Stakelbeck Tonight

Erick Stakelbeck: Israel’s Strategic Victories | Stakelbeck Tonight

October 7, 2025 | 25:5

On the two-year anniversary of the deadly October 7th massacre by Hamas, host Erick Stakelbeck guides viewers through the harrowing events and their aftermath. With expert Jonathan Conricus by his side, they delve into the meticulous planning and intelligence that led to Operation Rising Lion's stunning success in dismantling Iran's nuclear program. Exploring the Trump effect and Israel's resilience, they paint a vivid picture of a region in flux, with global implications. As they reflect on the past and future, viewers are taken on a riveting journey of intrigue, bravery, and strategic maneuvering in a volatile landscape.

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Stakelbeck Tonight | Erick Stakelbeck: Israel’s Strategic Victories | Stakelbeck Tonight | October 7, 2025

Welcome to stakelbeck tonight.
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I'm erick stakelbeck, and this is a date
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That lives in infamy.
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October 7th.
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It was two years ago today that hamas carried out the worst
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Massacre of the jewish people since the holocaust.
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Invading southern israel and slaughtering 1200
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People men, women, children, the elderly.
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Hamas terrorists did not discriminate
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As they gleefully butchered innocent people in their homes.
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Of course, they also dragged 251
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People into hellish captivity in gaza.
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As we mark the two year anniversary of that dark day,
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Hamas is now nearing total defeat.
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It will either accept the terms of president trump's peace
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Plan, release the remaining hostages and disarm,
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Or it will be wiped off the face of the earth.
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There is no middle ground.
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Gaza was once a crucial part of the iran backed
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Ring of fire that surrounded israel on all sides.
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But october 7th set off a chain of events
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That saw israel dismantle that ring piece by piece
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And even strike the head of the snake,
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Iran with heavy blows that have transformed the region.
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So how did we get here?
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And what comes next?
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Jonathan
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Conricus is a former spokesman for the israel defense forces
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And currently a senior
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Fellow at the foundation for defense of democracies
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In washington, dc.
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He's a good friend and one of the world's
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Top experts on all things middle east.
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I sat down with him recently in jerusalem
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To break down the current state of play in the region and
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How it affects you.
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Operation rising lion we talk
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About the head of the snake, the iranian regime.
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Stunning victory for israel on many levels.
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Jonathan, talk about the years of planning
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And intelligence work that went into this operation,
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Which really stunned the world and has left the iranian regime
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In many ways in a very, very bad place.
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It's a work in progress.
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It's a milestone, a very positive one
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For the free world, for the west,
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For freedom loving countries in the middle east.
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And i think that there was a collective sigh
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Of not only relief, but really astonishment
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With the israeli achievement of actually penetrating
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Iranian airspace, dismantling air defenses, and striking
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Almost all of the components
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Of the iranian nuclear weapons program.
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And it was contrary to what many in the region
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And in the world believed would be possible.
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And i can share that.
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I know of threat analysis and assessments,
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Even at the pentagon, that assessed totally different
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Casualty numbers in terms of air crews and planes.
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If israel would do what it did.
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And i'm happy that those assessments were not accurate
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And that israel was able to do
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What they did to accomplish those very important
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Military achievements
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Without even one er, man or woman being wounded.
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And we had one uav that was shot down
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With no significant results of it, but no man platforms
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And nothing else of substance
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Really happened against israeli troops.
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And that is that's tremendous.
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That's almost perfect
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And is way beyond what we thought
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That we would be able to accomplish.
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Now, that's a result of many years of planning,
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Of serious, detail oriented intelligence, analysis,
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Of focusing resources on understa, landing,
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Mapping, analyzing iranian capabilities,
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Their military capabilities, their air defenses, of course,
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Being, you know, like a hawk on the iranian nuclear program,
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All of its components.
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Because, as we know, it's not about it's
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Usually not about hardware, hardware.
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You can build again, you can acquire again.
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And sadly,
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There are many rogue
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Nations in the world that are willing to supply
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The iranian regime with the components
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That they need for the nuclear program china, russia, north
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Korea, pakistan, other countries that sadly, recklessly are,
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You know, fueling madman and giving them the tools,
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The possible tools for,
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Weapons of mass destruction.
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But, israel what it what it did,
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I think in its wisdom, was to track also the personnel.
