Transcript [00:00] It is war in the Middle East, but no, [00:02] not between Iran and the West. Something [00:04] much, much more sinister is rising and [00:06] taking the world by surprise. And [00:08] yesterday, it crossed a new line. Sirens [00:11] went off across Mecca. The Houthies, a [00:14] massively underestimated threat to the [00:15] Middle East, are actively attacking [00:17] Saudi Arabia, the Guardian of Islam's [00:19] holiest sites, who are now reaching out [00:21] to Israel for help. Oh, the irony. But [00:24] if you are confused why Muslims are [00:26] attacking Muslims, you need to know that [00:28] this has been brewing for centuries. The [00:30] eternal war of Islam and it is no longer [00:33] theoretical. It has arrived. It is [00:35] happening in the Middle East. And Iran [00:37] and Saudi Arabia represent the two [00:39] different sides. You see, Iran has been [00:41] working towards this for years, building [00:43] out proxies across the Middle East. And [00:45] Saudi Arabia, loathed to involve itself [00:47] in conflict, has been building out [00:49] treaties with the likes of Turkey and [00:51] Pakistan to defend against this coming [00:53] threat. Alas, those treaties have proven [00:55] to be useless. But to understand this [00:58] sudden, intense conflict escalation, we [01:00] need some context first. You see, within [01:03] Islam, there are two competing branches [01:05] with fundamentally different beliefs [01:07] about religious authority and how the [01:09] Muslim world should be organized. Sunnis [01:11] make up roughly 90% of Muslims globally [01:14] and believe that after Prophet Muhammad [01:16] died, leadership should go to the most [01:18] qualified person chosen by the [01:19] community. Shiers, however, believe that [01:22] the leadership should pass through the [01:23] descendants of the prophet Muhammad, [01:25] specifically through his cousin Ali and [01:27] a line of spiritual leaders called imams [01:29] who are infallible and divinely guided. [01:32] These are not just theological [01:33] disagreements. They've shaped the entire [01:35] political structure of the Middle East [01:37] for thousand years. Saudi Arabia is the [01:40] Sunni superpower. It has enormous oil [01:42] wealth, close ties to the United States, [01:44] and it positions itself as the guardian [01:46] of Arab interests and Islamic tradition. [01:48] However, Iran is a Shia power, isolated, [01:52] under blockade, but it still positions [01:53] itself as leading what it calls the axis [01:56] of resistance against American dominance [01:58] and Sunni regional control. This [02:01] conflict has played out across Syria, [02:03] Iraq, Lebanon for decades. But both [02:05] sides had been preparing for something [02:08] bigger. Not just small fights, but an [02:10] actual all-out war. Iran built proxies [02:12] throughout the Middle East. Saudi Arabia [02:14] signed defense treaties with Turkey and [02:16] Pakistan. And they've been positioning [02:18] the pieces. But now in 2026, as things [02:21] have escalated and the religious stakes [02:23] feel higher than ever, Iran has decided [02:25] it is now or never. Instead of just [02:28] taking on its western enemy, Iran is [02:31] also taking on the Sunni axis directly. [02:33] After the USIsrael Iran war began, Iran [02:36] started also attacking the Gulf states, [02:38] UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain for months and of [02:41] course Saudi Arabia. But then something [02:43] changed. Iran realized it doesn't need [02:46] to just defeat Saudi Arabia militarily. [02:48] If it can weaken Saudi Arabia [02:50] economically, it can prove the entire [02:52] Sunni regional order backed by American [02:54] power cannot defend itself. It can make [02:57] them vulnerable and through that prove [02:59] the Islamic Republic, i.e. Iran's [03:01] dominance. But how are they going to do [03:03] it? Well, there's a surprising twist [03:05] because they're not using Iran. They're [03:07] using an entirely different country to [03:09] put this pressure on Saudi Arabia. [03:11] Yemen. Yes, Yemen sits