The streamer’s latest true crime offering tells the harrowing story of Manuel Blanco Vela.
The harrowing Netflix documentary is climbing the charts(Image: NETFLIX)
Netflix’s dark new documentary has left viewers reeling. It has just added a new series to its extensive library of true crime offerings, which delves into a case that evaded justice for many years until one survivor spoke out.
The Netflix series recalls a woman’s fight to expose Manuel Blanco Vela, a Spanish tour guide who ran student trips and abused the trust of young women by assaulting them.
Blanco Vela, who ran Discover Excursions, a travel company offering trips across Spain, is the main subject of The Predator of Seville.
Viewers learned of how between 50 and 100 women may have accused Blanco Vela of assaults or attempted assaults over time, although only a small number of cases were prosecuted.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the new crime documentary, one viewer said: “That Manuel Blanco documentary is horrifying.”
Another praised the survivors, sharing: “What a brilliant and brave woman you are. He massively underestimated the collective power of women.”
On IMDb reviews, one viewer expressed their shock, sharing: “How could this go on for so long?
“It’s disgusting to see how long Manuel was able to get away with this abuse and how difficult it seems to be to actually convict someone like that. Incredibly brave of all the women who have shared their stories.”
Another shared: “It is a very interesting story on Manuel’s serial behaviour. It’s sad to hear it took so long to be recognised. The woman starting the story seems to have been healing well and hope she continues on doing so.”
A third added: “Every woman that was affected by this guy, I am so happy that you stood up for yourself, the fact that he was running away for so long honestly mind-boggles me.”
A fourth shared: “Unbelievable that that man got away with it for so long. A confronting story for parents and young girls. Let it be a lesson that young girls should never go out alone, no matter where in the world.”
The synopsis for the limited series reads: “A sexual assault by a Spanish tour guide sparks a surge of similar claims from multiple US students. This documentary follows their fight for justice.”
The trailer for the series sees a group of women explaining how Blanco Vela took advantage of their vulnerable state until one survivor set up an online investigation to expose him.
If kids were in charge on holiday they would eat dessert before mains, go treasure hunting – and have a giant water fight. A poll of 1,000 children aged 6-12 revealed their ideal getaway, which would include eating three ice creams a day, using bikes or scooters as their go-to form of transport and playing board games every night.
One in five would play hide and seek with their family, 14% would indulge in a pyjama day and 40% would spend all day in the pool. When it comes to locations, 93% of youngsters want to stay at a holiday park, with 72% of them saying they are fun places with lots of activities to keep them entertained.
The study was commissioned by Sykes Holiday Cottages, which has unveiled a competition to appoint two youngsters as its resident Directors of Fun, created to place kids at the centre of holiday planning.
The playful job ad specifies entrants must be spontaneous, have a big imagination and bring enthusiasm to every day, and applicants can share their perfect holiday itineraries until 30th April 2026 to win the chance to make them come true.
James Shaw, spokesperson for the staycation specialist said: “It’s always interesting to see what kids would do if they were in charge of the whole holiday – and it turns out it would be pretty fun for everyone else too.
“While there’s plenty of excitement around things like unlimited ice cream and activities, what really stands out is how much they value simply spending time together.
“That’s why we wanted to bring children back into the heart of holiday planning with this competition, recognising that their ideas of a great break are often less about packed schedules and more about being with the people around them.”
Over half (51%) of the youngsters surveyed said their favourite aspect of being on holiday was spending time with family and for over a third (35%) it’s meeting other kids their age.
Eight out of ten confessed they’d like to take control of a family holiday, with leading the way in order to do the activities they want (63%), instructing their relatives what to do (41%) and feeling like an adult (40%) the top three reasons.
The research via OnePoll.com also discovered 19% feel like holiday parks are a home away from home, with popular forms of entertainment such as swimming, adventure playgrounds and arcade games making it ideal accommodation.
James Shaw added: “Holidays should give families the chance to properly switch off, reconnect and enjoy shared experiences all in one place.
“What’s striking is how much children value the freedom to shape their own days – whether that’s choosing activities, exploring, or just having unstructured time to play.
“That’s where settings like holiday parks come into their own, offering a mix of flexibility and variety that lets every family member make the most of their time away.”
