Iran Deal Imminent? & Economic Silver Lining | 4.6.26

Summary

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Morning Wire – "Iran Deal Imminent? & Economic Silver Lining" | April 6, 2026

Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Notable Guests: Cassie Akiva, Tim Pierce, Jenny Terre, Kevin Hassett, Eugene Kontorovich, Tom Homan
Main Themes: U.S.–Iran brinkmanship & possible deal, dramatic military rescue, U.S. economic news amid energy price spikes, crime and immigration in Virginia, Artemis 2 lunar mission

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Episode Overview

The Morning Wire dives into a tumultuous news cycle featuring President Trump's ultimatum to Iran—teetering on the verge of both war and a breakthrough deal—while unpacking a daring U.S. military rescue inside Iran. The hosts also break down a surprising economic jobs report against a backdrop of surging energy costs and examine the fallout from a string of violent crimes linked to illegal immigrants in Virginia. The episode closes with a human moment from deep space as the Artemis 2 crew enters lunar orbit.

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1. U.S.–Iran Tensions: Deal or Conflict?

Summary:
President Trump has issued an ultimatum to Iran, threatening devastating strikes if a deal isn't made by Tuesday night. Signs point to a possible breakthrough, but skepticism remains.

Key Discussion Points:

• Trump’s Ultimatum ([02:19]-[03:26])

  • Trump threatens to “hit key infrastructure”—power plants and bridges—if Iran does not strike a deal by Tuesday, 8pm ET.
  • Memorable quote:
    • Cassie Akiva: “He threatened the, quote, crazy bastards running the Iranian regime, saying that they would be, quote, living in hell if they don't open the effing Strait of Hormuz.” ([03:09])
  • Trump suggests a deal could even be made the same day, sparking buzz in D.C.

• Deal Prospects & Economic Pressure ([07:33]-[09:02])

  • Tim Pierce brings in Professor Eugene Kontorovich to analyze:
    • “If Iran does not take the opportunity presented to them to walk this down, President Trump will start targeting their energy infrastructure, which is essentially undermining the economic basis of the regime.” ([08:14])
    • Iran’s internal dissent fueled by economic crisis could be inflamed by further U.S. action.

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2. Daring U.S. Airman Rescue in Iran

Summary:
A dramatic, complex rescue operation retrieves a wounded American airman from deep within Iranian territory—one of the riskiest missions in recent memory.

Key Insights:

• Rescue Narrative: ([03:43]-[06:06])

  • F15E jet shot down; pilot and weapons officer (WSO) eject.
  • Pilot rescued quickly; WSO (a colonel) evades Iranian forces for 48 hours, hiding at high altitude while a bounty is placed on his head.
  • Akiva: "He evaded capture for nearly 48 hours, climbing up 7,000ft and hiding in a mountain crevice while Iranian forces…were closing in." ([04:01])

• Rescue Mechanics:

  • U.S. Special Forces, warplanes, helicopters, drones, and cyber intelligence mobilized.
  • Israeli intelligence supported; paused airstrikes to widen rescue window.
  • The CIA ran a deception campaign inside Iran, spreading the false rumor the colonel had already been rescued.
  • Drones created a "lethal perimeter"—targeting any approach within 3km.
  • Extraction challenges: U.S. aircraft disabled in terrain; forces withdrew and bombed their own planes to prevent capture.

• More to Come:

  • President Trump to hold a press conference at 1pm ET with more details.

Memorable Moment:

• John Bickley: "It really feels like something out of Hollywood." ([04:29])

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3. U.S. Economy: Challenges & Silver Linings

Summary:
Energy prices surge amid the Iran conflict, but a new jobs report signals underlying economic strength.

Key Points:

• Energy Markets: ([07:24]-[09:52])

  • Gas prices spike above $4/gallon for the first time since 2022; the Hormuz Strait shutdown by Iran is the main driver.
  • Eugene Kontorovich weighs in:
    • “They cannot impose a private toll booth. That goes against every principle of maritime law." ([09:52])

• Job Gains & Economic Strength: ([10:12]-[11:46])

  • March jobs report exceeds forecasts: +170,000 jobs vs. 65,000 expected; up from 133,000 jobs lost in February.
  • Sectors leading growth: healthcare (striking workers return) and hospitality (rebound after storms).
  • Kevin Hassett (White House):
    • "All the cumulative policies that President Trump has pushed...$18 trillion in new investments...all of that stuff... has created enormous amount of momentum for the US Economy." ([10:53])

Insight:
The economy is demonstrating resilience despite global chaos and energy shocks.

