June 17th, 2026

Rough transcription of Hour 1

Segment 1
Hello, America. Mark Levin here. Our number 877-381-3811.  877-381-3811. Let me tell you something. President Trump wants this MOU to go through as a final deal. It’s going to go through as a final deal. Nothing anybody says can actually stop it. Because as I discussed a few days ago, the way that Congress altered the treaty clause in effect for Obama also applies to the Trump proposal. And that’s a legitimate precedent. So that means you would need two thirds of the members of Congress. To block the deal rather than two thirds of the members present in the Senate to approve it. So all said and done. If the president wants the menu, which changes without changes with additions and so forth and so on, that’s what’s going to happen. So the discussion now is among we the people. We get a shot at this, too? We get a shot at it, too, because. Washington’s talking about it. The vice president’s on TV and other platforms. The press is reporting about it. The president is talking about it. So of course, we get to participate in this. Now there are those who view this as a loyalty test. There is no loyalty test. Unless somebody is trashing the president of the United States, viciously stabbing him in the back the way Bannon has done, the way Piers Morgan has done, the way Tucker has done and make Reagan Kelly has done, and some other people, that’s a different issue. That’s a different issue. But if you have legitimate disagreements. And you’re in the business of radio or TV. Be very odd. You didn’t comment on them. So I make no apologies for what I say. The president and I, we agree, what, 98% of the time. But just like he serves you, the people of America, I serve you the people in my audience. And I apply my principles and my beliefs and my values. Based on the Constitution, Based on the Declaration, Based on our our our fates. In our belief systems. And that’s how it works. And it’s okay. And it’s okay. You know, a few decades ago, when I was working in the Reagan administration as chief of staff to Attorney General Meese. The Immigration and Naturalization Service was in the Department of Justice. They changed the name and they shipped it off the department. Department of Homeland Security, years after we left, when they created that department. And while I was there and I was chief of staff for a period. I argued strenuously against the idea with congressional Democrats. Where the president. Would agree to grant citizenship to 2.3 million illegal aliens in exchange for promised funds to better secure the border. We controlled the Senate, but not the House. And Tip O’Neill ran the house. And he kept blocking every effort to secure the border further. President Reagan made the deal. He did as promised. But the Democrats reneged. They never intended to comply. Nonetheless, I will always adore President Reagan. He was truly a great president. He did so many wonderful things for our country and around the world. He destroyed the Soviet Union. He massively increased the private sector in our. Prosperity in this country, slashed taxes to unbelievable levels and so many other wonderful things. I campaigned for him twice. But I couldn’t get over this issue with granting citizenship to illegal aliens. I have my disagreements with this memorandum of understanding. I don’t understand parts of it. I don’t mean that I can’t comprehend them. I just don’t understand them. In fact, as you know, if you’ve listened to this program, I’ve said over and over again, any deal with this enemy will be violated. Perhaps not during President Reagan, excuse me, President Trump’s term, but thereafter for sure. I don’t believe they’ll ever honor any agreement anyway. And I’ve made my points generally known, and I’m going to be very specific about them this evening with you because. In some ways, this is a complicated agreement. In some ways it’s fairly simplistic. But I adore President Trump and I always will adore President Trump. He’s a great president and he, too, is doing great things for our country and around the world. The worst. The worst kind of person you can beat yourself is to not be true to your principles and the worst kind of person you could be to a friend. For advising a friend if you’re working for a president. It just to be a yes man or just to be a no man, for that matter? Just be a man or a woman that works. So I will tell you, I begin now. We’ll continue after the break. What I think about this from a more micro perspective now that we have more information. So before commenting directly on the ammo, you context is critical. When President Trump decided to go to war with the Iranian regime, it was a courageous decision by every measure. He’s known and made clear for decades that Iran poses a grave threat to our country and criticized the failure of. Presidents to deal with it. Indeed, I first met President Trump before he was president in September 2015 at a huge rally of the Tea Party Patriots on the steps of the Capitol building. Several of us spoke that day. Jenny Beth Martin led the group as she does now. Wonderful, Lee. And there were thousands and thousands of you conservatives. Tea Party Patriots on the steps of the Capitol burning. And we urged Congress to defeat. Obama’s nuclear deal In no uncertain terms. The most eloquent and inspiring speech was delivered by Donald Trump. He made the moral and national security case for defeating the Iranian regime and against the Obama sellout. He knew intuitively and by watching what the Iranian regime was doing and had done that it must be denied nuclear weapons no matter the cost. Despite the knowingly false allegations of very evil propagandists. The president has never wavered from his position and he was not convinced or pulled, dragging and kicking by Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu or the Jews to fight this war. President Trump ordered this military operation to prevent Iran from getting and using nuclear weapons. And the early days of the war was a spectacular success. For some reason. A cease fire was quickly ordered and it lasted for over two months. Despite the scores of violations by Iran and Hezbollah. Great damage has been done to Iran’s military. And as I said, the president deserves enormous credit for having the courage to do what no other president did before him. My fear again is that no other president after him will have the same courage to act should the terms of any agreement be violated. The president then ordered a two day return to military operations when the Iranian regime took out one of our helicopters. Yeah. That was quickly ended on a promise by the regime that it would sign on to an MRU. And from day one, I have underscored that no deal will be honored by these terrorists. Its political theocratic ideology fuels a revolution that compels the catastrophic destruction of the West. We’ve been through that at great length. And presumably the president knew this as he repeatedly warned if Iran got a nuclear weapon, it would use it against us. Pretty serious, don’t you think, folks? And Iran’s pattern of conduct and excuse me over the last 47 years makes clear that it uses negotiations as a tactic to further its aims. But we abandoned the military destruction of Iran and we did not use all of our capabilities to destroy the regime. In fact, some were even saying that’s not our goal. We certainly didn’t arm the Iranian people. But we looked for a offramp, as they call it. Very odd phrase, an off ramp in part due to polling and gas prices. To be clear, there was never a plan to use ground forces or be involved in a forever war. These are straw man that are thrown out there by some. Indeed, in my view, if the MCU is not drastically altered during this 60 day negotiation period. A forever war, a continuation of Iran’s war on the West. Is not in doubt. So what does this MOU involve? And I was working from a the closest draft of the menu publicly available at the time and is very close, as it turns out. Which was fundamentally accurate. And we’ll go through this point by point. I’ll do it fairly succinctly and quickly. And when we return, we’ll be right back.