THE TOP 10 THINGS KIDS WOULD DO ON HOLIDAY IF THEY WERE IN CHARGE:
The three part series has recently been added to BBC iPlayer as true crime fans say it is ‘well worth a watch’
19:03, 28 Mar 2026Updated 19:03, 28 Mar 2026
Captive Audience features interviews with Steven’s family including mum Kay Stayner(Image: BBC/Hulu)
A “mind blowing” true crime documentary with a twist fans do not see coming, is now available to stream online for free.
The mini series, titled Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, was first released on Disney Plus and Hulu back in 2022 as it follows the real life story of a seven year old boy who suddenly vanishes from his home in California.
Named Steven Stayner, he miraculously returns seven years later, sparking a media sensation, but where had he been? Spanning across three episodes, the documentary is now available to stream on BBCiPlayer as it has been dubbed the perfect watch for fans of true crime.
A BBC synopsis reads: “A story that captivated a nation – and destroyed a family. A boy missing for seven years miraculously returns home, but it wasn’t the Hollywood ending it seemed to be.”
The three-part series plunges viewers back to 1972 when the unusual kidnapping case first came to light. It then explores his return as well as the family being thrust back into media headlines decades later.
Featuring heartbreaking accounts from family members, including Steven’s daughter and mother, fans have also admitted they were not expecting the revelations made in the third episodes.
Viewers may also recognise a TV film titled I Know My Name is Steven, which was released in 1989, also exploring the same case.
The documentary has been branded a must watch for fans of the genre as one person said in a TikTok video: “It’s really good, well worth a watch.”
Another commented: “I watched the three episodes of Captive Audience last night and OMG I never dreamed of what was coming in episode 3.”
A third added: “I was fascinated watching Captive Audience. It was shocking and sad.”
In another video, recommending the documentary, one viewer said: “You will want to watch it because it is a mind blowing story.
“It’s a really fascinating documentary. If you haven’t watched it already, I would definitely recommend it.”
Another commented: “It’s absolutely mad, very sad as well.” A third echoed: “It’s a heartbreaking real life story from beginning to end.”
Over on Facebook, one user said: “A heartbreaking and chilling story about trauma, survival, and the long shadow of tragedy.”
An IMDB reviewer said: “This documentary is heart breaking and captivating. To learn what this kid went through and his own heroic act to save another child, is mind blowing.”
Another added: “I loved this story and the way it was told. It is not often in true crime that we get to see the family and friends and how their lives have been impacted by the crime.”
Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus.
Fans are already adding the ‘haunting’ series to their watchlists
Long Bright River: Official trailer
Fans of true crime say that they are already ‘hooked’ on the idea of Netflix’s upcoming series as it unveils plans for an adaptation based on a ‘haunting’ bestseller.
The series, The God of the Woods will be based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, written by Liz Moore. It is the same writer behind the book Long Bright River, which was also turned into a series that hit screens last year and starred Amanda Seyfried in the leading role.
Author Moore will also serve as a co-showrunner according to Deadline, alongside Liz Hannah who has previously worked on The Girl From Plainville and Mindhunter. This time around, it has been confirmed that Stranger Things star Maya Hawke has been cast in the starring role.
She will play Judy Luptack, a smart and quietly determined investigator assigned to unravel the disappearance of a young girl from a summer camp in upstate New York. While the show will be a work of fiction, those who are obsessed with true crime have already admitted they can’t wait for the show to release. Unfortunately, there’s currently no confirmed release date.
The official synopsis describes the show as “a multi-generational drama series set in the Adirondacks, exploring the Van Laar family’s dark secrets, class tensions, and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar from her family’s summer camp – in the wake of an earlier family tragedy that may be related.”
It continues: “As the past and present collide, the Van Laars’ wealth and influence unravel, revealing the damaging consequences of privilege and the abuse of power.”
While this looks set to be the Robin Buckley actress’ next major role for TV, fans will also be able to see her in romantic comedies Wishful Thinking and One Night Only as well as the Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping. All of which are all currently scheduled for 2026 releases.
Fans are already highly anticipating the series and claiming this casting news as ‘perfect’. One responded to the news on social media saying: “That sounds like a perfect role for Maya Hawke. She really shines in those layered, introspective characters.
