Stories about Iran | 60 Minutes Full Episodes
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the escalating tensions between the US and Iran, highlighting Iran's use of proxy militias and hired hitmen to target American officials and dissidents. It recounts the harrowing experience of a former American hostage in Iran and details the 2020 confrontation between the two countries after the US killed an Iranian general, culminating in a massive Iranian missile attack. The script also features interviews with President Raisi, exploring Iran's stance on the nuclear deal and its hostility towards Israel and the US.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated, with Iranian-backed militias frequently attacking US bases in Syria and Iraq.
- 🔍 Iran uses proxy fighters, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and also deploys hitmen globally to intimidate, abduct, and assassinate perceived enemies.
- 🎯 Iran has targeted former American officials, including President Trump, offering large sums for their assassination.
- 🕵️♂️ The FBI thwarted an assassination attempt against John Bolton, revealing Iran's use of online platforms to hire hitmen.
- 🔵 Iran's aggressive tactics extend to vocal Iranian activists abroad, aiming to silence dissent against the regime.
- 🚨 The FBI and intelligence agencies report an increase in Iran's bold efforts to target dissidents, signaling a serious security concern.
- 💡 Iran employs criminal syndicates in the West for these operations, offering a layer of deniability.
- 🇬🇧 The UK has foiled multiple Iranian kidnapping and assassination attempts, indicating this is a global issue.
- 🔑 Iran's recruitment of criminals for overseas operations highlights a complex network aimed at executing its agenda.
- 🚔 Despite thwarted plots, Iran's tactics pose a significant threat, emphasizing the need for vigilance and international cooperation.
Q & A
What were the main reasons behind the increasing tensions between the US and Iran as described in the script?
-The script cites several reasons for the rising tensions, including Iranian-backed militias attacking US bases in Syria and Iraq, Iran's hiring of hitmen to target perceived enemies of the regime (including American officials), and the US assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani as retaliation for his involvement in attacks that killed over 600 US troops.
How did Iran allegedly attempt to assassinate former US officials like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo?
-According to the script, Iran offered a hitman $1 million to kill Mike Pompeo and allegedly tried to hire a hitman online to corner and kill John Bolton in a garage. However, the hitman was revealed to be an FBI informant.
What was the plot against Iranian activist Masih Alinejad, and how was it thwarted?
-The script mentions a plot to kidnap Masih Alinejad, an Iranian activist living in Brooklyn, and take her by speedboat to Venezuela. However, the FBI foiled this plot. Later, Iran allegedly paid a man $30,000 to buy a semi-automatic rifle and kill Alinejad, but he was arrested before carrying out the plan.
How did the US and Iran reach a prisoner exchange deal involving American detainees in Iran?
-The script states that the US and Iran reached a complex agreement in which Iran would be able to access $6 billion in restricted oil revenue to purchase humanitarian goods, and in exchange, Iran would release five American detainees.
What were the circumstances surrounding the US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani?
-According to the script, the US had intelligence reports that Soleimani was planning attacks against US forces in Iraq and elsewhere. The decision to kill him was based on the assessment that the risk of not acting outweighed the risk of acting, even though it was an unprecedented move against such a high-ranking official.
How did Iran retaliate for the killing of Qasem Soleimani, and what were the consequences?
-Iran retaliated by launching 16 ballistic missiles at the Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, where US troops were stationed. The script provides a detailed account of the attack, which resulted in no US casualties but over 100 cases of traumatic brain injury among American soldiers.
What was President Ebrahim Raisi's stance on the nuclear deal negotiations during the interview?
-Raisi expressed skepticism about reaching a new nuclear deal, citing a lack of trust in the US due to its previous withdrawal from the agreement. He demanded guarantees that the US would not withdraw from any future deal and stated that making promises is becoming meaningless.
How did President Raisi respond to allegations of human rights violations and his involvement in the execution of political dissidents?
-Raisi denied the allegations, calling them claims made by a terrorist group. He stated that anyone who commits a crime in Iran stands trial in official courts and receives proportionate punishment.
