1 00:00:16,850 --> 00:00:21,170 A Tomahawk cruise missile fired by the United States military 2 00:00:21,690 --> 00:00:24,690 aimed at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard core naval 3 00:00:24,690 --> 00:00:28,970 base using targeting data that was over a decade out of date. 4 00:00:29,490 --> 00:00:32,369 The school have been separated from the base years before the 5 00:00:32,369 --> 00:00:35,970 war began. Nobody updated the target list. 6 00:00:36,370 --> 00:00:41,320 165 children are dead. Trump had spent nearly two weeks 7 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:46,120 blaming Iran, claiming the Tomahawk was generic, suggesting 8 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,280 Tehran had its own supply. Military experts called it 9 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,680 false. Senate Minority Leader Chuck 10 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,680 Schumer called it something worse. 11 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,680 He said the president was lying through his teeth. 12 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,240 On Wednesday, The New York Times reported the preliminary 13 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,720 Pentagon investigation was complete, its conclusion? 14 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,760 the United States fired the missile. 15 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,400 When asked if he accepted responsibility, Trump said he 16 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,280 did not know about the report. That is where this war is on Day 17 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,040 13. Strikes continue, ships burn in 18 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,480 the Strait of Hormuz. The new supreme leader has not 19 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,760 been seen in public, and the president of the United States 20 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,320 is publicly disavowing the conclusions of his own 21 00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:30,800 military's investigation into the deadliest single incident of 22 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,200 the war. This is Epic Fury. the US Iran 23 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,280 War podcast, daily coverage of the conflict reshaping the 24 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,720 world. Let's start with the school. 25 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,480 The Shajare Tebbe Primary School in Minup. 26 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,960 The two-story building painted with pink flowers and green 27 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,680 leaves. Girls aged 7 to 12. 28 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,160 A Saturday morning in class. Parents receiving panic phone 29 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,800 calls telling them to come immediately. 30 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,960 There is not enough time. The strike hit on February the 31 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,800 28th, the first day of Operation Epic Fury. 32 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,600 Iranian officials reported 180 dead. 33 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:15,080 Preliminary Pentagon findings put the figure at 165, most of 34 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,560 them children. It is the single deadliest 35 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,800 incident of this war. The investigation was triggered 36 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,960 by a question no one in Washington wanted to answer. 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,080 A video emerged almost immediately. 38 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,840 Iranian state media released it. Multiple independent analysts 39 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,680 reviewed it. Their verdict was unanimous. 40 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,880 The munition visible in the footage was a BGM One O 9 41 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,480 Tomahawk land attack missile, a weapon operated exclusively by 42 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,640 the United States among all combatants in this conflict. 43 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,640 Israel does not use it. Iran does not possess it. 44 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:56,160 It is not a generic weapon. It is not sold to random 45 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,880 countries. It is one of America's most 46 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,520 closely guarded precision strike systems. 47 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:05,240 CNN confirmed the preliminary findings on Wednesday. 48 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:08,400 The strike on the school occurred while the US military 49 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,600 was targeting an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard 50 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,880 Corps Naval facility. Central Command had created the 51 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,760 target coordinates using intelligence provided by the 52 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,520 Defense Intelligence Agency. That intelligence was based on 53 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,120 satellite imagery from 2013, thirteen years out of date. 54 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,200 Imagery showing the school and the base is a single compound. 55 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:33,960 By 2016, a fence had been erected. 56 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,160 The school was separated from the base, a separate entrance 57 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,960 built, children enrolled, teachers hired. 58 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:46,520 The compound that once housed an IRGC facility became something 59 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,640 else entirely, a girls elementary school. 60 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:55,000 Nobody updated the target list. When the Tomahawk arrived, it 61 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,400 struck the boundary of the old compound. 62 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:03,000 The school bore the blast. 165 children and teachers died. 63 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,280 The Politico investigation added another layer. 64 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,280 Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth had gutted the Pentagon civilian 65 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,760 protection offices before the war began. 66 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,800 The Civilian Protection Center of Excellence have been 67 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,279 eliminated. The team responsible for 68 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,480 assessing civilian harm at Central Command have been cut 69 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:25,280 from 10 personnel to one, a 90% reduction. 70 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:29,600 Higgseth had publicly described civilian protection units as not 71 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:31,600 contributing to what he called lethality. 