“A quiet but determined investigator in a mystery like this? Yeah, this could be something special. Definitely adding The God of the Woods to my watchlist already!”
Another added: “Read The God of the Woods last year and loved how layered and haunting it is. Maya Hawke feels like perfect casting for Judy Luptackquiet. Intensity is her specialty. Netflix, you’re cooking!”
Someone else replied: “The book-to-Netflix pipeline is undefeated right now. Liz Moore wrote one of the best thrillers in years, perfect choice for adaptation.”
While one person commented: “Maya Hawke in a thriller about a missing girl from summer camp?? This is literally made for my true crime obsessed brain, I’m already hooked.”
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix now. The God of the Woods will be streaming on Netflix soon.
The brutal episode will plunge viewers into another chilling investigation
BBC’s Forensics: The Real CSI returns to BBC Two at 9pm tonight(Image: BBC/Blast Films)
A chilling new episode of a harrowing true crime documentary will be released tonight.
Viewers are once again plunged into a race against time as Forensics: The Real CSI’s brand new series continues, giving fans an unprecedented insight into a local police force. Focusing on the forensic evidence gathered in the search for justice, the documentary, now in its sixth series, has been branded the perfect watch for fans of true crime.
Plunging viewers into complex investigations and searches within the West Midlands Police Force, another brand new episode is set to air tonight (March 15) at 9pm on BBC2 with yet another chilling case.
Tonight’s instalment will investigate a harrowing phone call where one teenage girl calls 999 to say her friend has been attacked as his life hangs in the balance.
A BBC synopsis reads: “It’s the early hours of the morning when a frantic teenage girl calls 999 to say that her friend has been attacked and stabbed in a car park. Police rush to the scene, where they find a 16-year-old boy with a life-threatening stab wound to his stomach.
“While his life hangs in the balance, the case is escalated to West Midlands Police’s homicide team, and forensic investigators get to work. They discover two discarded weapons at the scene – a kitchen knife and a machete.”
The episode will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast, with other instalments also available to stream online.
Titled Ambush in the Car Park, the upcoming episode marks the third instalment within the new series, with viewers having to wait every week for new episodes to be released.
Previously, viewers have witnessed a brutal attack in a public phone box with investigators searching for evidence, as well as a young boy who was fatally stabbed on his way home from school with police suspecting a 14 year old, but needing forensic proof.
Viewers claimed the new series has broadcast the “worst” episodes yet, with one saying last week’s instalment was “absolutely shocking”.
Another described the latest series as “unbelievable” as a third said they were “speechless”. A fourth added: “Made me feel sick.”
Spanning across six seasons, the BBC documentary has been branded as the “best ever”, becoming a firm favourite amongst true crime fans.
Taking to TikTok, one true crime fan said the upcoming series was a must watch, adding: “I love this show… they’re really interesting. Some of them are quite brutal what you see.”
One person commented: “Real CSI is my most favourite programme I’ve watched every single series.” Another wrote: “Been waiting so long for a new series.” A third added: “Forensics is one of the best documentaries.”
Forensics: The Real CSI airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Two. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
Trent McDuffie was a young high school player in Southern California when the Rams returned from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016.
During Rams training camp that summer, McDuffie watched HBO “Hard Knocks” episodes about the team with his parents, and they were enamored by coach Sean McVay.
“I remember just being like, ‘Dang, I would like to play for that guy,’” McDuffie said Thursday.
McDuffie, an All-Pro cornerback acquired by the Rams in a blockbuster trade, recalled those thoughts during an introductory news conference at the team’s facility in Woodland Hills after he signed a record-breaking four-year extension that reportedly includes $100 million in guarantees.
“Fast forward all these years, and now I’m here and it’s just a full-circle moment,” he said of getting to play for McVay. “Watched this guy, wanted to play for this guy and now this guy wants me.”
To land McDuffie, Rams general manager Les Snead sent the Kansas City Chiefs the 29th overall pick and fifth- and sixth-round picks in this year’s draft, and a 2027 third-round pick.
The moves were a complete departure from last year, when the Rams wrongly gambled that a young and aggressive pass rush could offset their decision to not make a single upgrade to the secondary.
The additions of McDuffie and Watson to an already deep and talented roster that features reigning NFL most valuable player Matthew Stafford, the Rams will be a favorite to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in February.
