Episode 5217: WarRoom Iran Enters Third Week: Beware The Ides Of March

Summary

Podcast Summary

Bannon’s War Room

Episode 5217: "WarRoom Iran Enters Third Week: Beware The Ides Of March"

Date: March 15, 2026
Host: Stephen K. Bannon, WarRoom.org
Guests: Sam Faddis, Jack Posobiec, Military Analyst, Mike Lee, Various Pundits and Commentators

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Overview

This special Sunday edition of Bannon’s War Room centers on the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict as it enters its third week, highlighting the strategic, political, and economic stakes in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Framed by a dramatic, Caesar-themed cold open to mark the Ides of March, the episode critically examines U.S. war strategy, the global oil chokehold, domestic partisan divides, and parallel domestic policy debates around election security.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dramatic Framing: The Ides of March & Lessons of Power

[00:22 – 03:20]

• The episode opens with an extended, dramatized re-enactment of the Roman Senate’s proclamation of Caesar, serving as a parallel for the themes of power, loyalty, and political betrayal.
  • Notable quotes:
    • “I move that Gaius Julius Caesar be made Imperator and granted absolute power over Rome for a period of 10 years.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero [00:36]
    • “Oppose me, and Rome will not forgive you a second time. Senators, The war is over.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero/Kate [03:15, 03:20]
• The idea of “beware the Ides of March” is invoked as a warning for political overreach and complacency.

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2. U.S.-Iran War: Strategic and Tactical Updates

Escalation and Military Deployments

[04:31 – 06:08]

• Pentagon shifting a Marine Rapid Response Unit (~2,500 Marines) from Okinawa to the Middle East.
• Movement of THAAD batteries from South Korea—framed as scrambling for assets that should’ve been anticipated.
• Analysts criticize lack of readiness:
  • “We started a war without being ready for the consequences... all of this was completely predictable.” — Kate [04:54]
  • President Trump allegedly discounted warnings that regime decapitation wouldn’t quickly collapse Iran.

Global Oil Shock & Economic Warfare

[06:13 – 08:27]

• The Strait of Hormuz remains technically open, but only non-American/Israeli vessels can pass, leading to a supply shock and soaring oil/gas prices.
• President Trump seeks coalition participation (UK, France, South Korea, Japan, and China), but allies hesitate.
  • “China has been buying around 80% of all of Iran's oil... it's interesting that President Trump would put China [forward]...” — Political Commentator [06:13]

Iranian Asymmetric Response

[20:26 – 22:44]

• U.S. dominates conventionally; Iran pivots to asymmetric tactics:
  • Proxy attacks (Houthis, Hezbollah)
  • Strangling oil/gas exports (20% of global supply disrupted)
  • Use of affordable/garage-made drones (Shaheed drones with Russian support)
• Red Sea chokepoint becomes an alternate yet vulnerable supply route as Houthis threaten tanker passage:
  • “The Houthis have already said they're coming in the fight.” — Sam Faddis [22:44]

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3. Policy, Politics, and Information Warfare

American Partisan Divide & Narratives

[03:47, 09:03]

• Conservative pundits attack Democrats, media for “sabotaging” the war effort, equating dissent with rooting for the enemy.
  • “They're doing everything they can to sabotage the effort of the President... to dispirit us and disunite us.” — Conservative Pundit [03:47]
• Bannon challenges whether opposition is outright treasonous or just political posturing.

Iran's History of Anti-U.S. Actions Highlighted

[09:32]

• Reference to Iran’s role in historic terror attacks (9/11, Beirut barracks, embassy attacks).

Is the War "Righteous"?

[15:36 – 16:45]

• Debate on war’s justice and American casualties.
  • “This is a righteous and just war. I personally had soldiers die in Iraq from this evil Islamic regime in Iran's proxy forever war...” — Stephen K. Bannon [15:51]
  • Guests generally support the war as necessary to prevent Iranian nuclear escalation and regional dominance.

Media Clampdown and Censorship

[38:20]

• Bookending the episode is a reminder of information control via arrests and censorship in the UAE and, by analogy, Western nations, limiting wartime footage and dissent.

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4. International Dynamics and External Players

Russia and China’s Roles

[11:47 – 12:13, 31:44]

• Russian support for Iran: Drones (Shaheed) supplied/technically supported, intelligence sharing.
  • “My intelligence told me they [Russia] share information and intelligence with Iranian regime. They help them.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero [12:13]
• China’s economic ties (oil purchases) and possible materials support (precursor chemicals for missiles).

Israel’s Expanded Fronts & Resource Constraints

[37:10 – 38:20]

• Israel faces a missile shortage amid plans for an expanded ground operation in Lebanon.
• The broader conflict strains U.S. and allied defensive resources, suggesting war expansion.

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5. Strategic Crossroads: Will the U.S. Escalate or Seek Exit?

[26:58 – 28:49, 39:46]

• Bannon and Jack Posobiec frame this moment as a “crossroads” for President Trump:

  • “Does he want to go down this walk down the escalation ladder, or does he want to increase it?” — Jack Posobiec [26:58]
  • Options: Declare victory or escalate via direct seizure of Iranian oil export infrastructure (e.g., Carg Island/pier strikes).

• The U.S. has inflicted massive conventional damage, but Iran’s decentralized, asymmetric strategy makes “unconditional surrender” elusive.

  • “The option is, you know, in effect, we declare victory, let's go home... Let's give up on this idea of unconditional surrender and regime change.” — Sam Faddis [41:54]

• Possibility that, after heavy punishment, Iran may opt for long-term war of attrition using proxies, asymmetric tools.

