6/11/26: Trump Floats Taking Kharg Island, Prof Marandi Says Iran Welcomes Invasion

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2:30Good morning, everybody. Happy Thursday. I have an amazing show for everybody today. What do we have, Crystal? Indeed we do. A lot of breaking news once again with regard to our war on Iran. Bombs are flying. There are some indications maybe they are still working on a deal behind the scenes. We will sort through it all. Trump making some wild comments and threats as well. So we'll play that for you too. Professor Morandi is gonna join us for the Iranian perspective, what he thinks is going on and may happen next. Brandon Weikert also going to be back with us. So we covered with him previously the efforts to integrate the Israeli military with our military.

3:03Apparently, they're also trying to fully integrate the Israeli intelligence apparatus with our intelligence apparatus and to legislate that this is legally mandated no matter what a future president may want to do. So he's going to get into all of that and also react to a very troubling report from legendary journalist Cy Hirsch that Trump has, in fact, floated using a nuke in Iran. So get his thoughts on all of that. We've also got some other wild Trump comments on the economy. He says he loves the inflation. We will get you the Republican reaction. We also have a huge story in terms of the stock market with the SpaceX IPO going forward.

3:42This is going to be, one way or another, extremely consequential. So we want to take another look at that. And then we've got Mika Brzezinski with a wild question to Graham Plattner and an excerpt in the New York Times of explosive behind the scenes information about how all of the Epstein files machinations went down behind the scenes. This is Maggie Haberman. And it's pretty interesting what they are claiming happened with regards to remember the binders that went to the influencers, Pam Bondi making a mess of things, who was arguing for what behind the scenes, and what the president was up to during that time.

4:18Yeah, I would say it doesn't make a single person in there look good. Thank you to everybody for subscribing to the show, breakingpoints.com, to support our work. All of us up all hours of the night monitoring all these missiles flying all over, so please support us if you can. And if you're watching this on YouTube, hit subscribe, listen to the podcast, share an episode with a friend. But as Crystal said, we're going to go ahead and start with all of the craziness in the Middle East right now. Let's go ahead and start. First, what we have here is the United States Navy releasing this, disabling another tanker in the Gulf of Oman.

4:49You can see that they shot two Hellfire missiles at the boiler room. This is the third tanker that's been disabled in a number of days. What you're watching here is actually an Iranian missile barrage on an Air Force base in Jordan. Very noteworthy because Jordan had not come under nearly as much attack. You can see that some of the missiles were intercepted. Iranians are claiming otherwise. This is a very important one. What you're watching in front of you are actually tomahawk missiles, which were fired from a U.S. destroyer somewhere in the Persian Gulf. But the reason why this is very important from a military perspective is that it shows even nearly 100 days now into the war is that the United States did not want to risk actually sending planes over Iran.

5:30Remember, because we had multiple shootout instances. So these are standoff munitions, tomahawks. It is estimated that in the 39 days, maybe 38 days of conflict, the United States spent 30 percent of its entire Tomahawk missile inventory. So another 50 Tomahawk missiles per the president and the White House that were fired as of last night. Very noteworthy in the fact that they were used. We also know from the targeting, many of the targets in Iran appear to all be air base and radar systems, which are along the Straits of Hormuz. Why does that matter? Because it shows remaining that the U.S. remains bedeviled by this problem.

6:08We were told that the Navy was eliminated, that the Air Force was eliminated. Not even true. Just saw a video. Literally came out today, released by the Iranians, of one of their fighter jets actually landing on an airbase. But it does show that they are still bedeviled by that problem. Many of these installation sites all along the Strait of Hormuz. And the single most important use is those Tomahawk missiles. It tells us they still do not want to risk sending planes over Iran. in the case that they get shot down, just showing their overall military strength. So we did have Fox News reporter Trey Yinks.

6:39He got a call straight from the Situation Room last night. Let's take a listen. I just spoke with President Trump, who is currently in the Situation Room with Vice President J.D. Vance, along with special envoys Kushner and Witkoff, the president giving new insight into what is taking place as we speak. There is an ongoing bombing campaign against the Iranian regime. The president tells Fox News that 49 Tomahawk missiles were used to hit targets inside of Iran, some of them as close as 40 miles from the Iranian capital of Tehran. The president said that U.S. fighter jets are also operating over the skies of Iran, taking out radar systems and air defense systems in the southwestern part of the country, close to the Persian Gulf.

