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The Wargame

Iran - The Hidden Hand | Grey Zone Ep 6

The Wargame

Sky News

Society & Culture, Documentary, News

4.51.1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 February 2021

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On 3 January 2020, the United States killed Iran’s top spy master, Major General Qasem Soleimani, in a drone strike in Iraq.There was nothing grey or ambiguous about the assassination, but this episode explores the escalating grey zone hostilities between Iran and the United States in the preceding years and how they almost ignited a real war.Sky News journalist Deborah Haynes explores in particular how Iran allegedly uses proxy forces in the grey zone, under the threshold of war, to try to level the playing field when competing with a super power.Interviews:General David Petraeus, former director of the Central Intelligence AgencyJohn Raine, Senior Adviser for Geopolitical Due Diligence, International Institute for Strategic StudiesAnne-Marie Trevelyan, Conservative MP and former UK defence minister. She now serves as energy ministerFabian Picardo, Chief Minister of GibraltarAnonymous Iraqi MPSeyed Mohammad Marandi, Professor of English Literature and Orientalism, University of TehranMajor General Amos Yadlin, a former chief of Israel’s Military Intelligence DirectorateCredits:Written and narrated by Deborah Haynes Edited and produced by Chris ScottProduction support from Michael GreenfieldThe head of Sky News Radio is Dave Terris

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:31.3

The flight from Damascus landed in Baghdad under the cover of darkness.

0:39.3

Iran's most powerful spymaster stepped off the plane to be met by a trusted ally.

0:46.3

Major General Qasem Soleimani and the senior Iraqi militia commander

0:50.3

then climbed into one of two waiting vehicles. They headed towards the main road,

0:56.8

leading from the airport to the city centre. But the two men, and their entourage, would never

1:03.3

make it that far. Suddenly, rockets fired from an American drone, flying in the night sky,

1:13.8

exploded through the two vehicles,

1:16.0

killing everyone inside.

1:25.1

Last night of my direction, the United States military successfully executed a flawless precision strike that killed a number one terrorist anywhere in the world.

1:30.2

Then U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Qasem Soleimani had been...

1:34.8

...plodding imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel.

...

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