at the Bab [03:14] al-Mandde Strait, the southern entrance [03:16] to the Red Sea, one of the world's most [03:18] critical choke points for global [03:20] shipping. Does this sound familiar? It [03:22] should. Located directly on Saudi [03:24] Arabia's southern border, Yemen has [03:25] always been central to Saudi Arabia's [03:27] strategic interest. Since the Kingdom's [03:29] foundation in 1932, the Saudi family has [03:32] stroven to expand its control over its [03:34] southern neighbor and prevent it from [03:36] threatening Saudi interests. [03:38] Historically, Saudi policy sought to [03:40] maintain a balance of power in Yemen. [03:42] Strong enough to prevent total collapse [03:43] and regional instability, but weak [03:45] enough to prevent it from becoming a [03:46] powerful independent state that could [03:48] challenge Saudi influence. In 2014 [03:51] though, that strategy kind of broke [03:53] down. The Houthis, a Shia militia from [03:55] Yemen's northern regions, backed and [03:57] funded by Iran, took control of Yemen's [04:00] capital. From Saudi Arabia's [04:01] perspective, this was not a change of [04:03] government. This was Iran establishing a [04:05] Shia foothold directly on Saudi Arabia's [04:08] doorstep. It was Iran inserting itself [04:10] into the Sunni Arabs world's backyard. [04:13] It was Iran challenging the Sunni [04:15] regional order, provoking Saudi Arabia. [04:17] and it worked. In January 2015, with [04:20] Prince Muhammad bin Salman taking the [04:22] role of Minister of Defense, Saudi [04:23] Arabia decided it would not accept this. [04:26] And in March of 2015, Saudi Arabia [04:28] launched a military intervention with a [04:29] coalition of more than 10 countries, [04:31] claiming they were responding to a major [04:33] threat to regional stability and that [04:35] having Yemen fail is not an option. [04:37] Saudi diplomats initially claimed they [04:39] could defeat the Houthies in six weeks. [04:41] They vastly underestimated the seemingly [04:44] primitive group. So, who are these [04:46] hoofies? They are a Shia militant [04:49] organization that emerged in northern [04:50] Yemen in the 1990s. They grew out of [04:53] local grieviances, the marginalization [04:55] of their Zadei community after Yemen's [04:57] revolution in 1962. The Zades had ruled [05:00] much of Yemen for roughly a thousand [05:02] years until 1962 when a revolution [05:04] overthrew the monarchy and the Zadi [05:06] heartland in northern Yemen became [05:08] impoverished and marginalized in the new [05:11] order. The Houthies began as a religious [05:13] revival movement trying to preserve the [05:16] Zadei identity and community. But over [05:18] decades, they became something more, a [05:20] political movement with military [05:22] capability rooted in real community [05:24] grieviances and anger. Of course, [05:26] they're also Shia, which is convenient [05:28] for Iran. But there's a religious point [05:30] that must not be missed about the Zadis. [05:33] They emphasize that an imam, a religious [05:36] leader, must actively fight against [05:38] tyranny and injustice. It's not enough [05:40] to be spiritually pure. An Imam must [05:42] lead resistance against corrupt rulers. [05:44] And this emphasis on active resistance [05:46] against oppression is fundamental to [05:48] understanding why the Houthis didn't [05:50] back down then and won't back down now. [05:52] Why the Houthi survived 11 years of [05:54] Saudi bombing. Because by 2015, when [05:56] Saudi Arabia invaded, the Houthis [05:58] weren't just an Iranian proxy. They were [06:00] a movement with deep roots in northern [06:02] Yemen, support from the Zadi population, [06:04] which was big and a political agenda [06:06] independent of Iran. When Saudi Arabia [06:08] launched its air campaign, it faced a [06:10] paradox. Air power can suppress a [06:12] military force, but it cannot destroy a [06:14] movement that is internal legitimacy and [06:16] local support. And as a US diplomat once [06:19] said, the Houthies are dangerous because [06:21] they will die, every single one of