NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (March 6)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump demanding unconditional surrender from the Iranian regime. That's as U.S. forces announce establishing air superiority, striking over 3,000 targets, and destroying 43 Iranian ships seven days into Operation Epic Fury. Mario Tsu at the White House. The U.S. and Israel are increasing their attacks on Iran. Israeli forces strike a bunker where remaining Iranian leaders have been hiding. The fighting is also intensifying in Lebanon. Marian Postar with the latest on the fast-developing war. AI-generated war videos and Iranian misinformation have been circulating widely on social media, keeping U.S. officials on their toes. Jason Blair has more on efforts to counter the false reports. 53 lawmakers have refused to reaffirm that Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. All of them are Democrats. Arlene Richards has more on the House resolution. Senators are weighing in on President Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Chris Ba brings us reactions from both sides of the aisle. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. In a bold escalation on day seven of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump is announcing that U.S. defense giants are quadrupling production of advanced weaponry at the White House's direction. And as Pentagon officials assert unlimited munitions to sustain their campaign, the Iranian regime's attempts to sow discord among Gulf allies backfire, unifying them against Tehran. NTD's Washington correspondent Mari Otsu brings us the details. I'm once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police to lay down their arms. They're only going to be President Trump is demanding unconditional surrender from the Iranian regime, as the Pentagon says their fight is only just beginning. The president means is that when he, as commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America and the goals of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not. Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation for the IRGC and Iran. We've got no shortage of munitions. Our stockpiles of defensive and offensive weapons allow us to sustain this campaign as long as we need to. Again, our munition status only increases as our advantage increases. Our capabilities, we have only just begun to fight and fight decisively. That's as the president announces the U.S.'s largest defense companies will quadruple production of exquisite class weaponry as CEOs of companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon meet with him at the White House. President Trump also says the U.S. is increasing its supply of medium and upper medium grade munitions, which were used in Venezuela and now in Iran. That's as the U.S. Central Command announces over 3,000 targets struck and 43 Iranian ships destroyed. President Trump and the United States military are absolutely decimating the rogue Iranian terrorist regime. We are now on day six of Operation Epic Fury. The United States military has impressingly established dominance and air superiority over the skies of Iran. And while the Iranian regime continues its efforts to weaken allies abroad, the United States ambassador says those efforts to undermine alliances are having the opposite effect. Clearly part of Iran's strategy, Martha, to sow discord, to attack their neighbors, our allies across the Gulf, and try to separate them from Washington by attacking their infrastructure, their ports, their oil and natural gas facilities, even their international airports and otherwise, and it's doing the exact opposite. It is backfiring on Iran. I have met with nearly every ambassador in the Gulf just in the last 48 hours. I've never seen them more unified. I've never seen them more outraged. And here at home, the White House is condemning domestic political actions it says are undermining global security. Press Secretary Leavitt reacting to the 53 House Democrats voting against a resolution declaring the Iranian regime a state sponsor of terror, a bipartisan consensus that held strong just three years ago. And now in 2026, you have Democrats on Capitol Hill who have been so debilitated by their derangement and their hatred for the man in the Oval Office right now that they cannot even condemn the world's leading state sponsor of terror. Why? Because they are trying desperately to try to undermine President Trump's essential action that he took to protect the United States of America. Meanwhile, President Trump will be heading to Doral, Florida tomorrow, where he'll be meeting with 17 heads of states from different Latin American countries at the inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit, which is aimed at countering cartels in the Western Hemisphere. Reporting from Washington, Mario Tsu, NTD News. The U.S. and Israel increasing attacks on Iran as Israeli forces strike a bunker where the remaining leaders of the Iranian regime have been hiding. The fighting is also intensifying in Lebanon, where Hezbollah terrorists try to support Iran by attacking Israel. NTD's international correspondent Arian Pozdar has the latest on the fast-developing war. Fighting in the Middle East continues intensifying. Multiple targets in Iran's capital city, Tehran, are being hit with smoke seen rising from various locations. Explosions are also seen in the cities of Elam, Qom and Natanz, home to one of Iran's biggest nuclear enrichment facilities. The U.S. says so far it struck over 3,000 targets and damaged or destroyed over 40 Iranian ships. The U.S. releasing this video showing strikes on an Iranian drone carrier ship, with officials saying the vessel was roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. America's goal is to completely destroy the Iranian Navy. Over 