Trump threatens Iranian infrastructure over Strait of Hormuz

[0:00] Back to President Trump's threats that he has repeated now to target Iranian energy [0:04] and transport infrastructure if Tehran doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz. [0:08] This is what Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, and we have blanked out a swear word. [0:14] He said Tuesday will be power plant day and bridge day all wrapped up in one. [0:17] In Iran, there will be nothing like it. [0:19] Open the, and this is where President Trump uses an expletive, [0:24] straight, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. [0:27] Just watch. Praise be to Allah. [0:30] Well, on a lengthy post in X, former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, [0:35] she was a prominent figure associated with the MAGA movement, [0:38] is just one of the people to respond. [0:40] She wrote, everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian [0:44] needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God. [0:47] I know all of you, and him, and he has gone insane. [0:50] All of you are complicit. [0:52] Trump threatened to bomb power plants and bridges, [0:54] hurts the Iranian people, the very people that Trump, [0:57] claims that he was freeing. [1:00] There's been some trolling of the president as well [1:02] from Iranian embassies around the world reacting to that post. [1:07] Have a look at what some of them have been saying. [1:08] This is the embassy in South Africa who said, [1:11] seriously, think about the 25th Amendment, Section 4. [1:13] That's a reference to the constitutional provision [1:16] which allows for the vice president and the majority of cabinet [1:18] to declare the president unfit for office. [1:21] And that puts the VP in charge. [1:24] The Iranian embassy in Austria said POTUS has stooped to an unprecedented, [1:28] level of begging laced with bitter, hollow rudeness and threats. [1:32] The desperation is almost palpable, dripping from every syllable. [1:37] Take it easy, tiger. [1:38] Keep your cool, wrote the Iran embassy in Bulgaria. [1:42] And in the UK, the Iranian embassy quoting the proverb, [1:45] it is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you're a fool [1:48] than to open it and remove all doubt. [1:51] And finally, in India, the Iran embassy saying, [1:54] swearing and throwing insults, how sore loser brats behave. [1:58] Get a grip on yourself, old man. [2:01] Let's speak to Liz Goodwin, Congress reporter at Washington Post. [2:05] Liz, I'm not sure if you heard all of those bits of trolling [2:09] from Iranian embassies right around the world. [2:11] And I did bring our viewers that one comment that we've had [2:13] from Marjorie Taylor Greene. [2:15] But give us a more broader sense of what reaction there's been [2:18] to that true social post. [2:21] A lot of the reaction you're seeing among Republican lawmakers [2:25] is still happening in private. [2:28] There's a feeling that, you know, [2:30] contradicting the president during wartime is not a good look. [2:34] A lot of Republican lawmakers and Democratic lawmakers [2:36] really don't like Iran, don't want to be seen as defending Iran, [2:41] even in this moment. [2:42] But I think the questions around Trump's strategy, [2:45] the way he's handling this conflict, [2:47] especially as gas prices continue to rise, [2:50] are peaking out to the surface more from, you know, [2:53] Marjorie Taylor Greene. [2:54] She's now out of Congress. [2:55] She's free to say these things openly. [2:57] But you're seeing some more lawmakers, [3:00] senators, question this. [3:01] So we had Senator John Curtis say earlier this week [3:05] that he thinks Congress would need to vote [3:07] to authorize this war if it keeps dragging on. [3:10] Initially, Trump said this would be a matter of weeks, [3:13] four weeks maybe. [3:14] Now, you know, we're well past that date. [3:17] And then you also have another moderate congressman, [3:19] Mike Lawler, who was saying that he also believes [3:22] Congress needs to act, take back some of its authority now, [3:25] even though he's not criticizing directly [3:27] the actual war at this point. [3:30] Liz, did the president get a bit of a bump, though, [3:32] after the successful rescue of these airmen [3:35] who were downed in Iran? [3:36] I think the rescue of these airmen [3:39] is sort of a unifying moment in the war, [3:42] one of the few ones, just because, you know, [3:45] everyone is relieved and happy that that person was rescued, [3:50] did not become a hostage. [3:52] That could further, you know, [3:54] make this situation even more volatile. [3:56] And, you know, I think people were a little baffled [3:59] that the president sort of, you know, [4:00] stepped on that moment with this message that you read, [4:03] which was so sort of profane. [4:04] It sounded very, you know, maybe even a little bit, [4:08] like, desperate, a little bit unbecoming [4:10] of the way a president should sound. [4:12] And I think people are confused [4:13] why he did that during that moment. [4:17] What's happening with gas prices, Liz, [4:19] and how is that affecting how people feel about the conflict? [4:23] So gas prices have topped nationally $4 a gallon. [4:27] They've gone up nearly 40% since the, [4:31] you know, conflict started. [4:32] Diesel, which a lot of big trucks use, [4:34] has