72 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 Retired Master Sergeant W Bryant spent 20 years in the US Air 73 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,600 Force, calling in air strikes and leading targeting cells. 74 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,440 He then worked in the Pentagon Civilian Protection Center till 75 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,440 the Trump administration downsized it. 76 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,880 He told PBS that the reduction in civilian protection capacity 77 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,720 directly contributed to exactly what happened to Minim. 78 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,520 He said you have a direct reduction in capability to 79 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,480 characterize a civilian environment, to properly 80 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,600 characterize a target and conduct a risk assessment on 81 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,680 civilians at that target or in the general area that filters 82 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,040 down to exactly how you end up executing operations. 83 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,240 The morning after The New York Times published its findings, 84 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,520 nearly every Senate Democrats sent a letter to Hegseth 85 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,880 demanding answers. They asked specifically whether 86 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,000 artificial intelligence targeting tools have been used 87 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,880 in selecting the min of coordinates. 88 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:28,160 They asked what civilian harm mitigation procedures were 89 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,480 followed. They asked who approved the 90 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,320 strike. Hegseth has not responded 91 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,840 publicly. Trump on Wednesday told 92 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:39,160 reporters he was unaware of the preliminary findings. 93 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,960 Republican Senator John Kennedy, the Trump ally, offered a 94 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,040 different response. He said the United States was 95 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,000 behind the strike. He called it a terrible, 96 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,480 terrible mistake. He said the investigation may 97 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,680 prove him wrong. He hoped it would. 98 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,040 Then he said the kids are still dead. 99 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,520 While the school investigation dominated headlines inside the 100 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,400 United States, Donald Trump was giving an interview to Axios. 101 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,040 He said there was practically nothing left to target in Iran. 102 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,760 He said the war was going great. He said the US military had done 103 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,800 more damage than thought possible, even inside the 104 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,680 original six week timetable. He said any time he wanted the 105 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,000 war to end, it would end. He called it little this and 106 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,760 that. The Axios interview came one day 107 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:30,600 after Hegseth had promised the most intense day of bombing in 108 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,960 the conflict's history. It came two days after Trump had 109 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,520 threatened to hit Iran 20 times harder. 110 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,000 It came two weeks after Trump had told the American people 111 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,840 this would be a short term operation. 112 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:46,480 Now Trump was suggesting it was almost over because there was 113 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,440 practically nothing left. Israeli Defense Minister Israel 114 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,320 Katz responded within hours. He said the operation will 115 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,480 continue without any time limit for as long as required until 116 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:04,200 all objectives were achieved. 2 Allied governments diametrically 117 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:07,000 opposite messages on the same day. 118 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,520 Iran's president Posseski and then outlined Tehran's 119 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,000 conditions for ending the war. He posted them publicly. 120 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,440 Iran required compensation for the US and Israeli assault. 121 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,480 Iran required firm international guarantees that it would not be 122 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:26,080 attacked again. Iran required recognition of its 123 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,160 legitimate rights. These were not negotiating 124 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:32,080 opening positions. These were listed as 125 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,080 prerequisites. Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle 126 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,520 East envoy, was asked on Tuesday by CNBC anchor how the war might 127 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,280 end. Witkoff said. 128 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:44,240 I don't know. The Trump administration has now 129 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,800 given the following different descriptions of when and how 130 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,960 this war ends. It is a short term excursion. 131 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,280 It will last four to five weeks. It is almost complete. 132 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,600 It is the most intense bombing in history. 133 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,840 Anytime Trump wants it to end, it will end. 134 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,480 And Trump's own envoy doesn't know. 135 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,400 Iran's new supreme leader has not appeared in public since his 136 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,760 appointment. The silence had been building 137 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,360 for days. Then, on Wednesday, it broke. 