Mohammad Marandi, a professor of English literature and orientalism at the University of Tehran, told “Times Radio Breakfast” that Iran will not negotiate with Trump and will continue to retaliate. “You’ve messed with the wrong country, your propaganda doesn’t work anymore,” he said. “You’re lying, of course, and you’re producing propaganda. I think increasingly Western media is just propaganda.” “You carry out war after war. You destroyed Iraq. You destroyed Afghanistan. You destroyed Libya. You’re strangling Cuba. You’ve destroyed Yemen,” he said. “Iran is a bridge too far. You’re messing with the wrong people-and you will see in the weeks ahead whether you succeed or not.” “For us, it is a fight for survival. For you, it is a fight to sustain the Epstein class and ethnosupremacism in Palestine,” Marandi said. “It’s very clear who is in charge in your countries. That class of people owns the media, controls the government, and starts unprovoked wars time after time.” “And we just saw yesterday a key American anti-terror official resign, saying the truth that we all knew but you tried to hide-that Iran was no threat to the United States and that this war was carried out because of the Israeli regime and its powerful lobby. So what I’m saying is basically what he is saying-that powerful lobby is the Epstein class.”

KATE MCCANN: Can you give us the perspective on what it’s like there at the moment? It’s often difficult for us to speak to people inside Iran. MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Well, it’s difficult for you to speak to people inside Iran because you’re helping the United States-a country or regime involved in the murder of people. So the internet is down for international use. You can use Iranian websites and apps, but because the United States uses it-and the Israeli regime uses people’s cameras-to strike targets inside the country, they’re forced to do that. I’m using this because it belongs to a studio in Iran. You asked me to be on your show, and I came on your show. So it’s because of aggression and murder and death and destruction that your governments bring about that this is the situation. KATE MCCANN: The death of Ali Larijani has been hailed by America and Israel as a significant turning point in this conflict. What has your response been to that? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Well, all you have to do is go and see what people are doing on the streets every night. There are millions of people on the streets every night in Tehran and tens of millions across the country. They rally in support of the armed forces, in support of the constitution, in support of the leader, in support of the state. And in fact, your government-and this is something that Western media has hidden from the public, obviously-during a major rally in Tehran on Friday, where people were on the streets, they fired missiles at the people. KATE MCCANN: Who fired missiles at people on the streets of Tehran? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: U.S.-Israeli jets fired missiles at the demonstrators. You didn’t even know this because your media outlets won’t tell you, but they fired on people. I tweeted this-maybe 10 different tweets. People across the world have seen it. In the West, of course, there is censorship-extensively more than the rest of the world-and you’re heavily propagandized. You don’t see this. But your regimes helped the U.S. bomb demonstrators. KATE MCCANN: Ali Larijani was responsible for the deaths of many thousands of people inside Iran who wanted to protest legitimately against the regime. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the last couple of months. America and Israel say it was right to target him because of those deaths. MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Well, that’s your regime propaganda, and of course you’re pro-regime. KATE MCCANN: Well, no-I’m asking you straightforward questions, and I am asking you a question which relates to the deaths of tens of thousands of protesters. MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Don’t be cowardly-let me answer. Those 3,117 people who were killed-it’s your responsibility and the responsibility of your regimes because you sent terrorists and gave them weapons to slaughter hundreds of police officers and many people on the streets in order to create armed insurrection. KATE MCCANN: What proof do you have of that? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: The proof-Mossad, in a Persian statement, said that they have people on the ground. Pompeo, in a tweet, said that Mossad is on the ground. Pompeo, in an interview on Channel 13 or 15 in Israel, said the CIA is on the ground. More importantly, Channel 14 in Israel, which is close to Netanyahu, said that foreign intelligence agencies brought in weapons to kill hundreds of police officers. Whether or not your government and media will say this to the people, the footage is there. KATE MCCANN: Whether or not there are agents on the ground, you have no proof of anybody being armed. And further, there is significant proof that the Iranian regime was responsible for the deaths-not of 3,000 people, but of tens of thousands of young people-who were in many cases shot in the back, shot at close range. Some people were even killed inside hospitals where they had been seeking treatment. What do you say to that? