NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (March 8)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight... Iran indicates it has chosen a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The news comes as U.S. Central Command is issuing a safety warning to civilians in Iran where threats are escalating. The Middle East war is leading to rising energy prices as oil and gas production deals with obstacles. Find out the impact on travel. Why is Iran continuing to attack Gulf nations in the face of sustained U.S.-Israeli strikes? China insiders say senior officials are instructed to draw lessons from the Soviet Union's collapse as the Chinese regime is rattled by the war in Iran. Two men were arrested Saturday for throwing improvised explosive devices at right-wing protesters in NYC. The incident happened just outside Gracie Mansion, the New York City mayor's residence. We have the details. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Don Ma. Our first story... A seventh U.S. servicemember has died since the start of Operation Epic Fury. U.S. Central Command posted to X this afternoon saying the servicemember died last night from earlier injuries. CENTCOM says the servicemember's identity will not be revealed until a day after family notification the servicemember was wounded after the Iranian regime attacked U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1st. According to CNN, the previous six servicemembers who were killed in Operation Epic Fury were all members of a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Iowa. They were killed during Iranian drone strikes in Kuwait. They were working at a supply station for U.S. forces throughout the region. President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance attended a dignified transfer of the bodies of the soldiers back to the U.S. yesterday. Iran indicated it has chosen a new leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is named as the late regime leader's successor. In a video published in Iranian media, a member of Iran's clerical council said the name of Khamenei will continue. He also said the vote has been cast and will soon be announced. They chose Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the deceased Ayatollah, who is a mid-ranking cleric with close ties to the powerful Revolutionary Guards. U.S. Central Command is issuing a safety warning to civilians in Iran. It comes as the threat to people's safety has escalated. Iranian forces launching drone and ballistic missile strikes from crowded urban areas, heavily populated cities that could become legitimate military targets under international law, are no longer safe for civilians. Countries across the Persian Gulf dealing with yet another wave of drone and missile strikes today. Kuwait's social security headquarters was hit by a drone strike. Saudi Arabia now reporting two people were killed in a residential location. The Arab League condemns Iran's recent attacks across the Gulf in an emergency meeting today. Here are more details. In an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers earlier today, the Arab League's secretary-general called Iran's attacks reckless and a major strategic mistake. The criticism comes after Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and several Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases. The attack followed U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that started late February. Iranian missiles and drones have continued to target sites across the region for more than a week. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted 15 drones, including one aimed at the capital's diplomatic district. And the UAE said its air defenses detected 17 ballistic missiles on Sunday, but destroyed most of them before they could reach land. Several Arab nations say they had been trying to prevent a broader war, including Qatar and Egypt, which have been pushing diplomatic efforts in the region. Meanwhile, President Trump says he has little interest in negotiating with Tehran. He suggested the conflict could only end if Iran's military capability, or its leadership, is eliminated. An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed today the army had carried out a strike in central Tehran earlier in the week that killed the incoming head of the military office of Iran's supreme leader. In the image now shown on the screen, and revealed for the first time, appears Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Air Force, who was killed in the operation along with his aides. From the headquarters where he is seen, he directed and led the execution of a terrorism framework. We struck the headquarters. He added that Israel also hit fuel depots used by Iran's military on Friday night, saying the sites supported the operation of Iranian military infrastructure. And the Israel Defense Forces says an Israeli Navy strike targeting a hotel room in Beirut overnight killed five commanders in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IDF claimed those commanders were hiding in a civilian motel. Israel launching a new onslaught of strikes targeting energy locations and resources in Iran's capital, Tehran. Joining us now to discuss this is Jacob Oledourde, Middle East historian and director of the American Security Center at the America First Policy Institute. Jacob, so