Judging Freedom - Pepe Esobar : What Iran Expects From Trump

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

Pepe Esobar : What Iran Expects From TrumpSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Undeclared wars are commonplace. Pragically, our government engages in preemptive war, otherwise known as aggression with no complaints from the American people. Sadly, we have become accustomed to living with the illegitimate use of force by government. To develop a truly free society, the issue of initiating force must be understood and rejected. What if sometimes to love your country you had to alter or abolish the government? Jefferson was right? What if that government is best, which governs least? What if it is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong? What if it is better to perish

fighting for freedom than to live as a slave? What if freedom's greatest hour of danger is now? Hey everyone, Judge Andrew Napolitano here for judging freedom. Today is Thursday, August 27th, 2006, the great Pepe Escobar joins us now. Pepe, a pleasure. We had to change

this schedule a couple of times, and I'm deeply grateful for you accommodating my schedule. Thank you. Before we get to the latest on Iran and your tantalizing piece about can Trump

obtain an exit without an exit, can Trump get an exit without calling it an exit, I must ask you a few questions. about Ukraine because of all the sources that you have. Do we know why the director of the Central Intelligence Agency spent four hours in the Kremlin earlier this week?

No, we don't. And, you know, my best Russian friends as sources, they tell me, look, we prefer to wait and see. There's nothing guaranteed so far, apart from what Peskov said, which was basically, oh, no, that was nothing extraordinary. He said something very important, which had already been confirmed by a lot of very well-important people in Russia, that Ratcliffe did not meet with Putin face-to-face.

Essentially was with Naryshki, and not even with the FSB, which is basically Russian internal intel. Some other people said that, yes, he also met with two people from the asset. FSP. The most interesting comments so far, Judge, was from Naryshkin himself. He basically said, oh, this was a routine working meeting. Nothing unusual. But he also said, we discussed Intel matters, of course, about a very sensitive area, which of course we all assume is Ukraine. But that's about it. So this is not issue to speaking for 40 seconds, not more than that. And Peskor was right to say.

Please go ahead. Here's Peskov speaking for 13 seconds, Chris, number 12. All I can tell you is that there were contacts through the intelligence services. I can tell you that there were no meetings with the Russian president. And that is all I can say on this matter. Of course, President Putin is briefed on everything immediately. A ridiculous comment. from the President of the United States.

This is on radio. The questioner is my friend and former Fox colleague Glenn Beck. But you tell me what you think of the president's answer. Chris, number 15. The CIA director, ours, is in Russia. Rumors are saying Putin is going to test NATO resolve all the way to speculation that is crazy. He's going to strike England.

All the way to this is maybe the US telling them about the Iranian sanctions saying we're serious Can you tell me why our CIA director flew in the middle of the night to meet with the Russians? Well, none of the above. He's there, you know, very sort of semi-routine. I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end. Hasn't been an American government official in Moscow in five years. The first one to show up is Trump's CIA director. And Trump calls it semi-routine? Semirutin. Naryshkin said routine, Judge.

It's not very far away. So obviously, they don't want to talk about what was really discussed. There's nothing routine about it. They just want to keep it under wraps. No, absolutely nothing. Well, one of my good sources, he gave me a menu that was discussed. There's no confirmation. This comes from only one source.

The menu was Ukraine, NATO, Iran, Israel, and Korea. which I assume is the very close relationship between Russia and North Korea and the fact that South Korea is getting much, much closer to China now. So this was probably the menu. All right. One more on Ukraine before we go to Iran because this stuff is so tantalizing and fascinating. Here's Victor Boot. Yes.

Yes. I met him in Moscow many times. Of course. Okay. All right. His English, of course, is excellent. A couple of years ago, he was 250 feet below the surface of the earth in solitary confinement in Florence, Colorado for arms dealing until Russia and the United States exchange prisoners.

You remember who he was exchanged for? Brittany Griner, the basketball player. The basketballer, absolutely. All right. Now, we know that he is a close personal friend of President Putin. So maybe what we're going to play now is what President Putin believes. You tell me, Chris, number, the essence of this is that Ukraine has already lost the war and Ukraine knows it.