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And out of the many achievements that israel,
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Was able to accomplish, i actually would say that
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Probably the biggest one was the key personnel,
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The scientists, the scientific minds, the key players
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Of the iranian nuclear program that were taken out, nine
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In the first salvo and then three additional ones
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Important for people back at home to understand
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We're not talking about, civilians.
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These were people who were, working for the military,
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Working for the, nuclear weapons program
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Of the islamic republic and who knew extremely
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Well what they were busy developing.
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They knew that they were leaders and managers
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And drivers of iran's nuclear weapons program.
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They were ideologically invested
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In this body of the iranian oppenheimer's,
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In a sense, totally invested in this
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In an ideological sense, 100% of the regime.
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And that is why they were a legitimate target.
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And that is also
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Why it's so important that they no longer are around,
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And that centuries of accumulated knowledge,
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Experience and knowhow
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No longer are available to the iranian regime.
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And that means that the iranian nuclear weapons
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Program was really pulled back.
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But at the end of the day, if you don't have people
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Who know what they're doing,
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Then you can have the best centrifuges in the world,
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But you won't get far.
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There's no way to operate it. yeah.
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So so that i think is is a very important
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And sometimes overlooked achievement.
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I think mossad,
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You know, there was this tv series tehran.
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By the israeli,
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Broadcaster channel 11, which of course is is fictional.
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But if you look at the first episodes of teheran,
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A fictional tv series, and you compare what happened in reality
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In terms of israeli operations and what mossad agents did
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In iran over an extended period of time.
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They built the network, the facilities,
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The safe houses and everything was in place
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So that when the order was given by the
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Elected echelon in israel, all systems were go
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And all pistons fired in synchronization.
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That's many years of hard work, many years of sacrifice,
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Many years of investment.
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How does that even happen, jonathan,
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For israel to get so entrenched?
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Amazing for the mossad of such assets inside iran.
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And we saw late july 2024 when ismail haniya, the hamas
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Leader, was eliminated in tehran under the regime's noses.
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Has masoud accomplished a period of years?
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Of course.
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Is a lot of that due to the discontent
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Of the iranian people against the regime?
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Are willing to work with israel, perhaps against the regime.
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Yes, i think that's part of it.
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It's done, you know, by a lot of creative and hard work,
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Not so glorious, but, you know, creative, hard specific, detail
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Oriented work by men and women of the mossad
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Who have been able
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To penetrate into iran, established networks.
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And that takes a lot of time.
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That's that's years of work.
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And we're not talking about
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Something small and localized in one neighborhood of tehran.
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We're talking about a nationwide network of,
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Informers, collaborators,
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Agents, people that really were part of a big system.
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And if i were an israeli, an iranian counter intel officer,
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This is their, you know, their pearl harbor.
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This is the blackest day in their history in terms of how
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How badly they were penetrated,
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At what extent and over what period of time.
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We're talking years and we're talking multi-level,
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Various locations not far from teheran.
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And it was done in quite spectacular fashion.
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That was one indication which probably should have sent
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The iranians scrambling and saying,
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Something's wrong here.
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And we have been deeply penetrated.
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It didn't, and i'm thankful for it.
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And, you know, i have a lot of respect for the iranians.
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I have respect for all of my enemies.
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I have respect for respectfully, stomach republic.
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I think that they are great,
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Planners.
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I think that they are long term, calculators.
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And i think that had it not been for october 7th,
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They would have had us in in a pickle.
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What i think that got the best of them was hubris.
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I think that they overestimated their own
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Capabilities, underestimated israeli resolve,
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Creativity and stamina, which are three
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Distinctly different things.
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But they underestimated all of them.
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And i think they did the worst thing that any other
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Anybody in combat can do.
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They started to believe their own propaganda,
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And they started to believe that they can defeat israel,
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That by encircled israel
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In a ring of fire with these terrorist
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Organizations, these expendable arabs.
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This is how the iranians see them.
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That's not how i look at them.
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But these this is how iranians look at them,
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That israel was there for the taking,
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That israel was weak enough.
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And with a bit of a push, the iranians could go in
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And finish the zionist entity, as they call israel.
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And i think that was really the beginning of their undoing.
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Up next, jonathan conricus breaks down
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The global shockwaves emanating from iran's
00:10:22.712 --> 00:10:25.948
Now non-existent nuclear program.