138 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,480 Yousef Posseshkian, a government advisor and son of President 139 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,800 Masood Posseshkian, posted on Telegram that he had asked 140 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,200 friends with connections to the new supreme leader about reports 141 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,880 of an injury. Those friends told him Mojtaba 142 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:28,680 Khamenei was, in his words, safe and sound. 143 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:33,799 That was not exactly a denial. Tehran's ambassador to Cyprus, 144 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,679 Ali Reza Solarian, went further. He told the Guardian that 145 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,760 Mojtaba Khamenei had been present at the compound when the 146 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,360 opening US Israeli strikes on February the 28th killed his 147 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,960 father. He had been injured in the same 148 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:51,080 bombardment. His injuries legs, hand and arm. 149 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,800 He believed the new supreme leader was still in hospital. 150 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,360 An Israeli intelligence assessment confirmed the same. 151 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,320 Mojtaba Khamenei was lightly wounded at the start of the war. 152 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:05,960 Iranian state television had already hinted at the injury. 153 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,800 It referred to Mojtaba as a wounded veteran of the Ramadan 154 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,560 war. It did not explain the phrase. 155 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,560 It did not specify the nature of the wound. 156 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,360 He is not spoken publicly. He has not appeared on camera. 157 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,360 He has not issued any formal statement as supreme leader. 158 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,040 The man now holding the highest office in Islamic Republic of 159 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,560 Iran assumed power while injured, hospitalized and 160 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:34,360 invisible. Defense Secretary Hegseth was 161 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,040 asked directly on Tuesday about the reports. 162 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,000 He declined to comment. Trump's previous statements 163 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,320 called Mojtaba's appointment unacceptable. 164 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:47,680 Then the White House shifted. A spokesperson said on Wednesday 165 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:50,600 that the administration respects the rights and choice of the 166 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,320 Iranian people to elect their supreme leader. 167 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,400 That is a notable change from he won't last long. 168 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,600 North Korea noted the moment state media reported that Kim 169 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,440 Jong Un and his teenage daughter observed tests of strategic 170 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,200 cruise missiles fire from a warship. 171 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,640 Analysts interpreted it as a show of force aimed at the 172 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,360 United States, a message that North Korea has already passed 173 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:15,800 the limits of what Washington can control. 174 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,360 The war at sea escalated sharply on Wednesday. 3 commercial 175 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,480 vessels were struck in or near the Strait of Hormuz. 176 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:27,960 By the end of the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Agency 177 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,600 had recorded 17 maritime incidents since the war began. 178 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,920 The total number of vessels attacked or damaged had passed a 179 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,240 dozen. The most dramatic incident 180 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,320 involved the Thai flag bulk carrier Miri Neri. 181 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,760 The ship had set off from Khalifa port in the United Arab 182 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,080 Emirates carrying 23 crew members. 183 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,280 It was struck while navigating waters near the Strait of 184 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,480 Hormuz, less than a dozen nautical miles from the coast of 185 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:54,680 Oman. The Thai Navy released 186 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:57,920 photographs. Black smoke billowing across the 187 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,880 water the hollow blaze. Omani authorities launched a 188 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,840 rescue operation. Most crew members were 189 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:09,840 recovered. 3 remain missing. The Japanese flag container ship 190 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,840 One Majesty, was struck while anchored in the Persian Gulf, 191 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,960 approximately 52 nautical miles from the Strait. 192 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,440 Damage was reported to the stern. 193 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,920 The Marshall Islands flag bulk carrier Star Gwyneth was hit by 194 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,160 an unknown projectile approximately 50 nautical miles 195 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,080 northwest of Dubai. Hull damage confirmed. 196 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,160 Crew reported safe. Iran's Revolutionary Guard naval 197 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,480 commander issued a statement on Wednesday that made the scope of 198 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,840 Tehran's ambitions clear. Any ship wishing to pass through 199 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,240 the Strait of Hormuz must obtain Iran's approval first. 200 00:11:42,680 --> 00:11:46,440 Any vessel whose cargo belonged to the United States, Israel or 201 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,440 their partners was, in his words, a legitimate target. 202 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,880 An Iranian military spokesman added to that statement 203 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,520 directly. He said Iran would never allow 204 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,640 even a single liter of oil to pass through the Strait for the 205 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,320 benefit of America, Israel or their partners. 