gone up even more, almost 50% since the conflict started. [4:39] So that's a real difference that people are feeling [4:41] in their wallets already. [4:42] And then, obviously, the fear is that could extend [4:45] to other goods like food and, you know, [4:48] basic necessities if this keeps dragging on. [4:51] And I think that's why you're seeing that this war [4:52] is not super popular here in the U.S., [4:55] even though it's in its beginning weeks. [4:56] Usually there's a big bump. [4:58] There's a rally around the flag effect. [4:59] And that just has never happened. [5:01] It's never happened with this conflict. [5:02] And, in fact, you know, every week it seems to lose people, [5:06] especially independents and Democrats, [5:08] who are very strongly against it at this moment. [5:12] And what are we expecting from President Trump today? [5:15] There are reports that he's going to give a briefing to the press. [5:18] But is that just going to be on the successful rescue of these airmen? [5:23] Well, a nice thing for reporters about President Trump [5:26] is a press briefing never really stays on one topic. [5:29] So I think the point of the briefing is, [5:31] the briefing is to focus on this rescue with Secretary Hegseth by his side. [5:35] But I assume he will address other questions [5:39] and kind of veer into other topics as he goes. [5:44] Liz, good to have you with us as always. [5:46] Thank you so much, Liz Goodwin, joining us there from The Washington Post. [5:50] Let's bring you right up to date with what is happening in the Middle East [5:54] with these new reports that we're getting of some explosions that are hitting Iran's largest, [6:01] gas complex. [6:02] And we are also getting comment from Israel's defense minister, [6:06] Israel Katz, saying the IDF has been given the go-ahead to hit infrastructure in Iran. [6:13] We can take you to Daniel Desimone, who is in Jerusalem for us. [6:17] Daniel, firstly, what have we been hearing from Israel Katz? [6:23] So within the last hour, Israel Katz, Israel's defense minister, [6:28] has announced, has made a statement saying the IDF is strongly attacking Iran. [6:33] So within the last hour, Israel Katz, Israel's defense minister, has announced, has made a statement saying the IDF is strongly attacking Iran. [6:34] So within the last hour, Israel Katz, Israel's defense minister, has announced, has made a statement saying the IDF is strongly attacking Iran. [6:35] has strongly attacked Iran. [6:36] has strongly attacked Iran. [6:40] which is located in the Southwest Iran. [6:43] That's a region that's released into the heartland of the petrochemical industry in Iran. [6:49] He is saying in his statement that the key is a key target responsible for about 50% of the country's petrochemical production after [6:56] which is located in the Southwest Iran. [6:58] a second key facility. [7:00] was attacked last week. [7:02] week. [7:03] In his statement he says that two people have been targeted for attacking Iran. [7:04] week. [7:04] that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have given the go-ahead for further attacks [7:11] on Iranian infrastructure. [7:14] He says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the Israel Defence Forces [7:23] to continue to attack with all force the national infrastructure of the Iranian regime. [7:30] This focus on infrastructure is also consistent with what we've been hearing from Donald Trump, [7:37] President Trump, with his threats to attract infrastructure. [7:40] He's talking about attacking electricity infrastructure, civil infrastructure. [7:45] Last week, Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about also attacks on steelmaking production in [7:51] Iran. [7:52] And the way that Israel is framing this, they're saying that the petrochemical industry and [7:56] the steelmaking industry are a money-making machine for Tehran. [8:00] They say they're part of the machine that builds weapons, that's used to build weapons, [8:05] missiles that strike Israel. [8:09] Reports about these attacks on petrochemical facilities in Iran also being made in Iran. [8:17] We're seeing that in Iranian media as well. [8:21] And Daniel, what is the very latest from Haifa with that search operation still underway, [8:27] that building that's been hit there? [8:28] Well, there was a strike in Iran, in Haifa. [8:34] Overnight, an apartment building in Haifa. [8:37] Overnight, search teams looking through the rubble. [8:41] There were four missing people. [8:43] Initially they found two people who were found to be dead. [8:47] Later, they recovered two further bodies. [8:49] They're described as a couple in their 80s, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s. [8:57] There were reports that all of those people were killed in a stairwell where they were [9:03] taking shelter. [9:04] Throughout Israel, there are daily missile alerts. [9:08] When there are alerts, people are encouraged to seek shelter. [9:11] There are bomb shelters and people in residential complexes often seek shelter in areas of their [9:16] property which they think are safer. [9:20] Last night, various missile alerts throughout Israel. [9:22] This morning, also a missile struck in Tel Aviv. [9:26] There was a missile alert here last night in Jerusalem as well. [9:29] Daniel, thank you so much for joining us with that update from Jerusalem.