Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome again to Syria analysis. I'm your host Kal Masian. Thank you very much for tuning in to today's special live streaming with our dear friend Dr Muhammad Marandi live from Tan.
Today we started this a little bit earlier because S Muhammad Mandi's schedule is fully booked and I appreciate that he is dedicating his time and energy for us. I'm sure Dr Mandi you are tired. God bless you.
I hope you're doing well first of all. >> Thank you. I hope you're doing well too.
We are trying to do well and we are praying for Iran because uh I personally believe uh Iran is a great nation, great civilization and uh there is a serious attempt to destabilize Iran from within for the sake of uh changing a regime or behavioral change as we have heard several times in different outlets and also uh from American and Western officials. However, when I see the situation in Iran, I'm seeing the following. I'm seeing there are rioters.
Those are supported by uh different regional and international powers including the Mossad and the CIA clearly supporting the riers in order to cause a rift in the society and also bloodshed. On the other hand, we have the people in uh also Iran. Those are ordinary people.
Those are civilians. They're also calling for reforms. Uh, can we acknowledge the least that there are legitimate demands from the people in Iran or this is we can only package it in um or frame it as an outside plot against Iran?
>> Well, all countries have people with differing views and differing demands. And of course a country like Iran which has public participation, it has democracy, it has elections, uh governments, candidates, uh they are all seeking to appeal to ordinary people to get their votes and when they come to power they seek to uh please the people uh in order to be able to continue doing what it is they're doing. But uh obviously many people in Iran uh are dissatisfied with the current administration and many people in Iran are satisfied with the current president.
>> Yes. >> And the administration and other state uh branches of the state and other senior figures in the state. But the point is that there is a stark difference between protests and riots and terrorism.
We in Iran have regular protests. In fact, on many days if you drive by parliament, you will see a gathering of people. One day it may be school teachers.
One day it may be factory workers from a particular area or particular industry or particular factory. One day it could be uh other segments of civil society. They chant slogans.
They demand to see senior figures. And you may see gatherings in front of uh other min ministries or other state institutions. It's not something that but in in parliament in front of parliament it happens very regularly.
>> Yes. >> When the United States um put pressure on the currency this was initiated the the current events was initiated by a currency drop by 30 to 40% in Iran. I don't know the exact amount.
And uh after that uh a few thousand 2,000 maybe in Tehran. I I'm just guessing the numbers. Uh it could be different.
I'm not good at numbers or dates at all or names. Uh but in any case, a couple of thousand people in Tehran and let's say a couple of thousand people in a couple of other cities, these business people and shop owners protested because currency devaluation is dangerous for business uh for a host of reasons. And there were no riots, there were no arrests, there was no police harassment.
It's not like in the UK if an 80-year-old Jewish woman holds a plaque card saying, "I don't I I I oppose genocide," she gets arrested. It's not like in Germany if where a young woman wearing a kafia in solidarity uh with the Palestinian people, she gets battered. No, they went home.
The next day again, we had protests, probably roughly the same size, more or less, I guess. And then we had the infiltrations. Then suddenly we had these small very wellorganized groups, come out and behave violently, start destroying public property and then gradually shooting people, shooting the police.
And on Thursday and Friday, it got very bad. and roughly uh well between 300 to 400 police officers officers of the law the police I think roughly 100 but again it's not precise and uh 200 volunteers protecting the streets the basie and some riot uh special riot police >> yes >> and some uh guards revolutionary guards I think it's more than 300 300 but closer to 300 than 400. Yesterday there was a huge funeral for a hundred of these people in Tehran who were martyed as a result of the riots.
So when the west pretends that these are these are peaceful protesters, they're being very disingenuous. They are uh they are insulting uh the families of the these police officers, these bases members, these guards, these special police uh anti- riot police forces that were murdered. And of course, when they're shooting at them, when they're killing them, when they're burning them alive, they burn some of them alive.