good evening to you. Thank you for joining us today. Now, this is happening as Gulf states are reporting more damage to infrastructure over the weekend as Iran continues to attack these regional countries. Can I just ask you to start off here? What is Iran's game plan? Because Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iran's actions are actually pushing more countries toward the U.S. Well, that's right. He's exactly right. And look, right now the regime is in complete psychological chaos in that they've lost several layers of leadership politically and militarily, obviously with the decapitation of several layers of their leadership at the top there. And so what you're seeing is kind of panic and a lack of coordination, which is a result of losing this command and control structure. But I think the attacks as well point to the fact that all of our partners as well are targets of Iran's escalation. It's not just Israel, it's not just ourselves, that the entire neighborhood is a target for the regime. And Jacob, I just reported earlier that a new leader could have been named. So President Trump says he needs to be personally involved in the selection process for a new leader. So I mean, it looks like Khamenei's son right now seems to be at least succeeding the position. How do you think this dynamic is going to play out? Well, the U.S. objective is clear and consistent all along since the president's address on February 28th in the morning, that the objective here is protecting the American people against threats leveled against them by the Iranian regime, and that includes from the leadership as well. And so I think right now that remains the focus, and I think that's my sense is that's what the president is alluding to as well, is degrading the military, degrading their capabilities and their possibility of waging threats against them. So Jacob, another thing President Trump said was that there's not going to be any deal with Iran except unconditional surrender. Can you just talk to us about, in your mind, what does unconditional surrender actually mean for Iran, for the regime in Iran? Well, this regime has been waging a war against the American people for half a century, and its threats are geographic in nature through its proxies and terror network all the way to our hemisphere. And it's also primarily in its capabilities, its nuclear and its ballistic missile programs as well as its drones and other types of capabilities. And so these are, we know of course that Iran, the regime, is aggressively seeking to advance these and build these out, these capabilities. These are also the targets of U.S. and Israeli strikes for the last week, is degrading their capabilities, the launchers, the factories in which they're produced. You mentioned the fuel facilities as well on which these rely. All of that is essential to ensuring these, the regime does not pose a threat to the American people or to others around the world. So do you think that the Iranian regime will ever stop fighting, or is it going to fight until the end, until all its regime personnel are eliminated? What do you think is going to happen? I think this regime very much, we'll see what it looks like, but obviously they're not giving up. And that's what the president referred to as well. These are very bad actors, very ideologically motivated, and obviously they've created this apparatus over the course of decades only to create destruction. They haven't cared at all about governance, but the people of Iran, their sole focus was creating destruction and harming the United States. And so I think we're seeing a regime that's desperate, but still very intent on fighting. So, Jacob, I'm thinking here, if we do get a new regime, a new government in Iran, how do we know for sure it won't go back to how it was before? How do we make sure the new government doesn't see a repeat of history? I think it's too early to tell what will happen if and when this regime collapses, what comes next. Obviously, you know, it's a big country, Iran, and many different communities, ethnicities live there. And so it really, and the opposition so far, you know, is not yet organized, doesn't appear to have any single voice dominate. But I think the vice president said it correctly, that the fate of the regime, whatever happens, is incidental to our objectives there, which are, again, to protect the American people from its threats. Okay. On that note, just one final question. How does it matter to the American people? Why is it in the U.S.'s interest? Absolutely. Well, you have to look back, again, at the very rhetoric at the regime's founding and throughout, where they talk about a big Satan and death to America. But it's also in its actions. When you look at the 1983 Beirut bombing that claimed 241 U.S. service members, the U.S.'s coal, and other terrorist attacks, as well as threats and attacks against U.S. personnel in the Middle East, hundreds of whom were killed by Iran or by its proxies. This is not to mention assassination attempts, putting on the president. This is a regime that's consistent and focused on causing as much destruction, as much harm to the American people, and is, by the way, also integral to conflicts around the world. Whether you look at Putin's escalation against Ukraine, which depends on Iranian missiles and drones, all the way, as I mentioned, to the Western Hemisphere, where the regime has created partnerships with cartels, all for the sole reason of threatening the American people. Well, all right, Jacob. Let's leave it there for today. Great comments. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you for having me. Kansas City International Airport reopening this afternoon after a brief closure as authorities investigate a possible threat, the airport and federal government said. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote in a post on X that a security incident at Kansas City is now clear and normal operations are resuming. The Kansas City Aviation Department said it evacuated sections of the airport in Kansas City, Missouri, due to a potential threat. It said the evacuation was initiated at around 11.15 a.m. local time, and that airport police was collaborating with the FBI to investigate. Almost one million passengers pass through each month, according to airport data. And more passengers are beginning to leave the Middle East as flights slowly resume out of Dubai amid Iran's retaliatory strikes. Dubai's D-X-B airport initially partially restarted operations this weekend after regional fighting forced airspace closures and grounded flights. UAE airline carrier Emirates had temporarily suspended all flights Saturday after an unidentified object from Iran was intercepted near Dubai. Flights resumed less than an hour later, but service remains limited. Flight tracking data shows traffic at Dubai's international hub is still only about a quarter of its typical level. Emirates says it's running a reduced schedule to about 80 destinations as missiles and drones fly across parts of the region. Much of the surrounding airspace remains closed. It's forcing airlines, charter flights, and private jets to compete to move tens of thousands of stranded travelers out of the region. Up next, the Middle East war is leading to rising energy prices as oil and gas production deal with obstacles. Find out the impact on travel. And China insiders say senior officials are instructed to draw lessons from the Soviet Union's collapse as the Chinese regime is rattled by the war in Iran. More news after this break. Stay with us. This land, our America, built on hard work, determination, and grit. Sometimes the days run long, but hope, it never runs out. Even when the food does for America's veterans, working parents, even kids. Because in every corner of every town, even yours, millions of hardworking neighbors are facing a hunger crisis. Many for the very first time. In this land of plenty, affording food shouldn't require second jobs and third shifts or choosing between your groceries and bills. Today, you can help change that. Call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month, less than 63 cents a day, to help every neighbor get the food they urgently need. Because taking care of each other is what makes America strong. We're Feeding America, not just a name, but an action. 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The war has affected oil and gas production facilities and the transport of fuel to the Strait of Hormuz. Here's more. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the impact has been small and the conflict probably won't be long. Gasoline today is still $1.50 a gallon cheaper than it was in the middle of the Biden administration. But you're right. We want it back below $3 a gallon, and it will be again before too long. In the worst case, this is a week's. This is not a month's thing. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has said rising jet fuel costs could start impacting passenger ticket prices very soon and that the impact has already affected the profit margins for major airlines. The Travel.com reported jet fuel prices skyrocketing almost 58 percent in the short time since airstrikes against Iran began late last month. Reuters estimated United, American, Delta and Southwest could all together face $5.8 billion in additional fuel costs if prices stay high for the rest of the year. But Wright says that Iran has contributed to higher energy prices in the 47 years that the Iranian regime has held power. It is simply unacceptable for the United States, for the Middle East geography and for the world economy to have a terrorist regime with nuclear weapons and a gigantic missile arsenal. They've raised energy prices for Americans for decades. It's finally going to come to an end. Iran's threat to gas tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz has led to a suspension of shipments and a lowering of the world's oil supply. Iran has also attacked gas production facilities in the Middle East. Wright says the U.S. is making efforts to ease the disruption. A large tanker went through the Gulf about 24 hours ago through the Straits of Hormuz. So we're still focused right now on continuing to attribute their missile and drone capability to reduce their ability to disrupt traffic, to attack their 10 neighbors that they have been attacking. And that work is going tremendously well. Their missile launches are down by 90%, well over 80% reduction in their ability to fire drones. So we're not too long away. I think before you'll see, you'll see more regular resumption of ship traffic through the Straits of Hormuz. The U.S.-Israel Operation Epic Fury started February 28th with missile strikes on Iran. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the Iranian regime will face even heavier punishment, but the U.S. has also sought to assure Americans that the operation will be at most a few weeks and will not drag out endlessly like previous Middle East conflicts. President Trump says he won't sign any new legislation until Congress passes a major voter bill. The president made the announcement in a post on Truth Social earlier today. The comments come about a month after the House approved a measure requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in the November midterm elections. Lawmakers passed the bill known as the Save America Act by a vote of 218 to 213. Supporters say the measure is aimed at protecting the integrity of U.S. elections by requiring proof of voter ID at the ballots. Democrats argue the requirement could create new hurdles for voters and shift more influence over elections to the federal government. The legalization now faces an uncertain path in Congress as debate over voting rules continues. Insiders say Iran's situation has rattled the Chinese regime. Many are worried about the regime's own stability. That's according to multiple sources shared with our sister media, the Epoch Times. NTD's Flora Hua has more on this story. It's been a tough week for high-level officials in Beijing since the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on Iran. According to a source close to Beijing's Politburo, the top governing body of the Chinese regime, high-level officials have been called to multiple secret meetings on Iran. The source shared that officials were instructed to draw lessons from the Soviet Union's collapse. It's worth noting this type of historic comparison is a rarity for internal meetings within the CCP. The source also shared that the CCP is on high alert, concerned domestic unrest could evolve into large-scale protests against Beijing, like the mass protests against the Islamic regime. Several separate sources confirmed a similar message. Due to safety fears, they prefer to stay anonymous. NTD previously reported that protests varying in scale continue to break out across China, mainly caused by financial disputes and social injustice. Police were directed to suppress many of these protests. In January alone, protests occurred in 19 provinces in China, two-thirds of all provincial regions. Flora Hua, NTD News. And worth mentioning, the Financial Times reported that at least 10 ships have altered their digital footprints on marine activity platforms, pretending to be ships of Chinese owners for all Chinese crew. The report says it shows that oil tankers are trying all means to dodge attacks from Iran. The Islamic regime is a close ally to Beijing and also heavily relies on China for its oil exports. Coming up, President Trump discusses military cooperation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today as two US Air Force planes arrive at an air base in England. And two men were arrested Saturday for throwing improvised explosive devices at conservative protesters in NYC. The incident happened just outside Gracie Mansion, the New York City mayor's residence. More news after this break. Stay with us. I felt this slight pressure on my chest, just slight. I thought, oh, it's nothing, it'll go away. I didn't get it. I did not get it. 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Two people were arrested after two suspicious devices were ignited outside the New York City mayor's mansion. The devices were thrown as tensions escalated on Saturday between two opposing protest groups. NTD's Sean Marshall has more information on this. Two devices were ignited outside Gracie Mansion, the New York City mayor's residence, on Saturday. It happened during a clash between opposing protest groups. One group hosted a rally to stop the Islamic takeover of New York City and stop New York City public Muslim prayer. And the other group, a counter-protest called Drive the Nazis Out of New York. Amir Bilat and Ibrahim Qayyumi were arrested on scene yesterday and are in custody in connection with this matter. The NYPD bomb squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. Police Commissioner Jessica Tish released a statement clarifying it is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused a serious injury or death. At approximately 11 a.m., two separate demonstrations, a protest and a counter-protest, commenced in the area of East End Avenue and East 87th Street. The initial protest, called Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer, organized by individuals associated with far-right provocateur Jake Lange, drew approximately 20 participants. The counter-protest, Run the Nazis Out of New York City, Stand Against Hate, took place nearby with roughly 125 participants at its peak. Overall, six people were arrested as a result of Saturday's protest, the two men responsible for handling and deploying the devices, and a person who deployed pepper spray, and three others related to disorderly conduct and obstructing traffic. I always speak about the police running towards the danger when everyone else runs away. Let me be clear, that happened today. Officers, many of whom are here with me, ran toward a man carrying an ignited suspicious device. They put the safety of others and their sworn duty to protect and