Iran is striking US allies in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — but deliberately avoiding Israel because they know Israel will obliterate them if hit.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Iran is striking US allies in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — but deliberately avoiding Israel because they know Israel will obliterate them if hit.
TL;DR
Two major breaking stories dominate this weekend update: two American servicemembers were killed in Jordan after an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack, with the Trump administration striking back against Iran's military capacity [1] — Ben Shapiro "Two U.S. servicemembers were killed after Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at an American base in Jordan. One servicemember rema…" 00:52 ; and influencer brothers Andrew and Tate were arrested in Miami and are being extradited to the UK on charges including rape, sex trafficking, and child pornography [2] — Ben Shapiro "Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities in Miami and are being extradited to the UK. Four addition…" 05:30 . The key takeaway: the right's embrace of transgressive figures regardless of their character is a moral and political liability that must be corrected [3] — Ben Shapiro "Morally, you should not be associated with these people. And then politically, it will be poison and it should be poison. To be associated …" 08:35 .
Weekend breaking news update covering two American servicemembers killed by Iranian fire in Jordan and the arrest of Andrew and Tristan Tate in Miami.
The episode opens with a short German-language ad for Wieso Steuer, a mobile tax-filing application. In a snappy dialogue format, two voices exchange questions and answers about the app, emphasizing that it handles the hard work automatically and can be completed in minutes via smartphone. The ad closes with a call to action: get your money back before the July 31 deadline. It sets a light, conversational tone before the episode pivots sharply into breaking world news.
Before the news segment begins, a second German-language advertisement plays for Flaschenpost, an app-based grocery and drink delivery service. The ad highlights the promo code HALLO30, which provides €10 off each of the listener's first three orders — a total of €30 in savings. The pitch centers on eliminating the hassle of carrying heavy items, promising that Flaschenpost delivers groceries and beverages directly to the listener's home. Listeners are directed to the app or website for details.
Ben Shapiro opens his weekend update with the most consequential story: two American servicemembers killed in action after Iran launched a coordinated ballistic missile and drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. According to CENTCOM, one servicemember remains missing and four were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. Shapiro notes the widespread suspicion that Russia and China have been supplying targeting technology to Iran — using this to argue that China should no longer be described as a 'geopolitical opponent' but as an outright enemy. He frames the incident within a broader global struggle: China, Russia, and Iran form a coordinated axis of powers determined to erode American strength. The tragedy of the losses, he says, demands a clear-eyed reassessment of U.S. strategy. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Two U.S. servicemembers were killed after Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at an American base in Jordan. One servicemember rema…" 00:52
With American blood spilled, the Trump administration moved swiftly: CENTCOM confirmed new airstrikes against Iran at the president's direction, targeting Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and punish IRGC forces. President Trump, speaking to NewsNation, called the deaths 'very sad' but reaffirmed that the United States will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Shapiro maps out the broader U.S. objective: destroying Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capacity, dismantling its military, and collapsing its economy. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Iran's currency has collapsed to 2 million rial per US dollar — down from roughly 70,000 at the end of last year. Iran can no longer export…" 02:10 On that last front, the numbers are staggering — Iran's currency has fallen to 2 million rial per dollar from roughly 70,000 at the end of last year. Iran can no longer freely export its oil, and the Wall Street Journal reported that the one-month ceasefire between mid-June and mid-July allowed Iran to ship 70 million barrels of oil worth $5–6 billion — a strategic misstep Shapiro implies the U.S. will not repeat. [2] — Ben Shapiro "During the roughly one-month ceasefire between mid-June and mid-July, Iran exported 70 million barrels of oil worth $5–6 billion. The Wall …" 03:00
Iran's strike pattern reveals a telling asymmetry: it is hitting US bases and allies in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — everywhere except Israel. Shapiro argues the explanation is straightforward: Israel has made it unmistakably clear that any Iranian strike will be answered not with pinprick responses but with regime-ending force. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Iran is striking US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — but conspicuously not Israel. The reason is simple: Israel has made crystal …" 03:40 Israel might target the South Pars gas field, key strategic resources, senior regime figures — even Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader's son, who is rumored to have already fled the country. Iran knows this calculation and acts accordingly. For Shapiro, this dynamic encapsulates the fundamental rule of the Middle East: outcomes are determined not by negotiations or strategic diplomacy but by who can generate a credible threat of force. [2] — Ben Shapiro "Credible threat of force — not negotiations or strategic diplomacy — is what determines outcomes in the Middle East. Israel's deterrence ag…" 04:50 Israel has done that; the United States, he implies, needs to do the same.