00:10:25.948 --> 00:10:29.318
Stick around.
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Stick around.
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The iranian nuclear program.
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Jonathan, we talked about crown jewels.
00:10:39.129 --> 00:10:41.331
That was it for the regime for four decades.
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Of course, president trump gets involved.
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The u.s. joins the fray.
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We'll talk about the ramifications
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Not only for israel, but for the western world
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Of that iranian nuclear threat being eliminated.
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It's a global threat.
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It wasn't just a threat to israel, but to everyone,
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Including america.
00:11:00.183 --> 00:11:01.284
Oh, yeah, it was it was a global threat.
00:11:01.284 --> 00:11:03.854
And i think it was recognized as a global threat
00:11:03.854 --> 00:11:06.223
Because there were sanctions against iran.
00:11:06.223 --> 00:11:09.226
Hopefully today the sanctions will be snapped back
00:11:09.226 --> 00:11:12.929
And will be again applied on iran
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Because they are refusing
00:11:15.732 --> 00:11:17.667
To stop their nuclear weapons program.
00:11:17.667 --> 00:11:21.104
Now to disambiguate here nuclear weapons.
00:11:21.104 --> 00:11:25.275
It can only be obtained by iran if they have the ability
00:11:25.275 --> 00:11:29.112
To enrich clandestinely on iranian soil.
00:11:29.112 --> 00:11:33.049
And the iranians, even though reality has changed
00:11:33.049 --> 00:11:35.819
Since operation rising lion, and america's,
00:11:35.819 --> 00:11:41.057
Final blow to their nuclear capabilities.
00:11:41.057 --> 00:11:43.627
Reality changed.
00:11:43.627 --> 00:11:45.128
But the iranian leadership doesn't
00:11:45.128 --> 00:11:47.063
Seem to compute and understand that reality has changed.
00:11:47.063 --> 00:11:50.167
And there they continue to to bargain and to deal
00:11:50.167 --> 00:11:54.037
As if they're still in the same driving position that they were
00:11:54.037 --> 00:11:58.375
Pre october 7th. they aren't.
00:11:58.375 --> 00:12:01.077
And i think they are going to find that not only is the west
00:12:01.077 --> 00:12:05.782
Really focused and committed to not allowing them ever
00:12:05.782 --> 00:12:10.053
To have nuclear weapons capabilities,
00:12:10.053 --> 00:12:12.322
But that they are much more exposed
00:12:12.322 --> 00:12:14.291
And if they continue to hardball,
00:12:14.291 --> 00:12:16.426
They will face two things sanctions,
00:12:16.426 --> 00:12:18.829
Which could be crippling for an already
00:12:18.829 --> 00:12:22.032
Very weak and exposed economy, and two,
00:12:22.032 --> 00:12:25.635
They could face additional israeli
00:12:25.635 --> 00:12:27.737
Military action against them
00:12:27.737 --> 00:12:29.272
If they continue to try to develop nuclear weapons.
00:12:29.272 --> 00:12:32.642
And i'm not entirely sure that they really grasp
00:12:32.642 --> 00:12:35.579
The severity of the situation.
00:12:35.579 --> 00:12:37.881
I still see a lot of hubris.
00:12:37.881 --> 00:12:39.883
I still see this condescending iranian behavior
00:12:39.883 --> 00:12:43.620
Lecturing everybody and telling
00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:45.622
Everybody and speaking, you know, very high language
00:12:45.622 --> 00:12:48.825
About law and order and international law and civil
00:12:48.825 --> 00:12:52.262
Rights and all kinds of things that,
00:12:52.262 --> 00:12:54.030
You know, it's bizarre
00:12:54.030 --> 00:12:55.265
To hear it from a dictatorship that oppresses its own people
00:12:55.265 --> 00:12:59.169
And basically is a failing state.
00:12:59.169 --> 00:13:01.805
You look at iran today, the islamic republic of iran.
00:13:01.805 --> 00:13:04.674
This is a country that is failing to provide its citizens.
00:13:04.674 --> 00:13:08.345
We're talking about almost 100 million people
00:13:08.345 --> 00:13:11.348
With the very basic needs for a normal life.
00:13:11.348 --> 00:13:15.218
Water and electricity.