them, [06:24] and never ever back down. And that has [06:27] been proven to be true. Every bomb Saudi [06:29] dropped killed some fighters, but also [06:31] gave the Houthis a grievance to exploit [06:33] and a reason for the population to [06:35] support them. The Saudi le coalition [06:37] conducted over 25,000 air strikes and [06:39] killed an estimated 19,000 civilians in [06:42] the process. And I know you've never [06:43] heard of it surprisingly. The Houthies [06:45] retreated to northern Yemen where they [06:47] had deep roots and support and they [06:49] decided to regroup. After 11 years [06:51] though, Saudi Arabia had not defeated [06:53] them, which was pretty astounding given [06:56] the difference between the two. In many [06:58] ways, the Houthis are similar to [06:59] Hezbollah. They're a militia backed by [07:01] Iran with radical religious ideologies [07:04] who are trying to take control of their [07:06] country but have not succeeded entirely. [07:07] Instead, they use legitimacy of their [07:09] enemies to keep destroying their own [07:11] home and fight against them. The [07:13] humanitarian cost has been devastating. [07:16] Yemen is now the world's worst [07:17] humanitarian crisis. 19.5 million [07:20] Yemenes need humanitarian assistance. [07:22] More than 18 million have food [07:24] insecurities. The situation there is an [07:27] absolute catastrophe. Yemen's [07:28] infrastructure is destroyed. Its [07:30] hospitals don't function. Its ports are [07:31] damaged. Its economy has collapsed. And [07:33] yet, the Houthis remain in control of [07:35] the north and continue to fight. [07:37] Paradoxically, Saudi Arabia's prolonged [07:39] antagonism strengthened Iran's influence [07:41] on the Houthis. Before the Saudi [07:43] intervention, Iran support for the [07:44] Houthis was kind of limited. Some [07:46] military training through Hezbollah in [07:48] Syria, media assistance, some funding [07:50] because it's always helpful for them to [07:52] have friends in different places. But [07:53] over the course of 2015 onward, Iran [07:56] placed increasingly senior operatives on [07:58] the Yemen portfolio. Iran and Hezbollah [08:00] transferred expertise for indigenous [08:02] weapons productions and the Houthis are [08:04] really good at producing their own [08:06] missiles. Iran smuggled advanced [08:08] weaponry like ballistic missiles and [08:10] drones to the Houthis. Iran embedded [08:12] military advisers to the Kaman [08:14] structures. And what Saudi intervention [08:16] did was create the conditions for Iran [08:17] to deepen its relationship with the [08:19] Houthis in ways that they wouldn't have [08:21] otherwise. I'm not blaming Saudi Arabia [08:24] for Iran's insanity, but this is how [08:26] geopolitics works. Saudis military [08:28] pressure helped drive the Houthis [08:30] towards Iran, and it turned out to be [08:32] one of Iran's best investments. By 2026, [08:35] the Houthies had become something [08:36] formidable. The only non-state actor on [08:38] the planet with operational medium-range [08:40] ballistic missiles, drone fleets capable [08:42] of striking targets at sea and on land, [08:43] and the ability to coordinate ground, [08:45] maritime, and air operations [08:47] simultaneously. [08:48] They are a force to be reckoned with. [08:50] They had survived in contested territory [08:53] against a regional power backed by the [08:55] United States and have even prevailed [08:57] against US attacks and Israel attacks [08:59] themselves. They're often mocked, but [09:01] they have done all of this whilst under [09:03] economic blockade and constant air [09:05] bombardment. The Houthis are a genuinely [09:08] capable military force. They're not just [09:10] a small proxy, but they're an effective [09:12] instrument of power and have a very, [09:15] very advanced knowledge of the sea, [09:17] which is convenient for the fact that [09:19] the war has now turned into a maritime [09:21] war, but we'll get to that. It's not for [09:23] nothing that they are serious, serious [09:25] nuisance in the Middle East. And it's [09:27] exactly