>> THE PROTESTS HAVE CONTINUED IN IRAN AND HAVE BEEN MET WITH
MUCH VIOLENCE THAT THE DEATH TOLL HAS INCREASED.
WE KNOW AT LEAST 21 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AS A RESULT AND THERE HAVE
BEEN HUNDREDS IF NOT MORE ARRESTS.
IN TEHRAN ALONE THERE BEEN ABOUT 450 ARRESTS.
WE ALSO KNOW THEY ARE SHUTTING
DOWN SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG
INDIVIDUALS IN A COUNTRY IN AN EFFORT TO SQUASH THESE PROTESTS.
THE AYATOLLAH HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT IN REGARDS TO THESE
PROTESTS AND HE BELIEVES THERE ARE SOME CONSPIRACY THEORIES
AT PLAY.
LET ME GIVE YOU HIS STATEMENT.
NOW HE WASN'T SPECIFIC ABOUT THE PLAYERS I HAD BUT WE DO KNOW
THAT THERE IS SOME SUSPICION THAT THIS IS A SAUDI LED EFFORT,
AND WE KNOW THE UNITED STATES IS
ALLIED WITH SAUDI ARABIA IN REGARD TO IRAN AND THE DANGER IT
POSES TO THE WORLD.
THAT IS TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT
THE CONFLICT IS THERE AND WHY IT
IS THE AYATOLLAH WOULD THINK THERE ARE FOREIGN FORCES AT
PLAY HERE.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT BOTH SIDES.
I AM A LITTLE ANNOYED BY THE MAINSTREAM NEWS COVERAGE OF
THIS.
THEY ARE JUST LEAVING OUT A DECENT SIZED CHUNK
OF THE STORY.
I THINK ñ IT WAS A LOT OF YOUR OWN REPORTING ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA
THAT WE COVERED ON THIS SHOW THAT THE SAUDIS WERE TRYING TO
FORM AND AN UPRISING IN THE CASE OF HEZBOLLAH ñ
AGAINST HEZBOLLAH.
THEY DID IT WITH PALESTINIANS AND TRY TO GET SUNNI JIHADISTS
TO TRY TO FIGHT AGAINST THEM.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN AS SAUDI ARABIA IS GOING AROUND DOING ALL
THIS THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST
AND IS IN A WAR WITH THE SHIA, ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE IS
DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST IRAN.
I'M NOT SAYING THE NEW YORK TIMES IS SAYING IT IS
DEFINITIVELY BECAUSE OF THAT.
WE JUST KNOW THOSE ARE FACTORS AND HE SHOULD BE MORE CLEAR
ABOUT THAT.
IT MAKES IT LOOK IN THE SAME AND I HAVE 1000
PROBLEMS WITH THE AYATOLLAH.
I THINK HIS GOVERNMENT IS CORRUPT.
BUT HE HAS NOT OUT OF HIS MIND WHEN HE SAYS THERE ARE FOREIGN
FACTORS AT PLAY.
ISRAEL IS ALSO LOOKING TO UNDERMINE IRAN.
WHEN THEY SAY THINGS LIKE THAT THE POLICE CALLED DOWN THE
RIOTS BY INVITING PEOPLE TO RESPECT LAW AND ORDER.
COME ON.
>>IT IS A RIDICULOUS STATEMENT.
MY READ OF WHAT IS GOING ON IS THAT YES, THERE IS A
POSSIBILITY THAT THERE ARE FOREIGN FORCES AT PLAY.
THERE IS ALREADY A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION AMONG IRANIANS
BECAUSE THE SANCTIONS CRIPPLED THEIR ECONOMY, INFLATION IS
HIGH, UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH.
FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IT IS 14%.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IRANIAN YOUTH, IT IS ABOUT 40%.
ONCE YOU START MESSING WITH PEOPLE'S FINANCIAL WELL-BEING
THAT IS WHEN THEY START GETTING MORE FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY AND
WANT TO TAKE TO THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT FEEL THEY
HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO LOSE.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF FRUSTRATION AMONG THE YOUNGER POPULATION
TOWARD THE RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP.