What was President Raisi's stance on Israel's right to exist and the Holocaust?
-Raisi refused to acknowledge Israel's right to exist, calling it a "false regime" and stating that supporting it means being an "accomplice to their crimes." He also expressed doubt about the Holocaust, suggesting that historical events should be investigated by researchers.
How did President Raisi respond to the possibility of retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani?
-Raisi vowed that Iran would seek justice for Soleimani's killing, though he did not explicitly endorse an "eye for an eye" approach. He stated that Iran would not carry out the same actions as the US and Israel but suggested that justice would be served without providing specifics.
Outlines
🌍 Rising Tensions: US-Iran Proxy Wars
The video segment highlights escalating tensions between the US and Iran, focusing on attacks by Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq following the Israel-Hamas War. It details Iran's use of proxy fighters, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and a more covert strategy involving the hiring of hitmen to intimidate, abduct, and assassinate opponents on foreign soil, including the US. Notably, it mentions threats against former US officials like President Trump, Mark Esper, Mike Pompeo, and John Bolton, emphasizing Iran's global reach in targeting its enemies through diverse and unconventional means.
🎯 Targeted Assassinations: Iran's Global Hitmen
This section delves into Iran's attempts to carry out assassinations globally, highlighting cases where dissidents and critics of the regime, living abroad, were targeted. It narrates the thwarted plots against Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn and Jamshid Sharmahd in Los Angeles, showcasing Iran's utilization of criminals and hitmen for these operations. The narrative underscores the audacity and complexity of Iran's international assassination attempts, including plans to kidnap or kill opponents using diverse proxies, thus maintaining deniability and complicating international counter-efforts.
🔍 The Struggle for Freedom: Iranian Dissidents' Plight
This segment focuses on the personal stories of Iranian dissidents who have been targeted by the regime, such as Masih Alinejad and Jamshid Sharmahd. Alinejad's activism against compulsory hijab laws and her subsequent targeting by Iranian operatives in Brooklyn is highlighted, alongside the capture of Sharmahd during a trip, leading to his televised confession and death sentence in Iran. These narratives illustrate the regime's relentless pursuit of its critics, employing extreme measures to silence dissent both within and beyond its borders.
🛡️ Surviving Assassination: The Iranian Threat Abroad
This part of the video illustrates how Iranian dissidents and former US officials have managed to evade assassination attempts, thanks to vigilance and security measures. It recounts the plot against John Bolton, which was foiled due to the assassin being an FBI informant. The segment also discusses the broader implications of such attacks on US soil, questioning the adequacy of current US policies and responses to Iran's aggressive tactics. It raises concerns about the safety of outspoken critics of the Iranian regime and the need for more effective deterrents.
🌐 A Complex Web: Iran's Shadow War
Detailing Iran's covert operations, this section explores the sophisticated network Iran employs to execute its global agenda, including the recruitment of criminals for assassination plots. It provides insight into the mechanisms of Iran's shadow war, demonstrating how the regime leverages criminal networks to extend its reach and conduct operations with plausible deniability. This part emphasizes the challenges faced by international security agencies in countering Iran's complex and layered strategies, highlighting the need for global cooperation and vigilance.
🔫 The Mechanics of Terror: Iran's Recruitment and Tactics
Focusing on the operational aspects of Iran's assassination and kidnapping plots, this segment reveals how Iran recruits and uses criminals for its international operations. It includes a detailed account of an Iranian smuggler approached by the Revolutionary Guard to find operatives for violent acts abroad. The narrative underscores the regime's reliance on criminal elements to further its objectives, offering a glimpse into the dark underbelly of Iran's efforts to silence opposition and intimidate its adversaries globally.
🎙️ Voices of Dissent: The Cost of Criticizing Iran
This segment presents the personal stories of individuals targeted by the Iranian regime, emphasizing the high cost of dissent. It showcases the experiences of dissidents and activists who, despite facing threats and assassination attempts, continue to speak out against the regime. The narrative highlights the resilience and courage of these individuals, as well as the support and protection they receive from foreign governments, underscoring the ongoing struggle for freedom of speech and human rights in the face of authoritarian repression.