Uh there are images of these things. They cut their heads off. >> I've seen.
>> And it's not just the police. They attacked many they destroyed tens of public uh buses. They've destroyed tens of fire engines which are very expensive and under sanctions it's very difficult to purchase these things.
Uh they burned many ambulances and they killed a member of the Red Crescent. >> Yes. >> And they also destroyed a clinic.
They burnt a clinic where a a young female nurse was trapped inside and she she tried to escape. She went up the stairs but it the the fire kept growing up going up and then she when she reached the top floor it it reached her and she burned alive. So this and they also burnt like one example was inside a moss they trapped two bases members and they kept throwing in uh Molotov cocktails and they burnt them they burnt them to death as well.
This is what these people are doing. And it's not just the facts on the ground and the footage that shows this. These Americans themselves are admitting it.
Pompeo, the former head of the CIA, he said that Msad agents are on the ground. Uh the Mousad itself put out a Persian statement saying that our agents are on the ground. >> Israeli media have said so.
Today, Israeli journalist Tamil Morak says, "We reported tonight on channel 14, foreign actors are arming the protesters in Iran with live firearms, which is the reason for the hundreds of regime personnel killed. Everyone is free to guess who is behind it. " This is coming from an Israeli.
>> Exactly. Hundreds of Well, I you know, the the only it's the Israelis that are a regime, but uh the hund so hundreds of personnel were were murdered, yet the Western media pretends that Yes. And the people behind this want to create a narrative to push the United States towards war with Iran.
So you see fake um progressives like AOC and Levin uh you know one of those horrible uh evil uh the most evil of the Zionists. They're both saying we should help the Iranian people. So they're they're creating this consensus in the media whether it's uh CNN or Fox News, it doesn't matter the New York Times or the Washington Post to attack Iran.
So this this whole thing was a conspiracy. And then one final point. So one is that the facts show what happened.
The the the the footage shows what happened. The admissions prove what the nature of this was. But there's a third thing too.
On Friday night when the the these riers were slaughtering and destroying so much property, private property as well and just killing people on the streets. the Iranian state cut off the internet. >> So I didn't have internet and that's why I come here to the studio to this studio to speak with you.
Now we only have internet internal internet. We can get Iranian sites use Iranian apps but we can't communicate abroad uh yet. But but there are two reasons for that.
Also it's because of a possible American attack but we can perhaps discuss that later. So uh they cut the internet and then within 24 hours 12 to 24 hours the whole the whole chaos and the riots they just collapsed. >> And since Saturday and especially Sunday it's been completely quiet.
You can go out at 12 at night, 11 at night, go to restaurants. People in Iran they they go out late. It's a it's a part of our culture like in other parts of this other parts of this region and um that shows that this was not spontaneous and that these people they were communicating with their leaders abroad with their bosses abroad western intelligence agencies who were coordinating them and these people actually hate each other.
They're different groups. There are the uh Kurdish there Kurdish terrorists that come from northern Iraq and the Americans and Israelis have a very powerful presence there. There's the MEK terrorist organization which fought against their own country Iran for Saddam Hussein in the 1980s.
They are involved. There are the monarchists who are involved and there's also ISIS that's involved. >> Yes.
All four of these entities they are they've been involved and but they were coordinated from the outside and as soon as they got their connection got cut off it began to die down very rapidly. >> Yes. >> So it's clear as day and one final point and I'm I know I'm speaking in length.
>> No worries. But on Monday, we we during the later days of the riots, we we start saw people coming to the streets in protest against the riots, large numbers in different cities. But then on Monday there was a national uh day of protest against the rioters and in defense of the constitution and state institutions and uh and against western involvement and and murder of Iranians through terrorism.
Those protests, those rallies which you I'm sure you've seen images are were massive in Thran between 2. 3 to three million people participated and the west ignores this. Western media ignores this and they have even attempted to say that they did not happen.