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6. Domestic Politics: The SAVE America Act and Election Integrity

[43:59 – 47:19]

Legislation and Senate Maneuvering

• Coverage of the SAVE Act, which would impose strict documentation requirements to vote (passport or birth certificate, photo ID, proof of citizenship).

  • “States would have to turn over their voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security... watchdog groups have already flagged that those systems are rife with errors.” — News Reporter [43:59]

• Senator Mike Lee explains parliamentary tactics to force debate:

  • “We're going to bring it to the floor. We're going to debate it for an extended period of time before filing cloture. ... This bill needs to remain on the Senate floor... as long as it takes to get it done.” — Mike Lee [45:02]

Grassroots vs. Political Class

• Bannon and Faddis hammer home that only grassroots activism is pushing the establishment, framing the "political class" as gutless and unaccountable.
  • “The political class fail... and continues to fail us... They're fed up... Not gonna take it anymore.” — Sam Faddis [50:17]
• The “integrity of the voting system” is deemed paramount, and existing establishment resistance is described as “disgusting.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Beware the Ides of March.” — Stephen K. Bannon quoting soothsayer, setting a tone of caution and political intrigue [10:47, 11:24]
• “The Iranians aren't approaching this conflict as fighting back with us. They're not fighting us in any conventional sense, they're fighting us...asymmetric warfare at its best.” — Sam Faddis [20:26]
• “Declare victory, let's go home... let's give up on this idea of unconditional surrender and regime change.” — Sam Faddis [41:54]
• "People are not stupid. People see that you do not represent them and they are fed up with it." — Sam Faddis, on grassroots anger with the political class [50:23]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:22–03:20| Roman Senate drama – setting the episode’s tone | | 04:31–06:08| U.S. military deployments and strategy critique | | 06:13–08:27| Global oil crisis, international responses | | 09:32 | Iran’s support for terrorism and U.S. casualties | | 15:36–16:45| Debate: Is the war “righteous”? | | 20:26–22:44| Iran’s asymmetric warfare, oil/gas supply chokehold | | 26:58–28:49| Discussion: U.S. at a strategic crossroads, Trump’s choices | | 31:44 | Russian/Chinese support for Iran | | 38:20 | Censorship of war footage and info clampdown | | 43:59–47:19| Discussion of the SAVE America Act and election integrity | | 50:17–50:23| Grassroots vs. establishment politics (Faddis & Bannon remarks) |

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Tone & Style

• The conversation is urgent, partisan, and loaded with rhetorical flourishes (historical analogies, military metaphors, strong moral judgments).
• The hosts and guests present as combative, skeptical toward the political establishment, and insistent on the existential stakes for both the U.S. and its democratic process.
• Emphasis is continually placed on the Gulf war’s global implications, the need for “strength through peace,” and on grassroots mobilization as the only path to political reforms.

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For Listeners: Big Takeaways

• The Persian Gulf war is less about conventional battlefield victories than about long-term economic and political attrition—especially via oil chokepoints and asymmetric warfare.
• There is skepticism about U.S. leadership’s preparedness and concern that adversaries (Iran, Russia, China) are exploiting U.S. missteps.
• The SAVE America Act is framed as a grassroots victory, motivated by deep distrust of the political establishment and concern for electoral integrity.
• The episode is filled with a sense of “crossroads”: for the president (escalate or negotiate?), for America’s political system (reform or stagnation?), and for the Western-led economic order (Dollar vs. Yuan?).

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Rich in drama and urgency, this episode blends Shakespearean metaphor with sharp geopolitical and domestic analyses, underscored by a conviction that America is in, or on the edge of, both a global and internal reckoning.

Transcript

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

The senate will hear marcus tullius cicero.

[Sam Faddis]

On this eve of his most glorious

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

triumph, I move that Gaius Julius Caesar be made Imperator and granted absolute power

[Stephen K. Bannon]

over Rome for a period of 10 years.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

As some of you know, Caesar and I have had our disagreements. However that may be, he has shown himself to be as wise and merciful in victory as he was invincible in battle. Let this be an end to division and civil strife. I willingly pledge my loyalty to him, and I urge you all to do the same. I heartily commend the motion proposed by Marcus Tullius Cicero. The Virgin is carried unanimously. Many of you here today fought against me.

[Kate]

Many of you wished me dead. Many of you perhaps.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Perhaps still do. But I hold no grudges and seek no revenge. I demand only this, that you join

[Kate]

with me in building a new Rome,

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

a Rome that offers justice, peace, and land to all its citizens, not just the privileged few.

[Kate]

Support me in this task, and old

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

divisions will be forgotten.

[Kate]

Oppose me, and Rome will not forgive

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

you a second time. Senators, The war is over.

[Conservative Pundit]

I have a question. Do we want to win this war? Do we want to win this war with Iran? Well, I know you do. You, Mr. And Mrs. America. You're patriots. But did the Democrats want to win this war? The leftists want to win this war? Do the media want to win this war? They sure as hell act like they don't. Even though they're not outwardly rooting for the enemy, they're doing everything they can to sabotage the effort of the President of the United States and our patriotic military. They're doing everything they can to dispirit us and disunite us. They're throwing everything out there. We can't win the war. It's an illegal war. We don't have a mission. We don't have a plan. And on and on and on when we know we do.

[Military Analyst]

The Pentagon is deploying a Marine Rapid Response Unit, typically comprised of 2,500 Marines and sailors, now on its way to the Middle East. Yeah, when the administration, if you just are watching, have, you know, passed its prologue. The administration has mobilized military assets in the past. The President has used it. What do you think that suggests here with what we're looking at with Carg Island?