what Iran loves. After 11 years [09:29] of watching Saudi Arabia fail to defeat [09:31] the Houthis through conventional [09:32] military power, but also that their [09:34] attacks on Saudi Arabia now were not [09:36] causing enough damage, Iran made a [09:38] calculation. They had recently proven [09:40] something important. And guys, listen to [09:42] this one. It's so significant. [09:44] Controlling the straight of Hermuz, the [09:45] passage through which 20% of global oil [09:48] flows, gave Iran leverage over almost [09:50] the entire global economy, and managed [09:52] to get US to do what Iran wanted, back [09:55] off. As we all know, in 2026, when Iran [09:58] closed Hermos as part of its conflict [09:59] with the United States, the closure [10:01] forced global oil markets to reorient. [10:03] Countries that had depended on Hermos [10:05] had to find alternatives, and it was an [10:06] all-out disaster. Did you know that [10:08] Saudi Arabia built the East West [10:10] pipeline, a 750 m corridor running [10:12] across the Saudi Peninsula from its oil [10:14] fields to the Red Sea port of Yamu. The [10:16] pipeline could carry up to 7 million [10:19] barrels a day, and this is an lifeline [10:21] for them. As long as the pipeline works, [10:24] Saudis can export oil, and oil is their [10:26] main income source, accounting for about [10:28] 60% of their revenue. Of course, they're [10:31] trying to diversify, but tourism is out [10:33] the window with the war, and 60% is not [10:36] something you can easily replace. So, as [10:38] long as Saudi has access to the Red Sea, [10:40] Saudi stays afloat financially. But if [10:43] hitting the US economically was so [10:45] successful, maybe the same strategy with [10:47] Saudi Arabia would work. And this is [10:49] where the Houthies came in. Iran [10:51] realized it had an ally in Yemen with a [10:53] capability to control the Bab al-Mandm [10:55] strait in the southern exit of the Red [10:57] Sea. The Houthis could do to Babel [10:59] Mandeb what Iran was doing to Hermuz. [11:01] They could control the choke point. What [11:04] worked might just work again with a [11:06] different enemy to the West, but in [11:08] Iran's eyes, no less problematic. aiders [11:11] and embettors to western enemies and an [11:14] enemy themselves as Sunnis. Iran could [11:16] make it impossible for Saudi Arabia to [11:18] sustain its position of strength in the [11:20] Middle East if it just cripples them [11:21] financially through oil. The control of [11:24] the Houthis in Yemen wasn't about just [11:26] trying to win the war in Yemen. The land [11:28] war is one of those unwinable wars. But [11:30] as always, Iran isn't just thinking [11:32] about winning. They're looking to not [11:34] lose, to cause ongoing chaos, which they [11:37] believe is an enormous factor in their [11:38] coming of their Maddi, the Messiah. And [11:40] whilst that strategy has worked against [11:42] Israel, against the US not winning but [11:45] also not losing and against the UAE, [11:46] Saudi Arabia, etc. If they want to be [11:48] the leaders of Islam, it's not just [11:50] chaos that they need. They need a [11:52] serious loss of status for their [11:55] enemies. When Iran realized that they [11:57] could shift the war to the sea, where a [11:59] small militia or a big one with missiles [12:02] could impose an asymmetric costs on a [12:04] state with air superiority and exert the [12:06] price literally economically, it [12:08] realized it had won the jackpot. And who [12:11] better to test this out with? And with [12:12] Saudi Arabia conveniently located in the [12:14] exact spot their proxies can control and [12:16] their ultimate rivals, they are the most [12:19] vulnerable to having their export routes [12:20] disrupted. Once again, Iran uses its [12:23] asymmetric strategy. You don't attack [12:25] your enemies where they're strong. You [12:27] attack where they're dependent. And so [12:29] in July of 2026, Iran opened direct [12:31] flights to Sana, Yemen, for the first [12:33] time in a decade. And in July of 