serve above their own personal safety. And I am grateful that there were no injuries associated with the incident. Today, as always, I thank our police for their noble service. Further analysis will be conducted, including on a second device. At the time of this report, police have sectioned off an area and are conducting a search of a vehicle possibly used by the suspects. Sean Marshall, NTD News. A rally in Southern California this weekend brought together Iranian-Americans speaking out about the situation in Iran. Many say they're there to show support for the Iranian people. NTD's Christina Corona reports from Los Angeles. We're here in the Westwood neighborhood where Iranian-Americans gathered to show support for the freedom of the Iranian people. Organizers say the event is also meant to show support for U.S. service members. Hundreds of Iranian-Americans gathered outside the federal building in Los Angeles on Saturday to voice support for recent strikes targeting Iran's ruling regime. Many waved Iranian flags and held signs calling for democracy in Iran. We're here to thank President Trump and be out here in L.A., like he said, in support of targeted strikes. For many attending the rally, the issue is deeply personal. Several say they still have family members living in Iran where communication can be difficult and closely monitored. They cannot contact us. I cannot contact them. Every three days, two days, if anybody directly call, which you know that all the calls they're listening to, they're listening to, they go after people. They threaten them. They shoot at them. They kill them. She says families sometimes have to pay government officials large sums of money just to make brief phone calls. For like 30 seconds, they say, we are alive. We're happy. We're good. Take care of yourself. Some people at the rally say this isn't about politics. It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican or a Democrat. You just have to stand with humanity. That's all we're asking. See what they have done to the people of Iran. Organizers also encourage participants to bring white flowers to honor the six U.S. service members who were killed in the attack. It's in remembrance of the fallen soldiers, and we were going to drop them off at the veteran cemetery, which is right here. And we have a wreath for them as well. Some rally goers say honoring those service members was an important part of the event. My condolences to six soldiers, American soldiers. My husband is a U.S. veteran, so that's why I just have empathy and sympathy with them to accept my condolences, all American. So we are with you. And thank you very much, President Trump, again. And we will support you. I really thank them for their service. They have been fighting for human rights, and I sincerely wish from the bottom of my heart that this wouldn't happen the way it's happening. Organizers say they plan to hold rallies every weekend here in the Westwood neighborhood. Reporting from Los Angeles, Christina Corona, NTD News. President Trump on Sunday discussed military cooperation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer's office said this. That's after President Trump dismissed the need for Britain's help in the war with Iran. Here's the story. President Donald Trump has dismissed Britain's consideration of sending aircraft carriers to the Middle East, saying the United States does not need them to win the war with Iran. We don't need them. It's not the right time. It would have been nice to have had them two weeks ago. Trump was speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after Britain's defense ministry said on Saturday it was preparing the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier for possible deployment. But no final decision had been taken about whether to send it to the Middle East, a British official said. In response, Trump posted on social media that he, quote, will remember the lack of British support during the conflict with Iran. The president has repeatedly criticized Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his stance on the war. He suggested this week that Starmer helped ruin the country's historically close ties after London blocked initial US use of British bases to attack Iran. Starmer has defended that decision, saying he needed to be satisfied that any military action was legal and well-planned. He later granted US forces permission to use British bases for what he called limited and defensive strikes to weaken Tehran's capabilities. On Sunday, Starmer's office said the pair had spoken on Iran as two US Air Force planes arrived at an air base in England. The prime minister's office released a statement saying the use of Royal Air Force bases was discussed, quote, in support of the collective self-defense of partners in the region. Starmer's office did not address Trump's criticisms, but said the prime minister offered his condolences over the deaths of six US soldiers killed in the conflict. Iran has named its next leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, son of recently killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Joining us now to discuss is Iranian-American businessman Bijan Kian, president of the Institute for Voices of Liberty. So, Bijan, good afternoon to you. Now, President Trump says he needs to be personally involved in the