Transcription
Explosion or a historic agreement. What will really happen on the day after the ceasefire with Iran? Behind the tense claim, Iran and the United States are waging a fateful battle of minds over the future of the Middle East, as oil and also the nuclear issue make every decision more explosive than ever. Are we on the way to a calm or rather to an unexpected boiling point?
The president of the United States was interviewed on the American networks and claimed that Iran is desperate for an agreement. Trump announced that we have not finished the war yet, but we are close to it. The Revolutionary Guards are suffering huge losses, about 240 billion dollars in 40 days. And that means $350 million per day. This is the unimaginable damage to Iran's economy following the blockade.
Vice President JD Vance revealed details from the Islamabad summit and said that Trump does not want a small deal, but a giant deal that will make Iran prosperous in exchange for a total surrender of the nuclear program. Iran is trying to recover missiles that were buried following the American strikes. And newly leaked military documents revealed that the Revolutionary Guards secretary purchased an advanced satellite system from China that enabled them to monitor the strike that American bases and infrastructure in the Middle East and also carry it with precision. A report today says that the Revolutionary Guard used a Chinese spy satellite named TE01B, whose control was transferred into their hands, and the advanced technology allowed the Iranians to strike the American military with merciless precision. We will soon bring you all the details.
And European countries are trying to organize forces and act behind the scenes. Europe's surprising step that leaves the United States and Israel out of the game. And does Lebanon want the IDF to finish the job against? What do you think about that? Let me know in the comments. I'm Pinto, with me is Mati Shashani, and we are boots on the ground. We bring you the whole truth about what's happening in Israel and also the whole truth about what's happening in our neighborhood, the Middle East. And this is the close of day 47 of the war, Roaring Lion, or by its American name, Epic Fury.
After hinting at renewed talks in Pakistan, US President Donald Trump declared that the days of the war are drawing to an end and estimated that it will take Iran decades to recover and again declared that only because of the United States is Iran not a nuclear state. The American naval blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz continues, and meanwhile, US military dystoils in the area have already stopped Iranian ships and ordered them to turn back. SenCom said, "We have stopped Iran's economic trade from the sea." This is according to the commander of SenCom.
Military documents leaked from Iran revealed that the Revolutionary Guards are secretly producing and purchasing an advanced satellite system from China that enables them to monitor and also to strike American bases and infrastructure in the Middle East with precision. New satellite images revealed that Iran is clearing debris from blocked entrances to missile bases in Airbus satellite. Satellite images from April 10 show that efforts were documented to remove debris from the docked entrance of a tunnel at the missile base south of the breeze in Iran. In addition, satellite documentation shows that the Iranians are also seen clearing debris from the missile base in Humane. There, a truck was documented removing rubble from a tunnel entrance while garbage removal trucks waited in that area.
So, look, the United States may prefer economic damage to the Iranian money over renewed fighting and military operations. But Iran is signaling that, in its view, this is an act of war. When Iranian honor is on the table, escalation in the strait could very quickly deteriorate into live fire. Everything depends on whether they can reach an agreement that ends this war.
At the opening of the day against Iran, the goal was to bring about the fall of the regime. But now it seems that the leadership of the Revolutionary Guards has become more militant and more rigid and has set themselves a different goal of reaching religious redemption through total war. The new regime in Tehran is afraid to bury the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the delay in the burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei exposes the depth of the crisis in Tehran, also the fear within the Revolutionary Guards and the leadership of an internal eruption and also loss of control. So, we will soon bring you all the details.
And in addition, we will bring you Europe's surprising step that leaves the United States and Israel out of the game. Because in recent days, European countries have been forming a coalition that will clear the shipping lanes of mines and also escort merchant vessels, but only after this war ends. The goal is to restore confidence to the energy market without being dragged into direct confrontation with Iran.