00:13:15.218 --> 00:13:17.087
Iran today, due to corruption and mismanagement,
00:13:17.087 --> 00:13:21.591
Even though this is an oil rich and gas rich country
00:13:21.591 --> 00:13:24.861
That i think they have the third or the fourth largest,
00:13:24.861 --> 00:13:27.831
Deposits of, of gas and oil in the world by all standards.
00:13:27.831 --> 00:13:32.602
They should be super rich and they should be affluent,
00:13:32.602 --> 00:13:35.705
And nobody in iran should want for anything
00:13:35.705 --> 00:13:38.742
If they manage their resources correctly.
00:13:38.742 --> 00:13:40.777
They don't.
00:13:40.777 --> 00:13:41.912
Their priorities are terror.
00:13:41.912 --> 00:13:44.347
It is funding terror organizations around the world.
00:13:44.347 --> 00:13:46.750
It is building nuclear weapons.
00:13:46.750 --> 00:13:48.285
It's destabilizing the middle east.
00:13:48.285 --> 00:13:49.953
And that's what they've been focusing on
00:13:49.953 --> 00:13:51.588
For the better part of 25 years now.
00:13:51.588 --> 00:13:54.658
The chickens are coming home to roost,
00:13:54.658 --> 00:13:56.493
And the consequences, sadly, are felt by iranian civilians.
00:13:56.493 --> 00:14:00.563
Iran is running out of water.
00:14:00.563 --> 00:14:02.232
They struggle to provide electricity.
00:14:02.232 --> 00:14:04.567
There are, planned, controlled,
00:14:04.567 --> 00:14:08.471
Outages of electricity every day
00:14:09.105 --> 00:14:11.675
In all of iran's cities, including the capital, tehran.
00:14:11.675 --> 00:14:15.879
They struggle to keep factories open.
00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:17.714
They struggle to keep government offices open.
00:14:17.714 --> 00:14:19.950
And they don't.
00:14:19.950 --> 00:14:21.017
Kids can't go to school in the warm or the cold months
00:14:21.017 --> 00:14:25.121
Because there's no electricity for heating or ventilating.
00:14:25.121 --> 00:14:28.625
It's a disaster.
00:14:28.625 --> 00:14:29.626
It is a disaster, and it's a manmade disaster
00:14:29.626 --> 00:14:32.128
That was focused on, you know, this this whole
00:14:32.128 --> 00:14:35.699
Iranian expansionist, imperialist endeavor.
00:14:35.699 --> 00:14:39.069
And sadly, the people who face the consequences
00:14:39.069 --> 00:14:41.538
Are the people on the ground, the iranians,
00:14:41.538 --> 00:14:43.540
Who probably have very little to do and very little sympathy
00:14:43.540 --> 00:14:47.310
For what this crazy extremist regime
00:14:47.310 --> 00:14:50.480
Has been doing, over such a long period of time.
00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:54.017
And i think that the iranian people eventually
00:14:54.017 --> 00:14:56.853
Will rise
00:14:56.853 --> 00:14:58.021
Up against the iranian regime, reclaim their own future.
00:14:58.021 --> 00:15:01.391
When they do.
00:15:01.391 --> 00:15:02.559
I think that will be a very positive moment,
00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:05.895
For the middle east, for the iranian people,
00:15:05.895 --> 00:15:08.365
Definitely for israel, because even though
00:15:08.365 --> 00:15:11.334
We're in a better situation today
00:15:11.334 --> 00:15:12.936
In terms of where we stand, in terms of our enemies,
00:15:12.936 --> 00:15:16.039
We are still threatened by the remains of, iranian,
00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:21.978
Iranian terror against israel.
00:15:22.579 --> 00:15:24.114
We are still fighting hamas.
00:15:24.114 --> 00:15:25.815
I haven't finished yet.
00:15:25.815 --> 00:15:27.417
Hezbollah still exists, and there are threats
00:15:27.417 --> 00:15:29.886
That are up and coming in, in jordan.
00:15:29.886 --> 00:15:33.523
And iran.
00:15:33.823 --> 00:15:34.991
The regime still, in terms of its goals and priorities,
00:15:34.991 --> 00:15:38.361
They're focusing
00:15:38.361 --> 00:15:39.429
On fighting against israel, even though they're
00:15:39.429 --> 00:15:42.065
A thousand miles away. we don't share a border.
