Description:
Sabby Sabs speaks with Laith Marouf as the war widens. He says the United States nearly boarded a Chinese ship after an AI-written intelligence report proved false, with aircraft already in the air. Ansar Allah struck jet-fuel storage at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Marouf says jet fuel has doubled since the war on Iran and diesel is about 70 percent higher, and that the Saudi air force is now refueling war jets at civilian airports. Yemeni forces are advancing, have nearly cut the main road to Aden, and are pushing toward the only Saudi–Yemen border crossing.
Trump cut a Camp David trip short and is again threatening to wipe Iran out. Marouf doubts Washington or Israel will use nuclear weapons: a US strike would open the door for Russia and China, and an Israeli strike would be suicidal. He expects the war in West Asia to run another year and a half to two years, until Palestine is settled, with only two endings. Iran has not sunk US carriers, he says, because they are nuclear-powered. He thinks President Pezeshkian is safe at the UN for now, but he is not sure Washington will let him in. In Syria he describes protests over famine and fuel while Syrian oil leaves through Turkey and Iraqi oil crosses the country.
Laith Marouf is a Canadian journalist, media consultant and political commentator. He founded Free Palestine TV in 2023 and has worked extensively in community media, communications strategy and international affairs. He currently serves as a Senior Consultant at the Community Media Advocacy Centre and regularly provides analysis on Middle East politics, media narratives and geopolitical developments.
Description:
Has Iran shifted from defense to offense in the Strait of Hormuz — and has that left the US with no good military options? Laith Marouf and Hos Shafi join Deep Dive Perspective for a critical look at Iran, the Axis of Resistance, and the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of West Asia geopolitics.
In this conversation, the guests argue that Iran has survived attacks from two nuclear powers, has depleted US standoff munitions, and is now dictating terms — including what they describe as demands for $300 billion in reparations, Iranian administration of the Strait, and an end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon. They frame Iran as a "shield of humanity" standing with Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and the wider Axis of Resistance, while portraying Western economies as manipulated, fragile, and nearing collapse. Hos Shafi links this resilience to faith and the Islamic Republic's ideology; Laith Marouf links it to strategy, agricultural self-sufficiency, and what he calls immunity to financial coercion.
The discussion also examines several highly contested claims as the guests' analysis — including allegations about ecocide, US/Israeli environmental warfare, Zionist ideology as the primary driver of US empire, predictions of Western economic collapse and internal repression, and Israel's alleged nuclear ambitions. These are presented as the guests' interpretations and advocacy, with context and counter-perspective below.
Key Topics: Strait of Hormuz and oil tanker traffic, Iran vs US, Iran Israel war, Axis of Resistance strategy, West Asia geopolitics, blockade and reparations debate, sanctions and Iranian economy, ecocide and environmental war claims, Palestine liberation debate, Lebanon Southern front
Timeline:
00:00 - Introduction: Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and US Power
01:49 - Guests Argue Genocide in Gaza Continues
02:04 - Hos Shafi on Vengeance for Past Attacks [Guest's Claim]
02:52 - Have the US Run Out of Options? 80% Munitions Claim [Guest's Leaked Data Claim]
05:22 - Ships Withdrawn? Iran's Capabilities Claim
05:52 - Iran's Reported Demands: $300B, Strait Control, End Gaza War [Guest's Account]
07:55 - South Lebanon Front: Al-Tayr Hill Claim
09:19 - The "End of the Jewish Colony" Argument [Guest's Advocacy - Attributed]
12:21 - Rouhani as "Spent Force"? Reformists Critique [Guest's Opinion]
13:19 - Faith as Strategy: "Nation of Imam Hussein" & Shield of Humanity [Guest's Framework]
21:07 - Are Markets Fabricated? Economy Manipulation Debate
28:49 - Ecocide Claims: Oil Slicks, Black Rain, Sewage Plants [Allegations]
32:56 - Retaliation Advocacy: Targeting Refineries? [Guest's Advocated Policy - Not Endorsed]
47:20 - Western Economic Collapse Prediction [Guest's Forecast]
50:45 - Zionism as Primary Driver of Empire? [Guest's Ideological Thesis]
53:52 - Concentration Camps & "Genociding Own People" Claim [Guest's Allegation]
56:39 - Israel's Nuclear Use Thesis [Guest's Claim]
58:20 - Palestine Liberation vs One/Two-State Solution [Guest's Position]
01:02:19 - "Liberating Iraq & Gulf States" Advocacy [Guest's Advocacy - Not Endorsed]
GUEST INFORMATION:
Laith Marouf — Palestinian-Syrian media analyst and commentator on West Asia, focused on anti-imperialism, Palestine liberation and the Axis of Resistance. Hos Shafi (credited as Saint Shafi) — Iran-based analyst and commentator on Iranian defence, faith and regional resistance strategy. Views expressed are their own analysis, allegations and advocacy.
Laith Marouf and Ehsan Safarnejad with Deep Dive Perspective on whether Iran's stand has broken Washington's ability to project power in the Middle East.
Ehsan argues Iran's domestically built industrial base and resilience under sanctions allowed Tehran to push back where other states could not. Laith argues recent events signal the end of Western naval projection and a century of air-power dominance, challenged by drones and hypersonic missiles.
They discuss failed attempts to divide Iran internally, US policy as bipartisan, geography and strategic depth, nuclear and non-nuclear deterrence, and asymmetric warfare as practiced by regional resistance groups.
Timeline:
00:00 Has Iran broken US power in the Middle East?
02:00 Introducing Laith Marouf and Ehsan — why Iran matters now
03:39 Iran's resilience: the industrial base argument
07:44 Are we seeing the end of Western naval and air dominance?
10:46 Size, terrain and resources: Iran's strategic depth
13:25 Was Iran underestimated?
15:00 Is US policy toward Iran bipartisan?
25:53 Nuclear risk and deterrence — the guests' debate
35:07 Mutually assured deterrence without nuclear weapons?
40:38 Reactor threats and the fallout debate — guests' claims
43:39 Asymmetric warfare: why guests say it has worked
46:59 Ground operations and spillover risk — scenario analysis
01:08:44 The guests' forecast: what happens to regional alliances if the US leaves?
01:11:00 Liberation vs influence: how the guests say Iran would act
Description:
Geopolitical commentator, media activist and founder of Free Palestine TV, Laith Marouf, returns for an edition of the Resistance Media Report. We'll cover the latest developments across the fronts in West Asia and developments in the region.
Description:
Yemen strikes a Saudi-linked vessel near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as the U.S. faces severe munitions shortages after months of conflict with Iran. Journalist Laith Marouf breaks down the latest developments: depleted U.S. long-range missile stocks, Iran’s continued control of the Strait of Hormuz, China’s new restrictions on drone-related exports to the U.S., and the broader shift toward a multipolar order.
Description:
While President Trump is threatening to commit more war crimes by targeting civilian and energy infrastructure in Iran, the Iranian armed forces are continuing their strategic response, degrading the U.S. Military’s capabilities across West Asia.
