Eye For Iran

As President Donald Trump issues a final warning to Tehran and US military assets appear to be moving into place, a defining question emerges: are targeted strikes against the Islamic Republic now around the corner?

In this special edition of Eye for Iran, Negar Mojtahedi is joined by four crucial voices as Iran faces an unprecedented moment of crisis and possibility.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus analyzes what potential US and Israeli military action could look like, which targets could weaken the regime’s command structure and what must follow to prevent chaos in a post-Islamic Republic Iran.

Human rights activist and former political prisoner Shiva Mahboubi shares disturbing reports of detainees being forcibly injected and killed in custody, a hidden campaign of repression unfolding inside Iran’s prisons.

Retired US federal judge Mark Wolf, chair of Integrity Initiatives International, explains how Iranian regime kleptocrats and their enablers could one day be held accountable and how stolen billions abroad may be frozen, seized and repatriated.

Finally, analyst Khosrow Esfahani breaks down the regime’s escalating war of narratives and disinformation as Tehran seeks division while Iranians press forward with pain and resolve.

Four conversations. One historic turning point.


Contents for this video:

00:00 “We Will Win” — Iran’s Uprising Reaches a Breaking Point
00:40 Trump’s Final Warning — Are US Strikes on Tehran Now Imminent?

02:16 Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus — What Targeted Strikes Could Look Like
07:08 Conricus — The World’s Silence as Iran Faces Massacre
10:12 Conricus — “It’s Only a Matter of Time” Before Military Action
17:55 Conricus — Key Targets That Could Collapse the Regime
24:15 Conricus — After the Fall: Preventing Chaos & Securing Transition

28:55 Shiva Mahbobi — Forced Injections & Killings in Iranian Custody
36:26 Mahbobi — What the International Community Must Do Now

41:05 Judge Mark Wolf — Holding Regime Kleptocrats Accountable
44:16 Wolf — Freeze, Seize, Repatriate: Recovering Iran’s Stolen Wealth

54:33 Khosro Isfahani — Tehran’s Disinformation War & Narrative Battle
01:20:07 Isfahani — “Pain, But Resolve” in Iran’s Fight for Freedom

#eyeforiran #iran #iranprotests #trump #israel #NUFDI #IslamicRepublic #IRGC #HumanRights #PoliticalPrisoners #IranPrisoners #IranRevolution #Disinformation #accountability

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As Iran’s streets turn into killing fields, the debate in Washington is no longer theoretical. Eye for Iran examines the Islamic Republic’s escalating violence against civilians under a near total digital blackout and asks the most urgent question yet: what will the world do now?

Michael Makovsky, President and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), and Blaise Misztal, the Institute’s Vice President for Policy, argue the United States should pursue one clear objective: regime collapse. They explain why this moment may be a rare strategic window, what collapse could unlock for US policy and regional security and what concrete steps could weaken the regime while supporting Iranians risking their lives.

Democracy and internet freedom activist Mehdi Yahyanejad then shares what his sources inside Iran are reporting despite the blackout, including how censorship, propaganda and fear are shaping what the world can and cannot see. He describes the role of Starlink access, the dangers faced by those sending information out and the stories emerging from the crackdown.

Finally, Dr. Nazak Tavakoli of the Iranian Association of Human Rights and Allies, political activist Iman Vaez and Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs contributor Sogand Fakheri come together for a deeply personal conversation about grief, resilience and the human cost of this uprising, as families inside Iran vanish into silence and the diaspora struggles to respond.

Subscribe for ongoing coverage of Iran’s uprising, the regime’s bloody crackdown and the global decisions that may shape what happens next.

