Sekulow

Logan Sekulow: Welcome to Sekulow. It's Monday, August 17th. Welcome to the show. Will Haynes in studio. This is Logan Sekulow. Phone lines are open at 1-800-684-3110. Talking about the breaking news. You always feel like there's something new coming out of the Middle East, coming out of our war with Iran. Iran has now placed a $30,000 bounty for the capture or murder of US troops. And by the way, if you happen to be a woman who can commit one of these murders or captures, they'll actually give you more. You don't see a lot of that in the Middle East, but you know why they're doing this. Again, a $30,000 award for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier, with the reward doubled if you're an Iranian woman. This, of course, is coming at a very, very hostile time. And it comes at the point where President Trump has been talking about who has the Strait of Hormuz, who's controlling what. We have been dealing with this war now for many months, but now it feels like the plot has thickened as you have this moment where they are encouraging their own people to get out there and make some money.
Will Haynes: Well, this comes at a time as well where Reuters is reporting that a senior Iranian official is saying Iran could be considering moving to an offensive posture as opposed to just a defensive posture. This is a serious issue here, this $30,000 bounty, because you don't think of it just in the terms of the battlefield of Iran or the vessels that are near Iran.
Logan Sekulow: Yeah, this is a big concern. We've got to be fair. There's not a lot of restrictions that we know about this, so this could spill over into American soil.
Will Haynes: That's right. You think about the Iranians being the largest state sponsor of terrorism. What is the most likely form of this taking place if they are offering this bounty? In terrorism form. When you think about their proxies with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, their preferred form of warfare is terror. So, when you start to think about a $30,000 reward, you start to think about how porous the American border was for four years under Joe Biden. We know that IRGC members, people with ties to the IRGC, people with ties to terrorist proxy groups, were caught at the border. You also have to assume, with how porous and how many getaways there were, there are individuals that were not caught that are under this same category. So, it's not just a "this is the war taking place over there" kind of thought process. When they are calling for this and publicly calling for this, that has to start wondering. Every military installation, any person in the military, could then potentially be a target on the battlefield, which Iran is expanding globally at this point.
Logan Sekulow: Yeah, absolutely. We want to take your calls about this and some other topics. CeCe Heil is going to be joining us in a little bit to talk about an update from Pastor Saul. You know about this story out of China. We've got an update coming from there. We also are going to talk a little bit more about some of the ACLJ work because we are really starting to wrap up. It's the 17th of August, so we're going to start wrapping up our impact match. Be a part of it today. Listen, every dollar given during our impact match will be doubled, doubling our capacity to take on our vast legal fights, but also keep this show going and on the air. Give now at aclj.org/impact. From courtrooms across the country to our diplomatic channels overseas, the ACLJ is fighting for liberty on every front, and I want you to be a part of the team today. Again, that's at aclj.org/impact. You'll have your gift doubled. It means there's another ACLJ supporter ready to unlock their pledge. And when you do it today, even if you decide "I want to become a champion," which is someone that gives on a monthly basis, your first donation is doubled. We've had a great month so far. Help us end this strong as the impact match begins to wrap up. And then it'll be months until we're able to open up another one of these opportunities. We were able to get it through August, and then we'll have to wrap up for a number of months, probably towards the end of the year, maybe we'll be able to do something else. But today is the day to do it. Go to aclj.org. But like I said, phone lines are open. I want to hear from you. When you hear about these threats coming in, does that make you rethink the way we even negotiate with Iran, that they would put this kind of bounty on their people to do this? 1-800-684-3110. Again, 1-800-684-3110. Welcome back to Sekulow. I want to clarify something. You may say, "Who's making this bounty? How are they able to do this? Is this something that's happening undercover? Is this something they're getting out on the dark web? How are we finding out about this?" No, they're saying it front and center. They have the Iranian Army Chief, Amir Hatami, said there's a large number of requests for these bounties to put on American soldiers, despite, of course, there not being that many US ground troops in Iran, which is why we're a little concerned that this is going to be taken outside of Iran. But again, this was put out through their media chains. This wasn't something that was done desperately or done some quiet way through some tunnel system through some WhatsApp thread. This is just done in their public media, saying, "You know what? We've decided we're going to put a bounty on the heads of all US soldiers. And by the way, if you're a woman, we're going to double it." Because, of course, they think that women are usually second class, but in this situation, they're going to do it because if they have someone who they think less of be able to commit a murder, then maybe they should be doubled.