selection process of Iran's new leader, and the administration has also told the people of Iran to take back their country. So talk to us about this. What should be the process then of selecting a new and what is the dynamics between the US and the people of Iran? Well, it's good to be with you and your viewers. I believe we need to take a step back and take a different look at what's before us. We're talking about the mechanism to name the future leader of a country where the government currently in place and the people have a sea of blood between them. And the candidate, we're looking at the possibility that the son of the Ayatollah Mojtaba is going to be named the next leader in a country where 80 percent or more of the people have said it time after time that they don't want this regime. They've actually paid with their lives. Tens of thousands of Iranians have been murdered, brutally murdered, massacred by this government. So to look at this and say, oh, we're going to see a new leader and things are going to normalize, it's impossible. This is not something that can happen. So it's theoretical in terms of what they want to do, but it is not practical. It is not foreseeable that after 37 years of rule by his father that the son would be able to continue, perhaps for another 37 days. But this is something that's not going to happen. President Trump has hinted to the fact that layer by layer he is planning to decapitate. So the life of the new leader would be very short. The basis for it is flawed. People will never make up with this government. So what's left is how the people of are positioned to take back the country. When I say the people of Iran, I'm not separating the military from the regular people. There are people, too. They're under a lot of pressure. And when 80 percent of the public doesn't want this regime, I think it's reasonable to understand that 80 percent includes the military, those in uniform. And it's really evidenced by the fact that they have no control. I mean, look at the reaction. It is just crazy, silly reaction, attacking 12 or more countries in the region, in complicating the situation even further with their neighbors. So this government has a difficulty, a challenge that is not going to be solved one way or another. This government is doomed to change drastically, not small changes, but structural changes to the entire setup of the government. And that's what President Trump wants to do. So, yes, he says, I need to be involved because the objectives of this military operation cannot be considered completed without, for example, getting all of the 400 kilograms of enriched uranium. It may not be able to be accomplished without deploying ground forces. And these are all the considerations that end up with, again, how are they going to elect a new leader in these circumstances? Very difficult. Change is inevitable, unavoidable. And the Islamic Republic, as we knew it, I believe is dead, is dead completely. No credibility, no possibility of return to the previous safer position for this government. Okay, so Bijan, can I just ask you how you see this war coming to a conclusion? You said earlier, President Trump wants to decapitate this regime, this Iranian regime. So I'm inferring from that, perhaps you think the end of the war means the complete destruction of the regime, or is it something else? Well, the regime, when you talk about the regime, it's not just how many guns they have, how many killers they have. It's a matter of sustainability of that approach. The regime has no practical, reasonable scenario for surviving. They may survive. Some elements would continue to kill people. This is what we see. And there are some other issues involved. For 47 years, the oligarchs have been just milking the economy in absolutely illegal ways and illicit ways. So they worry about their money. They want to keep this money. They will spend as much of it as they can to continue. So how long is this military operation going to continue? Until United States will reach its objectives. Now we're on the ninth day, and we have a number of days left in the four to five weeks time frame. Now traditionally, knowing President Trump and his administration, anybody in such a military operation doesn't want to announce a date for the end of such an operation, because it signals weakness, that we've calculated that it could be regulatory, we have to go to Congress. All those issues makes it safer not to announce an end date when you're in this complex situation in the military operation. But President Trump has said four to five weeks, and we have just maybe 25 percent of that time frame spent, and 75 percent of it is in place. So we could say that President Trump may make a statement that says mission accomplished after four weeks or so. But again, I have to emphasize, there is nothing of Islamic Republic, as we know it, is left after this operation for two reasons, military devastation of their defense capabilities, and a public that is determined to topple them. It will happen. The people of Iran are going to be victorious in this. The war will end when a major change takes place. One word in what President Trump says is probably the best clue. He is seeking for a permanent solution, not a band-aid, not just lip service. It's not what he's looking for. He's looking for permanent solution. So we