🚨 An Act of War: The US-Iran Tension Escalates
Exploring the broader geopolitical implications of Iran's actions, this segment examines the tension between the US and Iran, particularly in the context of targeted assassinations and kidnapping plots. It questions the effectiveness of US sanctions and policies in deterring Iran's aggressive behavior, highlighting criticisms of the current administration's approach. The narrative raises concerns about the potential for these actions to escalate into an act of war, emphasizing the need for a more robust and decisive response to protect citizens and uphold international norms.
🔒 A Harrowing Escape: The Story of Imad Shi
This part of the video tells the harrowing story of Imad Shi, a dual US-Iranian citizen detained and imprisoned by Iran under false charges. It chronicles his ordeal in prison, the cruel treatments he endured, and his eventual escape attempt that led to his re-arrest. Shi's story exemplifies the regime's use of detention and torture as tools of repression and the difficulties in securing the release of those wrongfully detained. It also touches on the complex prisoner exchange deal that eventually led to his release, shedding light on the diplomatic challenges involved.
🌏 Hostage Diplomacy: Iran's Strategic Use of Detainees
Focusing on the strategic use of detained foreign nationals by Iran, this segment discusses the broader implications of such practices for international relations and diplomacy. It highlights the case of Imad Shi and others who were released in a complex deal involving restricted Iranian oil revenue. The narrative criticizes the use of individuals as bargaining chips in geopolitical negotiations, emphasizing the moral and ethical concerns surrounding hostage diplomacy and its impact on the victims and their families.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Assassination
💡Proxy
💡Retaliation
💡Hostage
💡Deterrence
💡Sanctions
💡Nuclear Deal
💡Revolutionary Guard
💡Dissident
💡Ballistic Missile
Highlights
The tensions between the US and Iran have escalated, with Iranian-backed militias frequently attacking US bases in Syria and Iraq, leading to a serious situation.
Iran is hiring hitmen around the world, including in the US, to intimidate, abduct and assassinate perceived enemies of the regime, posing a significant threat.
The FBI has foiled several plots by Iran to kidnap or assassinate US officials, including a plan to kill former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
Iran's revolutionary guard recruited criminal gangs and smugglers to carry out kidnappings and assassinations on its behalf, providing them with money and promises of more if successful.
American businessman Siamak Namazi spent over 5 years as a prisoner in Iran's notorious Evin prison, enduring interrogations and threats of torture, before being released in a prisoner swap deal.
The US and Iran reached a complex agreement involving the release of $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue, which can be used to purchase humanitarian goods, in exchange for the release of American detainees.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in his first interview with a Western reporter, expressed distrust towards the US and a lack of interest in renewing the nuclear deal without guarantees.
Raisi denied allegations of human rights violations and his involvement in the execution of political dissidents, claiming they were just allegations by a terrorist group.
Raisi cast doubt on the Holocaust and Israel's right to exist, calling it a false regime and stating that those who recognize it are accomplices to its crimes.
Raisi vowed revenge on the US for the killing of General Soleimani, stating that justice must be served, though not through assassination.
In January 2020, the US and Iran came closest to war after a US drone strike killed Iran's General Soleimani, prompting Iran to launch a ballistic missile attack on Al-Asad airbase in Iraq.
The missile attack on Al-Asad airbase was the largest ballistic missile attack ever against American forces, involving 16 missiles, causing significant damage but miraculously no fatalities.
US troops at Al-Asad airbase had to take shelter in bunkers during the attack, with many choosing to stay and share the danger despite evacuation orders, displaying remarkable courage.
The attack caused over 100 cases of traumatic brain injury among US troops, with many still suffering lingering effects like headaches, tinnitus, and PTSD.
Had the US not evacuated personnel and aircraft from Al-Asad airbase before the attack, estimates suggest the damage could have been much worse, with potential loss of 20-30 aircraft and 100-150 personnel.