Contents of this video:

00:00:00 Cold open: eyewitness accounts under blackout
00:00:25 Opening montage: “war on civilians” framing
00:01:14 Segment 1 teaser: regime collapse argument (Makovsky + Misztal)
00:02:55 Show open + guest introductions (Makovsky, Misztal)

00:03:32 What does “regime collapse” actually mean
00:05:07 Regime change vs. regime collapse: key distinction
00:05:59 What collapse would unlock for US + region
00:09:12 Does this moment have a “window”
00:11:31 Trump red line: credibility, consequences, deterrence
00:15:04 Most effective next step for Washington
00:16:15 Building a long-term “collapse strategy” (comms, defections, pressure)
00:20:41 Mixed signals: Witkoff, negotiation talk, military moves
00:23:55 Where is this headed + closing thoughts (Segment 1 wrap)

00:26:34 Segment 2 intro: Mehdi Yahyanejad (internet freedom + sources inside Iran)
00:27:09 What he’s hearing now: fear, shock, missing loved ones
00:28:51 Starlink pipeline + protecting identities
00:35:29 Paint the picture: escalation, tactics, scale of violence
00:41:32 Disinformation + confusion as a regime tactic
00:49:09 Stories weighing on him most + what Iranians want from the world
00:58:38 Victims + the human toll (Segment 2 wrap)

01:01:03 Segment 3 intro: Nazak Tavakoli, Iman Vaez, Sogand Fakheri
01:01:55 How they’re holding up: trauma, grief, resolve
01:07:03 Family and friends back home: silence, fear, loss
01:11:13 “This is war on unarmed people”
01:11:36 Nazak’s story: legacy, missing contact, waiting for news
01:16:14 Nazak on her father and the long shadow of repression
01:22:03 Iman: messages from inside Iran + the diaspora’s role
01:30:19 Message to Iranians: don’t lose hope
01:32:19 Imagining Iran after: dignity, remembrance, rebuilding
01:34:40 Closing thanks + sign-off + where to follow / newsletter

#iran #iranprotests #usa #trump #iranrevolution #freeiran #podcast #iranpodcast #news #youtube #youtubeshorts

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An eyewitness who recently fled Iran and whose identity is being withheld for his safety recounts indiscriminate gunfire that turned city streets into a battlefield. He says he saw thousands of bodies stored at a cemetery as families searched for missing loved ones during a nationwide digital blackout.

He is risking his life to speak out and send a message to the world that the killings are still ongoing and Iranians urgently need help. He describes witnessing indiscriminate gunfire directed at unarmed civilians, narrowly escaping being shot himself.

Eye for Iran host Negar Mojtahedi speaks with Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman about what the United States may do next as Iranian lives hang in the balance. She also speaks with writer and human rights advocate Roya Hakakian on why this moment could mark a historic rupture for Iran and what pressure might reduce further civilian deaths.

The program also features Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn Chairman of the Austrian Committee for NATO Enlargement on why he supports the Iranian people and what he believes Europe should do in response.

This episode contains disturbing testimony.

Contents of this video:

00:00 Eyewitness: “They Started Shooting with Heavy Guns”
01:48 Iran’s Digital Blackout Begins
02:13 Eyewitness Account from Tehran Streets
03:58 Burying the Dead at Behesht Zahra
06:48 “Thousands of Bodies” in Cemetery Warehouses
11:18 Indiscriminate Gunfire Turns Streets Into a Battlefield
14:59 “They Shot into the Crowd”
16:38 Is This a Genocide?

23:28 US Response to Iran’s Violence
23:54 Congressman Marlin Stutzman on Trump and Iran
29:46 Are Regime Officials Preparing an Exit?

34:55 Roya Hakakian: A Historic Rupture
50:36 Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn on Europe and Iran
01:03:37 Final Thoughts and What Comes Next


#iran #iranprotests #trump #tehran #iranrevolution #news #podcoast #iranpodcast

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A wounded protester in Iran puts it starkly: “I’m not scared. For 47 years, I’ve been dead.”

As protests spread across the country and chants turn openly existential, this special episode of Eye for Iran asks the question many are now asking: is Iran approaching a revolution? Is this the moment?

Negar Mojtahedi is joined by former UK Security Minister and Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat, former senior CIA official Norman Roule, Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, and David Patrikarakos, journalist, author and special correspondent for The Daily Mail.