[Kate]

Well, I think what the fact that we're moving a Marine Expeditionary Unit from Okinawa to the Middle east while we're also moving thaad batteries from South Korea and other assets. What that suggests to me, Kate, is we started a war without being ready for the consequences. And clearly the military is scrambling because they don't have the assets they need in the Middle east to deal with this threat. And it's not clear to me that 2200 Marines are going to make that much of a difference. What's stunning to me, Kate, is that all of this was completely predictable. This is something that our military has been war gaming for years. They've been warning about this. General Kaine, from all the reports I've read, warned President Trump about this, that if you kill the supreme leader of Iran, that doesn't necessarily lead to the collapse of the regime. And if you start a war with Iran, they're going to interdict the Strait of Hormuz. That is the most obvious strategy in their playbook. They're also going to hit Gulf states. They're going to go after oil facilities, US Diplomatic compounds, and lots of other things. None of this should be a surprise. And yet from all the reporting we're reading, Kate, including from cnn, President Trump discounted those warnings. He assumed that as soon as he dropped a few bombs, the Iranians were going to surrender. The president, in suggesting that the terms aren't good enough for suggesting that the

[News Reporter]

Iranians have offered terms.

[Political Commentator]

Exactly. I mean, it's so fascinating that we're seeing President Trump, you know, doubling down, not ready to sign any deal, talking about the terms not being strong enough. But in the meantime, you have this supply shock of oil that is impacting not only the United States, but global economies as well. And you're seeing gas prices increasing, you're seeing fuel shortages, and it's almost become ground zero in terms of what we're seeing in the Strait of Hormuz. And President Trump is really focusing on that, despite the fact, saying he's not ready to stop the war or agree to any terms that are perhaps on the table, whatever those may be. What was interesting, and we have to go back to last week where President Trump had promised insurance guarantees by the U.S. development Finance Corporation. Those haven't materialized. And also promising naval escorts. Again, we're perhaps weeks away from that. We also saw a post on social media by the president saying that he's going to bring in other countries to assist, like the U.K. france, South Korea, Japan, and interestingly, China. We've heard from the Japanese. And they're saying they're going to have high hurdles, they're going to face high hurdles. They're not ruling it out, but they are saying essentially we're going to think about it. But they have to take a lot of things into consideration because this is an ongoing conflict. The South Koreans also not categorically agreeing to sending warships to the Strait of Hormuz, saying they're going to review this. They're going to be looking at, you know, communicating closely. And again, this is all up in the air. And it basically shows that President Trump doesn't have anything concrete in terms of assistance right now. It's interesting that China's put into all of this because we had two Indian tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz that the Iranians say have cleared to pass through the strait with the caveats to use payment in Chinese yuan. We know that China and Iran have a long standing relationship. China has been buying around 80% of all of Iran's oil. It's interesting that President Trump would put China in terms of sending warships, but he's banking on the fact that you've got Asia and China really reliant on oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz. And then the other big thing that happened over the weekend is the targeting of Hog island, critical key infrastructure, and Iran vowing to retaliate. Specifically here in the uae, I can

[Kate]

say that the strait is not closed, but it is only closed to American, Israeli, you know, ships and tankers and not to others. This morning, President Trump is calling on

[Stephen K. Bannon]

other countries to help secure safe passage

[Sam Faddis]

of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

[Kate]

Trump specifically called on China, France, the

[Stephen K. Bannon]

UK and others to help.

[News Reporter]

Shipping traffic has been at a virtual

[Sam Faddis]

standstill in this trade caused gas prices to spike.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

In a new interview with Ms. Now,

[News Reporter]

Iran's foreign minister disputed the claim that

[Stephen K. Bannon]

the strait is closed.

[Conservative Pundit]

You're in the middle of a war. Can't they put their politics aside for a second? Because here's what they think. If we lose or if they can define the operation is losing, it's a political benefit to them. What are they saying out there? They're throwing everything in the kitchen sink to obstruct this war effort to demean the commander in chief. They act like they're rooting for the enemy.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Are they?

[Conservative Pundit]

Well, if they're not, they have a funny way of showing it. I want to read you something and then I'll tell you who it's from. I can't read the whole thing, but a part of it. But it is important. And this is September 7, 2016 in the wall Street Journal. It's not bad. Never forget is the commitment the American people made after 9, 11. Yet sometimes our leaders seem to have forgotten Iran's role in the worst terror attack on American soil. And Iran's continuing assistance to terror organizations and operations around the world. You haven't heard anybody discuss Iran's role in 911 yet. It was significant. The role on 911 in slaughtering our Marines in the barracks and attacking two of our embassies. In funding and supporting Hezbollah and Hamas. And the Houthis. They have more blood on their hands than we can even count.

[Sam Faddis]

When Caesar says do this, it is performed.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Sit on and leave.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

No ceremony.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Caesar, eh?

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Who called?

[Conservative Pundit]

Let every noise be still be kill again.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue shriller than all the music, cries Caesar, speak. Caesar's turn to hear.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Beware of the Ides of March. What man is that?

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March.

[Sam Faddis]

Set him before me.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Let me see his face.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Hello, come from the throng. Look upon Caesar.

[Sam Faddis]

What say' st thou to me now?

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Speak once again.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Beware the Ides of March.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

He is a dreamer.

