On June 21, the U.S. military conducted strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — in an operation code-named Midnight Hammer, which was aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and preventing the Islamic nation from developing nuclear weapons. The strikes, which marked the first time America has been directly involved amid the Israel-Iran conflict, involved 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers dropping 14 GBU-57 “bunker-buster” bombs on Fordow and over two dozen Tomahawk missiles targeting Isfahan. President Trump called the mission a “spectacular military success” in his televised address from the White House.
Naturally, however, Americans are wondering what comes next. How will Iran respond? What does the future hold for the United States?
Monday morning on “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn broke it all down and explained the possibilities for the future.
“Hopefully this is a one-and-done strike, like it was when President Trump took out Soleimani during his first term,” but there’s also the possibility that we get “more involved,” says Glenn.
“What we cannot have is another prolonged military fiasco in the Middle East. We cannot have American boots on the ground, and I know President Trump, and I know he doesn’t want that either,” he explains.
However, it all depends on what Iran does next. Two possibilities scare Glenn: Iran might “begin targeting U.S. forces on the ground all over the Middle East,” or “the Iranian-backed terrorists [might] begin attacking us right here in the U.S.” Or perhaps the nation will play “the big ace up their sleeve” and close the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil choke point. Glenn notes that Iran’s parliament has approved a measure to close the strait in retaliation for U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, but the final decision rests with the Supreme National Security Council and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
If the latter happens and the Strait of Hormuz is indeed closed, “we will see a spike in our oil prices somewhere between $120 and $150 a barrel,” possibly even “as high as $200 a barrel,” Glenn warns, calling such a price increase “a very, very bad knockout punch” to the global economy, which is essentially being held together by “chewing gum and duct tape.”
There’s also the possibility that the Iranian regime could “crumble and fall apart” and “the people rise up,” but that is looking more and more unlikely, as reports indicate that Iran’s “religious police” — one of the “most brutal police forces out there” — are roaming the streets in great numbers, arresting civilians, ordering people to stay in their homes, monitoring phones, and checking cars.
“Over the weekend, at least 100 religious dissidents have already been executed, called spies for Israel,” says Glenn.
One of the most “disturbing developments,” he says, is the fact that both China and Russia have condemned the United States for the strikes. “I read this morning that one of the top officials from Iran is going to Russia today to meet with Putin,” meaning “their alliance is not being deterred.”
Right now, nothing is certain, says Glenn. “Our future is complicated. … It will either be an amazing success or lead us toward a very dark future.”
However, to those “blaming Donald Trump” for the uncertainty of America’s future, Glenn says, “you can blame every president since 2000.” Trump’s presidential predecessors “have always said that they would never allow Iran to get a nuclear bomb. President Trump is just the first one to not send them a pallet of cash to try to bribe them.”
Operation Midnight Hammer was “decisive, bold, and courageous action. Now let’s prepare for fire and pray, pray, pray for peace.”
To hear more of Glenn’s analysis, watch the episode above.
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