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4. Virginia Sanctuary Policies & Violent Crime

Summary:
A spate of killings by illegal immigrants in Fairfax County, VA ignites scrutiny of the state’s sanctuary policies, and raises federal vs. local tensions.

Key Insights:

• Case Summaries: ([12:30]-[13:43])

  • Three murders by illegal immigrants in recent weeks in Fairfax County—a region known for refusing ICE detainers.
  • Jenny Terre:
    • "This is three murders in recent weeks committed by illegal immigrants in Fairfax County..." ([13:43])

• Governor Spanberger’s Role: ([13:53]-[14:47])

  • Ended ICE agreements; requires judicial warrants, making ICE action all but impossible.
  • Spanberger previously referred to ICE as "unaccountable agents who, quote, terrorize our communities." ([14:36])

• Federal Response: ([14:56]-[16:26])

  • Trump administration offers Virginia a plan reminiscent of its approach in Minnesota: rapid ICE and local hand-offs.
  • Tom Homan:
    • “There’s nothing illegal about you calling ICE before you release them. And we'll be there to take custody.” ([15:52])

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5. Artemis 2: Humanity Far from Home

Summary:
NASA's Artemis 2 mission enters lunar orbit, marking the farthest humans have traveled from Earth and spotlighting a moment of reflection from space.

Key Moment: ([17:17]-[17:58])

• Navy Captain Victor Glover Jr. (Artemis 2 pilot) shares an impromptu Easter message:

  • "Whether you believe in God or not, this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing. And that we've got to get through this together." ([17:47])

• John Bickley expresses admiration:

  • “Amen. And Captain Glover is now my favorite person on and off the planet.” ([17:58])

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Iran Negotiations:

  • Cassie Akiva: "He threatened the, quote, crazy bastards running the Iranian regime, saying that they would be, quote, living in hell if they don't open the effing Strait of Hormuz." ([03:09])

• On Iran Economic Pressure:

  • Eugene Kontorovich: "President Trump will start targeting their energy infrastructure, which is essentially undermining the economic basis of the regime." ([08:14])

• On Sanctuary Policies:

  • Jenny Terre: "Spanberger... ended these cooperation agreements between local authorities and ice..." ([14:13])
  • Tom Homan: “We can do the same thing we did in Minneapolis. ...Just give us a call. It's free.” ([15:52])

• On the Uplifting Impact of Artemis 2:

  • Victor Glover Jr.: “...this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing. And that we've got to get through this together.” ([17:47])

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Timeline & Key Segments

• 00:34 – Iran ultimatum issued by President Trump
• 02:19 – Breakdown of Trump’s Iran ultimatum and rescue operation intro
• 03:43-06:06 – Detailed coverage of the Iran airman rescue
• 07:24-11:46 – Economic impacts, job numbers, energy discussion
• 12:23-16:34 – Crime in Virginia and sanctuary policy debate
• 17:17-17:58 – Artemis 2 message and crew in lunar orbit

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Bottom Line:
This episode offers a brisk, fact-driven look at major national and international stories: fraught U.S.–Iran negotiations and military heroics, strong (if surprising) economic news, divisive immigration policy debates, and an inspiring note from space—delivering the “news you need to know” with direct analysis and memorable, candid moments from key voices.

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Transcript

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[John Bickley]

President Trump issues a dramatic ultimatum to Iran and signals that a deal may come as early as today.

[Tim Pierce]

The president's going to eliminate their ability to operate as a regime if they're not willing to capitulate. And he's made that very, very clear.

[News Anchor]

This after the US Brought back a downed airman from behind enemy lines. We have the details on the daring rescue.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, April 6th. This is Money Wire.

[News Anchor]

The energy fallout from the Iran conflict continues while the Trump administration touts some welcome economic news.