Israel is preparing for a halt. The race against the clock for the IDF in Lebanon. So while in Washington, they're trying to establish an agreement between Israel and Lebanon, on the ground, the IDF is acting to maximize military gains. In Washington, after the conclusion of the historic talks, Israel and Lebanon agreed to move to direct negotiations. The talks were held in Washington in the presence of the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Israel's ambassador to the United States said after this meeting, "The security of our citizens is not up for negotiation." This is understood in the government of Lebanon. Lebanese member of parliament from Hezbollah, Hassan Fandal, said that the decision to negotiate with Israel will deepen the rift in Lebanon. He added, "The government should reconsider its decision to conduct negotiations with Israel. The picture in Washington does not reflect Lebanon's identity and the choices of the Lebanese people."
What will happen? Not sure, but I'm Pinto. With me is Mati Shashani, and we'll give you the boots on the ground coverage of everything that's happening in Islam in this region and in Iran. And this is day 47 of the war against the Revolutionary Guards in Iran, which is the head of the crumbling axis of evil in the Middle East. And one second before we begin, I want to call on you to keep spreading the truth. Share our content with as many people as possible. Click on the subscribe button, and most importantly, do not forget to look for me, Ya Pinto, and for Mati Shashani on our social media platforms to get our eye-level view of what it's like to live in Israel in this war. Our senior correspondent for Middle Eastern affairs, Mati Shashani.
But if already on the first day of the American move, we are seeing both enforcement and breaches, what does that say about the real balance of power in this region? Does it teach us that Hormuz is not a place that can be closed absolutely at all? And the battle there is more a battle of deterrence and control than just a hermetic blockade. Yeah, that's a great question. The Strait of Hormuz is, you know, it's, it might sound relatively small, tens of kilometers, tens of miles, but it's big enough to allow ships to slip in and out of it. The main point here really with the blockade is not, you know, stopping every single ship and every single movement. The main point here is putting the squeeze on the Iranian regime, is clearing the minds from the Strait of Hormuz and making sure everyone in the world sees what the true picture is, which is on the one hand weakening the Iranian regime by cutting off their source of income, to defanging the Iranian regime's ability to threaten other countries, both with the very like vague threat of "we put mines in the Strait of Hormuz and we don't know where they are," which I would outright say is a, is a complete lie. I'm sure they do know and they intentionally did this. And the second part is, is by slowly opening up the strait so other countries have the sense of stability to start moving through that strait again. And of course, there's an added bonus over here where this doesn't have to be perfect. Uh, the goal here is to weaken the Iranian regime. The goal here is to prevent the Iranian regime from hurting other ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and then by extension of that to project safety, to project a sense of stability to the region, to other countries in the world. Again, a lot of this game is a finance game. It's not just war. Israel and the United States won the war long ago. That's never been on the table since, you know, day number four of this conflict. The question now is the long-term financial impact. And here the US is playing a, a brilliant game. They're working with the Chinese. Uh, in other words, positioning the Chinese to be the ones that end up having to ask the Iranians to free things, to free up the Strait of Hormuz. I, I'll explain that briefly. Uh, the Chinese, even though technically the Iranians were allowing some uh ships with oil to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, also Chinese ships and pretty much any other country in the world didn't uh venture to cross through the Strait of Hormuz because of the financial threat of accidentally being hit by traversing through an active war zone. So the US is setting up a situation over here where countries around the world understand that this is the right move, where there seems to be a buildup of stability in the region, where oil is moving through pipelines mostly now, but soon will be moving through the open seas, and also that there's a sense that we're moving towards the end of this conflict. And one last thing is for the countries of the region, for the Gulf states, the Omanis, the uh, the Qataris, the Kuwaitis, the Saudis, the Emiratis, and for Israel, of course, the US is doing something very important here when you're the global policeman. And that thing is, and I say this positively, not negatively, that thing is is showing a commitment to see things through, not to half it, uh, not to only do it part of the way, but to really thoroughly push all the way to a thorough negotiation. And the only way to get there is by putting the squeeze on the Iranian regime. And the main point you do that