>> They said this was come 2020. I've seen also people on Pierce Morgan show saying this is the greenest screen and all sorts of things. And I think nowadays it's easy to uh double check and verify if this video was from 2020 or 2026.
And this is we have the technological means. Also just to answer to uh some of the commentators asking about the claims between 12 to 20,000 killed. I would like to say something very clearly about this that the people who are making these claims have to prove it and not the other way around.
If you make an claim that 20,000 people were killed in Iran in the past two weeks, I think it's your responsibility to prove it and not the responsibility of Professor Mandi to respond to to that claim. However, professor >> Mendi what I would like I would like to respond and that is these these numbers are utterly false and uh it's no the the numbers are nowhere near it and in any case the majority of the people were who were killed were the police and innocent bystanders bystanders. Yes.
But what I would like to add is that these these people including Pierce Morgan who was trying to say that these these rallies did not happen. There were foreign reporters there from um CCTV, CGTN, RT, Turkish reporters, um Alazer, Arabic, Al-Mayadin, Alazer, English, there are all sorts of reporters and it was being uh broadcast live uh on multiple C channels throughout the day in Iran. >> Yes.
So, >> and you you know my opinion about Jazzer, Professor Mendi, and the other day, the other day when Pierce Morgan said that you need foreign media outlets in Iran to report the truth. I was like, we already have Alazer. I think that that isn't enough for >> No, but basically what he is saying is that it has to be us.
>> Yes. You know, >> but he doesn't want to come to to Iran. Yes, I invited him twice and he insulted me on both occasions saying basically that I will kidnap him and hand him over to the guards and it's a child.
I mean he's he he he is bought off >> and uh I used to even though he has many he has a very troubled you know he his his past is very checkered to say the least but during the Iraq war he he was opposed to the war and it's very sad to see someone flip this way and then he brought someone on the show who she basically threatened to um murder me and to cut me into small pieces these days. >> Yeah. And that just shows what these people are, these terrorists.
They're of the same. And she's allowed to go on television and say that. And by the way, there's a huge Persian language media apparatus in the West.
>> Yes. >> That is working against Iran. And they're openly calling for armed rebellion.
Yes. >> And I've I've uh I've tweeted footage of one of the hosts of one of one of these channels. And they're based in London, Iran International.
They they can say whatever they want. So uh >> and Iran International is funded by Saudi Arabia by the way. I have done some research about it and they are funded by Saudi Arabia.
They are based in the UK. Um uh however said Muhammad Mandi you are talking now in your name as I'm also I'm I'm proud to call you also a friend because you treat everyone respectfully regardless if we agree or disagree on political and geopolitical issues. Therefore I would like to just ask two questions like personally you as professor Muhammad Mandi do you acknowledge that there is a portion let's say in the Iranian society who doesn't want to live under let's say an Islamic revolutionary rule like the one existing since the Islamic revolution and secondly do you acknowledge that there is a grave um failure in the uh media and the press uh world let's say in Iran itself and also other countries who are targeted by the US empire when it comes to countering this type of information warfare especially that always when I see Iran is in the reaction mode like we don't see initiation from Iran in order to present an image uh of the reality inside Iran and also to show that we have different opinions inside the country and this is tolerated most of the people around the world do not know that there are different opinions in Iran and they are tolerated Yeah.
Well, I'll answer them separately. First, about whether everyone in Iran is a full supporter of the Islamic Republic of Iran. No, that's not the case and I don't think that's the case in any country in the world.
In Iran though, we have there's a high degree of legitimacy of the state and reg the Americans do these polling by the way. They do polling, the state department, the CIA, they do a lot of polling from T to which is their ally of course and they they do have these calling centers in Turkey and they call Iran and and and get this sort of information. The the legitimacy of the state among Iranians has always been high.
It goes up and down, but it's always been a strong majority. But the legitimacy of the state and satisfaction with the the the functioning of the the state as a as a competent entity is something else. >> Yes.
