Prof. Mohammad Marandi : FROM TEHRAN: How Iran Trapped Trump

Hinzugefügt: 2026-06-05

[00:00:05]Undeclared wars are commonplace.

[00:00:08]Tragically, our government engages in preemptive war, otherwise known as aggression, with no complaints from the American people. Sadly, we have become accustomed to living with the illegitimate use of force by government.

[00:00:22]To develop a truly free society, the issue of initiating force must be understood and rejected.

[00:00:30]What if sometimes to love your country you had to alter or abolish the government? What if Jefferson was right?

[00:00:37]What if that government is best which governs least?

[00:00:41]What if it is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong? What if it is better to perish fighting for freedom than to live as a slave? What if freedom's greatest hour of danger is now?

[00:01:04]Hi everyone, Judge Andrew Npalitano here for Judging Freedom. Today is Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026. My dear friend, Professor Muhammad Morandi coming to us live from Tran, Iran. Professor Morandi, always uh a pleasure. Before we get into the uh recent events and allegations, what is life like in Thran today? Still normaly?

[00:01:33]>> Yes, things are very normal, judge, and thank you very much for inviting me. The uh clashes last night in the Persian Gulf after the Americans attacked the Iranian tanker has been all over the news. And uh but besides but besides that nothing really important is happening. Uh the media here is saying that uh the uh uh Iranians uh have still uh refrained from continuing to send messages back and forth uh to the Americans. Trump of course denies this. I I haven't seen any Iranian official say anything about this, but the media is saying that messages are no longer going back and forth.

[00:02:21]Well, the Iranians did announce, didn't they, uh, that because the Israelis are continuing the slaughter in southern Lebanon and President Trump, notwithstanding rough uh, language which was leaked to the press has been unable to restrain Prime Minister Netanyahu that they, the Iranians, would not participate in the negotiations. Is that a an accurate understanding of the position of the Iran government visav the negotiations?

[00:02:55]>> Yes, that was exactly the position taken by the government because of the uh Israeli regime's uh onslaught against civilian targets across Lebanon. In particular, when the Israeli regime said that they were going to begin to flatten southern Beirut, the capital, uh the Iranians said that if this happens, they will uh since this is being planned, they're no longer going to take part in the it's not really negotiations because written texts are being sent back and forth, but the uh the u let's say indirect negotiations.

[00:03:32]Uh but uh since uh Trump since Trump and Netanyahu spoke, Netanyahu has not bombed Beirut, but he is bombing other civilian targets across the country and cities are being flattened as we speak.

[00:03:48]So, I don't know if the uh Iranians will see that as enough uh to continue with the uh messages being sent back and forth for some sort of agreement or whether the Iranians will um continue to refrain from sending messages because of the ongoing onslaught. But, uh Iranian media is insisting that Iran is not sending messages. All right, let me get to the elephant uh in the room. Our two uh mutual friends whom we both know and have worked with and admire, Larry Johnson and Pepe Escobar, have said and will say again today, they're both on um on this program, that Iran has a nuclear weapon, not that Iran developed, but that some other country gave to Iran.

[00:04:45]I'm going to read what Chris has just posted. This is from Larry Johnson's website called Sonar 21. Pepe Escobar and I received clarification on how Iran obtained a functioning nuke. Functioning meaning it can be delivered. Iran's objective is with the backing of Pakistan, China, and Russia to raise the risk to Israel of engaging in future attacks on Iran. I'll ask Larry what he meant by that. But the plain meaning of the English language is that Iran doesn't intend to use it, but just to use it offensively, but just to use it the way North Korea does. Don't come near us because we have the ability to destroy you. Is this, and I know you know these guys as well as I do, and you love them as I do. Is this credible, Muhammad?

[00:05:39]Well, they're both very very good friends and I'll be watching both shows today uh to see what they have to say because obviously uh there are uh so many things that I don't know and the very little that I do know I try to uh inform your audience about that uh little bit of knowledge. Uh what I can say is that the Iranians have the ability to to develop a nuclear weapon and this is something that the former Iranian foreign minister uh uh Mr. Katami's foreign minister Dr. Karoi said on multiple occasions. He was of course murdered by the Americans and the Israelis in this war. He and his wife.

[00:06:24]But he had said this on multiple occasions because during in recent years he was um one of the two foreign policy adviserss to the leader and he ran an important think tank. U he said that Iran can develop a nuclear weapon and it was able to do so from from years ago but it refrained from doing so. And so I would assume that Iran today, as Iran is much more technologically advanced than when he first said it, uh that Iran could develop its own nuclear weapon.

[00:07:00]And popular opinion, judge, after the 12-day war, we're almost on the anniversary of that war, uh public opinion, according to polls, seems to clearly indicate that people want a nuclear weapon. And uh I would imagine I haven't seen recent polls but I would imagine that after this war it would the the public mood and sentiment would be even more pro- nuclear weapon. But as far as I know, I uh I don't think that uh I haven't seen any sign of change in Iran's nuclear posture. And I haven't seen any indication through public discourse by the state or by senior figures in the government or in the state that Iran is even thinking about changing its nuclear posture. But again, I have no information. I I saw uh Larry uh when on your show when he first spoke of this at least the first time I heard Larry say it and um I can't say any I I can't say that Larry is wrong but I I have no evidence of this.