2026, [12:36] an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Core [12:38] flight landed carrying weapon components [12:40] for ballistic missiles and drones, plus [12:42] military advisers. Iran told the [12:44] Houthies to escalate. Iran promised war [12:46] weapons, more funding, more senior [12:48] officers embedded in their command [12:50] structure. Iran had identified the [12:52] vulnerability and they had now have the [12:54] proxy force to exploit it. And then Iran [12:56] gave an order. In late July, the Houthis [12:58] announced a maritime blockade of Saudi [13:00] Arabia and began attacking Saudi [13:02] vessels. In early September, they [13:04] launched a ground offensive down Yemen's [13:06] west coast to capture the ports and [13:08] islands controlling the Babel Mandeb [13:10] strait. By September 10th, they had [13:12] taken Mocha. By September 11th, they had [13:15] captured an island that was essential [13:17] sitting inside the strait itself. And [13:18] the Houthis now controlled the choke [13:21] point. After 11 years of grinding land [13:23] war that kind of went nowhere, Iran and [13:25] the Houthi suddenly shifted to maritime [13:27] warfare. They're not trying to defeat [13:28] Saudi Arabia's ground forces which are [13:30] stronger. They just simply seize control [13:32] of the passage through which Saudi [13:33] Arabia's oil has to flow. And by the [13:36] way, they're not just targeting the [13:38] shipping routes in the Red Sea. They've [13:40] also struck deep into Saudi Arabia [13:42] itself. In late July, they attacked [13:43] Saudi energy facilities and the Red Sea [13:45] ports where Saudi oil is exported. [13:47] They're going all out on trying to [13:49] destroy their oil industry. Their [13:52] refineries, which process hundreds of [13:54] thousands of barrels of oil a day, have [13:56] caught fire, specifically the Jazanna [13:58] refinery, after the Houthies attacked [13:59] them. And in August, they also attacked [14:02] Abaquake, the world's largest crude oil [14:05] stabilization facility, which process up [14:07] to 7 million barrels a day, historically [14:09] more than half of Saudi's oil [14:11] production, forcing them honestly to [14:13] suspend operations. The Houthis have [14:15] claimed attacks on this air base and [14:17] that air base and this Saudi Arabia [14:19] thing and that Saudi Arabia using dozens [14:21] of ballistic missiles and drones [14:23] targeting hangers, radar installations, [14:25] and ammunition depots. They have struck [14:27] the airports in southern Saudi Arabia. [14:29] They fired projectiles at civilian areas [14:31] and they wounded civilians. Saudi [14:33] Arabia's oil infrastructure is under [14:35] sustained assault. The Houthis are [14:37] proving that they can reach anywhere in [14:39] Saudi Arabia they want to reach and now [14:41] they have even attacked near Mecca which [14:43] made huge headlines yesterday. The [14:46] religious significance of this is not [14:47] lost on any of the Muslim world least of [14:49] all Saudi Arabia who realize that [14:51] despite their enormous budget to fight [14:53] $85 billion a year without the right [14:56] tech they don't have what it takes to [14:58] stop this enemy who is really doing a [15:01] lot of damage. So they decide to reach [15:03] out to their new partners in the peace [15:05] treaty from just a few weeks ago and [15:06] they get a polite no. No, they just [15:09] won't be helped. The United States, [15:11] which is also their ally under the Trump [15:13] administration, has also refused direct [15:15] military assistance, knowing the [15:16] complications of the Houthis. Trump told [15:18] reporters that the Houthis called us [15:20] they don't want to fight with us and [15:21] that the US would provide only [15:22] intelligence and targeting support. [15:24] Saudi Arabia's allies are declining to [15:27] fight for them and the Saudis are in a [15:29] serious conundrum which has gone so bad [15:31] that Saudi Arabia has actually asked [15:33] Israel for help in dealing with the [15:36] Houthies. I know after all the drama [15:39] between Saudi Arabia and