>> So if you ask ordinary Iranians, are you happy with the economy? A very strong majority will say no. >> Are you happy with how the government is running the government the country?
It goes up and down. But as as at during the last few months and more than the last few months, I I don't remember the I mean I can't say date. So it's it's not good right now.
>> Yes. >> But if you ask Iranians, do you want to change the system? The majority say we accept the Islamic Republic of Iran in the constitution.
That's one thing. But we even have people in Iran that support Israel. >> Yes.
I have a student who argued with me two semesters ago in class about Israel or and it was after the genocide began. Most students of course and most people dislike Israel immensely and polls show that clearly or you will find people in Iran who very small numbers who support the United States who support Trump. They exist and they're open about it.
If you go I was just speaking to a relative of mine 2 three hours ago and uh an elderly figure and he was in the park and he had this argument with someone who was saying no Trump is good and you know the other old men in the park were arguing with him and you know saying you're a mad man or these exist so and in Iran we have different political parties I mean sometimes the west acknowledges it and sometimes they don't. So for example, they say Pzanian is a reformist and he's opposed to the regime. They were even saying that Pzion may be secretly uh supporting the rioters.
And so which is it? Which is it? Is it a monolithic uh dictatorship which is suppressing the people or is there diversity of views in the parliament uh and you know in the in in in civil society?
We have websites, newspapers, telegram channels, and others that speak against the government, that support the government, that speak out against the leader, usually not with in a very insulting way, but they'll criticize him openly. The the the former president as we speak has been criticizing this the the leader indirectly and and for a very long period of time. So uh that is a that is you know basically western propaganda.
You can go in Iran if you come to Iran today sit in a taxi and and ask him what do you think the guy may curse the government he may curse God. >> This is where this is where people get their political polling. By the way secret services this is an example I would like to give you guys also.
uh when I used to study in Lebanon, master in political science, the USAID used to hire students from our university, send them to Tripoli and just talk to the taxi drivers and ask him simple questions about political issues, record it and then document it. They don't need a CIA asset in Tripoli, for example. What they need basically is a student, give him $800 per month, and this guy is talking to taxi drivers and then they know the public opinion in the country.
You mentioned Peskan. I'm not a a big fan of him, but >> there's one thing that I would like to add, and that is that you can get in a taxi and the guy will be cursing the government and be angry about inflation and how he can't find spare or or the spare parts for his car are expensive or he can't find them or they're fake or but many of these very same people are the ones who went and protested against the rioters in defense of the state. It does not mean that all these people who go there they just they they all think the same.
No, they're very diverse in views. But they say look this constitution we protect it. We believe in it.
This country is full of flaws. There's corruption, incompetence, but we want this and it's none of your business. You know, Mr Trump or Mr Biden or Mr uh Obama about what goes on inside our country.
And of course, Obama, Biden, and Trump don't care about the needs of the Iranian people. Otherwise, they would have sanctioned them. They wouldn't try to strangle the people of Iran or Venezuela or Cuba or Syria or Nicaragua or Yemen.
They want to harm people. That's the objective. They destroy countries, especially in our part of the world where they want to make sure that the Israeli regime in future can reign supreme.
They want frag a fragmented fragmented region. So they want Iranians to suffer. But these people in on the streets of Tehran, yes there is a strong consensus about the constitution and about preserving state institutions and the state, but they are they have different political affiliations.
Some of them may not even vote. Some of them may vote for one guy. Someone may vote for another person.
There's a lot of diversity in the country, but in the west they try to pretend as if, and I don't want to be insulting to North Koreans, but you know this this this you know how North Korea is depicted, >> they want to depict Iran is more open than any of the countries in this region. >> Professor Mendi, do you acknowledge the fact that >> and by the way? Yes.