is by cutting off their oil exports from KG Island, which is in the northern part of the uh Persian uh uh Gulf, and out through the Strait of Hormuz, and two by preventing goods from coming into Iran. Now, don't worry, there's not going to be the humanitarian crisis in Iran. One, this will end too soon. Two, they have a bunch of other ways of getting goods in and out of the country through the land, through the Caspian Sea. That's not the goal here. The goal here is to cut off Iranian oil money and then to allow as much stability and as much safety to other countries to understand this is going in the right trend. And by the way, we've talked about this for weeks here up till this moment, which is that this thing, this closing off of Iranian oil exports, that is the big uh card that the Trump administration has been holding off on using up till this point, knowing full well that they could, knowing full well that they could cut off the exports of oil for the Iranians, but holding off from doing it to not affect global markets. And lo and behold, they've been able to shut off those exports, and we haven't seen the shock ripple effect that people were afraid of. On the contrary, we've seen more a sense of stability take place and take root in people over the fact that the US is fighting a thorough war. We're going all the way through through the right steps and negotiating systematically on the points that matter, the export of terrorism, the uh nuclear enrichment, the ballistic missile plans, etc. Really going after the important parts and not just being concerned with the uh short-term deadline. And I think that's something that's commendable. That's something that needs to be appreciated and respected as we look at the Trump administration and the Israeli government, by the way, who are willing to play the long game here versus the Iranians and on our context in Israel against to really see that we get what we need before this war truly ends.
Mati, when we look at the possible approach of another round of talks between the United States and Iran, how should we understand the Iranian conduct right now? Is Tehran really looking for a way out of the pressure, or is it once again trying to buy time, restore its positions, and enter negotiations from a less weak position? Yeah, I think that's a really interesting question on what Iran actually wants out of these negotiations. And I'd say we know two things right now. One, they want to survive. They've been open about this. They've been clear about this from the get-go. They want to survive this war and be the ones who remain in power. But there's another thing here that's become very apparent in recent days, which is that the Iranians are not speaking in a single voice. One of the concerns, and we've discussed this extensively on this channel, one of the concerns has been that whoever's negotiating on behalf of Iran doesn't actually carry the political power to follow through on what they can commit to or what the Americans are asking them to do in this war. Uh, we're not sure that there's one faction within Iran right now that can actually say, "Yes, we will give up the enriched uranium, go retrieve it, and then hand it over to a third party." We're not sure that political power exists with anyone. I'm reminding everyone that we don't know the condition of the Supreme Leader, Muchi, who's been injured since the opening strikes of this war. We don't know exactly who's wielding power in uh, in Iran. And it seems like the Iranians are trying to do two things here. One, they're trying to survive. Two, they're trying to create the perception that they are in control and they have the power, which is diminishing by the day. Both the perception and the power, of course. And the third part is that they're really trying to play their usual negotiation game. But the United States seems to have come prepared and very wise to this round of negotiations. One, they cut off their nonsense uh, in addition this last weekend. And when the Iranians started playing their usual games, the, the US delegation, VP Vance, uh, Kushner, Witoff, they got up and said, "Well, we've been here before. We don't see that this is going anywhere. So long, guys. We'll see you when you're ready to talk uh, real business." And I hope that when we get to the next round of negotiations, the Iranians will discover or will know uh, that they can't mess with the American delegation in the way they were hoping to, that they have to either bring results uh, or communicate clearly, or both. And I'm hoping that the US delegation is really able to get some kind of truthful and meaningful commitment out of them short-term before this deadline expires. The last part here is that in the last 24 hours, President Trump has indicated that he doesn't see this uh, falling apart. He sees the end of the ceasefire being the end of the war. And he might know something that we don't about the projection of weakness or the perception of weakness within the Iranian regime itself. That at least is my hope that they've seen that there's no way to win the situation, definitely considering the blockade, and therefore they need to negotiate in good faith and probably give more than they were planning to uh, when these next negotiations happen with the Americans.