Israel [15:40] historically with them having a peace [15:43] deal and then pulling out of the peace [15:44] deal etc. This is a crazy step. Crown [15:48] Prince Muhammad bin Salman reached out [15:50] indirectly to Israel through the US [15:52] Central Command, seeking intelligence [15:53] assistance and support in preventing the [15:55] Houthis from closing the Bab al-Mandab [15:57] Straight. The same country that is [15:59] stalling on a peace deal is realizing [16:00] that actually you might, yes, want [16:02] Israel on your side when you have crazy [16:03] enemies attacking you. Remember, Israel [16:06] has been attacked by the Houthies for [16:08] the last three years almost on a [16:10] consistent basis and has quite a lot of [16:12] knowledge about them. You might think [16:14] that them recognizing Somali land is [16:17] completely random and nothing to do with [16:20] what's going on geopolitically, but [16:21] Somaliand is conveniently located right [16:23] next to Yemen and gives them a lot of [16:25] access to intel. But back to Saudi [16:28] Arabia. This data share was an unusual [16:30] instance of behind-the-scenes [16:31] cooperation between Saudi Arabia and [16:33] Israel, which still do not have formal [16:35] diplomatic relations, and it showed the [16:37] depth of Saudi Arabia's problem at hand. [16:40] They're willing to coordinate with [16:41] Israel, something politically explosive [16:43] in the Arab world because they really [16:45] don't have any other choice. And why [16:47] would Israel share intel with Saudi [16:49] Arabia after the way they've been [16:50] treated? Well, because they know the [16:52] name of the game. And at the end of the [16:53] day, proving yourself to be invaluable [16:56] to what could be a very important ally [16:58] is more persuasive than saying no to [17:00] prove a point that helps literally no [17:02] one. As of now, coordinated drone [17:04] attacks from Iranianbacked Iraqi [17:06] militias are hitting Saudi Arabia's [17:07] pipelines and the pipelines are shutting [17:10] down. Saudi Arabia has almost no way to [17:12] export oil. Hermuz is closed by Iran and [17:15] yes, the US is helping, but now the Red [17:17] Sea is controlled by the Houthis and the [17:19] pipeline is damaged. Oil prices are [17:21] jumping. Shipping countries are once [17:23] again rerouting. Diesel prices in [17:26] America have jumped again. Saudi [17:28] Arabia's strategic position has become [17:29] untenable without Iran having to fight [17:31] Saudi Arabia directly. Just like with [17:33] the US, just like with Israel, Iran [17:35] realized it doesn't need to defeat Saudi [17:37] Arabia militarily. They just need to [17:39] make their strategic position [17:41] unsustainable. They prove that you don't [17:43] need conventional military superiority [17:45] to challenge the existing regional [17:46] order. You need to understand your [17:48] enemy's dependencies and make them pay. [17:50] Obviously, I strongly strongly despise [17:54] Iran and see them as a very serious [17:56] threat to the entire world. But it is [17:59] important to recognize their abilities. [18:00] Right now, they are struggling through a [18:02] serious economic sanctions. They're [18:04] still going through the broader context [18:06] of the Iran war with the US and Israel, [18:10] which the Houthis had also joined and [18:12] resumed missile attacks on Israel back [18:14] in the day. But they've changed [18:16] strategy. They moved this into a [18:18] maritime war and they're using the [18:19] Houthies who are now as we said [18:21] attacking Saudi Arabia and shipping [18:22] routes in the Red Sea and Israel and [18:24] they are operating on multiple fronts [18:26] simultaneously as part of a coordinated [18:28] regional strategy for the Houthies as [18:31] well. This is not just about Yemen [18:32] anymore. This is a multi-theater [18:34] conflict in which Iran is applying [18:36] pressure on multiple enemies, the United [18:37] States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia through [18:39] multiple proxies simultaneously. What's [18:41] amazing