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Tensions between the US and Iran are escalating, with six key developments now fuelling fears of a wider war, and I'll outline them all now
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So, first of all, President Trump has ordered a major show of force in the Middle East
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The US has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, alongside additional warships and aircraft
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positioning the military for sustained air and naval operations, rather than limited strikes
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Secondly, US officials have briefed that any conflict would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign
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not short targeted attacks. Third, diplomatic talks have hit red lines reportedly. Indirect
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negotiations in Geneva have stalled with Vice President J.D. Vance on your screens now
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refusing to acknowledge, sorry, saying that Iran is refusing to acknowledge US demands on uranium
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enrichment and its missile programme. Fourth, satellite imagery published this week shows Iran
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fortifying and repairing key nuclear and missile sites. Fifth, Iran is under growing internal
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pressure as well, of course. Sanctions, high inflation, economic instability, protests have
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all fuelled unrest. Sixth, Iran has temporarily closed the Strait of Hamuz for live-fire military
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drills the first announced closure since the 1980s And just tonight as well that now infamous Truth Social Post President Trump wrote Should Iran decide to make a deal he said it may be necessary for the US to use Diego Garcia and the airfield located in Fairford that RAF Fairford in England
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in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime, an attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly countries
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Freddie, are we days away, maybe a week or so away from an attack on Iran
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Well, you speak to people in Washington and they suddenly think that we are. The pressure's building. The talks are going on in Geneva
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It seems as if Trump made that promise to the protesters back in January
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that he would retaliate if the regime killed many of them as they did
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And perhaps he needs to now live up to that promise. But there's a thing we have to remember here is that many people might assume this would
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be exactly the same as what happened in Venezuela. But Iran is a completely different country
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It's much more ethically diverse. There's a much stronger state within a state, which is the Revolutionary Guard Corps
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And it would be much harder for the U military to try and take out the supreme leader without leading to some broader civil strife So I think that the stakes here are much higher And what I find concerning right now
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is that there is no debate within Congress. There's no sense that we should be having a conversation
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both within America and also in the UK, because obviously they're going to be using our bases in
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Diego Garcia to launch the war about whether we should be doing this or not. Yeah, that's a great
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point about the UK. The head of MI5 came out some weeks ago saying they'd
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foiled 20 Iranian-linked terror plots in the UK. Three small-boat migrants, Iranians, have been arrested
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allegedly, accused on the way to blow up the Israeli embassy in Kensington
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So there are, we know for a fact, Iran's sleeper cells, terrorist
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sleeper cells in London, including one guy by the way, the former Iranian minister, Matt
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who backs the facts where on Salman Rushdie he wrote a book about it. Anyway
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he was with the IRGC as well. This is an issue for the entire Western world, isn't it
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Not just America. Yeah, no question about it. I mean, look, you know, Iran is doubling down right now
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The regime there is doubling down on protecting the regime, and they're not being logical, because the truth is
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you know they about to find out what the Trump doctrine is all about and that is mess around and find out And I think we could be days away from potential military action taking place here Obviously we seen President Trump move military hardware near Iran And this does impact not just the United States And look Iran
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if they choose to continue to work again to build their nuclear capabilities, that'll be a mistake
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Their ballistic capabilities are something that they need to push back on and stop. And look
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President Trump's going to draw his line in the sand. He already has in many ways. And I think
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which is a day's way to find out what happens next year. Freddie, domestically, politically for President Trump
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is there not a concern now or a need to focus on the midterms and maybe tell Americans about how their lives are going to get better
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and stop getting involved militarily with interventions elsewhere? Well, I think lots of people in the White House would definitely say that
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They keep trying to get President Trump onto these cost of living
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affordability tours and rallies around the country, and he keeps getting sidetracked by foreign policy
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I think Trump is fascinated by foreign policy because it's an easy way in which he can exert power
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without any restraints and checks and balances. Quite sexy as well, isn't it, you know, the headlines? Well, I mean, a war isn't very sexy, no
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it's actually disgusting and horrible. No, but I mean, the sort of international posturing
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grandstanding, international headlines. Yeah, I mean, he has a massive ego and, of course, it allows him to grandstand, you're right
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But where is the debate? Where is the checks and balances? That's what we should be looking for in the next few days