7:22This is all taking place as the Iranians are trying to get the United States to stop the bombing campaign. President Trump told me that Iran called him tonight, top Iranian officials and President Trump spoke directly, according to the commander in chief tonight, as the president was sitting in the situation room. And he told me that the Iranians asked them to stop bombing. And the president said to me, the bombing will stop shortly. I asked him what will happen if the Iranians do not sign an agreement that was put forward by American negotiators, President Trump said, quote, we'll bomb the S out of them tomorrow night.

7:59I asked the president if the ceasefire is over. He told me this was the most violated ceasefire in the history of the world. He also spoke about the broader situation. And Vice President J.D. Vance also spoke momentarily. The phone at one point was on speaker and the vice president talked about how this negotiating team has dealt with the Iranians, understanding that they have to deal with both moderates and more extreme voices inside of Iran. We will bomb the shit out of them, Trump told Trey, like his attempt to censor there on cable television. We were going to bomb the shit out of them today if they do not sign a deal.

8:36I'm sure that if we just bombed them for the 39th time, that this time everything will work out. Let's put an A3 up here on the screen, the immediate response from the Iranians. Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all shipping and has warned any vessel will be targeted. The Armed Forces' top operational command responsible for coordinating military operations says the following. Following the criminal aggressions of the American enemy and considering the launch of new attacks by the invading army that the countries on the area of the South Province from this moment ago, due to insecurity in the region, the Strait of Hormuz is declared closed for passage for all types of vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships.

9:13Any movement of vessels through the strait will be targeted. And the American claim regarding the passivist ship through the strait is false. This was after CENTCOM had denied that. They're also and they're also denying Trump said in that, you know, to Trey Yanks reportedly that he had spoken directly with the Iranians. They are also denying that that is going on. And I mean, the one area where they are in agreement is Trump said this is the most violated ceasefire in the history of time. And they also are saying that, you know, this these attacks have made the truce completely meaningless. So today seems to be a really pivotal day, given that Trump is saying either we're going to have some sort of a deal, you know, we're going to bomb them into negotiating, which is something that he's been convinced of before that, oh, if we just have a little more violence, one more attack, that then we're going to be able to succeed at the negotiating table.

10:02So either there's going to be some sort of progress diplomatically today, or else it's looking increasingly like we're going back to all out war. I think that there's no question in terms of, I mean, look, I don't know, obviously, anything could happen. There are some reports about talking and all of that behind the scenes, but a couple of important things. We'll save that mostly for Professor Mirandi. But if we stick explicitly with what we know, let's put A5 up here on the screen again, just to show everyone where all of these things are going. at least four explosions were heard on the coastal town on the eastern side of the strait.

10:34Another explosion was near the city of Minab, which, if you'll recall, that's where that girl's school was struck. Several explosions were also heard near the port area on a Gulf of Oman coast. And then an explosion was reported in Iran's main commercial port and naval hub overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. All of that indicates that the U.S. is looking at the strait singularly as the major military problem. What this comes on the heels of, if you put it all together, is that the strait itself reopening it is the only military objective now of the U.S. They're not even pretending to strike military sites in Tehran or near the nuclear facilities or any of these places, which actually shows you the ball is in Iran's court because if they're able to control the strait now, as opposed to whenever, what, February 28th when the war is launched, we are now trying to solve a problem that didn't exist on the very day the war was launched.

11:25It also, look, if Iran was totally military defeated, as Trump has claimed, I think yesterday, that Ryan and Emily covered, then they would not have air defense and radar systems and missiles and drones that they were able to launch as far away as Jordan, at Kuwait, at Bahrain, all three, which were also hit last night. I mean, look, we have no idea. There's all kinds of wild claims that are out there. But one thing making clear to me, there is a hell of a lot more censorship now coming out of the Gulf. The number of videos and things that come from the Gulf of showing interceptions and all that is minuscule compared to even when it was.

12:00Pretty clearly the Gulf people have got this lockdown over the last 65 days. And I think a lot of foreigners have probably left and have probably not gone. So that's probably another part of it. But, I mean, we are seeing – there's some report of a hit on the U.S. Navy, Fifth Fleet. Don't know if it's true or not. We'll never know, to be honest, because it's not like CENTCOM going to tell us the truth. I love, I mean, just to show you all the level of nonsense, Jordan came out and was like, we've intercepted 20 missiles. Well, Iran was like, well, we only fired 12. So how does that work? Well, maybe the missiles came from somewhere else.

12:32Somebody else can speculate that. Or maybe they're lying. And we've seen that very consistently from CENTCOM, from the U.S. forces. They keep saying everything is fine, nothing's been hit. And then six weeks later, you're like, oh, my God, this entire place looks like the moonscape in terms of what has been hit. So just keep that in mind as some of these denials and other things are rolling out. We have no idea the amount of U.S. assets that may have been taken out as of yesterday. We do know, though, that there was this major strike on an Iranian water source, a drinking water site. We basically 100 percent confirmed.