can all use theories as to what a permanent solution looks like. But we've got to remember, there is a very, very strong indication that many in uniform today in our forces have come to the conclusion that this government cannot survive. They are already thinking about their future, if they're going to have a job, if they're going to live, basically, as the military operation is continuing, they have to make a choice. Are they going to put down weapons and say, let's join the people and make whatever statements they need to make to bring this to an end? President Trump took the complete surrender, and he's going to get it. Okay, so then let me ask you this. What's going to happen to the Iranian proxies after the regime is gone? Does it necessarily mean the proxies are gone as well? Well, you know, you got to look at each group individually and assess where they stand. So Hamas is almost dead. I don't think we need to worry about a revival of Hamas. Now, some elements will continue, but they're out of fuel, basically. They're done. Hezbollah. Hezbollah, I believe, is entrenched, and it will continue in some ways. But I have to look at it practically. None of the Hezbollah that we knew as Hezbollah will be revived. Impossible. Now, the other branches, like the Qatari Hezbollah in Iraq, they will continue in some ways. But again, they're out of fuel, too. And, you know, these proxies, these proxies did not have any love for the Islamic Republic. It was a purely commercial transaction. They're paid killers. The other groups, like Hashd al-Shaabi and others in Iraq, are being paid by the oligarchs that we talked about earlier to bring them in to kill Iranian people. But I don't believe that relationship is working for the Iranians, for the Islamic Republic leaders in Iran. So the proxies, it's hard to say they're dead, but it's very, very practical to say they are not what they used to be. They're out of commission. I can say that with confidence. Okay, Bijan, let's just leave it there for today. I really enjoyed hearing your perspective, and I'm sure our viewers did as well. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good to be with you. Norwegian police are investigating an explosion outside the U.S. embassy in Oslo. Officials say the blast caused minor damage, but no injuries. The explosion happened at 1 a.m. Sunday morning, local time, outside the embassy compound in western Oslo. Police reported the blast occurred near the entrance, damaging a glass door and sending smoke into the street. Authorities say no one was hurt, but officers are now searching for possible suspects. Norway's justice minister says a full investigation is underway with significant resources assigned to the case. Police also noted the explosion could be linked to the current security situation. However, no arrests have been made so far. The U.S. is using drones reverse-engineered from Iranian designs to attack Iran, turning the regime's weapons against it. We have more news after this break. Stay with us. now that's power even blow snow right off your vehicle at no time turbo clean your porch in a flash or tidy up your dirty garage floor in seconds get it today for just 99.99 but wait act now and get a 20 discount so it's only 79.99 plus you'll get the adjustable extension tube yours free and it all comes with free shipping order now call 1-800-209-2313 or go to bullseye blower.com that's 1-800-209-2313 or order online at bullseyeblower.com order now there's cultures that have been lost but this culture hasn't been the artist is showing us our sense of who we are where we came from you look at his hat his hat is knitted probably by a man because a man traditionally knitted the hats that hat tells you the story of who this person is what his place in the culture is the animals around him everything's all contained in the messages in the hat and the tool that he's carrying over his this is a centuries-old tool that has been able to rework the mountains those traditions are invaluable and if we don't honor those traditions then we're useless the artist is showing us the value of maintaining our culture and respecting our culture several hundred iranian demonstrators opposed to the iranian regime marched the israeli embassy today in london they showed their support for the military action against iran i'm an iranian raised in the uk born in tehran but um obviously very very happy to the command was taken out but there's still a lot of work to do and we're here to voice our support for who we believe is the true alternative to lead her on into a transitional through a iranian royalist opposition supporters waving israeli and pre-revolutionary iranian flags the possession continuing past the iranian embassy the protesters all support the exile the royal family and carried pictures of riza havali the son of the shah who was ousted in iran in 1979's revolution he's currently in exile in the u.s more pictures showing the victims of a crackdown on anti-government protests earlier this year the u.s in its strikes on iran is using one-way attack drones reverse engineered from iranian designs the original iranian shaheed drones were used extensively by russia to attack ukraine ntd's shah marshall has more the u.s military is not being shy about reverse engineering an iranian drone design lucas drones also known as low-cost unmanned