The weekend's second major story: Andrew and Tristan Tate, the influencer brothers long accused of sex trafficking, were arrested Saturday by federal authorities in Miami, according to CBS News and the U.S. Marshals Service. They are being extradited to the UK, where the Crown Prosecution Service announced that four additional victims have come forward with new charges — rape, sex trafficking, assault, and child or extreme pornography. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities in Miami and are being extradited to the UK. Four addition…" 05:30 Shapiro notes that the Tates had been openly residing in Romania to exploit what they viewed as a disorganized justice system and to avoid potential arrest in Britain. The arrest, he says, is not a gigantic shock given their long legal exposure. He also notes the allegation involving a girl who was reportedly 15 years old, visible on tape in a sexual context with Andrew Tate — a fact he says was long publicly known.
Shapiro's sharpest commentary is reserved for those on the right who celebrated the Tate brothers. He describes a pattern he says he has been warning about for years: the right reflexively endorses figures who transgress leftist orthodoxies, regardless of their actual moral character — sometimes precisely because they are provocateurs. [1] — Ben Shapiro "The right has a pattern of embracing morally bankrupt figures simply because they transgress leftist norms. Ben Shapiro argues this is both…" 06:56 Tucker Carlson traveled to Romania to vouch for the Tates; Candace Owens did the same; members of the Trump administration posed for photos with them. Yet Andrew Tate was, by his own admission, a pornographer who built his fortune through a scheme he called the 'Pimping Hoes Degree' — a method for manipulating young women into cam work. Shapiro calls out the absurdity: a self-described pimp who sides with America's enemies and exploits dispossessed young men through a social media grift was treated as a right-wing hero. [2] — Ben Shapiro "Andrew Tate openly built his wealth through a scheme he called the 'Pimping Hoes Degree' — teaching men to psychologically manipulate young…" 07:30 The Tate arrest, he argues, should force a reckoning — not just because of criminal liability, but because the association is both morally indefensible and politically toxic. Shapiro closes by promising a fuller analysis the next day, including what the arrests mean for the internet and the broader right.
Chapter 3 · 00:52
Ben Shapiro opens his weekend update with the most consequential story: two American servicemembers killed in action after Iran launched a coordinated ballistic missile and drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. According to CENTCOM, one servicemember remains missing and four were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. Shapiro notes the widespread suspicion that Russia and China have been supplying targeting technology to Iran — using this to argue that China should no longer be described as a 'geopolitical opponent' but as an outright enemy. He frames the incident within a broader global struggle: China, Russia, and Iran form a coordinated axis of powers determined to erode American strength. The tragedy of the losses, he says, demands a clear-eyed reassessment of U.S. strategy. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Two U.S. servicemembers were killed after Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at an American base in Jordan. One servicemember rema…" 00:52
Two U.S. servicemembers were killed after Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at an American base in Jordan. One servicemember remains missing and four were evacuated — while suspicion grows that Russia and China provided Iran with targeting technology.
Two U.S. servicemembers were killed in action after Iran launched ballistic missile and drone attacks on an American base in Jordan.
President Trump stated the US will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, framing the military operation as achieving that and broader strategic goals.
Chapter 4 · 02:10
With American blood spilled, the Trump administration moved swiftly: CENTCOM confirmed new airstrikes against Iran at the president's direction, targeting Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and punish IRGC forces. President Trump, speaking to NewsNation, called the deaths 'very sad' but reaffirmed that the United States will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Shapiro maps out the broader U.S. objective: destroying Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capacity, dismantling its military, and collapsing its economy. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Iran's currency has collapsed to 2 million rial per US dollar — down from roughly 70,000 at the end of last year. Iran can no longer export…" 02:10 On that last front, the numbers are staggering — Iran's currency has fallen to 2 million rial per dollar from roughly 70,000 at the end of last year. Iran can no longer freely export its oil, and the Wall Street Journal reported that the one-month ceasefire between mid-June and mid-July allowed Iran to ship 70 million barrels of oil worth $5–6 billion — a strategic misstep Shapiro implies the U.S. will not repeat. [2] — Ben Shapiro "During the roughly one-month ceasefire between mid-June and mid-July, Iran exported 70 million barrels of oil worth $5–6 billion. The Wall …" 03:00
Iran's currency has collapsed to 2 million rial per US dollar — down from roughly 70,000 at the end of last year. Iran can no longer export its oil freely, and the US is degrading its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's economy has collapsed to 2 million rial per US dollar, compared to roughly 70,000 rial at the end of last year.