Transcripts
tensions keep Rising between the US and
Iran since the Israel Hamas War Began
almost every week Iranian back militias
have attacked us bases in Syria and Iraq
it's the latest example and a serious
escal
of teran's use of proxy Fighters like
Hezbollah and Hamas tonight you'll hear
of another type of proxy that Iran
deploys that receives far less attention
Teran is hiring Hitmen around the world
in an effort to intimidate abduct and
assassinate perceived enemies of the
regime and they're doing it right here
on us
soil this this video was posted online
by a channel affiliated with Iran's
revolutionary guard it vows to kill
former American government officials
including president Trump to avenge the
2020 us assassination of the terrorism
Mastermind kasum
sulamani threats like this have been
deemed credible enough that several of
these officials have been under
round-the-clock protection including
Former Defense secretary Mark s
former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Iran reportedly offered a Hitman a
million dollars to kill him and John
Bolton the former National Security
adviser they bargained the price for me
would be
$300,000 which I have to say I found
insulting so what exactly was the plot
against you the Revolutionary guard
sought to procure either my kidnapping
or my
assassination uh not directly by a
revolutionary guards member but by
seeking a Hitman who would carry out the
job either in the US or abroad the FBI
has an arrest warrant out for this
Iranian officer claiming that he hired
the Hitman online to travel to
Washington Corner Bolton in a garage and
kill him but it turned out lucky for
Bolton the Assassin was an FBI informant
this was not internet matter this was a
negotiation to murder an American
citizen a former government official is
the threat against you ongoing we've got
marked Secret Service cars that say
police United States Secret Service
outside my home we talked to the FBI and
several intelligence agencies and they
told us that Iran's efforts are becoming
more frequent and Bolder and that they
often go after vocal Iranian activists
living abroad
the idea behind assassination plot
behind kidnapping plot is to keep you
silent it's a beautiful family place we
met one of their targets in Brooklyn MSI
alinad is a leader in the women's revolt
against the law in Iran mandating they
wear a headscarf or hijab forced to flee
14 years ago she settled here in
Brooklyn where she encourages women back
home to to send her videos of them
taking off the hijabs and she spreads
those images online to her 10 million or
so followers fueling the protest
movement so the mullers began to focus
on you the FBI came and told you there
was a plot against you there were like
six or seven FBI agents when they came
to my house um they told me that your
life is in danger I was like okay tell
me something new because we Iranians are
used to it but they actually said nope
this time is different they said that
the Iranian regime hired private
investigator on us soil to take photos
of your movement your daily life your
routine and I was like wow so they are
here in New York in Brooklyn the plot
was to kidnap you and take you by
speedboat to Venezuela hey it sounds
like a scary movie to you now you don't
it sounds implausible to me you see for
it's a reality for us and a reality for
the FBI that says the plan was to get
her to Iran to stand trial it was the
same for jamshid Chad another Iranian
dissident who lived in Los Angeles for
two decades and created a website where
people in Iran could report human rights
abuses and 2020 while he was changing
planes in Dubai on a business trip his
family noticed his phone started heading
in the wrong direction his daughter
Jazelle Shad soon saw her dad pop up on
Iranian TV in a courtroom looking
petrified he's forced to confessions
about crimes he did not commit the
charge that they gave him is corruption
on Earth that's why he got the death
sentence is it a situation where he
could act actually be executed Oh yes
any day they want to hang him from a
crane in the middle of the city the
original plot to kidnap MSI was thwarted
but according to the FBI a year later in
2022 Iran paid this azer bani living
outside New York City
$30,000 to buy a semi-automatic rifle
and kill her he lurked outside her home
for a week his plan was to take
advantage of her friendliness to her
neighbors he was actually following my
life he knew that I was the one offering
flowers to strangers you offered flowers
to strangers yeah this is me so he
received the text message from the guy
inside Iran saying that go un knock the
door then take her to the backyard
garden if I had opened the door I would
have just given him a big smile smile
and say yes let's go to my garden and
then he wanted to just kill me did he
actually knock on your door yes her home
security camera actually caught him on