Will Haynes: Well, and once again, I think that tells you all you need to know also about where they're expecting this to take place. Not necessarily on the battlefield of Iranian territory, but elsewhere around the world if they are saying courageous Iranian women who can carry out such an action will receive double the reward. That to me is saying that they are expecting this not to happen on the aircraft carriers that are stationed in the Gulf or the pilots that are flying over. They are thinking that this will be a terrorist-style attack on American soldiers around the world. They also are claiming that the weapon that is used to kill an American would be kept in a supposed museum currently under planning so that they are going to almost memorialize it. I think they're expecting that there could be martyrs if something like this goes forward, and this will become a part of the revolution's lore going forward. I think there's several different ways to dissect this though. One, I think it is a real threat. I think you can't look away from that.
Logan Sekulow: It's not just showboating.
Will Haynes: Right. And so I think the military will take actions accordingly. Ever since the beginning of the war, security on bases has been ramped up. There also have been statements of like, "Hey, if you're in certain areas, if you are on a US military installation, don't go out in public in your uniform. Go out in street clothes if you're leaving base." So, those are things that have precautions that have been taken. Don't make yourself a target to a terror attack. However, I think it's also interesting, and a lot of people are asking where does this money come from. It's not like they have zero dollars, but that economic factor is here.
Logan Sekulow: Let's take a call. I don't want to steal their thunder. Let's go to Russ in Ohio. Russ, go ahead.
Russ: Well, you just took my thunder. I don't know where they're getting that money, and they're nothing but liars. General Keane and so many other experts are saying that these people are never going to give up and all these things. I don't know what President Trump is waiting for to finish the job. I'm getting frustrated with that part.
Logan Sekulow: Russ, I certainly get frustrated when these kind of moments happen because I don't disagree with you, which is we kind of all know what we're dealing with, but then there's this false reality that's presented to us as if they're this negotiating partner that seems like they're going to stick to what they're going to have to say. Of course, we know that's failed multiple times, over and over again, where they are telling President Trump something, he reports it, and then, of course, it doesn't go. Look, the President and the administration are not dumb. They have to understand that this is happening and that this does not make the American negotiation process look safe or secure. It gets worse, though, because this is not something that on Front Street you would put out there as an American media. This is what the Iranian media has from their heads of the army saying, "You know what? We're putting a dollar reward on citizens who are willing to take this fight into their own hands. And double it, by the way, if you're a woman." So $30,000, in converted, for if you are a man who takes on and murders or captures a US soldier. If you're a woman, we're going to make it $60,000 that you're going to get. Again, fairly life-changing money for a lot of people over there.
Will Haynes: Well, and to that point, Russ, I think one, it's not as if they have zero dollars or can't print money to satisfy this bounty. Yes, the economic portion of the war has become the major focus of the administration, putting more sanctions on Iran, putting stress on their oil supply chains through Hormuz, that blockade. So, yeah, they are in economic dire straits in the Iranian country and in their economy, but it doesn't mean that they're not making this as an attractive offer. I think that is the exact reason why they are using a monetary bonus or reward, if you will, for their people. It's also to be like, "Look, we do have this ability to pay out." So, there's a lot of propaganda there as well as individuals that are Iranian are probably suffering, thinking, "Maybe I could make money." Here's the other angle, too, that I don't think a lot of people maybe catching onto. This statement that is trying to turn the page into a more offensive strategy is coming from the Iranian Army Chief. I think what this also tells you is there is still this internal struggle between the IRGC and the normal army, the main army.
Logan Sekulow: We need to break that down because I think we conflate the two as Americans, maybe we don't even understand that this is separate forces.
Will Haynes: Right. This shows that that power struggle is still ongoing in Iran after the death and the killing of the Ayatollah and a lot of the other leadership. The IRGC is really who stepped in to fill that vacuum, and that is who we know that there's a back channel with the US government with the IRGC, amongst also the forward-facing negotiations with mediators that are in the region. But the fact that it's the Army Chief that isn't the IRGC, it's two separate entities. There's the Iranian Republic's Army and then the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is their elite forces that also control a lot of the economy. That is where you're starting to see publicly now this rift rise up again. Because as the Trump administration says we're still negotiating, we're still in these channels, this is very important to watch. Because the fact that they are moving here, that the Army Chief is trying to make this statement and trying to show "I'm in control," that does show that one of the reasons why it is hard to negotiate is because that internal struggle is still ongoing.
Logan Sekulow: It's still ongoing, and we don't know who a new leadership would be. But of course, the idea of there being a new regime, a true new regime, was kind of thrown out very early. And I think for a lot of us, there's regret there. There maybe we have done something poorly here, we have made the wrong decision. But of course, there's also pushback for those that want to see the job finished. I want to take a call about that. Bill in Wyoming on line one. Bill, go ahead.
Bill: Yeah, thanks for taking my call. I've been wondering about this because I've yet to hear anything positive or whatever concerning this announcement about the bounty from the Democratic Party. Do you have anything to say about that?
