Economic Conditions and Protests in Iran

It built an economic system that adapted to U.S. sanctions, and built a system that was economically besieged.

These European countries that are open to— strategic hunger, you mean, sir? Sorry.

Strategic hunger. No, not strategic hunger.

What can I say? Europe is the one that went hungry.

A hungry people. No, no, dear. The Iranian people didn't go hungry or cry out from hunger.

The European people were the ones who cried out from hunger and protested against their governments.

The Iranian people, yes, could have taken to the streets to protest for legitimate economic demands.

No one is saying Iran is enjoying economic prosperity, but when the Iranian people were subjected to aggression, they joined hands with one another, even those who disagreed, to face the aggression.

Hunger wasn't their priority, because the ideology you're talking about— this ideology united this people.

Whether I agree with the ideology or not is another matter, that's up to the people.

I'm talking about the structure of a system, and you tell me it's about hunger.

Look at Europe: France, Germany, Spain. All the European countries—what's happening to them?

Hunger, hunger. And they're countries that have normalized relations with Israel and bow down to America.

They have economies and resources, and they're not under sanctions.

All right, the people rose up. Did you see the Iranian people during the war, not before the war?

Did they rise up during the war against the regime and make economic demands?

No, no. I want to tell you, the people in Iran are in this battle, but I want to build on a point you made, that we benefit from the regime not falling.

Right, right. It's not in the interests of Arab countries for the regime in Iran to fall. That's true, but why are you talking about the American project in the region as if it's in the Arab interest?

Put Iran aside for me. Is the American project, with its absolute support for Israel in the region, for the sake of the Arab peoples' and Arab countries' interests, or for Israel's and America's interests?

If it's for Israel's and America's interests, then please tell me, how are we supposed to fight it?

Please tell me, how are we supposed to contain it?

Put Iran aside. Why should we fight it, then?

You don't want to fight it if you—if you don't want to talk. Why fight it?

I want to fight it, and I'd be honored to.

Right, so why should we fight it? You don't fight.

We Arabs don't want to fight. Not you as Arabs. We, as Arabs.

As people, you don't want to fight, not as Arabs.

No, we do fight. No, not as Arabs. We fight.

You can't speak for all Arabs. Wait, we do fight.

I'm making a logical point. We fight. No, no, I'm making a logical point.

Today, when you want to come and say— The fact is, whether you like Iran or not, you can't deny that there is unity among the Iranian people and that defending their country is their priority, and that they understand the dangers of American aggression against them.

Now, the economy is weak, the economy is slow.

Now there is hunger. There are disasters in their country, and they haven't complained to you or anyone else, before you come and say Iran is starving to at least rally around its leadership, which— which Trump thought it wanted.

Then, then—no, no, later. In short. When the American people saw a half-dollar rise, what did they do?

They rose up against Trump. Well, this thing he’s talking about— that there’s strategic hunger or poverty inside Iran.

What are the Iranian people doing? I saw them out in the streets, calling out in condemnation of Trump.

More than that, brother, they’re asking the leadership to continue the war.