This is number 22, Chris. They know that Ukraine in their last leg on infrastructure war, when the Russians says, well, as our president mentioned, they open a Pandora box. So there is a winter scissors coming. There is no interceptors available to defend Ukraine capital. Military-wise, this conflict is already lost. There is no economy left. There is no energy left.

Russia will keep blockading the Black Sea ports and let West waste their last attempts to squeeze the money. They promise Ukraine too much. They have to go and borrow from all over the world or this money to buy the weaponry sent to Ukraine and neglect their own social care, health care, education. This is a recipe for the disaster for the European future. I hope that there is some wise heads in the European Union who will try to find some honorable exit from this conflict. Pretty soon.

What do you think? Ultra realistic. But Victor is very realistic. Well, he learned about realism on a maximum security American prison. But his judgment is impeccable. And everybody in Ukraine, apart from that tight inner circle around Zelensky, knows that the war is already lost. The terms of the surrender, it's a completely different story. And obviously, Russia will be advancing in the next few months.

to close the gaps. So he's really making and giving us an explanation about why the European leaders are so unpopular because the European countries are essentially welfare states and they are denying healthcare, denying housing, denying education in order to pay for a war that they're going to lose, that Ukraine's going to lose, The public wrath will kick these people out of office at the next series of general elections,

Great Britain, Germany, France. And a judge, paying with money that they don't have, that they have to borrow at absolutely extortionate rates. The collapse of the welfare system in Western Europe is wide. It's all over the place. But it did not start with zillions of euros being. unleashed for Ukraine and for Ukraine. It started way before. It started already in the early 2000s. But now, especially after the SMO in 2022,

a little over four years from now, now it's the total and Greek total war policy of Brussels, of the European Union, the European Commission. By the way, led by two Germans, and as we, all know, German is being sort of re-nazified and re-weaponized. And the ruling classes in German, that they actually believe that they can go head-to-head against Russia before 2030 and win. Wow.

This is not Saturday Night Live. This is what they actually really think. Wow. All right. We're going to jump to Iran, and I'm going to ask you who controls the Strait of Hormuz, but don't answer yet, because this is what the Secretary of Defense, who calls himself, the Secretary of War gives us an answer to that. Chris, number 18.

On the economic fury and all the pressure that he can bring to bear, and we know that Iran can't handle it. Ultimately, their economy is in a spiral. They also know that we control the Strait of Hormuz, that our blockade is ironclad, and that oil is flowing through ultimately, and you've seen some of the numbers. Iran can't run anything through. We can. The world economy realizes that, and so they made a big bet on controlling it, and they can't. Go ahead, please.

I don't even know how to frame the question after listening to that other than frame. Please comment on him. Judge, I think we should start a global competition on the stupidities, takes. beating heck theft against a basset. I'm not sure. I don't know who would win that contest. Exactly. It's a very, very close call.

But we would get votes from literally all over the planet because anybody with minimal understanding of what's going on in Iran in the strait over moves or in West Asia as a whole. Know that, number one, the United States does not control anything in the strait or Hormuz or even outside of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. Iran told Oman that from now on, while they are still discussing a temporary mechanism for the

Strait of Hormuz, they veto everybody. On top of that, they are leaks, even with the American blockade imposed very, very far away. the American ships are at least 400 to 450 kilometers away from the Persian Gulf. So even if they could intercept one or two, there are leaks all the time, full time. So obviously, Iran is not exporting what they were exporting before, which was around 1.5 billion barrels a day. It may be around 300,000, 400,000, 500,000. it's not a big deal because they are exporting much more overland. Very, very important, via Pakistan and via Central Asia,

with the help of China and Pakistan and with the help of the Central Asians as well. So the discussion about the Strait of Ormuz is very, very simple. The Iranians are telling what they told the Pakistani delegation that visited earlier this week and state a day and a half discussing with everybody at the highest levels of government. Arakshi, Kalibha, Mosang Razi, the leadership of the RGC, everybody. If, once again, the Iranians stole the Pakistanis and the Pakistanis stole the Trump administration,

if they're serious about negotiation of coming back to the MOU, okay, we do it. As long as they fulfill the commitments that they signed, the President of the United States signed to fulfill the commitments of the MOU. Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss. When he says the U.S. blockade, is he talking about naval ships 600 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz? Exactly. This doesn't blockade much, does it? They are on the extreme end of the Gulf of Oman bordering the Arabian Sea. That's very, very far away from the Persian.