206 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,160 Trump, leaving the White House, told reporters that U.S. oil 207 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,280 companies should take advantage of the Strait. 208 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,240 He said they should just use it. He pointed out that the United 209 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,560 States had destroyed just about all of Iran's mine laying 210 00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:17,400 vessels. He said just about all of Iran's 211 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,320 Navy was at the bottom of the sea. 212 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:22,080 The Strait remained effectively closed. 213 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,080 Mirsk, the Danish shipping giant, halted operations at the 214 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,040 port of Salalah in Oman until further notice. 215 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:33,160 The Strait of Hormuz crisis had now spread to Omani ports that 216 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,280 were supposed to serve as bypass routes. 217 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,840 Iran had struck, fuel storage facilities at Duck Salalah had 218 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,080 been hit. The Joint War Committee of the 219 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,480 London Insurance market placed Omani waters on at high risk 220 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,360 area list. The alternative bypass route 221 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,320 around the southern tip of Africa now carry the entire 222 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:54,280 weight of the world's displaced Persian Gulf energy trade. 223 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:57,080 The International Energy Agency acted. 224 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:01,440 All 32 member states approved a coordinated emergency release of 225 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,080 400 million barrels of crude oil from strategic reserves. 226 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:09,000 It is the largest emergency release in the agency's history, 227 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:13,960 the 6th coordinated action since the IEA was founded in 1974. 228 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:18,320 IEA Executive Director Fadi by role announced each member state 229 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,240 would determine its own timeline for releasing barrels. 230 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:23,560 Japan was among the first to commit. 231 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,520 Prime Minister Sinai Takaichi confirmed Japan would begin 232 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,000 releasing oil from strategic reserves as early as Monday. 233 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,720 Germany and Austria followed with their own announcements. 234 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,640 The move had limited immediate effect. 235 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:42,120 Oil prices had climbed above $92 per barrel on Wednesday. 236 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,440 Despite the announcement, the market clearly did not believe 237 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:49,040 400 million barrels would compensate for the loss of 20% 238 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,000 of the world's daily seaborne oil supply flowing through a 239 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:53,680 straight that Iran now controlled. 240 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,080 The disruption is structural, not temporary. 241 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,800 Even if the IEA release stabilizes prices in the short 242 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,200 term, the infrastructure problem remains. 243 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,440 The Strait is closed. Bypass routes through Oman are 244 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,560 under attack. Ships are being struck at a rate 245 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:13,760 of roughly one per day. Insurance costs have made the 246 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,280 journey financially unviable for most carriers, even if they are 247 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,720 willing to accept the risk. Saudi Arabia's East West 248 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,280 pipeline has become unexpectedly critical. 249 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,640 The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the pipeline, 250 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,920 which runs from the Gulf to the Red Sea, has become one of the 251 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,920 most important pieces of energy infrastructure in the world. 252 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:38,040 It bypasses the Strait entirely, but it has a capacity ceiling. 253 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,240 It was never designed to carry the full weight of Saudi, 254 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,080 Kuwaiti, Qatari and Emirati export simultaneously. 255 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:49,040 Iran will not play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 256 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:53,720 Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali made the announcement on Iranian 257 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,720 state television on Wednesday. He said given that this corrupt 258 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,040 government has assassinated our leader and created extreme 259 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,360 insecurity, we cannot participate. 260 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,960 The players have no safety. The conditions for participation 261 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,640 simply don't exist. The timing is significant. 262 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:17,080 The 2026 World Cup is Co hosted by the United States, Mexico and 263 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,720 Canada. All three of Iran's scheduled 264 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,680 group stage matches were to be held on American soil. 265 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,160 Iranian players traveling to the United States for a tournament 266 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,120 while America and Israel were bombing their country was 267 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,720 politically untenable. The sports minister made that 268 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,680 explicit. It was not immediately clear 269 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:39,000 whether Iran had formally submitted a withdrawal to FIFA. 270 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:42,160 The consequences of a formal withdrawal could include 271 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,080 sanctions against the Iranian Football Federation. 