30 vessels are at the bottom of the ocean already. And Israel releasing this video of its strikes on Tehran. The Jewish state is launching a new wave of attacks, saying 50 warplanes struck a bunker beneath Tehran, being used by Iran's leadership. I utterly believe that once you undermine this empire of evil emanating from Tehran, we will be able to offer venues of peace, goodwill and prosperous future for the people of the Middle East. The U.S. and Israel can roam almost freely above Iran after gaining control of most of its airspace. According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, over 1,000 people are being reported dead so far, the leftover Islamic regime still trying to defend itself. Footage shows Iran intercepting Israeli missiles in night skies above Tehran. Iran also continues attacking nearby countries, with the latest strikes involving U.S. partners Bahrain, Kuwait and others. Iran striking over a dozen countries since the fighting began less than a week ago. In Israel, meanwhile, sirens are being heard across Tel Aviv. Several residents are left slightly wounded near the city after an Iranian missile attack. No casualties are being reported as eyewitness footage shows Israel's Iron Dome intercepting incoming Iranian attacks. And the fighting is intensifying especially in neighboring Lebanon. Israel is striking sites used by Hezbollah terrorists, which the Iranian regime has long funded, trained and supported. The Israeli military saying it struck 500 targets so far this week. Lebanon was pulled into the war after Hezbollah started attacking Israel on Monday in support of Iran. Arian Pasdar, NTD News. U.S. officials have been busy countering AI-generated fake war footage circulating online along with false war reports from the Iranian regime. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has more. The U.S. military's Central Command X account has put out several posts countering war claims by the Iranian regime that they are calling fake and baseless. One U.S. clarification says rumors are circulating on social media of a U.S. fighter jet shot down over Basra. These are baseless and not true. Another post counters a false claim that says U.S. troops are withdrawing and another that says Iran sank a U.S. destroyer. And fake AI-generated war footage has also been widely circulating on social media. Cyber security expert Dr. Jordan Powell told The Hill, in current geopolitical context, AI has allowed propaganda at scale and it's really hard for individuals to know what information is real. Social media platform X has been adding labels to misleading war videos as well as temporarily demonetizing accounts that post them with permanent demonetization for repeat offenders. Head of product for X, Nikita Beer, says during times of war, it is critical that people have access to authentic information on the ground. With today's AI technologies, it is trivial to create content that can mislead people. Hand government officials have been criticizing certain media outlets for how they have reported on the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. The assistant secretary of state for global public affairs posted a video with a reporter claiming to be in Iran and saying that the people seem calm and all the stores are open and well-stocked. He said CNN appears to now be doing straight-up pro-Iran regime propaganda. White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said on Wednesday that some media outlets are leaving out Operation Epic Fury's successes and just reporting negative news. Is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members? No, it's the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room. Jason Blair, Entity News. In a House vote on Thursday, lawmakers affirmed in a resolution that Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. The 53 Democrats did not agree. Entity's Arlene Richards has more. Pages and pages and pages of Iran killing Americans. In a House vote on Thursday, 372 lawmakers voted to pass a resolution that reaffirms Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. 53 Democrats voted against it. So let's be honest about what this resolution is. It's not new policy. It's not new information. It does nothing to protect a single American service member or ally. Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, didn't vote in favor of the resolution. In 2023, he did. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said just three years ago a resolution condemning the terrorist Iranian regime passed the House by a vote of 420 to one. And the White House said state departments of both parties have declared Iran a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries. April of 25, Houthi terrorists attacked U.S.S. Harry Truman, causing a U.S. fighter jet to sink into the ocean. January of 24, Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists killed three U.S. service members and wounded more than 40 more in a drone attack against Tower 22 at a military base in Jordan. Before that, Iran-backed militias wounded three U.S. service members in an attack at Erbil Air Base in Iraq. The White House providing a partial list of Iran's terrorist acts against Americans dating back to 1979. In 1979, 66 Americans, including diplomats and other civilian personnel, were taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. 