Mario Nawfal speaks with former CIA officer Larry Johnson about the risk of renewed US-Iran escalation, shipping disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, and the military signalling they believe is under way. Nawfal reads and discusses statements he attributes to Donald Trump about considering “massive” strikes and using frozen Iranian assets to compensate for shipping damage; Johnson argues such messaging would harden, not soften, Iran’s position. The pair also debate the meaning of embassy staff withdrawals by European states, with Johnson claiming missions would have been given advance warning of impending action.
They focus on US airpower and logistics, comparing payload capacity across B-1, B-52 and B-2 bombers and discussing bunker-buster carriage. Nawfal cites open-source reporting on additional US aircraft deployments, including an E-11 communications aircraft; Johnson claims Iran has already destroyed multiple US radar and satellite communications systems, describing the deployment as a stopgap.
The conversation includes several unverified claims and forecasts: Johnson says the US has already evacuated a base in Jordan and relocated forces to Israel; he predicts Iran will strike Israel and potentially target oil refineries, which he argues would constrain Israel’s ability to sustain operations. Nawfal plays clips of Marco Rubio claiming Iran is seeking a deal; Johnson disputes Rubio’s account and says Washington has violated earlier understandings. The episode ends with Nawfal reporting early, unconfirmed social-media claims of strikes beginning in Iran as the livestream wraps.
Guest Larry Johnson alleges that John F. Kennedy was assassinated by “Israeli intelligence assets” with support from organised crime figures and CIA-linked individuals. He claims this “changed the picture” for US-Israel relations, arguing Kennedy had tried to curb Israeli nuclear proliferation and to force a pro-Israel lobby group to register as a foreign agent.
Read this moment →Johnson predicts Iran will attack Israel “this weekend”, arguing US aircraft are operating from there. He adds that Iran is likely to finish disabling Israel’s “two main oil refineries”, warning this would restrict jet fuel and diesel supplies for continued operations.
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