When we look at what's happening in the west, especially after uh Gaza, it's much more open than in the west. >> Yeah. Do you acknowledge, Professor Miranda, that after October 7, Iran retreated in the region and the access of resistance which Iran has built for 40 years has crumbled, especially after the decapitation of the leadership of Hezbollah, the decimation of Gaza and uh the let's say stealing Syria uh and carving up between Turkey and Israel.
And if that is the case, people are arguing that this is a natural consequence of Iran retreating from the front lines against their enemy and and namely Israel in this case and therefore the conflict has reached to the borders of Iran because of this uh retweet and if Iran retweeted from these files uh many people also asking and you see you you're present online and people are like calling for Iran to acquire a nuke in this case and uh the official position is it is haram to acquire a nuke and it is um a weapon that could cause enormous harm to innocent people as well. However, many people also and observers point to the fact that if you develop a nuke, you don't necessarily use it, but this is a deterrent weapon. And one of the countries which proved that this is basically working is North Korea in this case.
Nobody thinks about regime change in North Korea. Nobody uh thinks about sending firearms to North Korea because they have nuke. So what do you say about Iran retreating and if they retreated in the region and have access of resistance has failed let's say uh and we don't say they they were they like they tried to do something noble in the eyes of many people but they failed like can we acknowledge that and secondly do you think that if there is serious existential threat against Iran Iran would change its nuclear doctrine or should >> well first I while you're speaking I was listening but also also trying to remember what your second question was because you asked me two questions and I finished answering the first and then you add added a third question.
So I don't remember what is what it was. If any of your uh viewers and listeners remember then they can remind us and after this I'll go back to that. But um or if you remember yourself then you can remind me later.
the um I I don't believe that the axis of resistance has uh retreated or Iran has retreated. In war, you have you have all sorts of uh things happening. And when two sides are fighting, both sides are weakened.
There's there's no doubt about that. The Russians have been fighting in Ukraine for four years. The Russians are winning the war.
But have the Russians been weakened? Of course they have. I mean, everyone's weakened because the West has been weakened the R because it's like two boxers uh in a ring when they're boxing.
At the end, one side wins, the other side loses unless there's gambling and there's cheating going on. But but that aside, what both are both are tired in this twoyear and three month, let's say, because the genocide hasn't stopped. you know this and I every day they're murdering people in in Gaza and and in Lebanon they're murdering people in the West Bank they're ethnically cleansing the population uh you know we should always remember what's going on in Gaza in Lebanon West Bank um so it's it's ongoing Hamas is of course has been has uh been fighting the Israelis have taken over half of Gaza But or in Lebanon, there's a ceasefire and Hezbollah has uh had many martyrs.
There's there's no doubt about that. In Syria, of course, as you pointed out, this this conspiracy that was going on for for decades, literally, but especially since 2011, the Erdogan uh uh King Hussein of Jordan and uh sorry, King Abdullah of Jordan and uh the the regimes in the Persian Gulf, especially Qatar, uh they were working with the United States and NATO to undermine Syria. There's no doubt about that.
Some of them, you know, were more prominent like Qatar, some less so, some pulled back a bit later. But, uh, it was clear that these takidi groups uh we know you've gone over this a thousand times and I don't want to bother your uh your uh viewers, but just a I don't want to go into the Jake Sullivan email. I don't want to go in the 2012 defense int US defense intelligence agency document but just two things I do want to remind your viewers because it's spoken of less and one is um Kerry in in his leaked audio uh in at the UN when he told uh the so-called Syrian activists that we let that we allowed ISIS to advance on Damascus to put pressure on the government.
>> True. And uh and also when ISIS was taking over Iraq, Obama refused to help the Iraqi government and even refused to help the Kurdish regional government to defend themselves. and Arabil was saved because the Iran, excuse me, because the Iranians uh intervened and Baghdad was saved because the Iranians intervened and then the popular mobilization was forces were were created and the Iraqi army was strengthened and then they pushed back and all that.