52 of them were held for over a year. Rodney Sickman, a former Marine, is one of the original hostages. One of my worst times is being held hostage through interrogations. Actually, they betrayed this movie by actually acting out stripping this nude in three rifles to the back of our head. So, you know, these are things that you never forget. In closing, Congressman Maas said the hostilities of Iran will not stop until the United States stops them. Marlene Richards, NTD News. Senators on Capitol Hill react to President Trump's nomination of Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullen as the next Secretary of Homeland Security as the DHS remains in a shutdown. NTD's Chris Bobb reports from Washington. The President and I have a really good relationship. We talk all the time anyways. I wasn't, I've got to be honest with you, I wasn't expecting the call today, but super excited. The Department of Homeland Security has a very broad jurisdiction, and I think there's a lot of work that we need to do. Senator Mark Wayne Mullen of Oklahoma reacting after President Trump nominates him to become Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem. Mullen currently serves on the Armed Services, Appropriations, Indian Affairs, and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committees, joining the Senate in 2023 after a decade in the U.S. House. A long-time business owner, he brings more than 25 years of entrepreneurial experience, which he says he can use at the DHS. My wife and I, we have, over the years, we have been fortunate enough to purchase companies and grow our companies, and every day there's something you can do better. There's opportunities to build off successes, and there's also opportunities to build off things that maybe didn't go quite as planned. Senator John Kennedy says President Trump called him Tuesday discussing Mullen after Noem testified at a Senate hearing. He was mad as a murder hornet. He asked me what I thought about Mark Wayne, and I said, A, I like him. B, very smart. C, he's a very good businessman. Senator Lindsey Graham posting on X, President Trump could not have chosen a better candidate to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security than Senator Mark Wayne Mullen. Mark Wayne understands the enemies we face, and he has been intimately involved in dealing with threats against our homeland in the public and private sectors. He is one of the most knowledgeable people I know regarding how to protect America. Mark Wayne is an outstanding choice, and I hope he gets the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that he deserves. But Democrats say the issues preventing them from approving DHS funding cannot be solved by personnel changes alone. I've known Mark Wayne now for a good amount of time. It is not about the head of this agency. It is about what the agency is doing in our communities. And obviously, there'll be hearings, and I think a lot of this should be brought out. But this changes nothing. We are in a shutdown right now because we have a low and reckless organization. This is a problem of policy, not personnel. The rot is deep. No one person can straighten this up until the president changes the whole agency, stops the violence, and rains in ice. Mullen responding. If Mr. Schumer wants to sit down and talk to me, I'm going to sit down and talk to him. I want to try to earn their support, but if they have real concerns, I'm going to listen to them. I'm going to see if it's practical. No moving on at the end of March was confirmed in the Senate last year with the support of seven Democrats, including John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Fetterman posting on X Thursday, as a member of the Homeland Security plus ranking member of subcommittee on border security. I'm not sure how many fellow Democrats will vote to support our colleague at San Mullen as the next DHS secretary, but I am I. Democratic leadership recently outlined 10 demands to secure DHS funding saying, quote, there are steps that the Trump administration has the power to take right now to show good faith, including fully ramping down the surge in Minnesota and removing Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem from her position. With the drawdown of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, and the replacement of Secretary Kristi Noem, it remains unclear whether those developments will be enough to win Democratic support in the Senate to end the DHS shutdown. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Chris Bobb, NTD News. Coming up, China halts military flights near Taiwan after the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began. Jack Bradley has how the recent purge of Beijing's top generals may be impacting China's military readiness. And Iranian Americans in Los Angeles are reacting after rallies supporting change in Iran. Some say recent developments give them hope for the country's future. Christina Corona reports next. What has lasted 5,000 years was once almost lost. Now the world awaits the divine culture's return. See it at least once in your lifetime. Shen Yun returns to David Koch Theater, March 25th through April 12th. Get your tickets now at ShenYun.com. Hi, I'm Susan Lucci. You may know me from my many years on television. I never thought about heart disease until I had my own heart event. I felt this slight pressure in my chest, just slight. I thought, oh, it's nothing, it'll go away. I didn't get it. I did not get it. A few days later, while shopping at a boutique, that pressure returned much stronger. It felt like an elephant pressing on my chest. I had a 90% blockage in my main artery and a 75% blockage in the adjacent artery. I was rushed into surgery where I received two stents in my arteries. Stents developed through research funded by the American Heart Association. Those stents saved my life. 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Become a monthly donor during February Heart Month, and your first month's gift will be matched. Thank you. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. The Chinese military has stopped breaching Taiwan's airspace following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began nearly a week ago. China has been a main supporter of the Iranian regime for decades, but a weakened Iran puts the Chinese regime in a difficult spot. NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has the details. The Chinese military is no longer breaching Taiwan's airspace, at least for the past week, as China's closest ally in the Middle East suffered from major U.S. and Israeli strikes taking out its top leaders. This is unprecedented as China's military flight breaches on Taiwan were happening daily in what were seen as intimidation tactics or possibly rehearsals of an invasion. China's increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan are not just exercises, they are rehearsals. The U.S. has been arming Taiwan in the event of an attack from China, but China has been benefiting off of the U.S. sending its weapons to Ukraine and dealing with conflicts in the Middle East. Iran is very, very important when you're planning to invade Taiwan. The Chinese Communist Party has been building relations with the Iranian regime for decades, building a second front against the U.S. and buying cheap sanctioned oil in the process. Iran is absolutely key when it comes to sanctions evasion. All while depleting U.S. resources. One example is when Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists began attacking European cargo ships in late 2023. Container traffic in the Red Sea fell by 90 percent in three months, forcing the U.S. military to intervene. You want to make sure that you're able to distract the United States. But now China's military drawdown on Taiwan may be connected to the CCP's ongoing military purge. The Chinese regime has removed dozens of top generals over the past few months, placing them under investigation, accusing them of disloyalty to the Communist Party. Many say this has undermined the CCP's overall military readiness to invade Taiwan. The People's Liberation Army is in no position to fight a war. We spend our time in Britain and obviously in the U.S. talking about the threat from China, but maybe it's overblown. But the U.S. may need a solution to Iran quickly, as a prolonged conflict could embolden the CCP. If it looks like the Americans and the free world have gotten stuck in Iran, that the regime still is in place, at that point I think you could find the Chinese saying Taiwan as a very juicy target. And maybe that the time is right, particularly if Donald Trump, President Trump, is handcuffed by domestic political problems. The outcome of the Iran conflict could determine whether the U.S. can pull through in what may become the face-off of the century, a Chinese move against Taiwan. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. Members of the Iranian-American community in California are sharing their perspectives on the situation in Iran. NTD's Christina Corona spoke with community members about their hopes for change. Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Iranian-American communities outside of Iran. One activist tells me why the situation there is deeply personal. When news broke out about what happened inside of Iran, we quickly assimilated and got here because this is historic for us in front of the federal building. It's 46 years of standing here and holding that sun and lion flag, fighting against the regime inside of Iran. Arzu Rashidian says Iranian-Americans have been gathering outside the federal building in Westwood for months, watching developments unfold in their home country. Within the past two months, over 30,000 individuals were killed just for protesting against the regime or just protesting for freedom and democracy, secularism. Some reports suggest the toll could be even higher. London-based news outlet Iran International reports documents indicating more than 36,000 people may have been killed in what it calls the deadliest two-day protest massacre in the country's recent history. Rashidian says many Iranian-Americans are closely following the events while worrying about loved ones back home. She says nearly every Iranian abroad still has family inside the country. Because of the internet blackout, and that's what the regime inside of Iran does, the Islamic Republic shuts down internet quickly so they can't get through to any of us. But we do little snippets of the internet goes on, they quickly call us and say, we're okay. They leave voicemails, we're fine, just know that. But it's been very, very emotional and hard. Rashidian says the demonstrations are about raising awareness and calling for change in Iran. You're trapped in a country that is beautiful and full of culture and life and you can't protest for your basic rights. It is a terrorist regime and the people of Iran want change. They are begging for help. Many celebrating the situation are thanking President Trump. And we're all here together just thanking President Trump, thanking Israel for taking this stance and just standing together being one voice for regime change. Thank you, President Trump. Thank you. We are going to be with you. The next rally is scheduled to be held this Saturday outside the federal building here in the Westwood neighborhood. Reporting from Los Angeles, Christina Corona, NTD News. Coming up, could the collapse of the Iranian regime spell doom for communist China? Leading China expert Gordon Chang joins us to discuss President Trump's strategy to cut off the Chinese regime's lifelines. 