Tugendhat argues the Islamic Republic has entered its endgame, warning that Iran’s security forces will be judged by what they do next. Roule explains how Washington is assessing fast-moving unrest and what President Donald Trump’s warnings could mean in practice. Brodsky and Patrikarakos break down why this protest wave feels fundamentally different from 2009 and 2022, what real regime-change momentum looks like, and the decisive question ahead: can street protests translate into a coherent political alternative and meaningful defections inside the system?

You can watch this episode on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing. You can also switch to Persian captions or any language of your choice on YouTube.

Contents for this video:

00:00 “I’m not scared. For 47 years, I’ve been dead.”
01:08 Iran on the brink of revolution: is this it
02:57 “This is the endgame” – Tom Tugendhat
06:15 Why this protest wave is different
09:33 Signs of regime panic and elite exits
13:23 Why the West should care now
18:36 Iran, Venezuela and collapsing proxy power
22:31 Is the West preparing for a post-regime Iran
23:37 Trump’s warning and the red line on repression
25:59 Has the regime’s myth of invincibility shattered
29:50 Former CIA official Norman Roule joins
31:53 Will Trump act if killings escalate
35:26 How relevant is Khamenei today
39:47 Succession battles and IRGC power
44:08 How intelligence reads a system in collapse
51:56 The cost of Western silence
55:47 Why this moment feels different from past protests
01:02:40 Can protests become real regime change
01:09:52 What happened to “Woman, Life, Freedom”
01:21:50 Final reflections: courage, risk and Iran’s future

#iran #iranprotests #iranrevolution #eyeforiran #iran #regimechange #middleeast #Geopolitics #WorldPolitics #ForeignPolicy #USIran #news #podcast #youtube #FreeIran

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Chants of “Mullahs must get lost” are spreading across Iran six days after a collapsing currency and shuttered bazaars triggered the largest nationwide protests since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement. What began as demonstrations over economic hardship has evolved into a nationwide uprising directly targeting the Supreme Leader, posing one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s theocracy in years.

On Eye for Iran, host Negar Mojtahedi asks: Can the Islamic Republic still control the situation — or is something deeper breaking?

Joining us:

* Shayan Samii — former US government appointee in intelligence and foreign policy
* Arash Azizi — journalist and author of What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom
* Danny Citrinowicz — former head of the Iran branch in Israeli military intelligence
* Alan Eyre — former US State Department Persian-language spokesperson and Iran specialist
* Alex Vatanka — Director of the Iran Program, Middle East Institute
* Joseph Epstein — Director, Turan Research Center at the Yorktown Institute
* Bozorgmehr Sharafedin — Iran International Digital lead and former Reuters journalist

We break down:

– Who these protesters are — and why bazaaris matter
– How economic collapse is fueling anger nationwide
– How the Islamic Republic may respond, and what signals to watch next

Plus: a deep dive into growing talk of regime change after the Trump–Netanyahu meeting — what Israel actually wants, what Washington is prepared to do and how any external pressure could shape the protests inside Iran.

Bozorgmehr also explains why this protest wave may be harder to contain: broader networks, deeper grievances and a regime weakened after the 12-day war and ongoing economic freefall.

Will these protests lead to the end of the Islamic Republic? Tell us in the comments.

Contents for this video:

00:00 – Cold open: anger over economic collapse
00:23 – Intro: is Iran’s regime nearing the end?
03:45 – Who are the protesters and what do they want? (Shayan)
06:24 – Protests spread nationwide and the leadership vacuum (Arash)
13:19 – No “silver bullet” for Iran’s economic crisis (Danny)
19:00 – Protester courage, opposition factions and Western support
27:29 – Who is on the streets? Gen Z, bazaaris, workers (Arash)
32:55 – Opposition disunity and scenarios for change after Khamenei
44:39 – Regime change versus change from within, and the exiled opposition
54:40 – Does fixing the economy save the regime? (panel wrap)