her porch trying to get in eventually he
took off but was pulled over for running
a stop sign that's when the police found
this in his car he's been in custody
awaiting trial ever since but here's
what's interesting neither he nor two
other men the prosecutors say were hired
for the job were
Iranian like him they were Eastern
European and as is becoming a trademark
of Iran Shadow War they were criminals
they were all from Criminal Syndicate
this is what the Islamic Republic is
really good at like using drug dealers
using criminals to do their dirty job on
the western soil it maybe have
deniability
exactly we didn't do it that's the point
so why do they use Praxis to have
somebody who is not being tracked by
intelligence or security agencies for
this Matt Jukes head of counterterrorism
policing in Britain says this is not
just an American problem in the UK they
have foiled 15 Iranian kidnapping and
assassination attempts since last year I
have been involved in National Security
policing for over 20 years what we've
seen in the last 18 months is a real
acceleration we have been told that a
lot of these criminal gangs hire other
criminal gangs and then maybe a third
group I think we're always going to see
this uh collaboration between criminal
organizations we know that this will not
always be a direct line from a state
organization to a threat to a potential
kidnapping this recording was given to
us by a foreign intelligence agency it
shows how Iran recruits
criminals I received a call from the
irgc the Revolutionary guard this is an
Iranian Smuggler from Heria a town near
the Turkish border he reveals to the
foreign agents that he was approached by
Iran's revolutionary guard with a deal
they'll turn a blind eye to his
smuggling if he helps them
their request was that I find people who
could work for them what kind of work
anything like catching someone for us so
they can be beaten up or gotten rid of
this surveillance video shows him
recruiting a fellow Smuggler for the
task the man in white is Mansa rasuli an
alleged drug dealer he agreed to arrange
assassinations throughout Europe for the
Iranian government for money but a few
Weeks Later rasuli was kidnapped at
night and interrogated in a car
reportedly by Israeli
intelligence they extracted this cell
phone confession where rasuli admits he
was paid
$150,000 up front and promised a million
dollar if he killed three people for the
Iranians one is an Israeli at the
embassy in Istanbul Turkey another one
is is an American General in
Germany and one is a journalist in
France the French Target was identified
as philosopher Bernard enri lvi a vocal
critic of the regime in
Terran the identity of the American
General remains a mystery the plot to
kill the three was prevented but in
recent years Iranian dissidents were
successfully kidnapped and smuggled to
Iran several were executed they've
succeeded in Europe they haven't
succeeded in the United States even
though we know there are targets right
so many American officials and others
are being targeted why is it not a
bigger issue look I think the targeting
of American citizens by a hostile
foreign government uh is very close to
an act of War what would happen if they
succeeded in Assassin ating Someone Like
You a well-known former
official well I wouldn't like to find
out uh for for myself or for the country
but why are we sitting here quietly
talking about this when they're in
effect uh saying they're going to commit
acts of war against American citizens on
American soil does the fact that Iran it
feels emboldened to come after our
citizens does it mean we've lost our
deterrence well I think we have lost
detor and I think this also goes to an
unwillingness on the part of the
administration to confront the IAS in a
way that they understand they can
challenge US Government on us soil
without any punishment then what's the
reason to there are sanctions against
them sanction is not sufficient sanction
is what do you want us to do drop a bomb
no look when you negotiate with the
killers you empowering them the Biden
Administration didn't respond to our
request for an interview the Islamic
Republic when masi alinad was called to
testify before Congress about Iran in
September she said that unless the
administration's policy changes her life
will continue to be in danger I believe
that when I'm not in the spotlight when
media like you are not paying attention
to me finally they going to come after
me while she now has has the freedom to
speak her mind in America she does not
have the freedom to live where she wants
masi and her family have had to go into
hiding under FBI protection it's like
wow the government from my own country
trying to kill me but my adopted country
trying to protect me you have to be an
Iranian to survive assassination plot to
understand that how it
feels to survive in America and to have
the platform and to criticize the US