Right, right. All right. Before we get to your evisceration, of Bessent. I want to ask you the question that you ask your readers in your column this morning. Can Trump get an exit from Iran without calling it an exit? Which is exactly what of course we never know what goes on inside that larger-than-life brain, right, Judge? But this is what he needs and this is what he wants and this is what he wants and this is what he has been begging field marshal al-simonier to get for him. And this delegation going to Tehran on Monday and Tuesday, led by Assamunir, talking to everybody and Assimunir... The person to whom you're referring is the head of the Pakistani army, correct?

You absolutely correct. Field-martial head of the Pakistani army, absolutely. Okay, continue, please. He talked directly with Mosein Raze, who is the man in power, because Mosein Rézai is the personal representative of leader Morsaba Kermin. And once again, and I would say that the Taoist-style patience of the Iranians is something extremely commendable. They listen to all that, and basically they said what they have been said since forever. Yes, but they broke the MOU.

We had signed a roadmap towards serious negotiations that might lead towards the deal. And they blew it up. we would come back to the negotiating table as long as they are reciprocal moves. And that's where we are at the moment. Because once again, if Trump wants an exit or an off-ramp that he can sell to domestic public opinion as an off-rap, he is going to have to make some concessions. If these concessions are simultaneous to Iran making some other concessions, let's say a slightly more, less hardcore transit system in this rate of Hormuz. He can sell it to U.S. public opinion that my coercive policies work. So that's the heart of the matter, in fact.

All right. This photo is what Trump himself. posted of himself last night. On the left, as you face it, President George W. Bush, mission not accomplished, 2001, we know that. It was a disaster talking about Iraq. On the right, he claims there's a picture of the old Ayatollah that he and Netanyahu murdered, mission accomplished,

and there he looks very Caesar-like with the planes and the ships behind him and the American flags fluttering. I mean, does he really think this moves the Iranians, or doesn't he realize this reinforces their view of his cognitive degradation? I'm trying to be charitable here. Cognitive degradation. That's exactly what it is. Well, in several circles, not to mention public officials, opinion across Iran and public opinion across most of West Asia and the rest of Asia for that matter.

People laugh at it. They just laugh because nobody takes it seriously anymore because it's completely disconnected from reality. So the leadership in Tehran is their reason is more sophisticated. If they see acts connecting to what they the Americans should deliver according to the MOU. Example, beginning of sanctions relief. Finally unblocking those six billion dollars there are in Qatari banks that came from South Korea. And they start to discuss even a temporary new system for the Strait of Hormuz. Of course, the Iranians will go for it. But there is a difference in tone and in drive.

between, for instance, the civilian leadership, Galibah, Arachi, Minister of Foreign Relations, etc., and Moshen Rezai, and the top IRGC commanders, which are much more radical. So it would take an action by the Trump administration, so revolutionary in terms of believing in diplomacy, real diplomacy, making concessions, for them to, okay, let's. Let's keep going. And let's have, let's say, a joint statement signed by both sides. And then we start what should have started when they signed the MOU, a period between 60, 90 days of real discussions. Until we don't have an act from the US, nothing's going to happen. All right.

Before we go to Bessent, A, how was this viewed in? the capitals of India, China, and Russia, B, and in Tehran. So the sort of A is, how foolish did he appear in Asia and B, how prepared are the Iranians for this so-called second level of sanctions? The economic deed. Well, from the major players, let's go straight to Russia and China. officially via their minister of foreign relations. In the case of Russia came directly from our friend Maria Zakara.

Completely illegal and we're not going to support it or respected or follow it or whatever. This is the most important thing is what comes from Russia and China. Pakistan, which is a mediator, don't forget, Trump begged a Simunir to be mediator again. again. Pakistan said we are not going to follow these determinations. Wait a minute. Pakistan is the mediator. We know that. The chief of the army is a personal friend of Trump. They speak almost every day. And the secondary sanctions were imposed on Pakistan? There you go.

