Trump Seeks Leverage With Iran as Hormuz, Lebanon Threaten Talks

·43 min·4 clips

President Trump vents on Truth Social as Iran demands a Lebanon ceasefire and unfrozen assets before Saturday's high-stakes negotiations.

The episode opens with hosts Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz detailing President Trump's recent Truth Social posts criticizing Iran for not reopening the Strait of Hormuz despite the ceasefire. Iran's new demands—a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iranian assets—cast doubt on whether negotiations will proceed as scheduled in Islamabad. Bloomberg correspondent Tyler Kendall reports from the White House, noting a New York Post story about Trump planning additional strikes if talks fail and highlighting data showing only nine vessels have transited the strait since the ceasefire. An interview with Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis follows, where she outlines Trump's three leverage points (economic, diplomatic, military) and stresses the economic importance of reopening the strait to lower gas prices. The conversation shifts to domestic politics, covering congressional funding for DHS and potential reconciliation bills. Later, a political panel with analysts Jeannie Shanzano and Lisa Kamusa Miller discusses the significance of Vice President J.D. Vance leading the negotiations and Israel's indirect influence. Jeannie Shanzano argues Iran holds significant leverage by controlling the strait, contrary to Trump's claims. The episode then features an interview with former Trump acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who explains that Iran is a tough negotiator and that Congress could end the war by withholding the $200 billion in funding needed to continue it. Mulvaney also comments on the complexities of using budget reconciliation for war funding. The show concludes with a segment on Hungary's upcoming election and its geopolitical implications, tying back to U.S. interests. Throughout, the format blends host narration, correspondent updates, and guest interviews, maintaining a focus on the high-stakes diplomacy and domestic political maneuvers surrounding the Iran conflict.

As heard by us

A clear read on how Hormuz and Lebanon may shape whether U.S.-Iran talks begin at all.

Balance of Power treats U.S.-Iran diplomacy as something already under strain before anyone sits down. President Donald Trump is using Truth Social to press Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, where only a trickle of Iranian-tied vessels is getting through, while Iran says talks in…

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Why you'd press play

Want the U.S.-Iran talks before the table is even set? Start with Hormuz, Lebanon, and the blocked assets demand.

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