government tearing up tell me why you're
tearing up because people in my country
get killed for
criticizing get shot in head for the
crime of
criticizing for more than 5 years
1,9 75 days American businessman immad
Shi was a prisoner of the Islamic
Republic of Iran he spent much of that
time in the country's most notorious
prison in a dreaded Ward run by Iran's
revolutionary guard last month Shi and
four other Americans were freed in a
complicated deal involving $6 billion
doll in restricted Iranian oil Revenue
the deal Drew criticism at the time for
granting Financial relief to a regime
the US government considers the world's
largest state sponsor of terrorism it
drew even more scrutiny after Hamas
which is financially supported by Iran
attacked Israel two weeks ago with more
than 200 hostages remaining in Gaza
including some Americans shi's ordeal is
a stark illustration of the difficulties
and perils involved in bringing American
citizens home this story um should have
never happened
but I didn't waste 5 and a half years
Margaret I learned a lot about myself
about Humanity about what is important
in life being thrown in a Cell It's the
closest you come to death and back then
Imad Shi is a dual citizen of the US and
Iran he left Iran at age 13 before the
1979 Islamic revolution in the US he
went to college met his wife bah and
started a business representing us
chemical companies in the Middle East
and later worked for private Equity Firm
in Abu Dhabi by 2016 with their
daughters off to college Imad and bah
who is also Iranian American decided to
travel to Iran and ReDiscover their
Roots Iran had just agreed to a landmark
deal to limit its nuclear development in
exchange for sanctions relief which made
Shi think the country was full of
opportunity his father thought otherwise
he said to me he said Amad you don't
know this country people like you will
duel nationalities they pick these
people up once in a while for whatever
use they have for
them and I said Dad give me a break you
know I've never been in the US
government
nothing and I guess if anybody asks me
in one
sentence what have you learned from this
experience I would say listen to your
dad the couple both in their 50s began
spending time in Iran Shi found work
Consulting for an Amsterdam based
company investing in Iranian businesses
was there anything that suggested to you
that you were a Target that there was
going to be a problem you know I thought
I have a better chance of getting hit
crossing the road by a motorbike when I
was there I did not see this
coming just past midnight on April 23rd
2018 about 15 armed agents showed up at
the family house in teron gentleman
walked in he said this is an arrest
warrant for you and for your wife on
what grounds he wouldn't tell me at the
time around 2:30 in the morning they
said okay get ready we are taking you
and my wife said no you can't take him
and they told her to sit down and mind
her business that they'll get to her
later what did that mean I didn't know
at the time so when they took me out of
that house I did not know what was going
to happen to my wife that's
terrifying yep it's not a position you
want to be in he was taken to a place in
Teran Iranians have long feared Evan
prison to a special Ward known as 2A run
by the Intelligence Division of the
Islamic revolutionary guard Corps they
took me to a room they told me to strip
naked they gave me some blue garbs they
told me this is the end of the line for
you and most likely you'll never see the
outside world from now on nobody will
address you by your name you're a code
now 97010 was my code that's
dehumanizing uh they are experts at that
and then hell starts torture threats of
torture and psychological torture they
take you to a very small room and then
they throw a j giant of a human being in
there who proceeds to hit you to push
you around to threaten to kill you and
then the good cop comes in and he says
look I can put a stop to this you just
need to confess confess to what they
said you have to confess that you are a
spy which is
ludicrous Shi says his interrogators
threatened him with electrical shocks
waterboarding and hanging
but never followed through so I realized
they don't want to damage their product
at that point product correct why do you
choose that word because that's what I
was you believe you were taken simply
because you were American to extract a
price correct he told us some
interrogations went on for 9 hours a day
what did you tell them during all those
hours of questioning I mean the most
mundane things the first day they kept
asking me why did you go to the White
House
church and I'm think to myself Queen I
know the White House doesn't have a
church and then it
clicked they had hacked my Facebook they
had seen the pictures of us attending my
daughter's events at school at the
National Cathedral they had no idea the
National Cathedral had nothing to do