00:15:42.065 --> 00:15:44.300
We haven't, you know, never fought them in history.
00:15:44.300 --> 00:15:46.436
We have no land issues, no nothing.
00:15:46.436 --> 00:15:48.371
One wonders why do they care?
00:15:48.371 --> 00:15:50.340
And why are they so fixated with trying to annihilate israel?
00:15:50.340 --> 00:15:54.077
Yet here they are.
00:15:54.511 --> 00:15:55.845
So we're in a good place.
00:15:55.845 --> 00:15:57.680
But the work isn't done.
00:15:57.680 --> 00:16:00.950
Coming up after the break, johnson
00:16:00.950 --> 00:16:02.719
Lays out the trump effect, how the president's policies
00:16:02.719 --> 00:16:06.022
Have remade the middle east, and what that means for america.
00:16:06.022 --> 00:16:09.826
Don't move.
00:16:10.160 --> 00:16:15.002
Don't move.
00:16:15.002 --> 00:16:18.932
You talk
00:16:19.199 --> 00:16:20.233
About the trump effect back in office, of course.
00:16:20.233 --> 00:16:22.569
January 2025.
00:16:22.569 --> 00:16:24.704
In general, in the region and in particular
00:16:24.704 --> 00:16:27.374
When it comes to iran and the nuclear project in iran,
00:16:27.374 --> 00:16:30.410
Obviously took decisive action alongside israel.
00:16:30.410 --> 00:16:33.380
Talk a bit more about his impact in the region.
00:16:33.380 --> 00:16:36.249
You know, i remember very clearly
00:16:36.249 --> 00:16:37.884
I was the idf's international spokesperson
00:16:37.884 --> 00:16:41.788
When cousin soleimani was eliminated by the us.
00:16:41.788 --> 00:16:46.026
And i remember the barrage of questions
00:16:46.026 --> 00:16:49.830
At the time from international media, the new york
00:16:49.830 --> 00:16:52.399
Times and cnn and everybody were calling.
00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:55.702
And there were, of course, the sides themselves
00:16:55.702 --> 00:16:59.239
With excitement, fear and finger pointing.
00:16:59.239 --> 00:17:04.611
And the general headline was that president trump first
00:17:04.611 --> 00:17:08.415
Presidency has now provoked world war three
00:17:08.415 --> 00:17:12.252
By taking out this mega terrorist
00:17:12.252 --> 00:17:15.055
With with buckets of american blood on his hands.
00:17:15.055 --> 00:17:18.458
And i responded at the time that.
00:17:18.458 --> 00:17:19.993
No, listen, you've got it wrong.
00:17:19.993 --> 00:17:21.595
This was an act of stability and peace.
00:17:21.595 --> 00:17:25.298
This was preventive action, not only payback for american
00:17:25.298 --> 00:17:29.369
Blood that this terrorist had shed over so many years.
00:17:29.369 --> 00:17:33.707
But this was really an extremely
00:17:33.707 --> 00:17:36.810
Important preventive measure because kassam soleimani
00:17:36.810 --> 00:17:40.947
Was a brilliant terrorist mastermind.
00:17:40.947 --> 00:17:44.251
He really had very strong, compelling charisma,
00:17:44.251 --> 00:17:47.821
And he was a leader
00:17:47.821 --> 00:17:49.422
That commanded iranian forces in the region.
00:17:49.422 --> 00:17:53.160
When president trump decided to take him out,
00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:56.396
That was first a very brave decision.
00:17:56.396 --> 00:17:59.299
And i think that it's difficult to say, you know, what?
00:17:59.299 --> 00:18:03.203
If but i struggle to see the positive things that we have
00:18:03.203 --> 00:18:08.108
Witnessed since october 7th
00:18:08.108 --> 00:18:10.310
Playing out, as well as they have had consensual.
00:18:10.310 --> 00:18:13.747
Suleimani still been alive.
00:18:13.747 --> 00:18:15.315
And had he been quarterbacking or along the sidelines
00:18:15.315 --> 00:18:19.119
Of the iranian war machine.
00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:20.921
So that's credit number one.
00:18:20.921 --> 00:18:22.389
And that is president trump going against a lot of
00:18:22.389 --> 00:18:26.760
Established knowledge and advice and saying,
00:18:26.760 --> 00:18:30.297
No, this is a bad guy. he needs to be taken out.