And make no mistake: Like they did in 2021, the Rams will do anything possible to ensure that owner Stan Kroenke is walking the Super Bowl sideline in the stadium he built in Inglewood.
McDuffie noted that the Rams have been “knocking on the door, year-in and year-out” since his rookie season with the Chiefs in 2022. A winning culture already is in place.
“This team is ready to go,” said McDuffie, a first-round pick out of Washington who starred in high school at Anaheim Servite and Bellflower St. John Bosco highs. “I don’t think I’m coming in here with a team that doesn’t understand the value that they have.
“So those little nuggets that I feel I can just pour into guys that can get us over the hump, I’m going to do everything I can.”
Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson speaks during his introductory news conference in Woodland Hills on Thursday.
(William Liang / Associated Press)
McDuffie and Watson, a 2022 seventh-round pick, were part of Chiefs teams that won two championships in three Super Bowl appearances.
“We really learned what it takes to win a Super Bowl, get to the Super Bowl, the preparation and the time it takes to be detailed in your craft,” McDuffie said.
When news about the trade broke last week, one of the first calls McDuffie answered was from Rams star receiver Puka Nacua, a former Washington teammate.
“He was just screaming at the top of his lungs,” McDuffie said. “I’m like ‘Puka, bro, I miss this energy. I miss what you bring.’ I’m just excited to be back on the field with him.”
McDuffie and Watson also are excited about continuing their partnership, which began when they were among five defensive backs drafted by the Chiefs four years ago.
Watson, 27, grew up in Georgia but played two seasons at Ventura College before finishing his college career at Washington State.
Like McDuffie, he is happy to be back in Southern California weather.
“Everyone’s just so nice here,” Watson said of the region, before quipping, “then you’ve got your taxes.”
The 5-foot-11 McDuffie and the 6-2 Watson will give secondary coach Jimmy Lake — who coached McDuffie in college — options for matchups.
“That’s why I think me and Trent complement each other so well,” Watson said. “His strengths are short-area quickness, the small shifty guys. And my strengths are the big receivers.
“So we should be pretty diverse. We should be able to match up pretty well against a lot of different looks we get.”
McDuffie and Watson join a cornerback group that includes Emmanuel Forbes Jr. The Rams have until May 1 to determine if they will exercise a fifth-year option on Forbes, a 2023 first-round draft pick by Washington who was claimed off waivers by the Rams in 2024.
Forbes will earn about $2 million this season, but would be guaranteed $12.6 million if the Rams exercise the option.
The Rams will begin offseason workouts in April.
McDuffie is happy to be back home.
“It’s hot, the sun’s out,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
ITV has shared images from its upcoming true crime series about convicted sex offender John Worboys
14:39, 12 Mar 2026Updated 14:48, 12 Mar 2026
Aimée-Ffion Edwards stars in Believe Me(Image: ITV)
Broadcaster ITV has released a first look at its new true crime drama Believe Me.
Filmed in Cardiff, the four-part series tells the story of John Worboys – who was dubbed the ‘black cab rapist’ after preying on women under the cover of being a licensed taxi-cab driver.
He was convicted in 2009 for crimes including sexual assault and drugging with intent against 12 women.
His modus operandi was to claim that he’d had a win at a casino or on the lottery, then offer women he’d picked up in his cab after a night out a glass of champagne, which he’d laced with drugs, and which rendered his victims unconscious.
ITV said the drama “tells the story of how the victims of one of the most prolific sex attackers in British history were failed by the system”.
The series focuses on the ordeal of Sarah (played byPeaky Blinders‘ Aimée-Ffion Edwards) and Laila (played by Raised By Wolves’ Aasiya Shah), who reported sexual assaults by Worboys (Daniel Mays), and how their allegations were not thoroughly investigated.
Sarah and Laila – both pseudonyms – joined forces with solicitor Harriet Wistrich, played by Philippa Dunne and barrister Phillippa Kaufmann QC, played by Rachael Stirling, to sue the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act for their failure to properly conduct investigations into their allegations of sexual assault, leading to their being subjected to degrading treatment and contributing to their distress.
They won, and when the Met appealed that judgment to the Supreme Court, they won again.