[Sam Faddis]

Let us leave him pass.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

First of all, Russia gave drones already these shaheeds. They are using Iranian licenses. You know that they and built and produced a lot of drones. They gave them. I have 100% facts. The day that Iranian regime used against

[Kate]

American

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

bases and against our Middle east in Middle East, I mean and Middle east neighbors of Iran, they used these drones. We saw intelligence shared with us some details and it was Russian details in these Iranian drones. They said the first and the second point is my intelligence told me next that. That they think that they share information intelligence with Iranian regime. They help them. And also they told my intelligence told me that they said if Europe and United States can help Ukraine with intelligence in this war, it means that Russia can help Iranian regime. This is their point of view on the Soviets effect. And you see that it's not a

[Military Analyst]

big secret when it comes to Marines. I think the mobilizing Marines and here's some of the Wall Street Journal reporting. We're seeing where this came out just, just in the last day that he was given warnings and thought that Iran would capitulate before. Before it even got to this point. But now we're to a place of moving in Marines. What moving Marines in this rapid response unit gives commanders what options?

[Kate]

Not sure it gives them any real options. And it puts people put some Marines in a position where they're going to be trapped if things go badly. You know, I had a grandfather who was a marine in World War I and two uncles who were Marines in Korea and after. So it's a problem and you know, we had a lot of Marines on board Nimitz when I was there. We part of the Air Wing. We always had Marines run the brig and do all sorts of other things. They're wonderful people, but they're not enough for them. And that's part of the problem. And you know, if you start putting boots on the ground, where does it end? You know, do you.

[Military Analyst]

A critical question from day one is that.

[Kate]

And it remains 100,000 people.

[Sam Faddis]

Yeah.

[Kate]

And is it going to make a difference? And you know, what's, what's the long term objective of this? It's to get this flow of oil going through the Strait of Hormuz. And I'm not sure that this is the way we can do it. And you know, what are the number of casualties, what's the number of millions, trillions of dollars that we're going to spend on this? And how long are we going to

[Military Analyst]

be stuck here and what is the appetite in the stomach for it? That remains a huge question. It's great to see you both. Thank you both. I really appreciate you coming in. Thank you so much.

[Kate]

Thank you.

[Military Analyst]

Coming up for us next, is the President underestimating the impact of the war on oil prices right now? And what can he do to read

[News Reporter]

the six airmen who were killed in the Iraq refueling plane crash. These names were released from the Pentagon just last night. If we can throw that up there, we have Major John A. Kleiner, 33 years old. Captain Arianna G. Savino, 31. Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34. Captain Seth Ar. Covel, 38. Captain Curtis J. Angst, 30. Technical Sergeant Tyler H. Simmons, 28. So far, at least 13Americans that we know of have died due to the war with Iran.

[Conservative Pundit]

Is this war against Iran a righteous war and are we winning this war against Iran? Unfortunately, I have to ask these questions given the, the, the, the static that's out there that pushes the opposite.

[Sam Faddis]

Of course.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

This is a righteous and just war. I personally had soldiers die in Iraq from this evil Islamic regime in Iran's terror proxy forever war. It's been waging on us for 47 months. Unless, and luckily the 47th president said enough is enough. That ends today. You're not getting a nuclear weapon. You're not getting a ballistic shield to develop nuclear weapons. You're not going to hold the Straits of Hormuz as a gun against the head of the global economy while we're instilling strength through peace. I think this is an extremely just war so that my kids don't have to go fight this evil terror regime. If it would have had its choice to get that nuclear weapon and rewrite the entire Middle east and then the entire world already having ballistic missiles that could range Europe.

[Jack Posobec]

I mean, this is for so many

[Stephen K. Bannon]

reasons, a righteous war.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them. The good is often turned with their bones. So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If it were so, it was a grievous fault, and grievously hath Caesar answered it. Here under leave of Brutus and the rest. For Brutus is an honorable man. So are they all, all honorable men. Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious. And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious. And Brutus is an honorable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious. And sure, he is an honorable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, but here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause. What cause withholds you then to mourn for him? O judgment. Thou art fled to brutish beasts, and men have lost their reason. Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Sunday, the 15th of March, year of allure, 2026. Welcome to the special Sunday edition of the War Room. Want to thank Riddle, America's voice and the team here at the War Room. Putting that on in that magnificent cold open which got us through the last 24 hours and also the lessons passed down through the ages of the assassination of Julius Caesar, Sam Faddis and Jack Bosobic, two intelligence experts to kick it off. Sam Faddis, make it make sense to us, because we're in the middle of the fog of war right now. Obviously, the war as we've talked about now for the last week, the center of gravity of the war shifted to the Persian Gulf, to our Arab allies. Will they stay in the fight into the Straits of Hormuz? And now the President calling for other allies to join in the fight to keep the Straits of Hormuz and the oil flowing. I don't quite understand why we are allowing even ships going to India with oil that they're specifically saying are going to take Chinese currency in instead of petrodollars or US Currency for settlement. Because people have to understand the Iranians are in full scale economic warfare against the United States of America in the West. Sam Faddis, your observations as we kick off Sunday.

[Sam Faddis]

Well, look, if you look at this war from the conventional perspective, right, we are not only winning, we are winning overwhelmingly. The Iranian navy, which wasn't much to begin with, doesn't exist. Its air force, which wasn't much to begin with, is gone. No doubt their leadership has been severely hit, missiles have been severely hit. But as you noted, the Iranians aren't approaching this conflict as fighting back with us. They're not fighting us on any, in any conventional sense, they're fighting us. This is asymmetric warfare at its best. Which means not just, not just that they're using low cost things like drones and so forth and flexing their proxy forces, which obviously they're doing. But the center of gravity of their response has been to shut off at this point effectively all the oil and all of the natural gas coming out of the Persian Gulf. I mean, there are a handful of tankers leaking out, but they're inconsequential. So that's about 20% of the world's oil and about 20% of the world's natural gas. There is a temporary limit workaround because tankers are now flooding into the Red Sea to go to the other side of Saudi Arabia at the end of a 700 mile long pipeline to, and take on board oil there. The catch to that is to get in.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Well, that bring the, well that bring, by the way, that, that pipeline, that pipeline is 5 million barrels a day. If it's, if it goes all the way across Saudi Arabia, Right. Will that bring the Houthis into the fight? Because you have the Red Sea, you actually have a tighter choke point right there at the Red Sea where the Houthis, and let's be blunt, the Houthis, who are these tough mountain folk, have beaten the Egyptians, the British, the Saudis, UAE and hey, kind of fought the Americans to a standstill last year. They, that 700 mile pipeline, it gets you 5 million barrels a day, I think, but it's, it brings, it brings the Houthis into the fight to close that. Which is actually a bigger choke point than Hormuz. Correct.