During the roughly one-month ceasefire between mid-June and mid-July, Iran exported 70 million barrels of oil worth $5–6 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported Iran used that window to rearm — a strategic error the US is now paying for.
The roughly one-month ceasefire window allowed Iran to rearm and export oil before the US resumed strikes.
Iran shipped roughly 70 million barrels of oil worth $5–6 billion during the approximately one-month ceasefire period between mid-June and mid-July.
Chapter 5 · 03:40
Iran's strike pattern reveals a telling asymmetry: it is hitting US bases and allies in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — everywhere except Israel. Shapiro argues the explanation is straightforward: Israel has made it unmistakably clear that any Iranian strike will be answered not with pinprick responses but with regime-ending force. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Iran is striking US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — but conspicuously not Israel. The reason is simple: Israel has made crystal …" 03:40 Israel might target the South Pars gas field, key strategic resources, senior regime figures — even Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader's son, who is rumored to have already fled the country. Iran knows this calculation and acts accordingly. For Shapiro, this dynamic encapsulates the fundamental rule of the Middle East: outcomes are determined not by negotiations or strategic diplomacy but by who can generate a credible threat of force. [2] — Ben Shapiro "Credible threat of force — not negotiations or strategic diplomacy — is what determines outcomes in the Middle East. Israel's deterrence ag…" 04:50 Israel has done that; the United States, he implies, needs to do the same.
Iran is striking US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — but conspicuously not Israel. The reason is simple: Israel has made crystal clear it will respond to any strike with regime-ending force, including targeting South Pars gas fields and key regime figures.
Iran is striking US allies across the Middle East but deliberately avoiding Israel because a strike on Israel would likely trigger regime-ending retaliation.
Credible threat of force — not negotiations or strategic diplomacy — is what determines outcomes in the Middle East. Israel's deterrence against Iran proves the point: the harder the credible threat, the less you actually get hit.
Chapter 6 · 05:30
The weekend's second major story: Andrew and Tristan Tate, the influencer brothers long accused of sex trafficking, were arrested Saturday by federal authorities in Miami, according to CBS News and the U.S. Marshals Service. They are being extradited to the UK, where the Crown Prosecution Service announced that four additional victims have come forward with new charges — rape, sex trafficking, assault, and child or extreme pornography. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities in Miami and are being extradited to the UK. Four addition…" 05:30 Shapiro notes that the Tates had been openly residing in Romania to exploit what they viewed as a disorganized justice system and to avoid potential arrest in Britain. The arrest, he says, is not a gigantic shock given their long legal exposure. He also notes the allegation involving a girl who was reportedly 15 years old, visible on tape in a sexual context with Andrew Tate — a fact he says was long publicly known.
Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities in Miami and are being extradited to the UK. Four additional victims came forward with charges of rape, sex trafficking, assault, and child pornography.
The Tate brothers relocated to Romania specifically because the Romanian justice system was disorganized and they feared arrest if they returned to Britain.
The UK Crown Prosecution Service announced that four more victims of the Tate brothers came forward, bringing new charges of rape, sex trafficking, assault, and child pornography.
Andrew Tate is reportedly on tape engaged in sexual activity with a girl who was 15 years old at the time, according to contemporaneous timelines.
Chapter 7 · 06:56
Shapiro's sharpest commentary is reserved for those on the right who celebrated the Tate brothers. He describes a pattern he says he has been warning about for years: the right reflexively endorses figures who transgress leftist orthodoxies, regardless of their actual moral character — sometimes precisely because they are provocateurs. [1] — Ben Shapiro "The right has a pattern of embracing morally bankrupt figures simply because they transgress leftist norms. Ben Shapiro argues this is both…" 06:56 Tucker Carlson traveled to Romania to vouch for the Tates; Candace Owens did the same; members of the Trump administration posed for photos with them. Yet Andrew Tate was, by his own admission, a pornographer who built his fortune through a scheme he called the 'Pimping Hoes Degree' — a method for manipulating young women into cam work. Shapiro calls out the absurdity: a self-described pimp who sides with America's enemies and exploits dispossessed young men through a social media grift was treated as a right-wing hero. [2] — Ben Shapiro "Andrew Tate openly built his wealth through a scheme he called the 'Pimping Hoes Degree' — teaching men to psychologically manipulate young…" 07:30 The Tate arrest, he argues, should force a reckoning — not just because of criminal liability, but because the association is both morally indefensible and politically toxic. Shapiro closes by promising a fuller analysis the next day, including what the arrests mean for the internet and the broader right.