272 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,000 Separately, 2 more members of the Iranian women's football 273 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,760 team were granted humanitarian visas in Australia. 274 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,320 That brought the total to 17 members allowed to remain in the 275 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,480 country after asking for asylum. Following the outbreak of the 276 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,720 war, major international banks began closing their Gulf offices 277 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,200 on Wednesday. City and HSBC were among those 278 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,000 temporarily shutting down operations across the Gulf 279 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,360 region. The closures came directly in 280 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,440 response to Iran's declaration that banks and financial 281 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,240 institutions aligned with the United States and Israel were 282 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:21,560 now legitimate military targets. The declaration had come late on 283 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,600 Day 12th. The Revolutionary Guard had 284 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,960 announced it. It was not rhetorical In the 285 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,560 context of a war in which IRGC drone strikes had already 286 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:35,400 damaged AWS data centers in the United Arab Emirates, struck an 287 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,960 American diplomatic facility in Baghdad, and targeted energy 288 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,200 infrastructure across 6 Gulf states. 289 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,520 The threat to financial institutions was taken 290 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,160 seriously. The banking closures added to 291 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,760 the picture of a Gulf region quietly preparing for sustained 292 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,080 conflict. Embassy staff had been 293 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,080 relocated. Energy company headquarters had 294 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,200 implemented remote working protocols. 295 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,000 Now financial institutions were physically withdrawing from the 296 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,480 area. the United Nations Security Council voted on 297 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,599 Wednesday on a resolution brought by the Gulf Cooperation 298 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:10,240 Council. The resolution demanded that 299 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,880 Iran stop attacking its Arab neighbors. 300 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,359 Multiple Gulf states, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia 301 00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:20,560 and the United Arab Emirates have been struck repeatedly by 302 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,280 Iranian missiles and drones since the war began. 303 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,680 Gulf capitals had taken damage. Their bases had been hit. 304 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:32,480 Civilians had been killed. The GCC resolution was notable 305 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:36,200 for what it did not contain. It did not condemn the US and 306 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,800 Israeli strikes on Iran. It addressed only Iran's 307 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:42,200 retaliatory attacks on Gulf neighbors. 308 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:46,160 Russia and China had previously blocked any Security Council 309 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,000 action against the United States. 310 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,480 The vote reflected the increasingly difficult position 311 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,560 of Gulf states. They had allowed American forces 312 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:58,200 to operate from their territory. They were now being struck 313 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,160 because of it. They needed the United States to 314 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,760 end the war quickly. They could not publicly say so. 315 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,360 Saudi Aramco's warning from earlier in the week hung over 316 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:12,120 everything. Catastrophic consequences The 317 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:15,440 world's largest oil producer watching its entire export 318 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,360 infrastructure become collateral damage in a war it had partly 319 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,120 encouraged. A Reuters report published on 320 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:25,880 Wednesday revealed a figure the Pentagon had not previously 321 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:30,320 acknowledged. 150 United States troops have been wounded in the 322 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,440 1st 10 days of the war with Iran. 323 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,080 Two people familiar with the matter confirmed the figure. 324 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:40,000 Prior to the Reuters report, the Pentagon had publicly disclosed 325 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,600 8 US personnel seriously injured. 326 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,960 The true figure was nearly 20 times higher. 327 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,720 The Pentagon issued a statement after publication estimating the 328 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,760 number at approximately 140 wounded, characterizing the vast 329 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,560 majority as minor injuries. Minor injuries in a war zone can 330 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:00,560 include brain trauma, shrapnel wounds and burns. 331 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,480 A separate CBS News report added further detail. 332 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,160 An Iranian drone attack in Kuwait that killed US service 333 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,320 members in the opening hours of the war was more severe than 334 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,000 previously known. Dozens suffered injuries 335 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,120 including brain trauma, shrapnel trauma and burns. 336 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,040 More than 30 personnel were affected in that single attack 337 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,560 alone. The official casualty count 338 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,280 remained 8 confirmed American fatalities. 