As these women fought to have their cases heard, looming in the background was Worboys’ first parole hearing. Eight years after he was convicted for his crimes, his victims had to fight again to keep him behind bars.
Sarah, Laila, Harriet and Phillippa were joined by Carrie Symonds (played by Industry’s Miriam Petche), a senior figure in the Conservative Party press team. She put her career on the line to spearhead a huge media and political campaign pushing for an unprecedented judicial review of the Parole Board’s decision. The campaign, with Sarah, Laila and Carrie at the forefront, was successful, and Worboys’ parole was quashed.
Sarah, whose identity has been protected, said: “Believe Me is about the courage of every woman who came forward to help put John Worboys behind bars.
“What happened to me changed my life, but in many ways the hardest part was not being believed for so many years. Without the people who stood by me, Worboys would have been freed and continued to pose a huge risk to women. Seeking justice shouldn’t mean more trauma. We shouldn’t have to fight to be believed or feel like we’re the ones on trial. The shame never belongs to the survivor.”
Believe Me will air on ITV
If you or somebody you know has been affected by this story, contact Victim Support for free, confidential advice on 08 08 16 89 111 or visit their website, http://www.victimsupport.org.uk.
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department last week outlined a concise set of military objectives in President Trump’s war against Iran, claiming its ultimate goal is to dismantle Tehran’s ability to project power beyond its borders. Yet it may be targets the Pentagon has largely left unacknowledged that offer the clearest insight yet into Trump’s true intentions.
U.S. military strikes have focused on Iran’s ballistic missile, drone and nuclear programs, as well as its naval assets, according to U.S. Central Command. But strikes have also increasingly targeted Iran’s internal security forces, used by the Islamic Republic to suppress public dissent, according to an analysis from the Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project shared with The Times.
The strikes have targeted at least 123 headquarters, barracks and local bases operated by Iran’s paramilitary organizations, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij militia. Regional police forces, primarily in the capital region around Tehran and in western Iran, near areas dominated by Kurdish groups hostile to the Iranian government, have also been targeted.
Some of those groups are being armed and supported by the U.S. intelligence community, a U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly.
Nicholas Carl, with the Critical Threats Project, said the pattern indicates the campaign is already underway to set the conditions for a revolution.
“As we are going after these repressive institutions, we are degrading the ability of the regime to monitor its population, to repress its population,” Carl said. “And so it looks as though the strike campaign may be organized around trying to erode the ability of the regime to repress in those areas.”
Analysts said that strikes against internal forces could be greater than they have measured thus far, noting the difficulty of tracking targets in the war based on publicly available data due to an internet blackout strictly enforced by the Iranian government.
An explosion erupts after strikes near Azadi Tower close to Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on Saturday.
(Atta Kenare / AFP / Getty Images)
The quieter side of the U.S. campaign suggests a political strategy by the Trump administration that goes beyond simply containing the Iranian government, and may instead aim to lay the groundwork for its overthrow.
Trump and his top aides have been inconsistent in their messaging on their goals for the war, vacillating between calls for regime change and far shorter ambitions, such as an Islamic Republic that remains in power under leadership more acquiescent to the United States.
Before the war began, Trump was presented with an intelligence assessment that large-scale military action was unlikely to topple the Iranian government, two sources familiar with the assessment said. The assessment led analysts at the CIA, the State Department and the Pentagon all to advise the White House against proceeding with the operation. The intelligence analysis was first reported by the Washington Post.
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Greasing the wheels for domestic unrest, for insurgency or revolution could serve other strategic purposes for the Trump administration beyond effecting regime change, adding new sources of pressure on an Islamic Republic that, if still intact by war’s end, would face renewed internal pressures at a moment of historic weakness.
Rob Malley, lead negotiator on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and special U.S. envoy for Iran under President Biden, said that a sustained U.S. campaign that cripples Iran’s ability to maintain domestic control could mean “the regime collapses, in the sense that it can no longer, genuinely and effectively, govern the entirety of the country.”
“Right now, what Trump is saying suggests an extremely ambitious, extremely long-term, extremely perilous campaign that will only end with Iran’s surrender, and it’s very hard to see Iran surrendering,” Malley said. But the campaign may already be working. “Their communications have certainly been penetrated — they cannot meet without being targeted by Israel or the United States,” he added.