00:18:30.297 --> 00:18:33.066
He's killed americans.
00:18:33.066 --> 00:18:34.234
He's a bad guy. he does bad things.
00:18:34.234 --> 00:18:36.236
And he needs to be gone.
00:18:36.236 --> 00:18:37.470
And and the u.s. took him out.
00:18:37.470 --> 00:18:39.606
So that's number one.
00:18:39.606 --> 00:18:40.874
Number two. and
00:18:40.874 --> 00:18:43.577
Not enough credit has been given.
00:18:44.277 --> 00:18:47.347
And i think that there are still people who undermine
00:18:47.347 --> 00:18:51.218
The cleverness and finesse of president trump.
00:18:51.218 --> 00:18:56.256
Many people belittle and think that
00:18:56.256 --> 00:18:59.826
Because of his style of communication
00:18:59.826 --> 00:19:03.096
And the way that he is forthcoming and approachable,
00:19:03.096 --> 00:19:08.034
That he isn't extremely cunning and smart.
00:19:08.034 --> 00:19:11.871
And what i think that the iranians did
00:19:11.871 --> 00:19:14.741
Was to believe that they had him,
00:19:14.741 --> 00:19:17.677
That they had his number, that they could figure him out
00:19:17.677 --> 00:19:20.513
And that he wasn't going to surprise them, when in fact,
00:19:20.513 --> 00:19:23.350
What happened was that the us and israel
00:19:23.350 --> 00:19:26.886
Were coordinated extremely well and in fact, were able to lull
00:19:26.886 --> 00:19:32.792
The islamic regime into a false sense of security
00:19:32.792 --> 00:19:36.329
By conducting negotiations, but by having a military option
00:19:36.329 --> 00:19:40.367
Ready, the moment that the presidential
00:19:40.367 --> 00:19:43.903
Deadline expired day 61, when the president said,
00:19:43.903 --> 00:19:48.174
You have 60 days and i come to you in good faith.
00:19:48.174 --> 00:19:51.144
If we do progress here, and if you, the iranians, start
00:19:51.144 --> 00:19:54.814
To show me that you're willing to stop
00:19:54.814 --> 00:19:57.150
Developing nuclear weapons, and if i sense that there's
00:19:57.150 --> 00:20:00.287
Progress to be made, i will tell the israelis to stand down.
00:20:00.287 --> 00:20:04.891
And i believe that he would have done it, by the way.
00:20:04.891 --> 00:20:07.294
But the iranians, full of hubris, didn't.
00:20:07.294 --> 00:20:10.196
And they thought that
00:20:10.196 --> 00:20:11.531
Negotiation were an effective shield
00:20:11.531 --> 00:20:14.467
Against any military attack by israel.
00:20:14.467 --> 00:20:17.737
And what president trump did was to outsmart the iranians
00:20:17.737 --> 00:20:21.908
And i think that's it was a brilliant move.
00:20:21.908 --> 00:20:23.977
And i don't think that,
00:20:23.977 --> 00:20:25.812
Operation rising lion would have happened.
00:20:25.812 --> 00:20:28.315
Definitely not the level of success that it had.
00:20:28.315 --> 00:20:30.850
Had it not been for that level of fitness,
00:20:30.850 --> 00:20:34.621
Which was crucial in the beginning.
00:20:34.621 --> 00:20:36.456
They, the iranians, the supreme command,
00:20:36.456 --> 00:20:39.726
The military leadership, the revolutionary guard,
00:20:39.726 --> 00:20:42.762
Their air defenses, their nuclear scientist
00:20:42.762 --> 00:20:45.231
Were all caught off guard because they thought that they
00:20:45.231 --> 00:20:49.002
Were safe.
00:20:49.002 --> 00:20:50.170
And, the leadership of president trump, the
00:20:50.170 --> 00:20:55.675
What he what he helped and facilitate that israel to do
00:20:55.675 --> 00:21:00.246
With providing israel with weapons and platforms
00:21:00.246 --> 00:21:03.817
And political cover,
00:21:03.817 --> 00:21:05.985
I think is historic.
00:21:06.453 --> 00:21:08.054
I think
00:21:08.054 --> 00:21:09.289
This will go down in history as one of the most consequential,
00:21:09.289 --> 00:21:12.525
Decisions, military decisions by a u.s.