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Well, you’re lying, of course, and you’re producing propaganda. I think increasingly Western media is just propaganda. Tens of thousands of people-that’s exactly what you and your regime have helped Israelis do in Gaza. Your drones were gathering intelligence during the whole period of the Gaza genocide. You’re responsible for a holocaust. You’re partners in this holocaust, so you need to deflect attention. You need to project onto the Iranians what you actually do. But why is it, if the Iranian regime-as you love to call it-why is it that the Iranian regime has so many millions of people supporting it on the streets every day? KATE MCCANN: Are there any people who oppose the regime inside Iran? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Of course there are. But overwhelmingly, people support it-and that’s why you’ve lost this war. And that’s why, ultimately, you’re going to face the consequences, because the Strait of Hormuz is shut. And it’s because of your policies-and the policies of your overlords in Washington-that the global economy is going to go downhill. Iran is going to continue to hammer U.S. assets in the Persian Gulf because of this unprovoked aggression. You carry out war after war. You destroyed Iraq. You destroyed Afghanistan. You destroyed Libya. You’re strangling Cuba. You’ve destroyed Yemen. Iran is a bridge too far. You’re messing with the wrong people-and you will see in the weeks ahead whether you succeed or not. KATE MCCANN: How much longer can Iran sustain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Indefinitely. KATE MCCANN: Because it harms your economy too, doesn’t it? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: For us, it is a fight for survival. For you, it is a fight to sustain the Epstein class and ethnosupremacism in Palestine. KATE MCCANN: Why do you keep bringing up Jeffrey Epstein in this context? What’s the logical link there? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: It’s very clear who is in charge in your countries. That class of people owns the media, controls the government, and starts unprovoked wars time after time. This is not the first war you’ve imposed upon this region-or Iran, for that matter. And we just saw yesterday a key American anti-terror official resign, saying the truth that we all knew but you tried to hide-that Iran was no threat to the United States and that this war was carried out because of the Israeli regime and its powerful lobby. So what I’m saying is basically what he is saying-that powerful lobby is the Epstein class. KATE MCCANN: Do you ever worry that people might struggle to take you seriously with phrases like that? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: Well, that intelligence officer basically said what I am saying. And I think people don’t really take you seriously. As time goes on, and you continue to help B-52 bombers carpet-bomb Tehran and people in this neighborhood, people take that seriously. They die. You don’t care-but we do. KATE MCCANN: What’s the way out here, professor? How does this end? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: A strategic defeat of the United States under Trump. KATE MCCANN: And what does that look like? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: You’ll see in the weeks ahead. KATE MCCANN: Is there a deal possible? Is there a chance of talks between the two sides at this point? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: No. Not at all. We will fight. We’ll hold the U.S. by the throat through the Strait of Hormuz, and we’ll continue to hammer them. And if they try to do anything on the ground, then they’ll really see what we can do. You’ve messed with the wrong country. Your propaganda doesn’t work anymore. The Iranian people have shown their resolve-they’ll see this through. KATE MCCANN: We are running out of time. Can I ask you-there are reports that the new Ayatollah is dead, that he was killed in an attack that killed his father. Do you have any proof that he is alive and well? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: You can make all the claims that you want. After all, that’s what Western media does. KATE MCCANN: No, it’s a simple question. I’m asking whether there’s any proof. There are reports he’s dead, others that he’s in Russia seeking treatment. Is he in the country and alive and well? MOHAMMAD MARANDI: That’s a ridiculous claim-that he is in Russia seeking treatment or dead in Iran. That just shows these are your narratives. He’s leading the country, and the U.S. empire is collapsing, and the world has turned against you. You are part of the carpet bombing. You helped the bombing in Tehran and across the country. The world will not forget what you did-and the world will not forget your propagandists either. KATE MCCANN: Professor Mohammad Marandi, professor of English literature at the University of Tehran-many thanks for taking the time to join us from Tehran.

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