The right has a pattern of embracing morally bankrupt figures simply because they transgress leftist norms. Ben Shapiro argues this is both a moral failure and a political liability — one that the Tate brothers' arrest makes impossible to ignore.
Ben Shapiro argues that a segment of the right reflexively endorses transgressive figures regardless of character, a phenomenon he says he has been warning about for years.
Tucker Carlson traveled to Romania to vouch for the Tate brothers and Candace Owens did the same, while some administration members took photos with them.
Andrew Tate openly built his wealth through a scheme he called the 'Pimping Hoes Degree' — teaching men to psychologically manipulate young women into performing cam work. He was a self-admitted pornographer, and yet the right celebrated him.
Andrew Tate built his fortune through a scheme he called the 'Pimping Hoes Degree,' teaching men to manipulate young women into performing cam work for him.
A New Yorker investigation by Heidi Blake documented what she called the Andrew Tate empire of abuse. Ben Shapiro calls the allegations extraordinarily credible and well-documented — yet prominent right-wing figures still rushed to defend him.
The Tates exploit American free speech protections not out of principle but as a tool for profit. Their core business: taking dispossessed and angry young men and teaching them the path to wealth is cutting up Andrew Tate videos and posting them online.
No indexed bits in this chapter.
Iran is striking US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan — but conspicuously not Israel. The reason is simple: Israel has made crystal clear it will respond to any strike with regime-ending force, including targeting South Pars gas fields and key regime figures.
Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities in Miami and are being extradited to the UK. Four additional victims came forward with charges of rape, sex trafficking, assault, and child pornography.
This episode
Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.
Two U.S. servicemembers were killed in Jordan after Iran launched ballistic missile and drone attacks on an American base.
One U.S. servicemember is currently missing and four were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals following the Iranian attack.
Russia and China have been providing targeting technology to Iran to assist its attacks on American forces.
The U.S. launched new airstrikes against Iran at President Trump's direction, designed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's economy is running at 2 million rial to the US dollar, compared to roughly 70,000 rial at the end of last year.
Iran used the roughly one-month ceasefire period between mid-June and mid-July to ship approximately 70 million barrels of oil worth $5–6 billion.
Iran is striking US bases and allies in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan, but is deliberately not striking Israel.
Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities in Miami on Saturday and are being extradited to the UK.
The UK Crown Prosecution Service announced four more victims of the Tate brothers came forward with new charges of rape, sex trafficking, assault, and child or extreme pornography.
Andrew Tate is on tape in a sexual context with a girl who was 15 years old at the time, according to Tate's own statements and contemporaneous timelines.
Andrew Tate built his wealth through a scheme he called the 'Pimping Hoes Degree,' which taught men to manipulate young women into performing cam work for him.
Heidi Blake wrote an article for The New Yorker titled 'the Andrew Tate empire of abuse,' which contained extraordinarily credible and well-documented allegations.
This episode
Influencer arrested in Miami with his brother Tristan and being extradited to the UK on charges including rape, sex trafficking, and child pornography.
Brother of Andrew Tate, co-arrested in Miami and extradited to the UK on similar charges.
Publicly defended the Tate brothers similarly to Tucker Carlson.
New Yorker journalist who wrote a well-documented investigation into what she called the Andrew Tate empire of abuse.
Traveled to Romania to defend the Tate brothers and claimed they were innocent.
Discussed as directing retaliatory strikes against Iran and as having members who were photographed with the Tate brothers.
UK body that announced four additional victims of the Tate brothers came forward with new charges of rape, sex trafficking, assault, and child pornography.
Published Heidi Blake's investigation into the Andrew Tate empire of abuse, cited by Ben Shapiro as extraordinarily credible.
Cited as reporting that Iran exported 70 million barrels of oil during the US ceasefire window, allowing it to rearm.
The primary adversary in the episode — responsible for killing two US servicemembers in Jordan and conducting strikes across the Middle East.
Discussed as a US partner that Iran is deliberately avoiding striking due to Israel's credible threat of devastating retaliation.
Accused by Ben Shapiro of providing targeting technology to Iran, and characterized as an enemy rather than a geopolitical opponent.
Location of the American military base attacked by Iran, resulting in the deaths of two US servicemembers.
Accused of helping US enemies across multiple conflicts by providing targeting technology to Iran.
Country where the Tate brothers resided to avoid UK arrest, exploiting what Shapiro describes as its disorganized justice system.
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