So the United States uh this was a grand conspiracy to to bring down Syria. But uh I don't think even that is going I don't believe any I don't believe that Syria is going well for Turkey at all. Uh Toria has made under Erdogan.
It's his fault. Under Erdogan he has destroyed Syria killed many many hundreds of thousands of people alongside the rest of the these these conspirators. But what he has also done is that he has bro destroyed the wall or barrier between Turkey or Turkey and Israel.
And in any conflict between Turkey and Israel, Trump is going to side with Israel, not Turkey. So Erdogan is in a difficult position. And now we say how the Israeli regime is aligning with the Greeks and the U and in and Cyprus which is I think despicable of the Greeks and the in this anyone who aligns itself with Israeli regime uh is is despicable.
But in any case Erdogan has brought this upon himself. But in any case, the victory uh that the axis of resistance has achieved and you may disagree with me here is that they held their ground in on most fronts. They remain undefeated even though the enemy is far more powerful and has enormous support from the west.
But most importantly, the Israeli regime during the last two years and three months has delegitimized itself in the eyes of the world in a way in which I could never have imagined happening in my lifetime. I never thought that I would be see the day when young people across the United States and across Europe when I'm having a conversation on a western media outlet that the comments and that the reaction is uh so positive and so many young people, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus Jews are so eloquent in their opposition to Zionism and their opposition to ethnos supremacism that I feel that I it's time for me to retire because they're so much better than me. I never thought I'd see that thing and I think if the Israeli regime is to collapse and it will ultimately collapse.
This is what is the important thing. This needs to happen. Zionism has to be exposed.
So do you call that a victory or defeat? I call it a victory. A heavy a victory with a very that comes at a very heavy price because each of these wonderful people who were martyr especially the Lebanese they sacrificed themselves and their families they sacrificed themselves for another people.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian people, civil society, all those who resisted, women, men, children, all those who resisted in Gaza, they are heroes. But there's a special place in heaven for people who sacrificed for others. And that's what Hezbollah did.
That's what Ansar did. But Hezbollah was, you know, right next door. And so it was very painful for them.
But they they they they that is the highest principle I think on this planet for someone to sacrifice himself or herself for someone else. But also just one final point just one final point and that is that on two fronts on two I mean you on three fronts you can you we can argue about whether is stronger today than it was two years ago or not or you know Syria what the situation is there can be discussed in in Palestine we can discuss whether uh you know the resistance has is stronger weaker that is open to but there are two fronts where the resistance is stronger today. One is in Yemen and the other is in Iraq.
And you know as well as I because you cover these things, the elections in Iraq, despite the fact that the United States and its allies spent a lot of money, they failed. And the supporters of the resistance in this new parliament are stronger, significantly stronger than they were in the previous parliament. Professor Mend, some people see this region now differently after the regime change in Syria and they see that Turkey has moved on the chessport clearly.
They uh kicked the Iranian influence out of Syria and what Turkey is also Turkey they like to call it Turkey nowadays underground is doing basically also what Israel has tried to do in Gaza like they are ethnically cleansing indigenous people on the borders. They are coming after the Kurds. They're sending the proxies of Jolani into Sueda and they have committed massacres in broad daylight against the Drws against the Alawites.
Tens of thousands of people perish during this time and there is complete media blackout about it. So people also terrified about Turkey's imperialist aspirations in the region. One of which is in Cyprus and in Greece.
And similarly nowadays people say that Iran should feel threatened by Turkey because Turkey nowadays as the biggest army in NATO is projecting NATO hijgemony through the corridor of Zanganger that they're trying to open and also uh via the occupation of Nakono Karap by Azaban which was backed directly by Turkey and now the Israelis are building smart villages on the borders with Iran where the Azer is recently occupied. Do you think that sooner or later Iran will or should shift its energy toward an imminent geopolitical challenge coming from Turkey in contrast to Israel which is geographically far away from um from from Iran. And this is where people come and say now Trump is going to offer Iran a different role in the region.