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Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Could the collapse of the Iranian regime spell doom for communist China? President Trump's strategy has been systematically cutting off the Chinese regime's lifelines. First Venezuela, now Iran and Cuba on the horizon. Joining us now is leading China analyst Gordon Chang. He's the author of the books Plan Red, China's Project to Destroy America and the Coming Collapse of China. Gordon, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you here. Now, there are reports that China's leadership was caught off guard by these strikes, including from professors and government advisors inside Beijing. First, big picture, what are the implications for China's political apparatus following these strikes in Iran? The problem for the Chinese regime is that the Chinese people can see what's going on in Iran with all of those protests. And if the regime fails, then I think you're going to see Beijing very worried. They were very worried when the they were very worried during the Jasmine Revolution. All of these, quote unquote, color revolutions really, really just get the Chinese regime where it lives. And Xi Jinping has talked about this in secret Communist Party meetings, especially the one in December of 2012, where he talked about the defense of communism. I want to get into that. But first, in terms of economic impacts, reports say China gets about half of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, buying nearly all of Iran's sanctioned oil. We've seen China halt diesel and gas exports. And now there are reports of tankers declaring themselves Chinese to not get hit. How significant is this straight to China economically, especially if this goes on for a while? The Chinese economy is eroding fast. And at the same time, you have this hit on energy. So, for instance, in the last few days, we know that gasoline prices spiked 11.0%. But more important for the Chinese economy, the diesel prices soared 13.5%. And this is going to get worse if the strait remains essentially closed. Now, China can get a ship here or two through the strait. But what it really needs is a continuous lifeline. And that's not going to be resumed for quite some time. On top of the economic woes, there have been massive purges across China's leadership, with the top generals essentially wiped out. Now, with Chinese leaders in the midst of their biggest political meetings this week, what signs of instability are you looking out for here? I think the most important thing is when you look at what they're saying about the economy, because that is driving all of a lot of the problems inside Beijing right now. And they're signaling that they expect the economy to decline in 2026. Their growth target is 4.5% to 5%. That compares with the growth target for last year of 5.0%, which is what they in fact reported. But they didn't grow that fast, Tiffany. We don't know exactly what the Chinese economy did last year. But it looks like 1% or 2% growth, if that. And it could very well have been a contraction, because we're seeing price deflation. And deflation is an economy killer. And we're seeing probably 20% overall unemployment. And that is a real indication of failure at a time when they need a lot of money in order to retire the debt that they've accumulated, especially since 2008. Definitely a lot to watch for there. Here at home, though, we've seen China ramp up the information war following the strikes in Iran, with pro-CCP networks also funding protests against the strikes. Why is the CCP trying to control the information realm? What's at stake here for the CCP? Ultimately, the regime sees its survival at stake. And they do not want this war to continue. So they're trying to stir up the American populace against President Trump. Because President Trump, if he continues the bombing, can actually do a lot of damage to not only the Chinese economy, but the Chinese regime itself. So they see that probably close to being an existential threat for them. And that means they'll do everything, including riling up the American populace against Trump in order to make sure that they can continue their rule of China. And Gordon, a new report by the House Select Committee of China warns that China is using Latin America as a launchpad for military space operations, noting at least 11 Chinese-linked sites across Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile and Brazil, including ground stations and telescopes that serve dual-use military purposes tied to China's military. How has the CCP leveraged dual-use tech or the guise of scientific research to mask its military buildups? Well, they haven't tried very hard to mask what they're doing there. Matter of fact, China was able to establish those ground stations, just because the United States was not opposing them. And in addition to that, those ones mentioned by the House Select Committee, you have about four listening posts, at least four listening posts in Cuba, and perhaps a military base there as well, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. So that's even closer to the United States, and that's directed directly at the U.S. Those ground stations that are reported by the House Select Committee, those are looking at space. But the ones in Cuba are looking at phone traffic in the U.S. itself. Very concerning for sure. Now, the president is meeting with multiple Latin American leaders this weekend to develop a strategy to counter foreign influence in the hemisphere. How critical is rooting out Chinese influence in the Americas to U.S. national security? It's really important. I mean, we had those caravans come up through Central America and through Mexico into the United States. That was a project of the Venezuelan regime under Maduro. And through that, we know that a lot of dangerous elements, not only criminals, but also agents, operatives, and soldiers, some of them being Chinese. So the networks of Iran and China were certainly bolstered by the addition of these folks who came across our border. So yes, it's really important. And by the way, we've got a problem in North America with Canada. So we're getting it at both ends, North and South. Now, expanding on that, there's been rising concern over a new axis of evil. Given the U.S. operations