindustan.
49:32You said about UCC.
49:33You said about UCC.
49:34Look, the rule of getting out
49:36is the open source of Bengal.
49:39Because Mamata Benerji
49:41doesn't give us the earth to put on the ground here.
49:44The people of the party
49:46have promised that
49:48our new government
49:49government
49:49the government
49:50will give아�rap
49:50through 45 days
49:51and will give up
49:52the earth
49:53of
49:54the government.
49:56So,
49:57we have to единstown
49:57to
49:57and
50:10Okay, let's turn to a special report and it comes from the moon mission, the historic
50:18return from deep space as NASA's Artemis 2 mission prepares for a splashdown after a
50:2510-day journey around the moon. Four astronauts will become the first human since Apollo to
50:32travel beyond low Earth orbit, marking a major milestone in space exploration. Take a look
50:39at the journey of Artemis 2.
51:00NASA releases breathtaking footage from Artemis 2 mission, capturing the journey of four astronauts
51:07as they travel back from their voyage around the moon. The crew described the experience
51:14as a moment where science fiction became documented history. For the first time in decades, humans
51:23have witnessed the moon's far side. Unlike the familiar near side, this region is rough,
51:29heavily cratered and lacks the dark lava plains seen from Earth. Instead, it is a chaotic landscape
51:36shaped by ancient asteroid impacts.
51:41In one of the most emotional moments as the Orion spacecraft moved around the moon, astronauts
51:47watched Earth slowly disappear behind the lunar horizon in what could be called the Earth set similar
51:55to a sunset or a moon set. A small, glowing crescent, a powerful reminder of how fragile our planet
52:06truly is. Away from Earth's atmosphere, the crew captured a crystal clear view of the Milky Way.
52:15In the vacuum of space, stars don't twinkle. They shine steadily, revealing the galaxy in stunning detail.
52:24In a rare scientific moment, astronauts also witnessed a solar eclipse lasting nearly 54 minutes, allowing
52:33them to study the sun's corona, its outer atmosphere, in ways that are impossible from Earth.
52:41After completing the historic lunar flyby, Orion is expected to make a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean
52:48on Friday at 8.7pm, which would be Saturday early morning in India.
52:55Artemis 2 is more than just a mission. It is a giant leap towards returning humans to the moon and
53:02pushing deeper into space.
53:06And as Orion heads home, the world watches, knowing that this journey is shaping the future of human exploration.
53:15Bureau Report, India Today.
53:22Okay, just about enough time to leave you with our image of the day. And I must confess, this is
53:27a very personal one.
53:29I couldn't join you on the news last night because I was in Mumbai, where at the Vankhede Stadium, the
53:36iconic cricket ground,
53:37a gate was named in the name of my late father, who represented India and indeed Mumbai, with great distinction.
53:44In fact, in a 13-year first-class career, never lost a single match for Mumbai as the team won
53:5115 consecutive Ranjit trophies.
53:53So, it was a particular moment of pride for me and my family to have a gate in the Vankhede
53:58named after him.
53:59Not just him, but other Mumbai legends like Eknath Solka, arguably the greatest fielder that India has produced,
54:06especially at forward short leg, Diana Edurji, one of the pioneers of women's cricket in the country,
54:13and the one and only Ravi Shastri, after whom a stand was named for his many exploits for India.
54:20It was all done at the hands of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.
54:25As I said, for me, it was a very personal and emotional moment.
54:29I did remember my father with great fondness.
54:34Thank you for joining me.
54:37Stay well, stay safe, good night.
54:41Shubratri, Jai Hind, Namaskar.
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