Logan Sekulow: Yeah, they're going to ignore it, I feel like, for the most part.
Will Haynes: Well, actually, what they're going to do is they're going to turn this as, "Look, here's how President Trump has put not just our troops that are in the region in harm's way, but our troops all around the world." I saw Jon Ossoff, who is running again for Senate in Georgia, was making that a big point of his campaign this weekend.
Logan Sekulow: And let's not pretend there's not a little validity to that. Let's not pretend that this war, which again had very different intentions than maybe we had planned, and maybe we are at a turning point here, or a tipping point if you will, where Americans do look at it and go, "What are we doing here?" We are now, not only, of course, everyone knows if you become a member of the United States military, especially now when it is a volunteer military, you know that you are putting yourself in harm's way, that you are going to be a target to a lot of people. And unfortunately, that's what it is. But are there things that our political world can do to help protect that, and are there things that can happen or can make them more vulnerable? This is one of those moments where we have put them in a bit more harm's way than maybe was necessary.
Will Haynes: Well, and I think it goes back to things that we've said on this broadcast many times, is why it is frustrating to some degree that President Trump has his own path here. For those that never wanted it to happen or those that wanted complete regime change, he has taken kind of the middle ground of like, "Hey, we hit them really hard and now we're negotiating." That's where you see frustration even from us that it gets to this point.
Logan Sekulow: But negotiation can't have bounties on the heads of all of our... If you said there were bounties on the head of the leadership, I can honestly say that's probably not something too crazy to think about, the fact that, and I would include that from the very top down. But you're talking about anyone. You're blanketly saying, "Hey, citizens of Iran or people who are listening to this, we're going to pay you for essentially the scalp of a troop here." I mean, this is getting to the point of the risk, where does the risk outweigh the reward here, and what is the reward at this point? We need strong leadership to come in and explain this or, as we've said a million times, do the job. Phone lines are open 1-800-684-3110. When we get back, we're going to give you a little bit of update on some of the work of the ACLJ here. It's not only going to be Iran Mondays. I want to keep this conversation rolling. CeCe Heil's going to be joining us in the back half, give you an update on Pastor Saul. And of course, as frustrating as this is, that's why we have teams at the UN. That's why we have teams in Europe. That's why we have an ACLJ Jerusalem. We're a worldwide effort here, folks. And I want you to be a part of that team, too. So, as we head to the break, consider supporting the work here at aclj.org. And of course, think about, pray about, giving me a call because I would love to have you on the air today. 1-800-684-3110. Phone lines are open for you. We'll be right back. Phone lines are open for you at 1-800-684-3110. When you hear that there is a bounty on all American soldiers' lives right now, just telling the Iranian people, "Go out there, commit murder. Not only are we going to give you money, we're going to memorialize you in a museum to this war." It doesn't feel like something that could be happening in 2026, but sadly it is. And again, this isn't some fringe situation, this isn't some situation that's being told in some back channel underground. I think we kind of can conflate Hamas tactics and Iranian tactics as being cert- they're not- I mean, yes, they are connected certainly, but they're not the same kind of trickery, if you will. This is just put on mainstream media in their markets, saying, "Hey, you want to go do this? Guess what? All's fair. Bring us the bodies, we'll pay you out. Bring us the weapon, we'll hang it up for display. People can walk by and pay their respects." And we know that is their method. And it's just shocking, it's disturbing, but it also shows where we are in the state of this war, that every time we think we are headed towards some kind of conclusion, this kind of thing happens, and it is something we need to be very well aware of when we're dealing with what is clearly a true threat. Because we don't know that's only going to happen in Iran on the ground. This threat could extend to US soil. By the way, a lot of American soldiers on the ground throughout the world, obviously in Europe and in Asia, there are American soldiers everywhere. So now you have put, and then what, it's not even specific, it's veterans, what are we talking about here? They've made a very blanket statement, saying, "You know what? We'll do this for you." In the work of the ACLJ, as much as it is important that we have to keep talking about all these different things, when we are talking about the lives of our US troops, I think we need to really take a step for a moment and go, "What are we doing? Are we confident in the way things are being held and are happening?" And maybe we are. And I want to hear from you. That's at 1-800-684-3110. I want to hear from Mary, who's calling in North Carolina. She's an ACLJ champion, kind of leads into this. Go ahead, Mary.