13:05It's been geolocated and confirmed also. The New York Times ran one of its investigative series on it over the last 24 hours. They said not only was it struck, but it was struck deliberately. Pete Hegseth was asked about that yesterday when he was at Gitmo. Let's take a listen. So far, blockade is ironclad, which it is. And we're able to move commercial shipping in and out of the Strait of Hormuz. Who controls the Strait of Hormuz? And President Trump said it, and he's right. The United States of America controls the Strait of Hormuz. We're able to bring oil in and out and other things with partners and have done so now for weeks and weeks in ways the Iranians don't want to acknowledge.

13:43strikes tonight are they bigger more strikes than last night we're not we were as you know we're not in the business of revealing what we're going to do or not going to do but uh ultimately what we do tonight are going to advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position where you just mentioned you're going to plan to hit them and strike them hard tonight if the response is in hitting bridges electrical infrastructure how would that not be a war crime potentially targeting civilian infrastructure. Well, it's precisely the kind of disingenuous question that I'm used to from the media, impugning the motives of the folks on our side who are incredibly professional and incredibly effective.

14:23We will hit them hard on our terms, on the targets that improve the environment for us to operate in and undermine the capabilities that Iran wants to have. Again, they can't do that to us meaningfully the way that we can to them. But we're also clearly signaling to them, you have a choice. You have a choice to, in the way that you respond, and you have a choice with the negotiate, our incredible negotiating team in Steve Wyckoff and Jared Kushner and the vice president and the president across the board prepared. Marco Rubio, the whole team prepared to make a great deal that would benefit Iran.

15:01They choose not to. And as a result, they are They're going to meet the United States Central Command again tonight in the way the president laid out clearly. Hey, Seth, it's fully back to rah-rah mode. But you can see here, Zas specifically, we can rule the Strait of Hormuz. But the strike on the water storage site remains very important because that was one of the main – well, first of all, you're not supposed to do that. It's just by any – even by the rules laid out by the United States military, not even like Geneva Convention or any of that. But second is that that was always something that was going to be seen as a red line from the Iranians.

15:36Now, we don't know yet what their full response has been. Frankly, it's been a bit muted now so far. They've only really targeted American sites. They have not as of yet targeted any of the civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, but that has always been threatened. Recall, they were very much eye for an eye. Like you hit the South Par's gas field, they're going to go ahead and hit Ras Lafon in Doha, taking out billions and billions of dollars in oil infrastructure. I'm not sure what their military strategy is right now, but it does remain one where they can use it certainly as a pretext to go after all those desalination plants all across the Gulf, which would be equally critical for them as it is for Iran.

16:11So it remains to be seen. Your pet is your bestie, your therapist, your perfect match. It's easy to love them. It's easy to protect them, too, with pet insurance coverage from Pets Best. Because it's all fun and games until they chew on something they shouldn't. and you get a vet bill to match. With perfect timing, Pets Best helps protect your furry friend and your budget from this imperfect world. Get up to 90 % cash back on eligible vet bills from less than a dollar a day. Pets Best has plans to cover accidents, injuries, and more, from puppies and kittens to seniors. Find your perfect match plan and get a quote at PetsBest.com.

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17:21It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people. If we got clear facts, maybe we can calm down a little. NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News, reporting for America. When people turn to health care for weight loss, they're looking for real support. That's why more people are choosing orderlymeds.com. Orderly Meds connects you with real doctors and access to proven GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and terzepatide. No guessing, just a more supportive experience. And all shipped directly to your door in discreet packaging.

18:02Do your research, ask questions, then visit orderlymeds.com slash podcast for an exclusive offer. That's orderlymeds.com slash podcast. Individual results may vary, not medical advice, eligibility required, see site for details. Let's go and put A8 up on the screen. This is what we've referenced a few times about how there is this report. According to a veteran political insider, and this is from Amwaj Media in Tehran with knowledge of the negotiations, alleging that there is a draft agreement that has been prepared. That insider said that the text is ready. It was finalized tonight, gave credit to Qatar, which has been separately engaging with both Iran and the U.S.

18:43to forge a deal. Now, keep in mind, when we say a deal, we mean a preliminary memo of understanding to, I guess, have a more concrete ceasefire, since this ceasefire doesn't really seem to be a ceasefire, while the rest of details are worked out. It says, if they can get the final approval by tomorrow, that would now be today, it will be initiated. Spike in Iran-U.S. violence comes amid mixed signaling that suggests possible disconnect between what the respective militaries are doing and what political leadership are discussing. Senior Iranian political source interpreted Trump's decision to conduct strikes for a second night as reflecting anger with an apparent deadlock in negotiations.