And Mati, within this whole picture, the talks with Lebanon, the pressure in Hormuz, and the context between Washington and Tehran, where exactly does Israel stand? Does Israel see the American-Iranian move as an opening for an agreement? Or from its perspective, is it only a very temporary window until it becomes clear whether Iran is truly changing direction or only organizing for the next round? That is a really good question. What does Israel actually think about this? And I think it's a little complex. Israel has an important relationship with the Americans. That's one. And we do a lot to maintain that relationship. Two, the US is negotiating effectively so far. They've really been clear in what they really want from the Iranians and good and effective at dispelling rumors spread by the Iranians. But there's a third part here, which is people imagine that Israel was expecting to just win, whatever that means. And Israel goes into this war with a more nuanced expectation. We're willing to weaken the Iranians and to weaken and be happy with that, uh, even if we don't remove completely the Ayatollah regime, even if there still are uh, let's call it, uh, fighters within Iran who are opposing uh, opposing us, there's a government there that is against Israel, we can still survive with that. We can still live with that as long as we've weakened their leadership, weaken their ballistic missile program, eliminated their uh, nuclear program, and of course, weakened their proxies. And we're doing exactly that. So from Israel's perspective, we have a more nuanced worldview. We want to weaken. We want to weaken the Iranians. We are okay with it not being a complete destruction because that doesn't necessarily exist in the type of wars that we're fighting today. What we need is them not to be able to attack us tomorrow, hopefully for several years to come. And we understand this is part of the public discourse in Israel nowadays that there might be more rounds of fighting against them. That simply is a reality uh, on the ground. We want to make sure they're weak. We want to make sure we have intelligence on them. We want to make sure there's pressure on them. And that's the reality. We're willing to live with that, to fight with that, and to continue pushing to see those results come through. So, thank you very much, Mati Shashani. This really helped me better understand what we're dealing with. And to all of you that are joining us, please keep sharing the truth. Share our content with as many people as possible. Click the subscribe button on YouTube right here. Yeah. And leave us a comment, leave us a like, and make sure to look for Yinto, that's me, and also Mati Shashani on our social media platforms so you can get the full picture of what it's like to live in Israel in this war. We invite you to take part in something real, something that is rooted in the land and in our hearts. Now is the time to rebuild Israel. So we're calling on you to join the Rebuild Israel campaign that continues bringing life back to Israel's northern communities along Israel's northern border, an area marked by war, displacement, and loss. We were planting an apple orchard. Yes, apples. Not as a symbol for a single moment, but as part of a long-term commitment to rebuild what was damaged. This orchard is more than agriculture. It creates jobs for local families. It helps communities return and rebuild. And it sends a clear message to the people of Israel. You are not alone. When you donate, you're not just giving, you are rebuilding. Your support puts trees in the ground, restores livelihoods, and transforms land scarred by war into a land that grows again. This is now. And this is how renewal takes root. This is how Israel is rebuilding after this war. So now is the time. Join us in restoring the north and strengthening the future of the land of Israel. You can go now to tbn.org/rebuildisrael or call 800847895. Rebuild the land. Restore hope. Bless the future.
Sirens, interceptions, and repeated launches from Lebanon shaped the evening hours in northern Israel. At the exact same time that Israel and Lebanon were sitting down in Washington for the kind of direct meeting that had not been seen in decades, on the ground, Hezbollah tried to remind everybody that it is still firing. Behind closed doors, both sides spoke about the day after, about the question now facing the view about is very simple: Are we getting closer to stopping, stopping the fighting? Or are the diplomatic and military pressures together pushing the system into another round of fire?
Because this is day 46 of the Roaring Lion war, or by its American name, Epic Fury. And this is one of those days when you cannot look at only one front. The sea is boiling in. Lebanon is shaking between war and negotiations. Iran is still dragging its feet on the nuclear issue, and the IDF, as happens many times in the Middle East, is being forced to work in two languages at once: the language of fire and the language of the table. War is speaking in southern Lebanon. The table has opened in Washington. And in the middle, America is trying to hurt Iran through its wallet before someone decides to open the arsenals once more.