It's they don't want regime change in Iran. What they want is behavioral change. And this behavioral change is that Iran they want for the state to stay and they want for uh Iran not to be balkcanized and destroyed and complete chaos in the region.
But Iran has to change its nature, its character into more nationalist country and a counter way to Turkey because the United States as the empire do not like to see any dominant player in the region and therefore uh Iran could be needed in this task for the future. So, first things first, do you see Turkey as a geopolitical challenge the same way Greece and Cyprus sees that's why they're aligning themselves with Israel? And secondly, uh do you think that Trump would attack Iran or they're trying to exert maximum pressure for this type of Venezuela type of change in your country?
>> Your questions are sort of like a one of these IQ tests. like you asked 50 things and I have to remember like you know all the different things that you said. >> Two questions two questions two questions in in in in summary.
I will summarize it. No, let let me go on because if you if you continue, it'll just all of it will melt, you know, just it'll disappear from my [laughter] >> if you've noticed in my tweets and in my conversations [snorts] when I speak, I always say that is a US proxy, which it is. The Emirates is a US proxy, which it is.
They don't like each other, but they're both US proxies. None be neither of them. Katar has no concern for the Palestinian people.
>> They they have this verbal concern. They give scholarship so that people from civil society in Palestine will feel indebted to them. Smart move, but it's not based on principle.
Al Jazzer talks but they don't do anything. Even hosting Hamas as you know is because the Americans and Israelis asked them to do it. But when I speak about Toriier and I speak about what I dislike, I say Erdogan because Erdogan is not to a very very sophisticated society with a very diverse people, very many cultured people, very sincere in their support for the Palestinian people.
many even from Erdogan's party very upset with the fact that he and his team are so cooperative with Netanyahu and have been f providing Netanyahu with oil uh to to use for the genocide for over two years doing trade uh with Net You recall an MP was protesting and he was so upset that he had a heart attack during his speech in parliament and died. It was so upsetting to him what Erdogan was doing. So the betrayal of Erdogan towards the Palestinian cause and his betrayal to Syria is something that I believe cannot be forgiven.
And uh he was actually he had a closer relationship with the Syrian president, former president Assad than Iran ever did. They would vacation. They would go with their families and vacation together.
Iran never did that. >> Yeah. >> They had much more trade.
They had they were close. Iran only had a a good relationship and they cooperated in Lebanon together and over the resistance. But beyond that uh the relationship was nowhere near as personal and friendly as between Erdogan and uh former president Assad.
Proto is not a country that I think Iranians peer at all. uh in the Erdogan though is someone that the Iranians are very cautious about. I don't believe that he's succeeded in Syria.
You've probably heard that his government is trying to communicate with Iran and he wants to visit Iran. Why? Because he feels the pressure.
Because he knows that in any conflict with the Israeli regime, he would be defeated because his economy is so deeply bound to the West. He's not independent. Turkey is very vulnerable.
It has a huge debt. And just one example was when that pastor was arrested after the coup and they said that he was involved in the coup. The US pastor who was during the Trump's first term when Trump threatened Turkey Turkey with sanctions.
Erdogan bent the knee and handed him over even though the the person was convicted in court. Now whether he was guilty or not, I have no idea. I'd never followed the case, but the point is that he kneled.
And recently in Egypt when we had that clown show in uh where foreign leaders came over Gaza and Trump behaved like the fool that he is, Trump said to Erdogan that he was all my, you know, my good friend, he was always there when I needed him. Erdogan put his hand on his chest. you know, you know what that means in in our societies how you know that you know I'm you know we're close we're friends you're my brother you know so I have no respect for such people without a doubt but he is not to many people in Turkey are not happy with what's happened in Syri to you can see you speak with people actually sadly has caused a lot of racism which I'm sure you you are aware of in Turkey and tension between the different communities and the situation in Syria is not going to get better and it is not getting better.