57:44 – Trump and Netanyahu meeting: is regime change a fantasy?
01:03:04 – How could regime change or system collapse actually unfold?
01:09:41 – Hopelessness inside the regime and IRGC’s next moves
01:13:23 – War scenarios: Iran, Israel, Trump and the next clash
01:18:53 – Ten features that make this protest wave different (Bozorgmehr)
01:25:58 – Bazaaris break with the regime and Iran’s failing state economy
01:34:41 – Comparing this to Women, Life, Freedom and what comes next
01:41:06 – Final thoughts and Eye for Iran newsletter promo

#iran #iranprotests #iranuprising #iraneconomy #iranpolitics #trump #netanyahu #israeliran #womenlifefreedom #middleeast #podcast #irgc #usforeignpolicy #iraninternational #eyeforiran #youtube #shorts #middleeast

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Iran exits 2025 under visible strain. Direct confrontation with Israel, setbacks to Tehran’s proxy network, and rising domestic pressure have shaken the regime — but not toppled it.

In this Eye for Iran special, Avi Melamed, Jay Solomon, and Dr. Shahram Kholdi explain what really changed inside Iran, what didn’t, and the biggest risks heading into 2026 — including potential renewed conflict between Iran, Israel and Hezbollah.

We also speak with Shahin Milani, Executive Director of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, about a landmark criminal complaint naming 40 Iranian officials for alleged crimes against humanity during the Women, Life, Freedom protests — and what universal jurisdiction could mean for accountability.

And Siavash Rokni, an Iranian pop culture expert joins us to unpack YouTube’s new ad policy, how it has slashed income for Iranian creators, and why it may strengthen the regime’s cultural control despite fewer ads for viewers.

Contents for this video:

00:00 — Intro: Iran exits 2025 in crisis — but not collapse

00:46 — Panel begins: What really changed this year?

03:05 — Iranians losing fear — and what that means for the regime

05:54 — Did the 12-Day War with Israel change the balance?

10:22 — Deterrence shattered: Israel vs Iran’s proxy strategy

14:49 — Looking ahead to 2026: escalation risks and miscalculation

27:43 — Predictions: confrontation, diplomacy… or both?

37:18 — Accountability segment: Argentina files landmark case

39:15 — Universal jurisdiction — how Iran’s officials could face charges

44:39 — Victims’ stories and why documenting evidence matters

50:20 — YouTube policy change: Iranian creators lose revenue

54:23 — Culture vs control: how the regime benefits

1:06:57 — Final thoughts & outro — what to watch next

#Iran #EyeForIran #WomenLifeFreedom #IranIsrael #MiddleEast #HumanRights #geopolitics #youtube #iran #digitalfreedom #shorts

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Iran's convergence of crises is upending people's lives both inside and outside the country.

On this episode of Eye for Iran, we examine three developments you need to understand right now. Environmental researcher and hydraulic structures expert Roozbeh Eskandari explains how Iran can go from severe drought to destructive flooding, why these extremes are driven by mismanagement rather than nature alone and why flooding does little to resolve Iran’s deepening water crisis.

We then turn to the United States, where expanded travel bans and immigration restrictions are leaving many Iranians in limbo. Iranian-American immigration attorney Ali Rahnama breaks down what the new policies actually mean in practice, who is most at risk and what families should be prepared for in the weeks and months ahead.

Finally, we look inside Iran, where arrests continue following a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer who died under disputed circumstances. Psychotherapist and activist Azadeh Afsahi, who works closely with political prisoners and their families, shares what is known about the detainees, the conditions they face and what these arrests reveal about the reality behind claims of social opening in Iran.