in Venezuela, now Iran and Cuba on the horizon, how big of a blow is the administration's work to communist and authoritarian states globally? I think it's really important. Xi Jinping was trying to encircle the cities from the countryside. We were the city. And places like Venezuela, Cuba, Panama, everywhere else was supposed to be the countryside constricting the United States. What President Trump has done is take that Maoist foreign policy and plied it against the Chinese. So Venezuela comes off the board. Iran will come off the board. Cuba, as you say, is on the horizon. So all of these places are countryside and China is the city. So I'm sure Xi Jinping, who is steeped in Maoism, must be apoplectic right now seeing what Trump is doing. And Gordon, looking ahead, how do all of these recent moves impact the expected high stakes talks between Trump and Xi in April? Yeah, great question. I think that it gives President Trump a lot more leverage against Xi Jinping. The Chinese last year were really confident and they wanted Trump to come because they thought they could push him around when he was in the Chinese capital. But I'm not so sure that they want Trump there now because Trump is triumphant and they probably don't want him parading through Beijing when he's on a roll and where the Chinese look a little bit weak and incompetent. Definitely a lot here for sure. Gordon Chang, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, Tiffany. Coming up, as Iranian dissidents around the world celebrate US-Israeli action against Iran and the fall of the regime, what would a free Iran mean to the Iranian people? Gilda Kirkpatrick, a prominent Iranian-born New Zealander, joins us to discuss. That's next. It takes 2260 days and nights from seed to growth, undergoing a meticulous nine-step process of steaming and drying. Black ginseng reaches its full potency, enriched with ginsenicide RG3 and enhanced absorption efficiency. No sugar, no caffeine, no artificial ingredients. Experience the pure natural power of Puritan Black Ginseng. Nourish your body, strengthen your immunity, and boost your energy. To order Puritan Black Ginseng, please visit puritan.com. Hi, I'm Susan Lucci. You may know me from my many years on television. I never thought about heart disease until I had my own heart event. 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. But a few days later, while shopping at a boutique, that pressure returned, much stronger. It felt like an elephant pressing on my chest. I had a 90% blockage in my main artery and a 75% blockage in the adjacent artery. I was rushed into surgery where I received two stents in my arteries. Stents developed through research funded by the American Heart Association. Those stents saved my life. That's why I'm in front of you today, asking you to join me in supporting the American Heart Association by becoming a monthly donor. Call now or go to helpheart.org. For only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, you can help fund the next medical breakthrough. Get the next person trained in CPR, the next hospital certified in high-quality cardiovascular care. I'm so grateful to the American Heart Association. Their research helped save my life. I can enjoy life with my children, my grandchildren, and my friends. Heart disease is America's number one killer, and your support now can help save your life or the life of someone you love. Give $19 a month with your credit card, and we'll send you this special t-shirt that you can wear to show that you are helping save lives. Please listen to your heart. The only reason I'm here today is because I did. Please call the number on your screen or go to helpheart.org. Become a monthly donor during February Heart Month, and your first month's gift will be matched. Thank you. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Iranians around the world are closely watching the war unfold, longing for a free Iran. Demonstrations in support of freedom for Iran have been seen in almost every corner of the world, including on an island down under. Joining us now is Gilda Kirkpatrick, a prominent Iranian-born New Zealander. She's a marketing director and former TV personality who has been involved in organizing demonstrations in New Zealand. Gilda, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you. Now, celebrations have been taking place around the world expressing gratitude to the United States and Israel. What is the sentiment among the international Iranian diaspora right now as they watch the war unfold? I'm Meyer. Thanks for having me here. Iranians across the world, I think the majority of them, if they're not connected to the regime, are celebrating. They're extremely hopeful and are very thankful to President Trump for taking these steps in order to get rid of a very horrible terrorist regime that's been dominating the region for very many years. And Gilda, you've been protesting in solidarity with the Iranian people calling for U.S. intervention four weeks before this strike. Some were worried that the U.S. would not come to the Iranian people's aid after the president vowed it would if protesters were killed by the regime. What was your reaction when you woke up and saw the news? I absolutely believed that it was necessary to get aid from USA, from President Trump and Israel, because obviously this regime has proven year after year for 47 years that you cannot negotiate with them. They will not do the right thing, and they will pursue their terrorist activities. So we trusted and believed that President Trump would stand by his promise. After all, he's a man of action, and everything that he's so far promised to American people and to international community has come true. So we had utmost trust in him and didn't doubt for a second that he would back off from what he had promised