[Sam Faddis]

You're you're absolutely correct. The pipeline at this point is pretty much maxed out. You got, last I checked, as of yesterday, 30 tankers in Yanbu taken on oil. They all had to get there. They had to run past the Houthis. They were allowed into the Red Sea. The Houthis didn't shoot at them. Now every one of those tankers has to run under the Houthi guns, if you will, to get out of the Red Sea. And these guys have drones, they got suicide boats, they got cruise missiles, they got ballistic missiles. And I mean, let's be real. You're not talking about them taking on the US Navy and sinking warships. You're talking about them hitting huge oil tankers moving through a narrow strait. So that's a real problem. In other words, the Iranians, via their Houthi allies, can shut off that escape valve anytime they want. The Houthis have already said they're coming in the fight.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

The, the, the CIA, Naval Intelligence, the Department of Wars Strategy Group understands anytime you talk about this area, the Straits of Hormuz is a standard thing you plan for. Also the Red Sea, which is the entrance to the, to the Suez Canal. Yesterday we said, when we did the show, the first thing we talked about was this article in the Wall Street Journal that looked like it was some of the military senior levels. And I don't think this thing's been refuted. Posto is going to join us in a second, but cnn, as we knew, was going to play it all day of this split between the Pentagon and the President. Do you buy that? Do you buy that, Sam Faddis? Because this is a part of it, although you're just getting the Marine ready group over there. Now you're calling for other navies to pitch in here, although the President is saying, hey, the Iranians reached out and they're talking a deal, and President Trump saying the deal's not good enough. He's the master negotiator. Your thoughts on that part of it, Sam?

[Sam Faddis]

Well, I got a couple of observations, Steve. I don't know exactly what the calculus is at the top. In other words, who precisely advised the president before the decision was made to start this war. But it is hard to imagine that the US Military did not anticipate these moves and did not advise what was required to deal with them. There's nothing, I mean, for the average American who has other things to do than worry about the Houthis, maybe this is all news. It isn't news to American intelligence or the United States Navy or all the folks that have operated there for years. I mean, good Lord, we've been in a. Not so long ago, we were in a protracted shooting war with the Houthis, the US Navy and Houthis. So this was transparently obvious in regard to end in the conflict. My concern at this point is increasingly we keep looking at this as when we're going to decide to end the war. Well, there are two sides in the war, and I'm not quite sure why we believe the Iranians at this stage are in a hurry to end it. I mean, they have absorbed we've flattened their conventional military structure, and this is now a matter of them firing drones and energizing surrogate forces and potentially turning on terrorism. Well, they could do that for a very long time. In other words, why, why do they have to let the Strait of Hormuz open? Why don't they just. No, why don't they just say it's closed for the foreseeable future,

[Stephen K. Bannon]

jump in here? Because what Sam brings up, the Israelis are saying, and I think reports are last night was one of the hardest poundings that Tehran took, principally I think by Israeli air assets that can on the conventional side, they are getting pounded, command and control. And you tell they've got a lot less they're hitting with, particularly on the missile basis. Your thoughts about all this, particularly President Trump saying, hey, they're reaching out. There's no deal, not good enough. It kind of sounds like we're back to unconditional surrender or some variation on that theme, sir.

[Jack Posobec]

Steve, the word that I would use at this point is we're at a crossroads, and this is the crossroads where President Trump is in the decision seat. He is in the pilot seat, deciding on which way to go. Does he want to go down this walk down the escalation ladder, or does he want to increase it? Does he want to try to reach out to this new ayatollah who we're told did not have a good relationship with his father, was not in good standing with his father, according to these reports, if they're to be believed. Or does President Trump, as we've seen, does he want to put the squeeze on Carg Island? Does he want to send that Marine expeditionary unit, the 31st over there, as a way to ratchet up the pressure, or perhaps look at. There are certainly implements that could be used from the air to neutralize Carg island and leave many of the oil infrastructure systems intact, but at the same time neutralize their ability to, to send it out to port. And there easily could be done from the air. You just, you strike the piers, that sort of thing. And it's, it's something that the US has not done yet, something Israel has not done yet, but certainly is an option. And President Trump indicating that very directly.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

What do you mean? Give me that before we go to break. What do you mean indicating that Very, very directly.

[Jack Posobec]

He's been, he's been talking about Carg Island. He's been sharing images of Carg Island. He's been, yeah, he ordered the strikes on, I guess it was Friday night right after markets closed, by the way, to take the island.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

The military.

[Jack Posobec]

Military only take it.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

The military, yeah. And so you're saying that he's indicating that, hey, if he's got to take in, they're going to hit some tripwire where he's going to go seize their essential oil infrastructure to export oil out of the, to load up the tankers and export oil out of the, out of the straits. Correct.

[Jack Posobec]

Seize or neutralize. I mean you hit, you hit the pier. It's going to be hard to get that oil to market.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Oh, wow.