[00:08:13]>> What a brilliant gifted and diplomatic answer. Uh my dear friend, let me ask you a few more questions. uh many years before he died, the Ayatollah that was murdered on February 28th uh issued a fatwa, a religious decree that under uh Islamic moral teaching, weapons of mass destruction are immoral and impermissible.

[00:08:42]Is that fatwa still in effect?

[00:08:46]My understanding is that that fatwa is still in effect and uh no one has said anything to counter it. You know, judge in the 1980s when the United States helped Saddam invade Iran and supported and pushed him to invade the country and these same Arab countries that supported this war, they gave Saddam Hussein hundreds of billions of dollars. The west gave Saddam Hussein chemical weapons too to use extensively against his own people and against Iranians. I survived two chemical attacks. During that war, uh the West tried to block Iran even from getting gas masks. So Iran had to had great trouble in not just uh dealing with the with the chemical weapons on the battlefield, but it had problems uh saving its uh own soldiers uh from from even being able to protect themselves as individuals uh on the battlefield because of a huge shortage of gas masks. So at that time uh people went to Ayatollahi the first leader Ayatahi and said that we need to produce chemical weapons and he said no it is banned it is forbidden it is inhumane and you'll just have to deal with it and so Iran did refrain from producing chemical weapons and uh it focused on defending itself uh against these chemical weapons being used by Saddam Hussein with the with the help of Germany and other European countries.

[00:10:29]Then later who was martyed in this war said that gave a fatwa against nuclear weapons. So there is a very long history of opposition to weapons of mass destruction in Iran since the beginning of the revolution. However, Dr. Larijani before he was martyed uh in this war he was the chair of the supreme national security council he too said that Iran does not want nuclear weapons but he once did say that if Iran is facing existential an existential threat to its existence then Iran's nuclear posture would change. I don't think that at the moment anyone here believes that Iran's uh existence is being existentially threatened. So I would assume that the nuclear posture hasn't changed. But again, I I I will have to listen to what Larry has to say and what Pepe has to say and um and take both of them seriously because both of them are very credible people, very knowledge knowledgeable people and very good friends and >> and they have extraordinary uh contacts. I'm I'm not going to uh jump the shark here, but I think they'll tell us without specifically naming the contacts why they believe them and what work these uh these contacts do. A question or two about fatwas. Can the uh present supreme leader who is the son of the leader that was murdered on February 28th lift the fatwa that his father imposed?

[00:12:16]in in Shia Islam uh judge um juristprudence uh the gate to juristprudence is open in Sunni Islam it's closed but in in Shia Islam time and place have a uh a very important impact on Jewish prudence. So a a a senior figure a a a a high-ranking religious figure his opinion on issues depends on circumstances. The 21st century is different from the 20th century. Iran is different from Brazil.

[00:12:51]So uh so each has their own fatwas. They can change their own fatwas on on different issues. But uh Ayatah the the leader now cannot reverse Ayatah the martyr Ayat fatwa but he can give his own fatwa because fatwa was his and now he's he's he's martyed but he is no longer uh the uh the the leader of the the revolution or the Islamic Republic. So based on the assessment of the Supreme National Security Council, okay, on on on based on think tanks and issu and events that take place, we'll have to make his own decisions, but I have not seen any indication that there is any new fatwa on this issue.

[00:13:46]>> Got it. Got it. Um, two days ago, the West was reporting that Iranian President Pzkian had submitted his resignation and then maybe 18 hours later um, President Peskin's office denied it.

[00:14:04]Do you know what this is all about?

[00:14:08]>> The uh, from from my understanding, the media outlet that put this out is called Iran International. Iran International is a Saudi funded or has been a Saudi funded. The Saudis are now saying they don't they don't fund it anymore, but someone is heavily funding it uh as we speak. It is a heavily funded media channel that is very hostile towards Iran and it is it has no credibility. So I I don't follow it. I don't listen to what they say. But they they uh put out this story and then Western media repeated it. But uh the the president uh and his uh his uh team and his uh advis media advisors, they've all denied it and I see no reason to believe anything that comes from Iran International.

[00:14:55]>> Got it. Got it. The U press of course made a big deal out of it here in the West and and the implication was that the Revolutionary Guard has taken over the government. They're not going to listen to the Supreme Leader. They've denigrated the president. They're telling him what to do. And now you're telling us that all of that is nonsense.

[00:15:20]>> Yes. The the the guards, they are answerable to and and the armed forces in general. both the regular army and the guards. They are answerable to uh the high command of the armed forces but also the supreme national security council and the leader and the the guards have no role to play in the decision-m process of the administration the the government president's administration he has the you know just like in the United States the overwhelming uh amount of money that's spent in the country is spent on uh is spent by government agencies, the ministry of health, the ministry of science, the ministry of roads and telecommunications and and that sort of thing. So his job is is different from that of the armed forces and the guards don't have any role to play in dictating terms to the government on policym and pursuing policies. Back to uh the negotiations. It appears that Trump has painted himself into a corner since the um Iranian government is not going to negotiate with the US while the Israelis are slaughtering innocents uh in Lebanon, thus forcing Trump to attempt to restrain um Netanyahu.

