Former Israel Defense Forces spokesman Doron Spielman told Newsmax that Iran is leveraging what potential impact it has left on Middle East oil shipments to blackmail the free world.
Spielman, a major in the IDF reserves, told "National Report" on Monday, "Iran has taken pretty much every ounce of money that they've received from their oil sales over the last 45 years and invested it in one purpose, creating a nuclear weapon, which they can use to destroy Israel and control international shipping and therefore control the entire West."
Spielman said Iran has suffered "an enormous blow by a combined United States-Israel strike."
He said comments from Iranian leaders not yet killed by the joint military strikes about forcing higher worldwide energy prices amount to a scare tactic. "They're using the last card in their hand, which is trying to blackmail all world shipping by saying gas prices are going to rise unless we continue to let them remain the major terror force in the world."
Spielman said Iran does not understand reality. "I think they're underestimating the free world."
He said Iran does not "understand the steel nerves that the United States of America and Israel have, that we're not going to let them blackmail us, that this is an opportunity that comes around really once in a lifetime."
Spielman claims the world is on the brink of monumental change. "When you have two leaders, Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu and President (Donald) Trump, who see on the horizon the ability to create a new Middle East and protect the West, we are literally looking at something … that will go into history books as probably the greatest stand against evil since World War II."
He said the U.S. and Israel were left with no choice but to take down the radical Iranian Islamic regime before "we would be facing nuclear warheads landing on Tel Aviv. Evil has to be stopped before it strikes your family, not after."
Oil prices spiked near $120 per barrel early Monday before falling back as the attacks on Iran intensified, threatening regional oil production and shipping in the Middle East.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, dropped Monday morning to nearly $105 per barrel.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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