[Mike Lee]

Okay.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Let's take a short break. We got Sam Fadis. I'm going to ask Sam and Jack to think about it and come back. You heard Zelensky right there. He laid down hard on the, on the Russians, that the Russians are backing them with drones intelligence targeting options. Where's the ccp? Scott Besants in Paris and negotiating the state visit of President Trump, which I still don't get. We're going to talk a lot about that. We're going to have some Chinese experts on new federal state. Jan Yonakik from Epoch Times to talk about the global implications of this shooting war in the Middle east, in Iran and particularly in the Persian Gulf. Now more than ever, maybe you want to find out about particularly as they're saying, hey, you can only take payment in Chinese currency. It might be they're trying to force wait for the end of the dollar empire. The BRICS nations go to Birch Gold right now. End of the dollar emperor birchgold.com promo code Bannon. End of the dollar empire shortly.

[Jack Posobec]

Here's your host, Stephen K. Ban.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

You can also get the Patriots edition. It's in hard copy. We're coming out with an eighth free installment, seven edition. Seven installments are in the Patriots edition, eighth free installment coming online. You can get all the information. And now more than ever, you ought to understand. And particularly we talk about geopolitical risk. That's a Harvard Business School word for war and the rumors of war which we're seeing right now, a shooting war in the, in the Middle east, in particular around the Persian Gulf, in the Straits of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea. Or take your phone out. Just text Bannon B A N N Owen at 989-898. You get the ultimate guide. But most importantly, you get access to Philip Patrick and the great team at Birchgold can walk through why gold has been a hedge against times of financial turbulence for three, four or five thousand years, by the way. Six o', clock, seven o' clock tonight, first trades will start taking place in Asia. I'll be up on getter to keep you in. Foreign gold, oil, bond market equities, all of it. Because the capital market's got a lot to say here. Sam, Faddis, your asymmetric warfare. We had Zelensky in there because it's becoming more and more evident that there are some global players giving sustenance to our enemies. Can, how long can they hold out, you believe conventionally and asymmetrically. If we don't cut off this and we've already told the Russians, hey, any oil on the sea, you can go ahead. The sanctions are off. What do you, what do you see here as far as other allies of the mullahs coming in here?

[Sam Faddis]

Well, look, I think these guys can hold out indefinitely. Anybody that thinks that we are weeks away from unconditional surrender, I don't think is, is really looking at the facts. I mean, we're bombing them, okay? We dropped three times as many bombs on Indochina during the Vietnam War as we dropped in the entirety of World War II. That did not end well for us. That's, that's a, a fact. These guys are increasingly using shahid drones against us. Okay? A shahi drone is something you can build in a garage. It's fiberglass. It's commercially available avionics. If you can repair a fiberglass boat and you're into hobby aircraft and drones, you got all the sophistication necessary to build this thing. It costs about 30,000 bucks. The biggest issue is whether you got the explosives. They have the explosives, so it's not like they're. People keep talking about how many drones they have. There's no end to the drones because after they can make these things in any decent sized building that looks like anything from the air and they can do it effectively forever. In terms of support, look, are the Russians providing targeting data? Without question. And I'm sure Putin is giggling every time he does it? I mean, we gave. We're the ones giving all the targeting data to the Ukrainians to hit Russia. So his opportunity to provide payback from his viewpoint, he will do that all day long. Support from the Chinese. I have seen reports that there are ships coming out of China carrying precursor chemicals for solid fuel for missiles. I don't know where they are right now. And I. The first question I have is how would anybody ever expect those ships to make it to Iran in the current environment? But I've also seen reports saying that there are trucks crossing Pakistan carrying Chinese chemicals headed for Iran. If that is true, obviously we ought to be stopping that from happening. But look, these guys, the Chinese, the Russians, all of our other enemies will help the Iranians any chance they get.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

So, Jack, the engine room in New York informs me that the total max budget of the Iranian conventional forces was about $20 billion a year. Given the fact that we are. And our military is methodically going through and defanging. Defanging, as Captain Fannell would call it. Defanging the conventional forces of the military, do you believe they're actually, you know, do you believe they're actually their backs getting to the wall when they do have these asymmetric options and they realize that they capitulate, they're finished? Do you believe they're actually talking to the president or reaching out and trying to get some. Some sort of deal here?

[Jack Posobec]