So, let us begin with the most immediate front of this day, Lebanon. At 3:00 in the afternoon, even before the talks in Washington had truly gotten underway, launches were already recorded towards the north. Then came sirens in Kiryat Shmona, in Metula, in Upper Galilee, the Golan, and the Western Galilee, all areas, communities in Israel. There were at least six rounds of alerts with 20 minutes in the Metula area, a big city in the north, with drone infiltrations, interceptions, and interceptor debris falling in open areas. The north also received an official warning about the possibility of increased fire from Lebanon. This was not just a tactical warning. It was the whole picture in one sentence. While the diplomats are talking, Hezbollah is trying to set the pace through the battlefield. And it did not end with the sirens because during the night, in an engagement in southern Lebanon, three IDF soldiers were seriously wounded, and another soldier was moderately wounded, and six more were lightly wounded. So this war is real, and it affects real people. Later in the day, another officer was seriously wounded during operations in southern Lebanon. It was also cleared for publication that Master Sergeant in the reserves, Aliel Uriel Biano, 30, from Katzrin in the north of Israel, fell in southern Lebanon. These incidents once again make clear what is easy to forget when talking about documents, ambassadors, and also statements. The battle in the north is not just a battle for principles. It is close combat. It is a fight for forces on the ground, ambushes, built-up arenas, extremely short ranges, and a very heavy price. And inside that space, Bint Jbeil remains the beating heart of the ground campaign in South Lebanon. Commander of Northern Command said that the encirclement has been completed, and that this is a significant operational move. Earlier, it had already been reported that Division 98 had completed the encirclement of the area and launched the assault. More than 100 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated there in face-to-face combat, and also by dozens of terror infrastructures were destroyed, and hundreds of weapons were found. The IDF estimates that around 150 terrorists are operating in that area, including Radwan forces and reinforcements. This is not just another pinpointed action. It is an operation that is meant to change the entire operational reality in a zone that for years serves as a Hezbollah stronghold. And from here, you also have to understand changing fire patterns. In Israel, the assessment is cautious but clear. The organization is now operating under a munitions economy. There is a certain drop in rocket fire, but a raise in the pace of the drone and the quadcopter launches, UAVs. The organization is no longer fine like it did on day one. It is calculating. It is checking what remains, what is worth more, and what can still hurt the IDF and the Israeli home front. In the IDF, they say that around 70% of Hezbollah's fire is currently aimed at forces operating in southern Lebanon. That means a large share of the pressure is intended to hit the ground maneuver itself, not just the general headlines in the north. At the same time, the IDF continues to strike villages from which launchers were carried out. In Aita al-Shaab, for example, extensive infrastructure was struck after increased activity was identified there. And according to the estimates, since the beginning of the operation, around 130 rockets were launched from the village towards Israel and towards the IDF forces, mainly in the direction of Kiryat Shmona. Weapons depots, launchers, and also command centers were struck. Here too, the picture is the same. The civilian village is no longer just a civilian village. Hezbollah embeds launchers and headquarters inside the civilian space. And the IDF is working to dismantle that layer in a systematic way.
