The Ben Shapiro Show - July 30, 2026


Trump Has a 2-Week Plan to Cripple Iran


Episode Stats


Length

10 minutes

Words per minute

208.13

Word count

2,116

Sentence count

162

Harmful content

Toxicity

3

sentences flagged

Hate speech

25

sentences flagged


Transcript

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00:00:00.000 So, over the past couple of days, President Trump and administration officials met with both Vladimir Zelensky of Ukraine and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
00:00:07.000 And, of course, over the last 24 hours, the United States re engaged in significant strikes in Iran and UAE and Saudi.
00:00:14.000 They're actively joining in on the fight. 0.67
00:00:17.000 Plus, we'll look at the president's options for defeating Iran for good. 0.94
00:00:20.000 Let's get started.
00:00:21.000 The president met with Vladimir Zelensky a couple of days ago.
00:00:25.000 He was asked about this.
00:00:27.000 He said that he would like Zelensky to end the war.
00:00:28.000 But again, it is not up to Vladimir Zelensky to end the war.
00:00:31.000 One country is invading another country.
00:00:32.000 Zelensky's country is the one that was invaded.
00:00:37.000 Look, you know, he's out doing his thing. 0.96
00:00:39.000 I'd like him to end the war. 0.92
00:00:40.000 So it's very simple.
00:00:42.000 I get along with both.
00:00:44.000 I get along with President Putin.
00:00:45.000 I get along with President Zelensky.
00:00:47.000 Like I told him, I want to end the war, get the war ended.
00:00:49.000 Thousands of people, 25,000 people died last month.
00:00:54.000 That's standard.
00:00:55.000 And it's not acceptable. 0.82
00:00:57.000 So I said, just end the war.
00:00:59.000 Okay, I mean, just saying end the war doesn't end the war, obviously.
00:01:03.000 And this is a point that Zelensky was making with Sean Hannity last night.
00:01:09.000 We want to stop this war.
00:01:11.000 We're asking, you know, President Trump wants and the Europeans want, Putin doesn't want.
00:01:15.000 We are asking to stop this war each day, to minimum to negotiate a ceasefire for some period of time and give possibility for diplomats to negotiate.
00:01:28.000 But Putin doesn't want.
00:01:30.000 So this is the problem.
00:01:31.000 That's why we need to respond, be tough, be strong.
00:01:35.000 Not only we, we count on Sanctions.
00:01:38.000 By the way, Lynch's bill was very important. 0.62
00:01:44.000 Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the United States reignited action against Iran.
00:01:47.000 They had to, because, of course, it turns out that Iran, in the middle of a supposed ceasefire, decided to fire missiles at a Jordanian base hosting American soldiers.
00:01:57.000 And so the United States had to respond.
00:01:59.000 The president yesterday detailed shooting down a bunch of missiles and rockets that were shot by Iran. 0.89
00:02:06.000 I've been briefed. 1.00
00:02:08.000 It's a little more of the same.
00:02:09.000 But it's going to be straightening out.
00:02:12.000 It's going to be straightening out. 0.96
00:02:14.000 In the meantime, we're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them. 0.98
00:02:19.000 They know it's coming. 0.97
00:02:20.000 They're asking us not to do it.
00:02:22.000 But, you know, they tried shooting it last night.
00:02:25.000 So we had five rocket shot going 8,500 miles an hour.
00:02:29.000 And all five rockets were knocked down to the ground.
00:02:33.000 But they nevertheless took a shot.
00:02:34.000 So it's our turn.
00:02:36.000 And we'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point.
00:02:39.000 But we're going to hit them very hard.
00:02:43.000 So, what exactly is going to happen next? 0.76
00:02:45.000 Well, first of all, we should point out that actually the Iranians have been activating their forces pretty much everywhere.
00:02:50.000 There was a drone attack in Egypt, of all places, that may well have been connected to Iran.
00:02:55.000 It was an attack on Egyptian shipping.
00:02:57.000 Also, Iran has been directing its proxy forces in Iraq to strike at American and allied targets in the region.
00:03:05.000 That drew a response from the United States and Saudi Arabia.
00:03:08.000 According to CENTCOM, U.S. Central Command and the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces conducted precision strikes.
00:03:14.000 In Iraq on July 28th against Iran aligned terrorists, that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
00:03:23.000 Now, again, Israel has not been directly involved in the firing for quite a while.
00:03:27.000 So is the U.S. fighting this on behalf of Saudi?
00:03:29.000 Like, how does this work exactly?
00:03:30.000 How does the logic work, guys?
00:03:32.000 U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapon sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours. 0.81
00:03:41.000 Again, Iran is trying to up the ante. 0.59
00:03:43.000 They're deliberately avoiding Israel because they know that Israel has prepared. 0.54
00:03:46.000 Apparently, some pretty significant operations in Iran, and they are afraid of pissing off the Israelis because the Israelis will fly their F 16s there and do some serious damage.
00:03:54.000 Instead, they're sort of firing at things that matter to us.
00:03:59.000 They're firing at Saudi oil fields.
00:04:00.000 They're firing at Jordanian bases. 0.71
00:04:03.000 They're firing at the Egyptians. 0.96
00:04:04.000 They're trying to gradually up the ante.
00:04:06.000 So, in response, apparently, Admiral Brad Cooper has prepared an option for a punishing air campaign against Iran that could take up to two weeks.
00:04:12.000 People familiar with the matter said this is the Wall Street Journal reporting.
00:04:15.000 Now, as President Trump moves to strike back after Iran's surprise missile attack on Tuesday, the president will decide how far to go.
00:04:21.000 He could green light Cooper's option of 10 to 14 days of intensive airstrikes intended to cripple Iran's missile capability.