Well, Steve, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Iranians and the administration are talking back, channeling. We know that there were these channels, unofficial channels, that were already established prior to the strikes, that there were communications, that there were pipelines of information going back and forth. And also we were using the Omanis and other members of the Arab states as interlocutors in multiple iterations of these dialogues. And so certainly there are many ways for the United States to be able to be communicating with Iran. But I just go back to what Sam is saying, that he's exactly correct. Iran has always presaged their defensive capabilities, their military capabilities on asymmetric warfare. Their conventional military isn't what I would look at. When I would look at, in terms of their ability to stay in the fight, they've always looked at, what are their advantages. Their advantages are the geography. Their advantages are their resources. And their advantages are the revolution itself, the revolutionary nature of the Iranian regime. So what have they done? They put missile boats, small boats, the ability for mining on the small vessels that the IRGC has commissioned hundreds of. They have hundreds of these small vessels that can be used in some cases, just one or two mines could drop it out there or at least create the perception that they have mined this trade, which as far as we know to this point they have not done so and they certainly have not said so. And there are still some indications that they haven't done that. But at the same time, what do they put their, their money into? They put it in their resources into these ballistic missile stocks and again, these low cost Dr. Alternatives which they are using over and over again. And the reason they keep striking the same places over and over on the US bases in the region like Kuwait, like Saudi, and then also the same spots in Tel Aviv around Israel is because they are working to winnow down those air interceptor stockpiles because they know that is going to be a key choke point for the United States. So what they're doing is they're working pinprick by pinprick to whittle down that defensive posture and to wait to the point when, and once those air interceptor missiles are worn down, what they're hoping for is that's when they're going to send more of their high powered large warhead ballistic missiles at those same targets.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Okay, so you have the, and I know you got to bounce. You're going to do some other hits on media today. So I'm going to get as much out of you as I have the time and Sam's going to stick with me for a few minutes. You've got Shelby Talcott at the at Semaphore has a scoop, an exclusive that the Israelis are running out of now missiles. You've got the Israelis saying they're planning on the most massive ground invasion they've had in Lebanon in 20 years since 2006. I think the French are also trying to step in given their relationship with Lebanon, and try to be some sort of negotiator here to try to get a stand down there, the expanding nature of this war, because Pete told us the other day the war is not expanding. But you look at that front in Israel, it seems to be expanding. But the Israelis, who are unloading every chance they get on the Iranians, seem to have a missile shortage, which I think gets to the point that this thing's a lot more vicious than is being allowed. You know, we're not seeing some of the footage, we're not seeing social media. There's really a clampdown on everything on the US side, definitely on the Arab side and on the Israeli side, sir.

[Jack Posobec]

Well, that's exactly right. And in fact, the British Embassy in the UAE has had to come out and remind their citizens there that the UAE does not have freedom of speech, freedom of posting on social media. Neither does the UK by the way, for the record. But to remind them that there are laws on the books in the uae, that if you share footage of drone strikes, missile strikes, things that hit Dubai, whether you're at the Emirates, that Abu Dhabi, that, that you can be arrested. And in fact, we have seen charges on individuals for posting those images similar to what we saw in Ukraine, which, by the way, just to mention on that side, that while nobody's paying attention, Russia is gearing up for their summer offensive, a new summer offensive in Ukraine. While they are sort of given a free hand, while everyone's focus is on the Middle east and oh, by the way, their stockpiles of resources are ever increasing because as the world turns away from Middle Eastern oil and lng, who's left, of course, the Russians. And the price is going up and up and up. So Putin is looking for a massive summer campaign this year.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Jack, before you bounce, the next 24 hours, before we talk to you tomorrow on the show you're covering this on. Everybody gets your social media, particularly your Twitter feedback. Last night was another horrific night of warfare. Your thoughts what we can see in the next day or two.

[Jack Posobec]

Well, like I said, Steve, President Trump is right now at a crossroads. His decision points are either to declare victory, whether these negotiations come through with the Iranians, or to take the other road. And the other road is increase the escalation. I would say he's certainly putting out feelers in every single direction here. He's signaling strength, he's signaling dominance. This is what he does when he gets into one of these situations. And he's waiting to see how Iran responds and he is going to take that response into his decision and we'll find out in the next 24 hours which road he chooses.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Jack, where do people follow you? Human Events Daily, obviously unreal. America's Voice after Charlie Kirk show every day. But where do they go on social media? Because your Twitter feed is, is vital in this time.

[Jack Posobec]

Well, thank you, Steve. I appreciate that. We're up at Human Events Daily on Substack or excuse me, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, any place people can get their downloads. We're putting up the daily sit reps. We've also got some a little back and forth in the Charlie Kirk murder case. On Friday, our, our outlet, Human Events was, was brought up in court by Tyler Robinson's Lawyers, they did not like our open letter demanding full camera access in that case, and we've released a response, and we have told the. We've told the lawyers there that we are more than willing to defend our stance in court if they so choose.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Jack Posobec, thanks for taking time away from the family. Join us on a Sunday morning. I know the audience really appreciates it. Thank you, sir.

[Jack Posobec]

God bless.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Let me go back. Let me. Thank you, sir. Let me go back to our graybeard. Sam, is. Is Jack right? Are we at a crossroads now? Wasn't that crossroads a week ago? I mean, can we just declare victory? With the Straits of Hormuz situation and what's happening in the Gulf, and particularly with our allies, People should know the Gulf allies are begging to get off the bus right now. Are we at a crossroads if we pass that cross, maybe another crossroads is up ahead of us, but we're not there yet.

[Sam Faddis]

Yeah, well, I. I think. I think you hit the nail on the head here. I mean, I've been saying for a long time, since the beginning of this, that I think the option is, you know, in effect, we declare victory, let's go home. I mean, let's be real. We have inflicted massive damage. Let's give up on this idea of unconditional surrender and regime change. Increasingly, I am worried that we have passed that point, that we have inflicted so much damage. The Iranians have taken all these hits and lost so much that we may now be at the point where they're like, okay, look, man, in effect, we can do this forever. They have a completely decentralized command structure, 31 separate commands that will continue to fight. They're increasingly using munitions they can make in a garage. And let's not forget, they haven't really brought into play fully at all The. The. The relationships they have with groups all over the world, and for that matter, IRGC intelligence cells inside the United States. So, yeah, we. We could absolutely get to the point where we're like, okay, we're ready to talk. And they're like, we all could go to hell. Now, let's fight this out for as long as we feel like it's.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Do you think that their idea. We got 30 seconds on economic warfare against the United States, and I'm gonna ask you to stick around. I got another question on the. The. On the Save America Act. I tell you what. Let me just hold you for. Let me just hold you through the break. We're also going to play a clip from Mike Lee to talk about this this is the Ides of March. That's what we always do, our Ides of March. Little special about Caesar, but the Ides of April coming up quickly. Tax Network USA, 866-513-5516. You get a free discovery call to find out what you really owe the irs. Take advantage of it.

