Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Middle East Forum Chief Strategist Jim Hanson joined Fox News with Jesse Watters to break down a ceasefire he says wasn’t diplomacy—it was pressure.
After what Hanson describes as a devastating campaign against Iran, he argues the regime returned to the table because it had no choice. Now, he says, Tehran’s only real leverage is the Strait of Hormuz—and the U.S. should flip the script.
Hanson lays out a blunt strategy: seize Iranian oil shipments, choke off 40% of the regime’s revenue, and force concessions without firing another shot. On nuclear negotiations, he’s even clearer—there’s no scenario where Iran keeps its uranium if it wants the regime to survive.
His bottom line: the military phase may be over, but the real pressure campaign is just beginning—and it could determine whether the regime collapses entirely.
Subscribe for more conversations with leading analysts on the Middle East and beyond.
Middle East Forum Chief Strategist Jim Hanson joined Fox News with Jesse Watters to break down a ceasefire he says wasn’t diplomacy—it was pressure.
After what Hanson describes as a devastating campaign against Iran, he argues the regime returned to the table because it had no choice. Now, he says, Tehran’s only real leverage is the Strait of Hormuz—and the U.S. should flip the script.
Hanson lays out a blunt strategy: seize Iranian oil shipments, choke off 40% of the regime’s revenue, and force concessions without firing another shot. On nuclear negotiations, he’s even clearer—there’s no scenario where Iran keeps its uranium if it wants the regime to survive.
His bottom line: the military phase may be over, but the real pressure campaign is just beginning—and it could determine whether the regime collapses entirely.
Subscribe for more conversations with leading analysts on the Middle East and beyond.