A woman holds a portrait of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a protest Saturday by medical professionals outside Gandhi Hospital in Tehran, which was damaged in an airstrike earlier this week.
(Majid Saeedi / Getty Images)
“Either the regime stays in place weakened, bloodied, finding it harder to govern a more fragmented, chaotic country,” Malley continued, “or the regime no longer can govern.”
An Israeli official did not deny that internal security forces were being targeted, although the official said that Israel was focused on assassinating Iran’s political and security leadership — “tiers one, two and three,” the official said. The vast majority of the strikes against internal security services thus far have been conducted by the United States.
“Our goal is to weaken the ayatollah regime, to a point where the Iranian people can choose their fate,” the official told The Times. “It’s still not at the point where they can do that, but there is work still to be done.”
By all accounts, the campaign against Iran’s military assets has achieved success. Iranian ballistic missile attacks against Israel and U.S. forces and allies in the region have decreased by 90% after just a week of combat, Defense officials said. Drone strikes have decreased by 83%. Over 30 Iranian vessels, including those used as launching pads for drones and aircraft, have been destroyed — a significant number for Iran’s aged and ill-funded naval fleet.
Trump could simply declare victory based on these results alone, said Elliott Abrams, who served as Trump’s special representative for Iran in 2020.
“They will get weaker as they use up resources and we bomb more and more relevant sites. Already air traffic is starting up again,” Abrams said, noting that commercial flights in the region began resuming this weekend. “So I doubt that the president will need a protracted campaign.”
But that would leave the regime in place, leaving open the possibility of a revanchist Islamic Republic that could reconstitute its military and crack down further on democratic protesters — an outcome that could create political backlash for Trump, Abrams said, after losing U.S. service members in combat.
A woman jogs amid closed shops in south Tel Aviv on Saturday.
(Olympia de Maismont / AFP / Getty Images)
“The outcome remains entirely in doubt — regime collapse after a wave of protests, civil war, a deal that leaves the regime in place behind a new face,” Abrams added. “A real test for Trump would arise if there is a wave of protests as in January, and the regime again starts shooting. Can he do nothing? Unlikely.”
In his initial speech announcing the start of the campaign, Trump addressed the people of Iran, telling them to shelter in their homes until the U.S. bombing campaign concludes.
“When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations,” the president said. “For many years, you have asked for America’s help. But you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond.”
But the president’s message grew muddled over the course of the last week, after he offered conflicting goals in a series of interviews with reporters.
He at once said he was expecting to hand-select the next ayatollah, after assassinating Iran’s longtime supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in the opening salvo of the war. In other interviews, he said that the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign had killed many of the potential leaders that Washington could have worked with.
On Friday, Trump called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” He did not specify whether he was referring to a surrender of Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missile program, or on control over the country itself, and in a subsequent interview, said it could simply mean “when Iran no longer has the ability to fight.”
Over the last week, Kurdish leaders have shared accounts of Trump and his top aides reaching out to them and encouraging their involvement in the war, including a ground incursion in western Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan. But the president seems to have placed that effort on hold for the time being. “The war is complicated enough without having — getting the Kurds involved,” he told reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One.
At Central Command headquarters on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Trump maintains his promise to the Iranian people at the outset of the war, that a time will come for an uprising.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addresses the audience as President Trump listens during “The Shield of the Americas Summit“ on Saturday, a gathering with heads of state and government officials from 12 countries in the Americas at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Doral, Fla.
(Roberto Schmidt / Getty Images)
“No one’s done more than President Trump to reopen the opportunity for those who want a free Iran to do so,” Hegseth said. “Ultimately, it’s common sense, as he said up front, don’t go out and protest while bombs are dropping inside Tehran and elsewhere. There will come a moment where he determines, or they determine, that it’s time to seize that advantage.”
Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution and an expert on Iran, said she expects the government to survive the U.S. assault, “still easily able to outgun and outmaneuver any challenges from the streets.”
But a concerted, prolonged campaign could change that assessment.
“Of course, months of full-scale war certainly could also break the system,” Maloney said, adding: “I don’t think the short-term result would be a stable transition to a more liberal system — but rather a collapse of the state itself, and at least for some period of time, a dangerous vacuum of power and order in the heart of the Middle East.”
