[0:00]But let's go start with this big story on Race to Power where the United States and the Israeli war on Iran is nearing its one-month mark. Indirect negotiations apparently are underway between Washington and Tehran and there are proposals and counter-proposals at the center of these talks. But the most critical flash point is of course the Strait of Hormuz and the question is this, who will now exercise control over the Strait of Hormuz once this war comes to an end? Now, in the latest, Iran has issued one of its strongest warnings yet over the Strait of Hormuz, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declaring that the strategic waterway is shut. Now the IRGC has warned that any ship that attempts to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will face a very harsh response.
[0:56]Now the threat significantly escalates the tensions in the Gulf and has raised some fresh fears about the safety of one of the world's most critical maritime choke points, through which a substantial share of global oil and gas supplies pass. Adding to the warning, Iran has now said that it will widen restrictions to ships linked to countries that are backing the United States and Israel. Now Iran's warning has come just hours after the American President Donald Trump extended the deadline for American strikes on Iran's energy security, energy infrastructure by 10 more days. The deadline is now the 6th of April. In his Truth Social post, Donald Trump further added that despite the erroneous statements to the contrary, the talks with Iran are, according to him, ongoing. And this is Trump's second such extension in the past one week. The U.S. administration has previously demanded help from allies to keep the key maritime passage open. However, many countries, including the member states of the European Union, have expressed their unwillingness to join in on any campaign that seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But they have said that they are willing to supervise a safe passage through Hormuz once this war comes to an end. Now, as of last week, 22 countries, including the likes of United Arab Emirates and West Asia, have added their names to a joint statement with signals their readiness to engage in efforts that maintain a safe passage through the strait. For now though, the clock is ticking. It is now America's proposed 15-point plan versus Iran's five-point demand. So the world is grappling under market volatility and global fuel supply shortages. It is watching both sides closely to see who will blink first.
[3:00]All right, joining us all the way from Washington D.C., we've got Mr. John Rosmondo. He's in fact, the President of Viking Research Associates, a geostrategist and expert on national security. Mr. Rosmondo, thank you very much indeed for joining us here on we on. Right, now this is a war against which a lot of people had advised, including the likes of Dan Kane, who had said that there are real serious risks if Donald Trump were to embark on the war. We are almost one month into this war and Iran seems to be exercising hegemony over the Strait of Hormuz, something which it did not do before this war started. So by waging this war, the regime is still intact. Do you think, in your assessment, Donald Trump has made a big mistake, where he's now allowed Iran to militarily take control of the Strait of Hormuz? Well, I I think that this is something that's been war game for decades and I don't think there's any problem. I'm having a technical difficulties.
[4:15]Sorry about that. You're going on. All right. Well, this is something that, you know, is to be expected. We knew that, uh, going into this that if, uh, we attack the Iranians that their first opening move was to close the Strait of Hormuz. We've been saying this for decades. It's been war gamed in our, uh, academies and so forth, and we have, uh, had our own strategies, uh, at the highest levels for dealing with this. So it's not unexpected. That's why we're seeing, you know, Trump, uh, sending ground troops to, uh, forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. All right, now, Donald Trump has said that he's extended his deadline for attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure by 10 more days. So the deadline has now been shifted to the 6th of April, while Trump claims that negotiations are still on. In your assessment, do you think Donald Trump realistically has a plan on how to move forward from here?
[5:16]Well, I think that, uh, President Trump's plan is more in the area of asymmetric warfare in the long term, uh, continuing bombing and, uh, assassinations and to, uh, retake control of, uh, the Strait of Hormuz. That's the, uh, the goal here. So we're not going to see any invasion of the mainland of Iran. Uh, the long-term goal is to, uh, create an opening for the Iranian people to, uh, deal with their own issues. It'll be interesting to see as to how Donald Trump can of course take this war. Thank you very much indeed, Mr. Rosmondo, for joining us from Washington D.C. with this perspective then. Thank you. For all the latest news, download the View on app and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