So ultimately I don't think that this al regime is going to survive and I don't think Ardogon is going to be able to have his cake and the same is true in the caucuses. If if they want to um take southern Armenia there will be war. >> It's as simple as that.
The Iranians have said very openly that if uh the the road between uh uh the Armenian capital and the Iranian capital is blocked to the Iranians, there will be war. >> And the war is going to be against who? >> Whoever blocks it.
>> Okay. >> Final question. Professor Mandi, you are going to leave very soon because you have a commitments.
Is this pressure by the United States and the hysteria surrounding about Iran aimed at a behavior change in Iran or regime change in your in your speculation? I have no doubt that the United States would like to see Iran balkcanized because US policy in our region is always Israeli policy. Anyone who thinks that there's any sharp difference is a fool.
And those people in Syria who for or outside of Syria during and who were supporting regime change in Syria alongside the CIA and the and the United States in the West, they were working for the interest of the Israeli regime. And many of these people, some of these people I know I can name right now. I don't want to name them because you not worth it, right?
But it's but in any case, we know who they are. They they were all many of them were supporters of Palestine deeply sectarian deeply because you know they've been fed by the Ataris and the Saudis and the and sectarian people throughout the Persian Gulf region these despotic regimes you know the the ideology of is Wahhabism the main mosque in the Muhammad Abdah the same is true in Saudi Arabia it's Wahhabism >> of course Muhammad bin Salman to his you know whether you you know we like him or not to to his credit uh he has distanced himself from this uh ideology which is a good thing uh I think it's a very good thing but I'm not saying that the his government is good or bad or that's that's another issue altogether but uh I I want to say that he is not playing the role that his predecessors were >> yes >> uh from from from the evidence that we have but is uh funding these uh these extremist but throughout the years Saudi Arabia was involved In the past they were also deeply involved. So many of these people have been on the payroll for many years.
many mosques, centers, media outlets, you know those media outlets. There are many, you know, Arabic, many hundreds of TV channels, many of them very evil, evil and sectarian, full of hate and and it sort of died down in recent years, but when they were trying to overthrow the Syrian government, it was, you know, it was very open, very blatant, very ugly, and it was being funded. So these people were working alongside the CIA and Western intelligence and basically they were working with Israelis.
There's in in West Asia there is no area where US interests and the US would do one thing or anything significant that would be that would not be in the interest of the Israeli regime because the United States is dominated by Zionists. Zionism. Some people say is it the United States that controls Israel or is it Israel that controls the United States?
It is Zionism that controls the policies of both. So that is what they want and Iran but in any case the United States is going to fail and Iran is not going to um what is the word in English? Iran is not going to >> succumb to the pressure.
>> No no no no. Iran is not going to halt or seize or forsake. Sorry, my English is not that good actually.
>> You is not going to >> is Iran is not going to forsake the Palestinian. That is not going. Professor Mirandi, after this crisis uh fades down and you have more time, I would like to have you on a longer conversation with you because today I as you saw I packed the questions as you said in an AI [laughter] style pushing lots of questions on you because I >> I did not even answer one of the long questions because one of those you said there are two questions and then I answered the first I don't even remember.
>> I have a lot of questions. I hope that next time we would sit like face to face in a podcast setup and talk for hours because people deserve >> visit Iran and we can do that. >> People deserve answers and I believe you you're very very smart person and you're very eloquent person and God bless you for what you do.
I'm sure I'm sure you're very tired already and you have a lots of other commitments. So thank you so much for your energy and uh for putting lots of energy in this and dedicating your time. Professor Mendi guys go and also hit him a follow and X you agree or disagree.
I saw lots of comments people agreeing and disagreeing and this is healthy. What we're doing here is bringing you different perspectives from Iran and outside Iran. So peace be upon you guys and peace be upon you professor Mendi and I will see you guys tomorrow again on Cold War 2.
0. Okay. Salam.
Great pleasure.