And now, just take a moment and look at the timing. All of this is happening while in Washington, the first direct channel in decades opened between Israel and Lebanon. For about two hours, the Israeli ambassador, the Lebanese ambassador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and American mediators sat together in what's now being defined as a long process just began. Not a one-time event, not a photo for the headlines, a process. After the meeting, it was reported that both sides agreed to move to direct negotiations. This is a dramatic change in the language of this region, even if it is still far too early to be declared a change in reality. Lighter framed the Israeli achievement in very sharp terms. According to him, "The security of the Israeli civilians is not up for negotiation," and that's understood by the Lebanese government. He spoke of a long-term vision, a vision of a clear border, business, tourism, stability, and prosperity. He also said that belongs to the past and that this marks the beginning of a determined Lebanese government campaign against the organization. That's a big statement, maybe too big, but the very fact that it was said publicly after a direct meeting with the Lebanese side is already a meaningful change. But in the Middle East, you always have to look at what was said on the other side as well because Lebanon did not come to these talks out of some Zionist vision. Lebanon came out of weakness, pressure, and also fear of further deterioration and losing control of the country. So, President Joseph Aoun said that stability will not return to the south as long as Israel continues holding territory. The Lebanese Finance Minister made clear that for them, the key issue is a ceasefire. Lebanese sources said explicitly that Lebanon is demanding a ceasefire before any real breakthrough. And in other words, Israel sees these talks as a way to disarm Hezbollah and to reach a new agreement. Lebanon sees them as a way to stop the bleeding and save what remains of the state. And that's exactly where the gap lies. Israel wants to talk about stopping the fighting. Lebanon wants the fighting to stop so that real talks can begin. Israel is applying military pressure to improve its position. Lebanon is relying on American pressure to restrain the Israeli pressure. And all the while, Hezbollah stands on the sides trying to blow up the entire framework. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah secretary general, has already called the talks surrender and humiliation. Members of the Lebanese parliament aligned with Hezbollah warned that the negotiations will only deepen the internal split inside Lebanon. That means that the channel opened in Washington is not just a channel between two states. It is also a battle over who truly speaks for Lebanon. In that sense, the direct talks may be the most important diplomatic event of the day, but not necessarily because they promise peace tomorrow morning. They matter because they expose the internal fracture inside Lebanon, because they show that the Lebanese government is looking for a way to speak directly with Israel despite Hezbollah's threats, because they make clear that Beirut also understands that continuing on the current path could further collapse the state, and because of that, they place for the first time in years a regional image in which Hezbollah is no longer sitting along at central stage but is being forced to fight for its own internal legitimacy as well.
But while all of this is happening in the north, the sea has become a second front of the day. The American naval and their blockade on the Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz has entered almost its third day, and it is now already been translated into numbers, movements, and names. American destroyers have stopped Iranian vessels and ordered them back to port. Two tankers that tried to leave Kharg received orders to turn around. US Central Command announced that more than 10,000 personnel, Marines, Air Force personnel, more than 12 warships, and dozens of aircraft are carrying out the blockade. And the United States now claims that within less than 36 hours, Iran's maritime economic trade was completely halted. But here we need to stop and understand. Completely halted is a strong phrase, maybe too strong, because alongside that, there's also reports of a sanctioned Iranian tanker that managed to leave the Strait of Hormuz. There are also reports of around 20 merchant ships that passed through the strait over the last day. That does not cancel out the blockade. It only explains its real nature. It is not an iron door slammed shut all at once. It's a dynamic blockade, a battle of deterrence, surveillance, monitoring, identification, stopping, and forcing ships back. Sometimes it works immediately. Sometimes there are gaps, and it's precisely those gaps that make the story very dangerous because a few ships testing the boundaries of one Iranian decision to escalate would be enough to move the Strait of Hormuz from economic confrontation to live fire within minutes. And here America is trying to walk the thinnest line possible. On one side, it's blocking only Iranian ports and not shutting down the whole strait to neutral traffic. On the other side, it is counting on pressure against the Iranian economy building very quickly. And according to estimates, this blockade is costing Iran roughly $350 million per day. And that's before the accumulated damage to oil fields, storage, exports, and the energy markets. All of which are watching this with deep anxiety. And behind that number stands a very clear American strategy: Hit the money before going back to bombing. Turn Hormuz from an Iranian lever into a choke point against Iran. Force Iran to choose either a quick return to a deal and a track or economic deterioration that threatens the regime's own stability. That's why Trump keeps returning to the same line: "We are close to the end, but we are not done yet." He says that the war can end in any way, but that he prefers a deal. He hints at renewed talks in Pakistan in the coming days and at the same time makes clear that there may be no need to extend the ceasefire. In other words, the White House is holding both tools at once: a diplomatic hourglass and an active naval blockade. And Vance is keeping the same dual message. He says that the Iranians wanted a deal. He says that the talks were good. He also emphasizes that there is deep mistrust that cannot be solved overnight. And in one sentence, he sums up the entire phase: "The ball is in Tehran's court." The Americans, at least publicly, are trying to present a tidy picture. They did not abandon diplomacy. The Iranians were simply not capable of closing a deal without going back to Tehran for approval. And that's why the blockade is now being presented not as an alternative to negotiations but as their direct continuation by other means.