combat attack system the u.s military said they were a low cost and modeled after iran's shahed drones lucas indispensable as many of you know and if you don't know this is an original iranian drone design we captured it pulled the guts out sent it back to america put a little made america on it brought it back here and we're so i think it shows two things one the importance of drone warfare specifically cheap drone usage for the u.s military in the 21st century but two it's a phenomenal information operation against iran to say we can do your drone but we can do it better iran's shahed drone which tehran has supplied to russia for use in ukraine the shahed is believed to be a copy of israel's according to defense analysts the harpy design has been widely replicated by countries including china and taiwan but i think you have seen over a period of time us kind of get on the other side of this cost curve on drones in general i just walked back a couple of years you remember we used to always hear we're shooting down a fifty thousand dollar drone with a two million dollar missile these days we're spending a lot of time uh shooting down a hundred thousand dollar drones with ten thousand dollars weapons of a matter we will definitely continue to see this expand specifically a lot of smaller countries with less budgets their militaries will probably be heavily reliant on these types of systems to really try to get an upper edge comparative to the united states or europe so this is the new normal and we'll definitely see this really be expanded across the world the lucas drone can be launched from the ground or a truck costing around thirty five thousand dollars each it is far cheaper than the mq9 reaper which costs roughly 20 million to 40 million dollars but is reusable and far more sophisticated shell marshall ntd news airline pilots have faced escalating pressure in recent years from drone incursions to flight paths squeezed by conflicts some pilots shared their from drone incursions to flight paths narrowed by conflict airline pilots are facing escalating risks the outbreak of war in the middle east has put hundreds of ballistic missiles and attack drones into the skies and above some of the world's busiest airports iran has retaliated against u.s israeli attacks and it's included hitting airports grounding scores of flights reuters spoke to eight pilots and several aviation and security insiders who said the accumulation of conflicts from ukraine to afghanistan to israel has led to shrinking airspace and a wider use of military drones taking a growing toll on pilots mental health reitzberger is a commercial pilot based in germany he recalled spotting an object that looked like a balloon with a structure underneath as he was about to land at a european airport it's really like looking out of the window and suddenly there appeared an object that passed by just below our aircraft and we could see it for maybe one maximum two seconds normally when you encounter such a near miss or some some object which is passing by there's not enough time to react so it is unrealistic to expect from pilots that they would fly around such an object there's pretty much nothing we can do industry experts say airspace safety has worsened in recent years an air france flight to bring stranded french nationals home from the uae turned back due to missile fire on thursday and a lufthansa pilot on friday diverted from riyadh to cairo over regional security fears the head of lebanon's civil aviation body captain mohammed aziz told reuters that pilots trained in the middle east have become wearily used to emergencies middle east pilots have always faced crises so from the start we trained how to deal with contingencies emergencies and everything else the escalating conflict in iran has put those skills to the test quickly video footage on march the 5th showed planes taking off from beirut airport as smoke billowed over buildings in the lebanese capital and the risks aren't confined to the middle east since russia's 2022 invasion of ukraine drones have become a key weapon on both sides airports in european cities from stockholm to munich have faced drone disruptions suspected though not confirmed to be linked to the conflict airline captain christian von der haye a commercial aircraft pilot for 15 years and head of the danish airline pilots association said he's alarmed by the emerging threat drones are not easily detected neither from the ground we can't see them in the air and they're very small so sooner or later something will happen drones striking an aircraft's engines could cause total power loss damage to the wings could compromise a jet's ability to maneuver regular radars used by airports struggle to catch drones de drone is a company that produces counter drone technology data from counter drone tech firm de drone showed there were over 1.2 million drone violations in the u.s last year the international air transport association says between 2021 and 2024 jamming and spoofing of planes increased notably over the middle east and eastern europe but safety concerns mean airports cannot shoot drones down and often the only option is to temporarily shut down the airport around the clock coverage visit us at ntd.com slash live or download our ntd app that's all for tonight's news thank you for joining in uh i'm don mom good night