This makes as much sense as threatening to bomb Oman. Exactly. They threaten and they impose sanctions. they impose sanctions on their vessels, interlocutors, you know, satrapies, any way you want to name it. And the rest of Asia as a whole, and then the rest of Eurasia, they didn't even mention it because they will continue to do business with Iran. For instance, Iran, India, they are part of the International North-South Transportation Corridor, which is Russia, Iran and India. They are not going to, and they need a lot of stuff being exported from Iran, and they can export to Central Asia via Iran via the port of Chabaha. So nobody is going to follow this. South Africa and Brazil.

Okay, to be fair, I haven't checked South African Brazil's reactions so far. But very important, Judge. They will be discussing that in only two, yeah, a little over two weeks from now. at the BRIC summit in September 12, 13, in Delhi, the BRIC summit. Everybody is going to be there, including Iran. Iran is a full member of BRICs. So these bilateral, which will be much more important than the actual summit itself in New Delhi, everybody is going to be discussing the war, Iran, sanctions,

and the fact that the global South as a whole is doing everything they can to isolate American sanctions. So there is a joke running all across the global south, which is people actually dancing in the streets, reminding us of Martha and the Vandelas during the Motown days in the 60s, that Bessette himself said, anybody who does commerce deals with Iran or helps Iran is going to be expelled from the U.S. dollar system. And the whole planet said, yes, baby, let's dance. Because this is what everybody wants. Wow. Besant has in one week succeeded in making a fool of himself, both with the U.S. bond markets where the U.S. are now so high as to wonder why they're even trying to do this. and now with the so-called economic D-Day. I don't think anybody takes him seriously.

The president has no interest in economics. The president appears not even to understand economics 101 in a time of inflation. And when he's about to lose in the midterms, he's imposing tariffs on China. So I don't think these people know what they're doing when it comes to the economy. Especially, you know, the short, the shorter explanation.

These people, they don't know how economic work across Eurasia, especially with countries that are interconnected with almost everybody at the center of Eurasia, which is the case of Iran. Iran is a crossroads of trade and commerce right at the heart of Eurasia. So they had economic trade relations with all their neighbors, lots of them. This includes everybody from Turkey to Iraq to the Central Asians, and, of course, with Pakistan, which is also a southern neighbor, all the way to China. And for China, Iran is a matter of national security because of their strategic partnership, because the energy and infrastructure deal, and the fact that China will do anything to prevent Iran from collapsing.

That's it. Nobody in Washington understands that, much less Soros asset, Scott Besant. Right, right. Do the Iranians last question? Do the Iranians expect more military attacks from the U.S. and the Israelis? No, they don't. And that's what, of course, as long as what they discussed with the Pakistanis on Monday and Tuesday, bears some fruit. For instance, Larry and I, we are expecting, according to our sources, once again, that the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shabasharif might announce, before the end of the week,

let's say the liniment of some sort of agreement, which would be basically the Americans and Iranians, more or less coming back to the that cat MOU, Memorandum of Understand. This is something that might happen between today and Friday night. All right. I know I said last question, but I have to ask you one more. What Americans are they talking to? Is it still Whitkoff and Kushner, or is it the vice president or is it somebody else? Once again, a judge, they cannot tell with absolute certainty, the mediators. But it's implied in what they say that this connects to the office of the vice president. and some of the information is relied directly to Trump because it comes from Asimunir himself.

And as you know and our audience knows, they are on speed dial. So Munir talked to Trump directly and said, look, I was talking to the Iranians and this is what they told. Got it. Got it. Pepe, a great conversation. Great revelations. Terrific sources.

Thank you. Wonderful analysis, as always. Not at your usual day or time, but deep. appreciated by the audience of me. Thank you, my dear friend. My pleasure. Sure. And soon. Yes, we'll see you soon. Thank you. Thank you. Coming up later today, if you're watching us live in an hour and two minutes, Phil Giraldi, Phil was on yesterday. We had terrible, terrible internet problems. Thank you for those who watched, but you should get a full, clean version of the great Phil Giraldi today at 11 o'clock. At two this afternoon, Colonel Lawrence

Wilkerson had three this afternoon. You won't believe what he's covering about Netanyahu, but I'll leave it at that. The Golden Boy, Max Blumenthal. John the Paletano for Judging Freedom.