You can catch episode 82 of Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

#iran #water #flooding #nargesmohammadi #khosrowalikordi #toomajsalehi #trump #usa #immigration #drought

Contents of this video:

Segment 1 – From drought to flooding: Iran’s water crisis
Guest: Roozbeh Eskandari, environmental researcher and hydraulic structures expert

00:00 Intro – Iran at a breaking point
00:13 Why Iran’s drought turned into flooding
02:07 How bad governance drives both extremes
03:10 Climate change as an intensifier, not the cause
05:27 Soil erosion, urban planning and destructive floods
07:19 Environmental injustice and who pays the price
09:18 Why poorer neighborhoods flood first
11:26 Can flooding recharge Iran’s aquifers
13:43 “Territorial collapse” and water bankruptcy
18:51 Water scarcity, social tension and what comes next

Segment 2 – US travel ban and immigration crackdown
Guest: Ali Rahnama, Executive Director of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund

25:36 What the new US travel ban actually changes
27:03 Deportations, paused visas and green card uncertainty
31:42 Asylum seekers, detention and due process concerns
34:59 Allegations of coordination with the Iranian regime
42:29 Notices of intent to deny and legal limbo
46:41 Dual nationals and long-term immigration risks

Segment 3 – Arrests, repression and resistance inside Iran
Guest: Azadeh Afsahi, psychotherapist working with political prisoners

50:17 Arrests after memorial for human rights lawyer
51:30 Families left without information or legal access
54:10 Visible defiance under the same laws and repression
56:10 Toomaj Salehi, trauma and breaking the silence

Segment 4 – Closing
01:03:02 Final thoughts and where to watch or listen

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Former CIA analyst and National Security Council director Kenneth Pollack joins Eye for Iran to explain why he believes Iran has been in a “pre-revolutionary state” for years, why revolutions succeed only when regimes lose the will or capacity to use force and how Khamenei’s eventual succession could reshape everything.

Then, Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) breaks down President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy and why Iran is dramatically downplayed compared to 2017 — plus the risks of an “indifference” moment when the Islamic Republic, according to Taleblu, is “down but not out.”

Finally, we speak with Tatyana Eatwell of Doughty Street Chambers in the UK about the death of Iranian defense lawyer Khosrow Alikordi. Authorities cite cardiac arrest, while colleagues raise serious concerns about state involvement. What does this case mean for lawyers, detainees and due process in Iran and what role can international mechanisms play?

You can watch episode 81 of Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

Contents of this video:

00:00 Intro — Is Iran in a Pre-Revolutionary State?

Ken Pollack: Iran, Revolution, and Regime Change
01:22 Why Iran Has Been “Pre-Revolutionary” for Years
06:55 Why the Nuclear Issue Isn’t the Core Iran Problem
11:30 Iran’s Regional Ambitions and the Axis of Resistance
16:20 After October 7: Is Tehran Winning or Losing?
20:43 Why Iran’s Uprisings Keep Failing
28:49 What Happens After Khamenei?

Behnam Ben Taleblu: Trump’s Iran Strategy
37:18 Trump’s New National Security Strategy and Iran
41:56 Why the Iran Threat Is Being Downplayed
44:37 “Down but Not Out”: Risks of Strategic Indifference

Tatyana Eatwell: The Alikordi Case
47:36 The Death of Lawyer Khosrow Alikordi
48:32 Tatyana Eatwell (Doughty Street Chambers) on What This Means
52:32 Why Lawyers and Dissidents Face Growing Danger

58:08 Closing — Why Iran’s Future Remains Uncertain

#iran #usa #trump #cia #youtube #shorts #khamenei #regimechange

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This week on Eye for Iran, we look at Iran through three connected lenses: history, culture, and a society that some say is transforming in real time.

First, Ambassador John Limbert – one of the American diplomats taken hostage in 1979 – reflects on what he witnessed in the early days of the revolution, how the Islamic Republic has (and hasn’t) changed over five decades, and why the hostility between Washington and Tehran has outlasted the Cold War. He reacts to Donald Trump’s assertion that “Iran is a bully no more,” and explains why he’s wary of predictions about the Islamic Republic's collapse.

Then, researcher and postdoctoral fellow Siavash Rokni breaks down the controversy over Shervin Hajipour’s licensed album and the sudden “normalization” of rap in Iran. He explains how shows like BaZia and state-linked streaming platforms are being used to hijack youth culture, control the rap aesthetic and turn 25 years of underground music into a profitable, controllable industry and why he sees it as a sophisticated PR performance.