[Kevin Hassett]

I can say that this is an absolute blockbuster number. It's one of the best numbers that you've seen in a long time.

[John Bickley]

And the state of Virginia has suffered a series of violent crimes at the hands of illegal immigrants. But the leadership in the state continues to double down on sanctuary policies.

[Tom Homan]

Spanberg took over and she moved so far left she's not even running recognizable anymore.

[News Anchor]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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[News Anchor]

President Trump has issued a fiery ultimatum to Iran's Islamic regime, threatening to hit its bridges and power plants if it does not make a deal. The President also signaled that that deal could be announced as soon as today.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire foreign affairs reporter Cassie Akiva joins us now with the latest on that and the new details we've learned on this stunning rescue operation that brought back one of our own airmen this weekend. Morning, Cassie. So let's start with what we've just heard from the president. Where do things stand now?

[Cassie Akiva]

So on Sunday morning, President Trump announced that if Iranian officials did not make a deal By Tuesday at 8pm Eastern, he would make good on his promise to hit key infrastructure and what he's going to be calling power plant and bridge day. Trump told Fox News that while the deadline is Tuesday, he thinks a potential deal could be made today. And that claim is creating quite the buzz in D.C. but in the same ultimatum he issued, he also used some pretty strong language. So fair warning here. He threatened the, quote, crazy bastards running the Iranian regime, saying that they would be, quote, living in hell if they don't open the effing Strait of Hormuz.

[John Bickley]

Well, that statement is turning a lot of heads to say the least, as is that claim that a deal seems very close. Now, there was some other huge news over the weekend regarding the successful rescue of an American airman from Iran. A lot more has been revealed about this really incredible undertaking. What do we know so far?

[Cassie Akiva]

Yeah, this is shaping up to be one of the most complex and high risk rescue missions in recent US Military history. According to President Trump and multiple reports, this all started after an F15E fighter jet was shot down over southwest Iran. Both the pilot and the weapons system officer, or wso, ejected. The pilot was rescued pretty quickly in what the president described as a broad daylight operation that involved US Forces flying over Iran for about seven hours. But the wso, a colonel, was wounded and ended up deep in the mountainous terrain. He evaded capture for nearly 48 hours, climbing up 7,000ft and hiding in a mountain crevice while Iranian forces who were offered a bounty to get him were closing in.

[John Bickley]

It really feels like something out of Hollywood. How did he manage to avoid being captured for so long?

[Cassie Akiva]

So because of his job, he underwent training in survival, evasion, resistance and escape, or what the military calls sear school. He also had a beacon on him which allows US Forces to track him via encrypted satellite signals. President Trump said he was personally monitoring the situation and ultimately ordered dozens of aircraft into the region to get him out. This turned into a massive operation. I'm talking special forces, warplanes, helicopters, drones, cyber intelligence assets, all working together.

[John Bickley]

And we've learned that this wasn't just a US Only effort. Correct.

[Cassie Akiva]

That's right. Israeli officials were reportedly giving intelligence support and even paused airstrikes in the region to help the rescue window. At the same time, the CIA was running a deception campaign inside Iran, spreading false information that the colonel had already been rescued to throw off Iranian forces. Meanwhile, US Drones had created a lethal perimeter targeting Iranians who got within a three kilometer radius of his position.

[John Bickley]

Amazing. And what about the extraction itself? That sounds like it didn't go entirely smoothly, Is that right?

[Jenny Terre]

Right.

[Cassie Akiva]

This is where things got even more intense. At least one, possibly two US Aircraft were disabled during the mission, likely due to rough terrain. There are reports saying they got stuck in the sand or mud and ultimately the commanders had to bring in additional aircraft to get everybody out in the extraction. And then our forces bombed our disabled planes on the ground to prevent Iran from taking them.

[John Bickley]

Wow. So what happens next? We're expecting more details soon, correct?

[Cassie Akiva]

Correct. President Trump will be holding a press conference today at 1pm Eastern with military officials, and we're likely to get a much clearer picture about what exactly happened.

[John Bickley]

We'll certainly be tuning in for that. Cassie, thank you so much for reporting.

[Cassie Akiva]

Thank you.