Mary: Yes, I have. First, I want to thank you so much for being my main source of information. And just a few comments. One is that I've never trusted the Iranians. I was in college when the regime change occurred in '79, and I recall the problems between the two Islamic groups. And I had classmates that were Iranian saying they got letters from home saying stay in America where you're safe. And the tears in their eyes getting that. And even now, hearing that bounty thing, that is very concerning to me. I have a son who's been in the Marine Corps 19 years, and he's over there right now. And being that he's a husband with a wife and three little kids at home, it's pretty heavy. I don't know why things have been dragging on so long. I just trust that there's Intel that we don't know about. And I'm just praying God just continues to give our President and all of our other leaders, guide them in their decisions. And I'm really just trusting in that.
Logan Sekulow: Mary, first I want to say number one, thank you for being a champion, but also thank you and your family for your dedication, service to our country. I understand the heaviness. I can't understand it in a term of I'm not living through it, but I imagine from your point of view, this is something that's concerning. As I said, if you join the United States military, you understand that there are risks that go into it. But we live in a modern society where you think modern even era of war isn't like this where there's just a bounty for anyone. And like you said, you have a son with multiple children, your grandchildren. We feel for them. And it does reframe this back and forth we always get right now between are we negotiating, is there a deal on the horizon, is it not on the horizon when you're negotiating people who are willing to do this. Again, not a bounty on our leadership, which obviously I don't like, but I kind of understand from a war perspective. But a bounty on anyone who may serve our country, and a significant one at that, from the government on their local media. Mary, thank you though for calling and thank you for being a champion. It's a disturbing revelation here. And I know a lot of you are calling in about it. Maybe we could take some more, but I want to get your thoughts.
Will Haynes: Well, and once again, I think to that point, that's why I think we have been pretty strong in our statements of we want the Islamic Republic of Iran, that framework, that government, to no longer exist. Why? Because the people that are the third tier, the fifth tier, however far down you go, are the ones that are still calling for effective assassination with a bounty on the lives of American troops. And so I think even though it is that internal power struggle, because the Chief of the Army isn't who's necessarily being negotiated with because it is that split, it shows that the power struggle is real and that their tactics and their belief system is still intact, that that is still the way they want to do business in this world, and therefore they should no longer have the option to do business in this world.
Logan Sekulow: Let's take Leonard, who's calling on line three, who certainly feels similar. Leonard, go ahead.
Leonard: Hi. I wanted to just say this is absolutely repulsive, and I think that this shows the kind of enemies we're up against. And I think we need to trust God and finish the job.
Logan Sekulow: Yeah, I mean, I think that that is a very good way to put it. It shows the enemy that we're up against, what you're actually dealing with here. This is not a traditional conflict worldwide. You are dealing with governments and regimes that are willing to weaponize their own people. We have seen that underhandedly with Hamas when we've said human shields, all those kind of statements that are thrown out there a little too flippantly these days when you don't realize what they're talking about. In this situation, it's the opposite. It's a citizen cavalry that's being sent to take down and destroy anyone who may wave the flag of the United States of America.
Will Haynes: Well, and to that point as well, going back to the previous caller who said what have elected Democrats been saying about this. They're using this as a time to dunk on the President. They're using it as a time to say like, "Look, he's drastically depleted our munitions reserves. He has sent people into harm's way. Now there's going to be a bounty on them." But they're not offering any solution either. They could disagree with the premise of getting into this, but they haven't said here's how we should move forward, here's how we should work together to defeat... I don't think anyone out there, maybe a few in Congress in the House of Representatives, would say that we had no problems with Iran. But the fact of the matter is that this is the reality that we are living in, and they're all just using it as a political talking point for the election in November of like we need to put a check on the President because look what he's done, he's put our troops in harm's way. But where's the solution? Where's the "here's how we would work with him to ensure that Iran is not a threat to the United States"? That's what we're missing here. So, even if you side with people on the left or even on the right that are critics of the President and what he decided to do here, then where's the solution, too? I want to hear that from people. I want to hear if you think that this war is being prosecuted in the wrong way, what else would you do? Because it's not just "bring them all home." It's not just "leave it as it is." So they can complain about it and get people fired up at rallies in Atlanta, but if you don't have a solution, then you're also not any better than what you claim to be saying you're talking out against.
Logan Sekulow: We've got a second half hour coming up. This first half hour flew by. We do have an update from the ACLJ team on the situation with Pastor Saul in China. That's going to be coming in a couple segments. We still want to take your calls at 1-800-684-3110. Make sure you're watching and listening to the full show, by the way. It's online at aclj.org, YouTube, Rumble, Facebook. We broadcast live, and of course you can catch it however you get your podcasts. Just search for Sekulow, search for ACLJ. You'll find it there. We are there each and every day. We do it live 12:00 to 1:00 PM Eastern time. You can be a part of the chat, be a part of it. It's really fun. It's a good way to engage with like-minded, sometimes not-so-like-minded people, but it's always entertaining. We'll be right back with more on Sekulow in less than a minute.