Finally, journalist and senior Iran analyst at DAWN Omid Memarian joins to examine Iran’s apparent social renaissance: street concerts, jazz festivals, desert raves, and a Gen Z that openly pushes back on hijab rules and refuses to live a double life. He argues that the loosening of social restrictions is driven from below, not granted from above, and that this movement has deep political implications, even if the clerical establishment tries to present it as a controlled opening.

You can watch this week's episode of Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

Contents of this video:

00:00:00 – Intro: Is Iran really changing?
00:01:49 – Ambassador John Limbert joins the program
00:02:03 – Trump says “Iran is a bully no more” – Limbert reacts
00:06:30 – How the hostage crisis reshaped Iran and crushed democratic hopes
00:11:28 – Same rulers, new society: what has (and hasn’t) changed in 45 years
00:16:35 – Brain drain, diaspora, and a creative generation stuck between two Irans
00:22:18 – Segment 2: Siavash Rokni on youth culture and rap
00:23:27 – What is BaZia and why it matters for Iran’s rap scene
00:30:02 – Why the state is “normalizing” rap: money, control, and PR performance
00:39:12 – Shervin Hajipour backlash: betrayal, survival, and public anger
00:41:06 – DIY and parallel economies: how independent artists resist the system
00:45:36 – Segment 3: Omid Memarian on Iran’s social opening and crackdown
00:46:24 – Mahsa Amini, the 12-day war, and a “worn out” repression machine
00:51:55 – Not just Tehran: how far the social shift reaches beyond big cities
00:53:20 – Explosion of expectations: Gen Z vs the system
00:55:27 – Raves, festivals, and imagining a future without the Islamic Republic
01:02:11 – Outro and Eye for Iran newsletter/info

#iran #shervinhajipour #music #rap #news #culture #podcast #youtube #shorts #usa #trump #eyeforIran #genz

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The United States has launched one of its most visible military deployments in years off the coast of Venezuela — a major operation aimed at narco-terror networks and the Maduro government. Retired four-star General Joseph Votel joins Eye for Iran to explain how decisions like this are made, what Washington’s posture actually signals, and why moves in the Caribbean inevitably carry an indirect message for countries like Iran, even if they aren’t the main focus.

Next, we examine an Iran International investigation revealing new details about “Department 40,” an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence and cyber unit known as Charming Kitten. Cybersecurity expert Amin Sabeti explains how leaked files show the unit tracking dissidents, diplomats, journalists, think tank experts -- and even hacking institutions in countries friendly to Tehran.

Finally, we look at a separate investigation by an Iranian reformist newspaper uncovering that a licensed matchmaking platform in Iran is allowing parents to register children as young as 13 for marriage. Child rights advocate Nazanin Afshin-Jam explains why this platform will likely increase the number of child marriages in Iran especially with the fraught economic conditions.

A look at US policy, Iran’s external activities, and the human rights issues unfolding inside the country — all in one episode.

You can watch Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

Contents of this video:

00:00:00 US sends 12,000 troops near Venezuela – cold open and episode intro
00:02:47 Venezuela, Iran and US planning – first question to Gen. Votel
00:05:15 How Washington makes military decisions on Venezuela
00:07:05 Indirect impact on Iran and messaging to Tehran
00:09:24 Covert options and information warfare against Maduro
00:13:46 Deterrence, 12,000 troops and message to other adversaries
00:17:05 Votel’s time as CENTCOM commander and Iran’s influence in the region
00:21:05 How to confront and engage Iran going forward
00:24:15 Can the US sustain major deployments in the Caribbean and Middle East?
00:26:37 Leak exposes IRGC Department 40 cyber unit
00:30:36 Why Iran’s hackers target even friendly states
00:35:50 How deep the hacks go and how to protect yourself
00:39:04 Investigation: matchmaking platform and child marriage
00:43:22 Nazanin’s past campaign saving a child bride from execution
00:47:43 What the world can do to pressure Tehran on child marriage
00:49:28 Outro – how to follow Eye for Iran

#iran #venezuela #usa #trump #hacker #hack #children #centcom #narconews #podcast #shorts #youtube

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