00:04:27.000 Despite warnings that the US is running low on air defensive munitions, or he could opt for a more limited military strike.
00:04:33.000 Now, again, the real key to all of this is to understand what's happening.
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00:05:56.000 Okay.
00:05:57.000 So why is Iran upping in the ante?
00:05:59.000 Why is Iran suddenly arming up?
00:06:01.000 Why are, why are they suddenly firing at the Saudis?
00:06:03.000 Right.
00:06:03.000 The United States is not firing at them.
00:06:04.000 We haven't fired at them since Friday.
00:06:06.000 So, why did they decide to up the ante earlier in the week using proxy groups, directly firing missiles at American bases in Jordan?
00:06:12.000 Why are they doing that?
00:06:13.000 The answer is because the economic situation in Iran is biting.
00:06:16.000 And so, what they're trying to do is they are trying to essentially play the UNO reverse card on us when it comes to military operations. 0.88
00:06:23.000 So, I have been extraordinarily critical of the graduated escalation strategy pursued by the administration essentially since March that they'll hit us, we'll hit them a little harder, they'll hit us, we'll hit them a little harder, and that sooner or later they'll learn their lesson.
00:06:36.000 And I've said that that is not likely to draw to a good deal at the end.
00:06:41.000 The Iranians are figuring that because the United States has demonstrated a willingness to ceasefire at the first available opportunity, if they gradually up the ante, we'll come back to the table and offer them an off ramp.
00:06:51.000 An off ramp that allows them to preserve their nuclear program, an off ramp that allows them to preserve control of the Strait of Hormuz, and we'll simply get tired of missiles flying at Jordanian bases or at Iranian proxies directing drones against Saudi oil fields, and we'll get tired. 0.91
00:07:06.000 That's their goal. 0.83
00:07:07.000 Why are they upping the ante right now?
00:07:08.000 Because the economic situation in Iran is biting them, and it's biting them incredibly, incredibly hard.
00:07:15.000 Foundation for Defense of Democracy, Mayed Maleki, he points out that the Iranian economy is in a full state of collapse.
00:07:22.000 Full state of collapse.
00:07:23.000 He says the regime is trying to drag the United States to the negotiation table.
00:07:26.000 The worst case scenario for Iran's regime right now isn't more strikes.
00:07:29.000 It's a naval blockade paired with strict sanctions enforcement with no prospects of a deal.
00:07:33.000 No conflict means an end to the artificial suppression of inflation and market demand that the war has caused, with zero prospect of a deal or sanctions relief on the horizon, followed by gas shortages and domestic protests.
00:07:43.000 The regime is about to experience the underlying economic collapse head on.
00:07:46.000 Inflation at almost 90%.
00:07:48.000 Year on year in June 2026, that's the highest since World War II.
00:07:52.000 The rial is at its lowest value in Iran's history, north of $2 million per dollar.
00:07:56.000 Gasoline rationing is down to roughly 30 liters per day per card amid refining shortfalls.
00:08:02.000 The regime is escalating to stay relevant and pull the U.S. back to the negotiating table, but blockade, great enforcement, not conflict, is what truly isolates it economically with no way out. 0.81
00:08:10.000 Now, if that's true, what that suggests is if the president can just outlast the Iranians by degrading their missile capacities, explains what Brad Cooper is trying to do. 0.88
00:08:18.000 The goal would be to degrade their missile capacities so they can't really harm our allies and hit the oil fields or anything, and meanwhile just starve them out. 0.91
00:08:25.000 And we'll just sit here and do that.
00:08:28.000 That would be the Brad Cooper strategy. 0.97
00:08:29.000 Now, again, if you want it done faster, you can always do what I've suggested bomb Kharg, bomb South Pars, and call it a day. 0.97
00:08:33.000 You could do that. 1.00
00:08:34.000 Then their economy just collapses no matter what they do.
00:08:37.000 But if you wish to take the longer range approach with all the political risk attendance upon it, then you can continue to starve them out.
00:08:44.000 That exactly is what's happening right here. 0.74
00:08:47.000 By the way, the United States is drawing closer with other allies in the Middle East.
00:08:51.000 According to CENTCOM, CENTCOM announced an agreement with the UAE to establish the first bilateral task force focused on accelerating the development.
00:08:58.000 Of military artificial intelligence applications.
00:09:00.000 I've been told by all the wisest people that this sort of stuff amounts to a merging of our militaries.
00:09:04.000 I see zero of them complaining about the merging of the U.S. and the UAE militaries because it's not happening.
00:09:10.000 It's just a joint task force to develop tech, which is a good thing.
00:09:14.000 I would like the United States military to be stronger.
00:09:15.000 We should have the best from all of our allies.
00:09:18.000 We should have the best military precision weaponry, the best AI from everyone.
00:09:24.000 That's how we win.
00:09:25.000 That's a good thing.
00:09:29.000 A necessity at this point, especially given the fact that, again, our enemies are supported by China. 0.91
00:09:33.000 Iran is being driven by China.
00:09:36.000 According to Reuters, Iran is expected to receive within weeks a first shipment out of up to 400 Chinese made shoulder fired air defense missile launchers.
00:09:43.000 Three sources familiar with the deal told Reuters.
00:09:46.000 The purchase, valued at 60 to 70 million bucks, is one of Tehran's largest known efforts to strengthen its short range air defenses since the outbreak of its war with the U.S. and Israel.
00:09:56.000 Certainly, the president should have some words with the Iranians about all of that.
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