[00:16:53]Interesting how the Iranians have used the president who attacked them to restrain the prime minister who attacked them. Where do you think this goes? You told me last time that the Iranians would never agree to a deal in principle that failed to restrain Israel from genocide in Gaza, from um an invasion in Lebanon, from taking over the West Bank.

[00:17:23]But realistically, if not Trump, who or what can restrain Netanyahu?

[00:17:34]That is a a very difficult question to answer. The Iranians threatened Israelis when they decided to attack Beirut and they also stopped the communications with the United States that was declared by the Iranian government. And the following morning, early in the morning, the Iranians were uh going to fire a huge volley of missiles at northern Israel. Um, and so Trump of course had that very now famous conversation with uh Netanyahu, but also and and the Iranians have said that the the the slaughter in Gaza must end and the genocidal onslaught against Lebanon must end as well. The Iranians are using two tools right now or three. one is refraining from communicating because they know that Trump that the United States needs a deal as soon as possible because the energy crisis is growing and uh according to energy experts, according to oil experts, according to economists that are following the situation closely, the month of June is going to be very critical and especially since the uh strategic reserves in the United States and other countries are uh being rapidly depleted and June could be a turning point. So the Iranians know that time is not on Trump's side and that Trump needs a deal. So by refraining from sending messages, they're putting pre one sort of pressure on Trump. On the other hand, the Iranians said that they're going to strike the Israeli regime.

[00:19:12]Trump knows that if there is a war, another war, because the Israeli regime will start striking Iran and we'll have another war. there's another war that means that any negotiations will be stopped at least for weeks and uh I think that there's a strong sense of urgency even though he doesn't want to say it but I think in among the people around him there's a great sense of urgency to get a deal done. So the Iranians are using both the threat of missiles against the Israeli regime as well as uh the threat uh of discontinuing negotiations for an agreement to put pressure on Trump to end the the genocidal attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.

[00:20:01]Uh here is Trump being asked yesterday if in fact he did use uh the F-word and other rather rough language uh with Prime Minister uh Netanyahu. And here's his response. Chris number six, >> which you were angry with him. You said, "Are you effing crazy? What are you effing doing? Um uh I helped you stay out of jail." Is that true? Did you speak to him in those terms?

[00:20:30]>> I did. I I wouldn't say angry. I was a little bit perturbed at his uh constantly fighting with Lebanon. You know, at some point I said maybe we got to stop this. We got to stop it.

[00:20:49]Can Donald Trump stop Benjamin Netanyahu? Or is that an American domestic political question?

[00:20:59]I think of course hypothetically speaking he can stop the Israeli regime today. That's that's clear as day. Now whether they have uh whether he's compromised or they have there's something in the Epstein files that he's hiding and they know about that's something that's all speculation. It is very odd uh the degree to which he does whatever the Israeli regime wants and whatever the Zionist lobby wants and and he supports the people who've hate you know never Trumpers and and and supports them and has lost all his allies who are with him from the beginning like Massie like like you know all all Candace Owens Tucker Carlson and the list goes on. All of this is very odd and and bizarre, but um I do think that regardless of whether he actually said these or not, let's assume that he did, but it doesn't matter. The point the fact that this was published I think has damaged Netanyahu immensely. And if you if people and I'm sure you do, but if people follow uh Conflicts Forum, uh Alistister's wife Ashling does a very good job on Hebrew media uh and what's going on inside Israel. And Hebrew media is very different from their the Israeli trans uh texts that are put out by the regime.

[00:22:20]Uh Netanyahu has been attacked severely even by his own political allies, let alone his opponents. So, I think that they've damaged him uh significantly.

[00:22:33]And for me, that raises questions. I'm not an expert and I think uh I would rather hear your your other guests speak about this, but I think that maybe there are forces in the United States in the Zionist lobby itself uh around Trump that may be saying that uh Netanyahu is u is maybe it's time for him to gradually be replaced. We are close to an election in in in in the is among the Israeli regime. And um maybe there are people I'm not sure Trump himself thinks this way. I'm not sure he even thinks that deeply or carefully, but maybe there are people who put this this news out. The maybe these people want to weaken.

[00:23:28]But again, I'm just that's just speculation on my part.

[00:23:32]>> Well, fascinating conversation as always, uh, Muhammad. Thank you very much. Uh, be well. If there's a dramatic turn one way or another in in in these events, of course, we'll reach out to you uh, immediately. Thanks for your time and thanks for your analysis. All the best.

[00:23:52]>> Thank you, Judge. It's always a great pleasure being on your show. Have a great day.

[00:23:55]>> Thank you.

[00:23:56]>> Sure. Coming up later today at 10:00, uh, Aaron Mate. Shortly thereafter, time to be announced, Pepe Escobar. At 2:00, Larry Johnson at 3:00, the great Phil Geraldi, Judge Npalitano for judging freedom.