THEY WANT A MORE LIBERAL SOCIETY, MORE FREEDOM.
THERE IS THAT COMPONENT OF THIS UPRISING.
BUT I THINK IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT SAUDI ARABIA CAN SENSE THAT
TENSION AND ARE STOKING IT TO KIND OF ENCOURAGE THIS TYPE OF
UPRISING TO HAPPEN.
>>WE ARE PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME HERE.
THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES, INCLUDING SAUDI ARABIA.
HONESTLY I LIKE TO GIVE YOU CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE BUT THIS
IS ONE OF THOSE PROBLEMS THAT IS
A VERY DIFFICULT ONE TO SOLVE.
EVEN STATE TELEVISION ADMITS THAT NINE PEOPLE WERE KILLED
OVERNIGHT.
IT IS NOT BECAUSE POLICE WERE INVITING THEM TO RESPECT THE
LAW.
NO, THE POLICE COME TO CRACK THEIR SKULLS.
I AM SECULAR AND I THINK THE IRANIAN PEOPLE DESERVE A LOT
BETTER.
AND PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, I DON'T WANT THEM BEING RULED BY
MUSLIM CLERICS OR ANY CLERICS.
ON THE OTHER HAND IT COULD BE
LIKE IRAQ AND SYRIA, AND DO WE
REALLY WANT TO DESTABILIZE THE MIDDLE EAST?
LIKE IN IRAQ,
HARDLY EVER DO THE RATIONAL SECULAR MODERATES, WINNING
WHEN A MASSIVE CIVIL WAR BEGINS.
>>BUT ALSO KEEP IN MIND WHILE MAYBE THE US ñ OBVIOUSLY WE
DON'T HAVE ñ WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THE SANCTIONS THAT WERE
IMPOSED ON IRAN OVER THEIR NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT DID
CRIPPLE THEIR ECONOMY AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVEN THOUGH
WE LIFTED THOSE SANCTIONS AS PART OF THAT DEAL.
IT IS REALLY HARD TO GET MONEY INTO THE COUNTRY.
THEY HAD A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE AND PEOPLE IN OTHER AREAS
WANTED TO SEND MONEY.
AND THE BANKS CAN'T ACCEPT THE MONEY.
THERE ARE CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THOSE SANCTIONS THAT ARE STILL
IN PLACE.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY SUFFERING ANY RON RIGHT NOW AND PART OF THE
REASON WHY IS BECAUSE OF US
POLICY THAT WAS INCREDIBLY SHORTSIGHTED.
WE GOT THE DEAL WE WANTED BUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THOSE
SANCTIONS ARE STILL AT PLAY AND MONIES LEADING TO MORE
INSTABILITY.
>> UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AT FAULT AND CERTAINLY THE
IRANIAN GOVERNMENT AS WELL.
WE LIFTED THE SANCTIONS AND THEY GOT IRANIAN MONEY BACK.
TRUMP PAINTS IT AS THOUGH IT WAS OUR MONEY.
NO.
WE HAVE FROZEN THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS TO MAKE SURE THEY
DIDN'T MAKE ñ THAT IS WHY THAT DEAL WAS SUCCESSFUL.
WHEN THE MONEY GOT UNFROZEN TO GO TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE?
OF COURSE NOT.
THAT IS ALSO LEADING TO ACTUAL TENSION THAT IS PART OF THE
DEMONSTRATIONS AND PROTESTS AS WELL.
I DON'T THINK THEY ARE ALL SAUDI STROKED.
SO HERE PEOPLE ARE LEGITIMATELY ANGRY ABOUT THE UNEMPLOYMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GET A LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN IRAN
WHICH I DESPERATELY WANT WITHOUT GOING THROUGH TURMOIL THAT
USUALLY GIVES AN ADVANTAGE TO RADICALS
AND FUNDAMENTALISTS.