339 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:31,040 The hidden toll of 140 to 150 wounded told a different story 340 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,760 about what this war was costing the people fighting it. 341 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,120 There was one more political story on Wednesday that told a 342 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,480 revealing tale about the domestic politics of this war. 343 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,040 Podcaster Joe Rogan, one of Trump's most prominent 344 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,520 supporters during the 2024 election, told his audience that 345 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,360 some Trump supporters feel betrayed by the decision to 346 00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:52,960 strike Iran. The White House responded 347 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,960 directly. Spokesperson Anna Kelly issued a 348 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:59,640 written statement to NBC News. She said the president was 349 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,520 courageously protecting the United States from the deadly 350 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,960 threat posed by the rogue Iranian regime. 351 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:07,920 She said it was as America First as it gets. 352 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,320 The fact that the White House felt it necessary to issue a 353 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:14,960 formal response to Joe Rogan about the Iran war is itself 354 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,640 significant. Trump's political coalition 355 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,080 contains a significant isolationist wing, people who 356 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,280 voted for him expecting restraint, not expansion. 357 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,920 People who had heard America first and understood it to mean 358 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:29,960 not fighting other countries wars. 359 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,680 The Iraq war lost the Republican Party votes for a decade. 360 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,280 The Iran war has now killed eight Americans and wounded 150 361 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,320 more. The White House knows the 362 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,920 political math, which is why they are answering Joe Rogan. 363 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,880 Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut attended A 364 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,000 classified briefing on the Iran war on Tuesday. 365 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:53,240 When he emerged, he posted on social media. 366 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,520 He said Trump was keeping the briefings classified because 367 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:58,760 Trump cannot defend this war in public. 368 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:02,160 He said officials in a briefing told lawmakers that destroying 369 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,720 Iran's nuclear program was not among the stated war goals. 370 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,840 He said regime change was also not listed as a stated goal. 371 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,400 He said the briefings were mostly focused on how the US 372 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,640 military was performing operationally, not on the 373 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:18,920 strategic purpose of the operation. 374 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,760 Murphy has attended multiple classified briefings. 375 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,640 He has consistently emerged saying the administration cannot 376 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:28,240 articulate what winning looks like. 377 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,800 He is called the plans incoherent. 378 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:35,360 He is called them incomplete. He now says the classification 379 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:39,120 of these briefings is itself a political choice, a choice to 380 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:42,960 prevent scrutiny of an operation the administration cannot defend 381 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,000 openly. Trump told Axios he had spoken 382 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,440 with Netanyahu by phone on Tuesday. 383 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,400 He said they talked about how much they were winning. 384 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,720 Netanyahu's defense minister, meanwhile, said the operation 385 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,040 had no time limit. It would continue for as long as 386 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,200 required until all objectives were achieved. 387 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,320 Trump also raised the Netanyahu pardon request. 388 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:09,160 In the same Axios interview, he criticized Israeli President 389 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,680 Isaac Herzog for saying he needed to follow legal procedure 390 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,480 before acting on a pardon. Trump called Herzog weak and 391 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,480 pathetic. He said he wanted Netanyahu 392 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,920 focused on the war, not on legal processes. 393 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,920 That conversation happened in an Axios interview about a conflict 394 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,640 that has now killed over 1800 people across the region. 395 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:36,720 Iranian and Lebanese officials reported more than 1200 killed 396 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:43,800 in Iran, 634 killed in Lebanon, 12 killed in Israel. 800,000 397 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:48,120 people registered as displaced in Lebanon alone. 17 ships 398 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:52,720 attacked in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began. 165 399 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,880 children dead in a school in Minup. 400 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:59,800 A new supreme leader nobody has seen in a hospital somewhere in 401 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,440 Tehran, injured on the first day of the war that killed his 402 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,200 father. Day 13 is underway. 403 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:11,320 The strikes continue, the Strait remains closed, and America is 404 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,720 still working out exactly who it killed, when and why. 405 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:19,000 This has been Epic Fury, the US Iran War podcast. 406 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:23,080 New episodes every day on Spotify, Apple Podcast and 407 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:23,560 YouTube.