00:21:12.525 --> 00:21:14.894
President since world war ii
00:21:14.894 --> 00:21:16.162
To preventing nuclear weapons from a crazy, murderous regime.
00:21:16.162 --> 00:21:21.067
I think is a very commendable and worthy goal.
00:21:21.067 --> 00:21:25.138
Even with the benefit of hindsight.
00:21:25.138 --> 00:21:27.307
We look at the decisions made in real time by the president.
00:21:27.307 --> 00:21:30.176
They were very, very good. they were excellent,
00:21:30.176 --> 00:21:32.912
They were brave and they were correct.
00:21:32.912 --> 00:21:35.048
They were moral and they were accurate.
00:21:35.048 --> 00:21:37.751
And those are exactly the types of decisions that we expect
00:21:37.751 --> 00:21:40.687
From elected leaders,
00:21:40.687 --> 00:21:42.989
To make tough decisions, to be willing to,
00:21:42.989 --> 00:21:46.192
Face consequences and risk things,
00:21:46.192 --> 00:21:48.094
But to do it for a good cause.
00:21:48.094 --> 00:21:49.362
And that's what president trump did.
00:21:49.362 --> 00:21:51.164
And i think in israel and in the region, saudi arabia, jordan,
00:21:51.164 --> 00:21:57.137
In syria
00:21:57.404 --> 00:21:58.505
Now, egypt and many other places, the gulf states,
00:21:58.505 --> 00:22:01.274
Of course, they look at that and they say these were this is,
00:22:01.274 --> 00:22:06.045
These are read decisions by real leader.
00:22:06.045 --> 00:22:09.716
Thanks again to our good friend jonathan conricus
00:22:09.716 --> 00:22:11.885
For the incredible break down folks.
00:22:11.885 --> 00:22:13.453
Be sure to follow jonathan on x and across social media.
00:22:13.453 --> 00:22:16.956
He is one of the very best.
00:22:16.956 --> 00:22:18.958
Coming up after the break.
00:22:18.958 --> 00:22:20.260
Israel rising from the ashes of october 7th.
00:22:20.260 --> 00:22:24.497
Stick around.
00:22:24.864 --> 00:22:29.996
Stick around.
00:22:29.996 --> 00:22:33.399
Welcome back to stakelbeck tonight, folks,
00:22:34.267 --> 00:22:36.002
As we wrap up on this
00:22:36.002 --> 00:22:36.969
Very fateful day, the two year anniversary
00:22:36.969 --> 00:22:38.905
Of the october 7th massacre, you might say, wow,
00:22:38.905 --> 00:22:41.908
How is israel risen from the ashes and prevailed
00:22:41.908 --> 00:22:45.011
In this seven front war that launched on october 7th?
00:22:45.011 --> 00:22:48.614
Don't be surprised if you know the word of god.
00:22:48.614 --> 00:22:50.683
Look at the book of amos, chapter nine verse 15.
00:22:50.683 --> 00:22:53.219
God says, i will plant israel in their own land, never again
00:22:53.219 --> 00:22:56.956
To be uprooted from the land i have given
00:22:56.956 --> 00:22:59.091
Them, says the lord your god.
00:22:59.091 --> 00:23:01.127
What part of never again do hamas and israel's enemies
00:23:01.127 --> 00:23:04.397
Not understand?
00:23:04.397 --> 00:23:05.431
Hey, right after the show,
00:23:05.431 --> 00:23:06.732
We got a very special program, the heroes of october 7th.
00:23:06.732 --> 00:23:10.403
You won't want to miss it, so stick around.
00:23:10.403 --> 00:23:12.305
And then tomorrow night here on stakelbeck tonight,
00:23:12.305 --> 00:23:14.340
Eric trump is here breaking down his new book.
00:23:14.340 --> 00:23:16.876
It's going to be good. until then god bless you.
00:23:16.876 --> 00:23:19.445
Stay tuned.
00:23:19.445 --> 00:23:20.379
Heroes of october 7th coming up next.
00:23:20.379 --> 00:23:23.115
We'll see you soon.
00:23:23.115 --> 00:23:23.115

Erick Stakelbeck: Israel’s Strategic Victories | Stakelbeck Tonight

October 7, 2025 | 25:5

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