But Iran, at least on the surface, is not rushing to break there. They claim that they have land alternatives, other routes for exports and also imports, and ways to survive. At the same time, there are also reports that Iran is considering stopping the movement of its own ships so as not to damage the talks. This is a classic example of how Iran operates at this stage, issuing threats, signaling toughness, but also keeping open the option of dragging things out and buying time. The negotiations are not dead. They have simply entered another phase. And now every side is trying to enter that phase with more cards and less weakness. Yet it is precisely now that another dimension has been exposed when many people may have missed while all eyes were fixed on the strait. According to leaked reports, the Revolutionary Guards purchased an advanced Chinese satellite system TE01B that enabled them to monitor and to strike the American bases and infrastructure across the Middle East with greater precision. According to the reports, this satellite provided imagery at around half-meter resolution, far beyond what Iran previously had, at documented bases in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Djibouti, and even civilian infrastructures in the Gulf. If this material is accurate, it tells us something very deep about this war. While the West was talking about missiles, Iran was also building a more precise space-based intelligence layer. And it does not stop there. There are also reports that Iran is now trying to recover missiles and launchers that were buried or blocked after Israeli and American strikes. So, satellite images show trucks attempting to reopen access points to tunnels and to underground bases and work taking place under the rubble. The meaning is simple. Despite the blow to its missile array, Iran is not giving up on it. It is trying to preserve what remains, reorganize, and determine what can be restored for use if and when another round begins. And that connects us to a broader question about what's happening inside Iran itself. Because this war has not produced a more moderate leadership. If anything, it seems to have done the almost opposite. The new leadership around Rouhani and the Revolutionary Guards appears harsher, more messianic, and more militant. There are also reports that the delay in Ali Khamenei's burial is not technical or medical, but rather a sign of a deep crisis inside the regime. If even the burial of the Supreme Leader is being delayed because of fears of protests, loss of control, or succession struggles, that says something about the state of internal stability. In other words, the American blockade is applying pressure from the outside. Iran's internal crisis is applying pressure from within. And the regime understands very well that this is no longer only about the nuclear issue. It's about legitimacy, survival, and the ability to hold together a system that has been damaged militarily, economically, and psychologically. Still, we need to be very careful with the comfortable illusions that collapse is automatic. Regimes like this sometimes become even more rigid, even more extreme, and seek redemption through another round of war, not through compromise. And this is also where China comes in. On one hand, Beijing denies supplying weapons to Iran. On the other hand, suspicions in the West are growing. There is more and more talk about dual use of technologies, navigation systems, satellites, various components, and efforts to bypass sanctions using shell companies, fake invoices, and ship-to-ship transfers. We should say honestly, even if not every detail here is fully locked down, the broader picture is becoming clearer and clearer. China does not want war in the Gulf. But it also does not want to see Iran collapse economically or be crushed completely. And so it's playing its usual game: enough assistance to preserve influence, enough distance to deny involvement. And that game also affects the energy market, the competition with the United States, and the real chances of a deal because as long as Iran knows that it still has chances and channels of oxygen, even limited ones, it is less eager to fold. And as long as Washington knows that Beijing might soften some of the pressure if we want to go harder at sea and at the negotiating table or through sanctions. So, what you can do now, first of all, is help us reach more people. We need you. We are TBN Israel. If you like what we do, make sure to hit the subscribe button so you never miss another episode, an update of Boots on the Ground for Israel. Another thing you can do is leave a comment. Let me know where you're watching from. That'll be very cool to see. And also hit the like button and share. And if you want to see this war through our eyes, go follow Yair Pinto and Mati Shashani on our social media platforms, and you can get the behind-the-scenes picture of what it's like to live in Israel in this war.
