Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax on Tuesday that Iran is beginning to be overwhelmed by protesters as its nuclear capabilities suffer.
Holt told "The Chris Salcedo Show" and guest host E.D. Hill that strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran's missile and nuclear facilities in June were a massive setback for its nuclear aspirations.
"Those strikes set them back so far," Holt said. "And it wasn't just months. It was years.
"The big thing is Israel is getting more and more concerned about reconstitution of any type of capabilities that Iran has, including ballistic missiles. China's bringing in fuel, which would indicate to us that they have some sort of capability."
But Holt said Iran's regime has bigger problems in dealing with all the protests.
"They've got protesters in every single city and now they're turning the guns on those protesters," Holt said. "They're doing live fire into the crowds."
Protests against the Islamic regime have spread throughout Iran as demonstrators expanded their message from economic frustration to political dissent amid the collapse of Iran's rial.
Major commercial centers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar were shuttered, along with prominent retail hubs such as the Alaeddin mall, as crowds gathered in central areas and security forces deployed tear gas amid reported clashes.
Although Iran's government said it would seek dialogue with protest leaders, video shared on social media showed police roughing up protesters.
Holt said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is calling Russian President Vladimir Putin for assistance in dealing with the civil unrest.
"It may be that the Iranian people are taking this into their own hands," Holt said. "We're going to be waiting a few days to see how this comes out."
"But it may not end with bombs from Israel or America."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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