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[John Bickley]

The Iran conflict has led to spiked energy prices, putting some strains on the economy. But a new jobs report shows sharp growth in some sectors in March.

[News Anchor]

Daily Wire contributor Tim Pierce is here to bring us up to speed. So, Tim, we're going to ask about the new economic numbers, but first, a major factor, of course, is the Negotiations between Washington and Tehran, if the war ends, as President Trump is hinting, could happen soon. Markets will be thrilled about that. Do we have any insight into how those talks are going?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, the president seems bullish on these talks, but there are still plenty of skeptics. For some insight into that, we talked to Professor Eugene Kontorovich. He teaches at the George Mason University School of Law and is a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Kontorovich told Morning Wire that he doesn't expect a deal today and that he thinks there's a good chance that this is the last time Trump pushes his deadline back.

[Eugene Kontorovich]

I think it's quite likely that if Iran does not take the opportunity presented to them to walk this down, President Trump will start targeting their energy infrastructure, which is essentially undermining the economic basis of the regime. The Revolutionary Guard is itself an economic powerhouse, and it makes money off this energy recall. The protests that triggered this were started in part by economic problems, by Iran's massive economic mismanagement, its hyperinflation, water shortages. So further economic hits are only likely to strengthen internal dissent, if not overnight than in the period of the coming years.

[Tim Pierce]

It's unclear whether the Iranian regime will fall because of all of this, but there is no doubt that it is certainly much more vulnerable now than it was now.

[News Anchor]

As for energy prices, always a top concern for Americans, where do they stand right now?

[Tim Pierce]

According to GasBuddy, the national average is over $4 a gallon. It's been a few years since Americans have seen prices this high. Gas was last over $4 in mid August 2022. Since the war started, the climb has been steep. Just a few months ago, in February, the national average was under $3. So that's a pretty significant jump. And it's had consequences. For instance, airlines, United and JetBlue have put a new surcharge on baggage, and Amazon charging sellers more for fuel. The chief cause of this is the shutdown of the Hormuz Strait, which Kontorovich said is a violation of international law by Iran.

[Eugene Kontorovich]

They must be open for peaceful navigation by neutral countries. So they might not have to let American or Israeli ships pass by. But there are, in fact, very few American or Israeli ships. They cannot impose a private toll booth. That goes against every principle of maritime law.

[Tim Pierce]

However, while gas prices are high, the economic news isn't all bad. The latest jobs report blew past economists expectations.

[News Anchor]

Right. So I wanted to ask you about the Labor Department numbers. They were just released for March. The Trump administration very happy about them. What do those numbers show.

[Dr. Horton Announcer]

Right.

[Tim Pierce]

The White House is really excited over these numbers which it says shows that the American economy is still strong despite all the chaos in the Middle East. According to the report, the U. S economy grew by 170, 000 jobs last month when economists affected about 65,000. And that's a sharp turnaround from the 133,000 jobs lost in February. Here's what National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Fox News.

[Kevin Hassett]

What it shows is that all of the cumulative policies that President Trump has pushed, the no tax on tips, no tax on overtimes, making the Trump old Trump tax cuts permanent deregulation, $18 trillion in new investments, the in the US through our trade deals, all of that stuff plus a big reduction in the trade deficit has created enormous amount of momentum for the US Economy.

[Tim Pierce]

Digging into the numbers, the sectors that really powered growth were health care and leisure and hospitality. Analysts are pointing to a couple specific reasons why those two would show such strong growth. One is that tens of thousands of hospital workers are now back to work after a strike. And the massive snowstorm that pounded the south and east coast earlier this year dampened tourism in February. So another way of looking at all this is that the economy corrected last month after some short term shocks drove down the numbers in February.

[News Anchor]

Well, good to see some resilience despite everything going on. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me.

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[News Anchor]

A string of murders committed by illegal immigrants in Virginia is drawing renewed scrutiny to the state's sanctuary policies.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire immigration reporter Jenny Terre joins us now to discuss. Morning, Jenny. So why Virginia? Why are we seeing this surge in killings by illegal immigrants? Immigrants in that particular state.