to realize though is that as of [18:44] now, Israel is literally just out of [18:47] this conflict almost entirely except for [18:49] helping its allies. The attacks are not [18:52] on Israel. They're on American bases. [18:54] They're on Saudi Arabia. They're on UAE. [18:56] They're on the Gulf States. But Iran [18:57] just doesn't want to start a fight with [18:59] Israel, which is a similar lesson to [19:01] what Saudi Arabia has realized. Like, [19:03] nah, don't mess with these people. Just [19:05] don't mess with them. It's not [19:06] worthwhile. Does it mean there won't be [19:08] an escalation? That something won't [19:09] happen? No, obviously not. And just FYI, [19:13] Israel has attacked the Houthi [19:15] infrastructure extensively over the last [19:17] few years, every time the Houthis [19:19] attacked Israel. But as I said at the [19:21] beginning of this episode, this has [19:22] shifted from a war between Iran and the [19:25] West to a war of Iran trying to assert [19:28] its dominancy everywhere except for [19:31] Israel. They're going after their [19:33] internal enemies within the Muslim [19:35] world. They're going after their [19:36] external enemies, America, and they [19:39] don't seem to be backing down. And the [19:41] ways that they're doing this are very, [19:43] very intelligent. They're creating [19:44] chaos. They're not specifically trying [19:46] to win, just trying to find their [19:48] enemy's weak points and really hit [19:50] there. And they're using these militias [19:53] and many proxies, which are actually not [19:57] to just be dismissed and mocked like [19:59] we're used to. They're sophisticated [20:01] military forces with missiles and drone [20:04] fleets and naval capabilities. And [20:05] they're rooted in serious ideologies [20:07] that give them all of the religious [20:09] backing that they need to fight and to [20:11] not stop fighting. Iran and the Houthis [20:14] are surviving military pressure because [20:16] they have what it takes. They have the [20:19] belief system that God is on their side [20:20] and that there's just no reason for them [20:23] to back down. And they're also seeing [20:25] that God is somewhat on their side [20:27] according to their beliefs. They're [20:29] managing to impose costs on regional [20:31] powers by controlling choke points that [20:32] the global economy depends on. [20:34] Understanding Iran requires [20:36] understanding that Iran doesn't try to [20:37] win wars anymore. They just tried to [20:39] make losing sustainable enough that its [20:40] enemies have no choice but to back down. [20:43] This conflict has just begun. This is in [20:46] no way over. And I want to be clear, [20:48] Iran and the Houthis are not winning as [20:50] of now. They've just surprised the West [20:53] and Saudi Arabia with a very [20:55] sophisticated strategy. But the Saudi [20:57] money, the American money, the American [21:00] and Saudi and Israel intelligence [21:02] combined are very, very, very capable. [21:04] And this is a war that is only going to [21:06] escalate and get worse before it calms [21:08] down. We're going to be watching this [21:10] very carefully because of course most of [21:12] us understand that the Islamic Republic [21:14] falling the end of it is not only [21:16] important just for the people of Iran [21:19] the millions of civilians who don't [21:21] believe in radical Islamist ideology but [21:23] for the Middle East as a whole because [21:25] they are proving to be a group of people [21:27] who have no interest in actually caring [21:30] for the people of their countries but [21:31] rather in inserting religious [21:33] extremities everywhere. And any country [21:36] that believes in the fact that people [21:38] should have freedom like Israel in the [21:40] West and to some degree Saudi Arabia, [21:43] although not entirely, are realizing [21:45] that this Iran war, it's not just about [21:48] Iran. It's about something much, much, [21:50] much bigger. And honestly, we're going [21:52] to have to watch where it goes. I'm K [21:54] and I will see you next time.
