US UNLEASHES ‘Economic D-Day’ on Iran: ‘It is HUGE’

FINALLY DELIBERATIONS. >> Dana: EVERYBODY IS WATCHING. THIS ONE. THANK YOU. >> Bill: THE U.S. ANNOUNCED. OPERATION ECONOMIC OUTCAST, THE. GOAL HERE TO ISOLATE IRAN BY. ECONOMICALLY CHOKING IT OFF FROM. THE REST OF THE WORLD. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILING. DOZENS OF NEW SWEEPING SANCTIONS. AND WARNING OTHER COUNTRIES AND. COMPANIES AGAINST DOING BUSINESS. WITH THE REGIME. MOMENTS AGO PRESIDENT TRUMP. SAYING TEHRAN IS ALREADY FEELING. THE SQUEEZE POSTING THE FAILING. ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN IS NOT.

PAYING LARGE SEGMENTS OF THEIR. MILITARY AND KILLING PROTESTORS. EVEN WHEN THEY AREN'T PROTESTING. AT LEVELS NOT SEEN BEFORE. IT IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS OF. EPIC PROPORTIONS AND MUST BE. STOPPED NOW. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT. THIS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT. THE FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF. DEMOCRACIES AND FORMER U.S. TREASURY TERRORISM FINANCE. ANALYST. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. SO THE GOAL WITH THIS IS TO CUT. OFF BASISICALLY EVERY SINGLE. SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR IRAN. OTHER COUNTRIES ARE STARTING TO.

GET ON BOARD WITH THIS. WE SAW THE UAE ANNOUNCED THEY. ARE SUSPENDING ALL TRADE WITH. IRAN. 6 BILLION WORTH. DO YOU SEE IT AS A GAME CHANGER? >> IT IS HUGE. FIRST LET T ME SAY I THINK THE. REGIME IS ALREADY IN BAD SHAPE. AND WE CAN SEE THAT BECAUSE THE. CURRENCY IS NOW AT 2 MILLION TO. THE DOLLAR AND YOU GET A SENSE. WE'VE DONE A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK. VOIDING OUT 40% OF THEIR GDP. THROUGH SOME OF THE STRIKES. NOW WE LOOK AT THE ADDITIONAL.

PRESSURE BEING HEAPED ON BY. SECRETARY BESSENT AND DONALD. TRUMP AND THE REST OF THE TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION. I HAVE TO SAY THE UAE LOOKS LIKE. IT IS A PIVOTAL PLACE TO START. THIS IS A COUNTRY THAT, DESPITE. THE FACT IT IS NORMALIZED WITH. ISRAEL AND A CLOSESE ALLY OF TH. UNITED STATES, THEY HAVE ALLOWED. ABU DHABI TO BUY -- WE SEE. ASSETS OF THE IRANIAN REGIME. PARKED OVER THERE IN THE PERSIAN. GULF AND THIS IS THE WAY THE.

REGIME HAS BEEN ACCESSING. U.S.-LED BANKING SYSTETEM. YOU CUT THAT OFF AND YOU GET A. SENSE THAT THE REGIME WILL BE IN. REALLY BAD SHAPE. IT IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE WHERE. THEY DO BUSINESS, BUT IT IS A. CONVENIENT PLACE AND IT ACTUALLY. AMOUNTS TO REAL MONEY. THIS COULD BE A GAME CHANGER. >> Bill: IRAN'S ECONOMY HAS BEEN. GETTING CRUSHED. THEIR INFLATION RATE RIGHT NOW. 66%. YOU MENTIONED THE IRANIAN RIAL.

THE VALUE THAT IS PLUMMETING. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS CHART HERE. GOING BACK TO EARLY 2025. THIS IS HOW THAT IRANIAN. REVOLVED VALUE HAS FALLEN OFF A. CLIFF SINCE THE START OF LAST. YEAR AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE. WAR WITH IRAN. JUST GIVE US YOUR REACTION TO. LOOKING AT THAT. EVEN AFTER THE MOU FELL APART IT. NOSE-DIVEDED FURTHER. >> LOOK, WHAT I THINK THIS ALL. POINTS TO IS THAT THE. FUNDAMENTALS OF THE IRANIAN.

ECONOMY HAVE BEEN IN SHAMBLES. FOR QUITE SOME TIME. BEFORE THE WAR IT WAS IN BAD. SHAPE. NOW IT IS EVEN WORSE THANKS TO. THE PRESSURE THAT THE TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN HEAPING. ON. IN SOME WAYS, THIS IS JUST A. RACE OF TWO DIFFERENT TIME. LINES, RIGHT? IRANIANS THINK THEY CAN OUTWAIT. DONALD TRUMP. THAT THEY THINK THAT MAYBE THE. DROP IN MUNITIONS, THE SPIKE IN. THE PRICE OF OIL, THE PRESSURE. FROM THE MID-TERMS, THAT THAT IS. GOING TO SQUEEZE THE PRESIDENT. AND PERHAPS GET HIM TO. CAPITULATE OR MAKE A BAD DEAL.

NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT. MAYBE IT'S ACTUALLY A DIFFERENT. TIMELINE. THE TIMELINE THROUGH WHICH THE. IRANIAN REGIME COLLAPSES. ECONOMICALLY AND MAYBE EVEN. POLITICALLY AS WELL. LOOK, AT THE END OF THE DAY I. KNOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. DOESN'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT. REGIME CHANGE, BUT I HAVE TO SAY. IF WE CONTINUE TO HEAP THIS. PRESSURE ON AND ISOLATE THIS. REGIME IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT. IT DOES COLLAPSE AND IF YOU ASK. ME, THAT WOULD NOT BE THE WORST. THING. >> Bill: CHINA GETS A LOT OF.

CRUDE OIL FROM IRAN. SCOTT BESSENT WAS ASKED DIRECTLY. IS CHINA ABOVE THE SANCTIONS? WHAT WILL YOU DO IF THEY VIOLATE. IT? >> IS THE VERY DELICATE TRADE. TRUCE WITH CHINA SOMETHING THAT. COULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM GOING. THAT FAR AND TAKING THAT VERY. BIG STEP? >> WE WANT TO MAKE CLEAR HERE. TODAY THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE THE. REACH OF THE U.S. SANCTIONS. THAT IF THEY FACILITATE. TRANSACTIONS AND ARE PART OF THE.

ECO SYSTEM THAT TURNS IRANIAN. OIL INTO MONEY, INTO REPRESSION, THEY WILL BE TARGETED. >> Bill: GOT ABOUT 30 SECONDS. LEFT. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT ANSWER. HE ESSENTIALLY SAYS CHINA WILL. BE RETALIATED AGAINST IF THEY. DON'T PLAY BALL HERE. >> LOOK, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A. HANDFUL OF ENTITIES IN MAIN LAND. CHINA AND HONG KONG THAT GOT HIT. WITH SANCTIONS YESTERDAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SMALL BANKS, MEDIUM SIZE AND LARGE BANKS IF.

THE CHINESE DON'T COMPLY. WE HAVE A SUMMIT COMING UP. I HOPE DONALD TRUMP STICKS.