19:20While describing Trump as angry, the senior source lamented there appeared to be little cognizance in the White House of how real world armed confrontations are, quote, not a video game. The Iranian leadership has authorized retaliatory strikes on U.S. military facilities, casting doubt on the prospect of a nod to an imminent deal. There are indications, though, that both sides ultimately want to avoid renewed all out war. While the Iranian leadership has authorized retaliatory strikes. They also say late on June 10th, Trump claimed to have ordered a halt to bombings after speaking directly with Iranian officials, alleging he was asked to cease attacks.

19:53The U.S. military on June 10th struck a number of military sites in southern Iran. Iranian media has denied the claims about any direct contact. Trump notably alluded to the coming 24 hours, that would be today, as being decisive, saying that if an agreement on the table is not signed on June 11th, we'll bomb the shit out of them. So the idea that's being offered here is that the strikes are more about two things, frustration with the final holdup in the negotiations and also trying to posture like, you know, now if he did this bombing and then announced a deal, then he would get to look kind of like a tough guy.

20:34Like, oh, you know, they we came in and we were hard with them and we struck their, you know, critical sites and they were afraid. And And that's why we're able to secure this deal. So the picture that this insider report is laying out is one of more posturing and face-saving in the days before there's actually going to be some sort of diplomatic breakthrough. That's what they're claiming. Now, I am skeptical because I don't think that when you go in and bomb a country, it makes it more likely for a deal to happen. That is certainly not what we've seen in the past. It's not what we've seen in the context of this conflict when Iran still has a very hard and strong position in terms of their leverage over the Strait of Four Moos.

21:20The nature, as Sagar was saying before, of the attacks where there were not flyovers, where these were just missiles launched from far away, shows the continued strength of the Iranian military and the Iranian position. We have been to the—they almost have a deal rodeo for like 60 days at this point. So that also lends some level of skepticism. But we wanted to make sure to get in here that this is, you know, this is a possibility that that is what is going on behind the scenes. And that neither side really wants to go back to all out conflict and will, you know, take some pain and some loss in order to secure some sort of a deal.

21:55The other element of this that we haven't mentioned is Israel, which continues to strike inside of Lebanon. And that is a red line for the Iranians. And they have already made clear and asserted that that is, you know, that that is a deal breaker. They will not move forward until there is a genuine cessation of hostilities from Israel against Lebanon and Hezbollah. So in any case, it appears to be, you know, we're either coming to some sort of at least temporary deal and memo of understanding or spiraling back into all-out hostilities. Well, while you were speaking, there's some breaking news.

22:29The United States, from Donald Trump, let's put this up in post, will be hitting Iran, whose Navy, Air Force, radar, and anti-aircraft are gone. Very hard tonight. At some point in the not-too-distant future, we will be taking Karg Island and other oil infrastructure points and assume total control of their oil and gas markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Okay. Well, what do you think of that? I mean, do you think that that's an empty threat? and again, and posturing?

23:06Or do you think this is really happening? Because with Trump, you never know because you cannot take his words at face value. Processing in real time. There's just basically two options. One, remember he said, we're going to end civilization. Entire civilization will die tonight. The ceasefire gets signed like 24 hours later. So that's certainly possible. Also, would you really want to telegraph that you're going to take a Carg Island before you're going to take Carg Island? Probably not. Because if you're like, hey, that's where we're going. So maybe they're not going to take Carg Island. We previously talked about Kashim Island, which they might go ahead and try to take.

23:37Or it might be used as cover for a nuclear paratrooper deployment in the nuclear area with Isfahan. So let's put that all on the table. At the very least, though, I mean, we're back to bellicosity and to sword waving, which the Iranians – look. I mean that's why while you were talking, I was like my only counter was going to be this would mean a totally different Iran. An Iran that would sit there from Iran for the last 100 days, which has consistently laid out a red line and said, if you come and hit us, we're going to hit you twice as hard to establish deterrence. That has fit their entire pattern.

24:12There's no reason to say why they would capitulate right now to this action. I also just have no – I just see no reason why you would say at some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Carg Island and other oil infrastructure points and assume total control of their oil and gas markets. if you didn't mean it in some form. It does remind me, though, very much of, like you were saying, the whole civilization is going to die. And then he said we're going to destroy all of their bridges and all of their infrastructure. And that was an attempt by him to provide himself with cover in order to float this deal, which was so that he could look like, oh, we forced that.