President Trump announces the U.S. is in talks with Iran and delays planned strikes on its energy infrastructure—but Tehran denies any negotiations are taking place. At the same time, Israel launches major airstrikes on Tehran, causing widespread blackouts, while fighting intensifies on Israel’s northern front. A rocket strike hits Kiryat Shmona, injuring a civilian, as the IDF moves to deepen its offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Guests:
Maayan Hoffman – ILTV Correspondent
Dr. Nir Boms – Tel Aviv University (12:15)
Maj. (Res.) Elliot Chodoff – Political and Military Analyst
For the past 44 years, the Islamic regime in Iran has tried to foment hatred towards Israel both at home and abroad, dedicating vast resources to its hateful anti-Israel campaign. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict serves as the main instrument in this attempt to galvanize both Iranians as well as Muslims, and others around the world. While it’s clear that Iran is able to support a wide proxy network that actively participates in the war against Israel, it is less clear how successful it has been regionally, as well as globally, in advancing an anti-Israel agenda.
One thing, however, is certain: domestically, Iran’s anti-Israel campaign has been a failure.
Navid Afkari, a 27 year-old Iranian wrestling champion who won numerous medals, had rarely lost a fight in his life. There was, however, one struggle he could not win. Following torture and a forced confession, Navid was executed earlier this month following a verdict by the Iranian Supreme Court.
Navid Afkari, along with his two brothers Vahid and Habib, were found guilty of participating in the nationwide protest that engulfed Iran in August 2018, along with several other charges that included insulting the supreme leader, waging war against God, and murder. Vahid and Habib were handed prison sentences of 54 years and 27 years respectively. Both were also sentenced to 74 lashes and are still behind bars.
Navid’s execution demonstrates that Iran’s decision earlier this year to commute the execution sentence of three young men represented an exception rather than a potential shift inside the country. Iran had halted the executions of three young protestors—Amirhossein Moradi, Mohammad Rajabi, and Saeed Tamjidi—under the pressure of an online campaign that attracted millions of tweets and a hashtag protesting their sentence.