Iranian people. And for the United States and Israel, the operations against the Iranian regime go beyond helping the Iranian people, with both countries saying the regime posed an imminent threat to their nations and citizens. Now, as someone who lived through the Iranian revolution of 1979 and has seen its evil up close, what would you say to anyone doubting the threat posed by the regime? I honestly don't think that people who are saying that they don't believe that regime would cause any threat or they have any evil plans, they're lying to themselves, because you don't have to sit there and analyze it. You can just look at the history and the pattern of their behavior. They have been dominating the, you know, terrorism in Middle East for a very long time, just like how the Nazi regime was operating. They are the father of terrorism in the region, and they've supported, they've spent billions of dollars in order to prompt their proxies to create this instability within the Middle East region. And, you know, geopolitically, Iran and the countries surrounding it are extremely important to the global energy market. It's a trade route. As a result of this stability in all those countries, there are plenty of, you know, immigration, people who've gone to Europe and migrated. So it really, you cannot deny taking away this terrorism from the region. It's not going to help the global market and also global stability. And Gilda, the international media is often critical of President Trump. What has been your perspective of how the U.S.'s operation in Iran is being portrayed in the media? Do you think people are getting the full picture? I think President Trump is the only president in a very long time who has a clear vision, who understands exactly what steps need to be taken. He understands that you cannot make deals or negotiate with a terrorist regime that has continuously lied and failed every attempt to come to the table with anything productive or logical or rational. They continuously pursue their power-grabbing scenario and plans. And basically, they've managed to fool previous presidents, like President Obama. He made a terrible deal for America and for the people of Iran, who've been taken hostage, basically, for 47 years by this terrorist regime. There was no option left. And lucky for us Iranians, and I believe the rest of the world, President Trump had the caution and vision to actually go ahead and do something proper for the first time in a very long time, something that's effective and is going to help the globe. And Gilda, in some of the videos we've been playing on screen, you can see the Iranian lion and sun flag alongside the New Zealand-Israeli and American flags. What would you say to those who say the United States and Israel should let the Iranian people fight this battle alone? Well, during World War II, if the allies, the coalition, did not help and unite behind what was happening against Nazi Germany, I think the whole of Europe would have looked completely different today. The world would have looked very different today. Fortunately, at that time, the allies came together. They helped and paid a big price, but they got rid of the evil Nazi regime. So, how Iranians are looking at this situation isn't that America and Israel fighting against Iran. We look at it as a liberation operation, and we 100 percent support it. And we don't see there is no other way to get rid of the Islamic regime. They had to be confronted the way they are. And frankly, there have been attempts on the life of President Trump assassination by the Iranian regime. They've admitted to it themselves continuously. I mean, Western media, unfortunately, they do not show what goes on on Iranian TV, all the speeches from the clerics and the leaders. They continuously, on a daily basis, are threatening America, saying that America and Israel must be wiped off the face of the planet, or the big evil. What they did in October 7th with Hamas, it was directly coming from the regime in Iran. I think they've exhausted every avenue to prove that they are really, really the enemy of Israel and America, and not only that, but civilized Western democratic world. There is no if and doubt. You just need to go back and look at what they've been doing. Somebody had to put a stop to this terrorism activity and funder in the region. And luckily, President Trump and Netanyahu took the initial help. And Guild of Freedom is a very powerful thing. A number of Iranians we've spoken to have said that fundamentally, they long for freedom of belief, freedom of expression and human dignity. What does this movement mean to you? I think it's the first basic right for a human being is to be able to have the very much first steps of being free in order to think, present themselves. It's a right for every human being. And coming from Iran, the country that 2,500 years ago created the footprint for human rights under Cyrus the Great, to see that we are going to have that 2,500 years later with the help of our allies, it has ignited a new hope, very positive feelings for 90 million Iranians who've been living under such oppression. And also, you know, 12 million Iranians outside of Iran who had to flee the country and, you know, live in the West and have their children in the West in order to have their basic rights. As human beings, I think it's something historical. When the regime falls, I think it will set a whole new perspective for a lot of other countries that are dealing with dictatorship. It is extremely important to have your freedom for our children. A historic moment for sure. Gilda Kirkpatrick, thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for having me. And that's all for today's news around the clock coverage. Visit us at ntd.com slash live or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.