[Jenny Terre]

Right. So the first thing to understand here is that this is all really centered in Fairfax County, Virginia, which is a notorious sanctuary county. The sheriff there has ended agreements with ice, doesn't want to work with them, doesn't honor their detainers most of the time. So the first of these murders happened in late February. There was an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone who allegedly killed 41 year old mother Stephanie Minter at A bus stop. He fled the scene. Luckily, local authorities were able to nab him. Then you had a Guatemalan illegal immigrant who was arrested for allegedly killing his three month old daughter. A really gruesome and terrible case. Her death was determined to be caused by blunt force trauma. And then you also had another Guatemalan illegal immigrant who allegedly repeatedly stabbed a man to death in Fairfax County. So this is three murders in recent weeks committed by illegal immigrants in Fairfax county and in Virginia.

[John Bickley]

Now, many are placing the blame on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger for enacting sanctuary policies in the first place. Does she share any of the blame here?

[Jenny Terre]

Yeah. So in the case of the killing of Stephanie Minter, Spanberger said that local authorities would not honor ice's detainer. She said they would require a judicial warrant. So a warrant signed by a judge. This is a common tactic by sanctuary states and cities. They often request these judicial warrants to basically make it nearly impossible for ICE to operate an area, to get local detainees out of the jails and into their hands. It's also important to note here some of Spanberger's recent actions as governor. Upon entering office, she actually ended these cooperation agreements between local authorities and ice. And then, if you remember, she gave the Democratic response to the State of the Union. And in that, she said that ICE were, quote, unaccountable agents who, quote, terrorize our communities. So I think that really shows where she stands on all of this.

[John Bickley]

Now, we've seen the Trump administration target sanctuary cities and states where crime is rampant in the past. Can we expect the feds to step in here at all?

[Jenny Terre]

So Trump's borders are actually weighed in on this. And he did say that he has an offer for Virginia authorities that's similar to what he did in Minnesota. So if you'll remember, he went into Minnesota to kind of quell the chaos and to eventually draw down ICE and Border Patrol's footprint in the area. And so what he did was he brokered these what he called unprecedented levels of agreements with local sheriffs and local police chiefs to have ICE and those local authorities work better together. So he stationed more ICE officers outside of jails and nearby jails. And he also no longer required those police chiefs and those sheriffs to hold inmates longer than they needed to, that there would be a swift handoff to ICE for deportation and for detainment. Homan appeared on Fox News discussing what this plan would look like. Here's what he said.

[Tom Homan]

We can do the same thing we did in Minneapolis. Talk to the sheriffs, talk to the chief Say no if you don't want honor detainers, I get it. We can litigate that in course. However, there's nothing illegal about you calling ICE before you release them. And we'll be there to take custody. You don't have to hold them one minute past. You will normally hold them under your charges. Just give us a call. It's free.

[Jenny Terre]

So again, he just wants them to hand these inmates over to ICE much more quickly and just get them out of their hands as soon as possible. We haven't heard any responses yet from Virginia authorities on this or Spanberger.

[John Bickley]

Well, after this string of violence in Virginia, let's hope something does change to improve the situation. Ginny, thank you so much for reporting.

[Jenny Terre]

Thank you.

[News Anchor]

Another story we're tracking. We are in day six of the Artemis 2 mission to the moon and back. And today is the day that the Orion spacecraft will finally begin its highly anticipated lunar orbit, which will put the team at the furthest distance from the Earth that any humans have ever been. For 40 to 50 minutes. Today, the Artemis crew will lose all contact with NASA while they pass behind the far side of the moon. Since launching, the crew has been streaming regular updates, and one particular poignant moment came in the form of an impromptu Easter message from the mission's pilot, Navy captain Victor Glover Jr. Here's what he said during an interview with CBS News yesterday morning.

[Victor Glover Jr.]

You know, when I read the Bible and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us who were created, it's you. You have this amazing place, this spaceship. You guys are talking to us because we're in a spaceship really far from Earth, but you're on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe, in the cosmos. Just trust me. You are special in all of this emptiness. This is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe. You have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together. Whether you believe in God or not, this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, are, and that we are the same thing. And that we got to get through this together.

[John Bickley]

Amen. And Captain Glover is now my favorite person on and off the planet. Thanks for waking up with us. And for those listening to the show, you can also now watch the show free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.