And in the north, the IDF is trying to maximize the achievements against Hezbollah before the political leadership is forced to make decisions. In Washington, the Americans are trying to build a direct channel between Israel and Lebanon. In Hormuz, the American fleet is choking Iran's lifeline. And in Tehran, the regime is keeping its head above water, but it can no longer pretend that everything is normal. These are no longer separate fronts. Everything is connected. Every drone in the Galilee is tied to the diplomatic track. Every tanker that turns back to an Iranian port is also tied to the question of what comes next in Lebanon. And every decision about enriched uranium is also tied to the question of whether the IDF will be able to stop its ground maneuver at a given moment without feeling it has missed a window. That's also why this day cannot be read only through Trump's optimism or only through the fire in the north. Trump says that the war is close to an end. But at the same time, he's also saying that it is not clear what the ceasefire holds. Does it need to be extended? Vance, his vice president, says that the Iranians want a deal, but he also stresses that the gaps are very deep. Israel and Lebanon agreed to move into direct negotiations, which is great, but at the same time, Hezbollah is firing. And just as happens often in our region, the most dangerous moments are not always the official declarations of war, but on the contrary, the moments when everybody is speaking about an arrangement, while nobody has really taken their finger off the trigger.
So there is no real quiet in the Gaza Strip either because the IDF eliminated armed terrorists that identified in a pickup truck in central Gaza and defined the strike as a removal of an immediate threat. Another soldier was moderately wounded by gunfire in central Gaza. So even as the public and the spotlight shifts to Iran, to Hormuz, to Lebanon, the war in the south has not frozen. It has simply moved to a lower headline level, not to a lower level of danger.
In the middle of all of this, the White House is trying to create a reality of a big deal. Not a small arrangement, not another delay, a deal in which Iran fully gives up its nuclear ambitions, stops threatening the region, and returns to being a normal state inside the global economy. That is at least the language that Vance used. But this is exactly where the problem lies. Because for Trump, this is a victory image. And for Iran, it may look like surrender. And when Iranian honor is placed on the table, even a carefully calibrated economic move can quickly become a story of ego, identity, and regime survival. That's why even the optimistic assessments must be taken with caution. There are good signs for renewed talks. There are also signs that American pressure is working, but there is still more than enough explosive material inside the system to ignite it again. The sea is not calm. Lebanon is not stable. Hezbollah is not dissolving on its own. Iran has not given up on time, on maneuver, or on tactical delay. And if anybody is looking for a clear finish line, it still is not there. What is there, however, is a shift in the balance of pressure. Iran can no longer threaten from the sea without paying a price. Lebanon can no longer pretend that Hezbollah is merely another domestic player, and Israel can no longer truly separate the talks in Washington from the fire on the north. Everything is moving into the same picture, an attempt to impose a new order before the old chaos reorganizes itself. This is a day when America is closing in from the sea. Israel is pressing from the ground. Lebanon is trying to speak in its own voice and is fighting for both territory and narrative. And if that is the situation, what happens the moment that one side decides that time is no longer working in its favor?
And now to the most important part of the day. This is a spiritual war. We need to understand that there's no reason for all these enemies to hate the Jewish state so much. They hate us because Israel is basically living proof that God is faithful to his promises. Promises that he made in biblical days are faithful and coming becoming true in modern days. That's amazing. So, how do we fight the spiritual war? We pray. So, let's pray for wisdom to our leaders. Let's pray for God's will to be done here. Let's pray for the soldiers that are defending us, the US Navy, military, all the personnel in this region. Let's pray for the IDF soldiers in Lebanon. And let's pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And we'll see you again tomorrow.
Hello, this is Mati here in Jerusalem with TBN Israel. This is Yair Pinto from TBN Israel here in Jerusalem. TBN Israel is keeping viewers informed with Israel-focused news, culture, and what God is doing in this land. Support TBN Israel today online at tbn.org/israel. Thank you.