[Sam Faddis]

Today

[News Reporter]

set his sights on one main priority ahead of the midterms. Passing the SAVE Act. It's a voting bill he openly argues will guarantee midterm election election victories for Republicans. It would impose new hurdles on voting, like requiring proof of citizenship in the form of a U.S. passport or birth certificate to register to vote. Anyone who has changed their name. Most commonly, women who change their names during marriage would need additional paperwork to verify their identity. The bill would also require photo ID every time someone votes. And in a newly added provision, states would have to turn over their voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, which would run names through federal databases to identify possible non citizens. Watchdog groups have already flagged that those systems are rife with errors. Voting advocates warn the impact would be massive. More than 21 million Americans lack ready access to documents proving their citizenship. And roughly half of Americans even have a passport.

[Mike Lee]

Okay, important update on the Save America act and the effort to get it passed. Look, I am guardedly optimistic. We've turned kind of a corner over the last few days. There's been some uncertainty about exactly what procedure we will be and will not be using in the end. We've been working closely with Leader Thune and his staff, and they've been great to work with. What we're coming up with is something that I do, I think is best described as a hybrid version of the talking filibuster. But look, let's not get mired down in nomenclature. What matters far more than what we call it is what we do with it. We're going to bring it to the floor. We're going to debate it for an extended period of time before filing cloture. And in my view, at least, I don't want to speak for anyone else. This bill needs to remain on the Senate floor before we file cloture on the bill for as long as it takes takes to get it done. Now, the fact that Leader Thune and his office have been willing to work with us on this, and they appear open to a variation of that, is a good thing. So let's, let's keep up the momentum. Let's encourage them to continue to do this. Let's put the bill on the floor. Let's make those who want a filibuster speak and keep it on there as long as possible. Thanks so much.

[News Reporter]

Here's how you know the SAFE act is craven Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who is now in a runoff election against Ken Paxton, the corrupt since birth state Attorney general. Just Google it. They desperately want President Trump's endorsement. John Cornyn has been a steadfast supporter of the filibuster until he wrote this op ed in the New York Post that the headline why the the Save act matters more than the filibuster.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Okay, welcome back. Sam wears two hats, an intelligence officer and someone that dedicated his life to defense of his country. Also, his second gig is saving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the nations through the grassroots effort and patriots. So, Sam, tell me about the grassroots and what did you just hear right there? Particularly Mike Lee saying, hey, I think we got some way to kind of figure this out. Maybe not to get to a vote, but at least to get to a debate, sir.

[Sam Faddis]

Yeah, I mean, I guess what strikes me there is even what is supposed to be presented to us as progress is so weak kneed and watered down. I mean, for the love of God, all we are talking about is requiring people to prove they are entitled to vote before they vote, using documentation that everybody in the United States of America has access to. And every allegation about how this is somehow oppressive ends up being not only nonsensical, but really offensive. Right? Black people, this will, if this will disenfranchise black people because they don't have ID and I guess they can't figure out how to get it. Or women that have gotten married who have to change everything to their married name, presuming they do that somehow suddenly are so addled that they can't figure out to do it. I mean, good God, you know, it is obvious that what we're talking about is one thing, the integrity of the voting system and our elections. And the idea that the Republican Party can't find the spine to just say that is. It's disgusting, frankly. And I can tell you from, you know, talking about the grassroots in Pennsylvania, the people that, you know, the people that actually are the Republican Party at this point, this goes to the heart of why they are completely disgusted with the GOP establishment. They're like, for the love of God, guys, is there anybody who will actually fight and stand up or. And, and increasingly they. The answer they get is no, apparently not. You guys don't want to actually fight for us.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

This whole thing right now was forced. They didn't do this willingly. This whole situation. Mike Lee lays that. Mike Lee's trying his best to try to. He's been working on this forever, trying to get this happen. What's going to happen on Tuesday or Wednesday? The forcing function was the grassroots. I mean, the eye opener to me to go and kind of decamp to Texas was the fact that the Islamic invasion is much farther along than people were talking about. We gave a permission structure of that. The HB1 situation, H1B visas is almost as bad as the Islamic invasion. And the grassroots just had a belly full of it. They put it on their shoulders in these primaries and this is why Paxton's fighting. But if it's not for the grassroots in Pennsylvania and Texas and South Carolina and Florida, Arizona, throughout this country, we're law. We're done. I can tell you that we're done. The political class is too gutless to face the massive problems the country has. Sam, got a minute before I gotta bounce your thoughts, sir?

[Sam Faddis]

You are persistent. Precisely correct. That is exactly what the deal is.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Right?

[Sam Faddis]

The political class fail. Has failed us and continues to fail us. And, and people are fed up. They are done. They are not going to take it anymore. And it. And if you think you can just put on your mega hat and say drain the swamp a couple of times and, and, and that passes muster, it does not. Not man. People understand. People are not stupid. People see that you do not represent them and they are fed up with it.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Sam Fatis, where did people get you

[Sam Faddis]

on substack for your magazine and magazine.substack.com a n d magazine.substack.com

[Stephen K. Bannon]

get a big old fighter in her hands. One in the middle east that's expanding globally, a kinetic part of the Third World War. And in the imperial capital starting as soon as they get back on Monday. But Tuesday will rev up. Sam Faddis, thank you. And thank you for being part of the grassroots effort in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Thank you, sir. I don't know if I could say any better. Right, let's listen to the tax. Owens, take us out. We're going to return in a moment. Do a little pivot, talk about the geopolitics of all this in the war room on a Sunday.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

You know you still need help from the boss. We need help from the boss.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

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