Segment 2
Item one on the list. On the signing of the MRU, there is an immediate and permanent end to the war, and that specifically includes the Lebanon. Now, this doesn’t make any sense to me. There are 60 days or more to negotiate a deal. Therefore, before a deal is finalized, we just declared a cessation of military action permanently and we committed to not even threatening the. As a force. Why would we agree to immediately drop the most important leverage we have over the regime in advance? In advance of it complying with the IMO EU requirements, whatever else is decided in 60 or so days. On top of this, we do the unthinkable. Recapitulate to Iran’s demand to protect Hezbollah. As I explained earlier, Hezbollah, which has brutally murdered hundreds of our fellow citizens, is essentially protected by our government in alliance with the Iranian regime and free to continue to kill Americans, Israelis and others, is the most potent terror weapon of the Iranian regime. Not only survives, but it is immunized. And since Israel is the only country that actually fights this enemy, their soldiers, their airmen, and whose citizens are in the direct line of fire from missile and drone attacks. Nobody in their right mind would tolerate this. No amount of berating our ally or pressuring the Prime Minister changes anything. And I want to underscore, Hezbollah has killed our people. And even. And we’ve done next to nothing, multiple presidents to deal with Hezbollah. In and of itself. That’s shameful, is it not? Israel must not and will not adhere to any such an egregious capitulation. Item two. We refrain from interfering in Iran’s sovereignty and they will not interfere with ours. Who believes Iran won’t interfere with our internal affairs? Do we not spend tens of billions of dollars on counterterrorism against, among others, Iran? Does anybody believe Iran will drop out of its axis with China, Russia, North Korea? And how do we enforce any deal against those other countries? And if we catch them, then what? If we catch Iran interfering in our internal affairs, cyber crimes and so forth. And so what are we going to do about it? Item four, we lift the naval blockade 30 days after the memorandum of Understanding, which was signed on Sunday rather than after final negotiations for a deal that removes another major leverage we have over the regime. And we agree to remove our forces around that area within 30 days after the final agreement. We can always send our forces back, they say, but in all likelihood we wouldn’t do that, would we? Item six. Incredibly, we commit to helping create a compensation plan for the re habitation and economic development of Iran. While ensuring financing of at least $300 billion. We’re told it will not involve any of our tax money. That’s a shiny object. Who would have dreamt that after we went to war with this regime, because it was within days of having a nuclear weapon that we would have any role in helping coordinate or raise directly or indirectly, one dime for this regime. The PPB says. They have to meet all conditions in order to receive money. And then tell us what if they do all that and they get what they want and then tell us to go to hell? Who among us believes us any of this money will go to assisting or improving the lives of the Iranian people who have no rights and are slaughtered by the tens of thousands? And in fact. Innocent young kids are being executed as I speak. We’re going to take a break. Very shortly. And I just want you to know I’m going to continue. We’re about 40% of the way through. But regardless how this slush fund is collected or distributed. Here we are committing to helping reconstruct the terror regime we presumably just destroyed. Besides, I have a big question. I thought we hit military structures and targets. What do they need $300 billion to to rebuild civilian locations? I’ll be right back.

Segment 3
Let’s continue here. Item seven Get this we commit as a nation to not only lifting all sanctions we have on the regime, but we commit to helping lift all other sanctions, including by the UN, the IAEA, the UN and all other primary and secondary sanctions on Iran. It’s what it says. I’m quoting from it. So we’re now working in the service of the regime with other countries and before the international organizations in this regard. Item eight. I quote, Iran reiterates that it will never produce nuclear weapons, unquote. We, quote, have agreed that the fate of enriched material and the fate of the other mutually agreed nuclear related items, including Iran’s nuclear needs, will be dealt with in the final issue. I ask you a question? Why is it this issue number one, Mr. Producer? Number eight. Number eight that said, this actually says nothing. All the relief and other commitments, some which is immediate or in 30 days comes before any serious effort to lay out with details and specifics the manner in which the nuclear program will be permanently ended and enriched uranium will be destroyed. Now they’re talking about degrading the uranium. This was supposed to be the core of everything that is to remove it and destroy it or destroyed in place, not degraded. At best, it does not go beyond broad slogans. Now, it seems to me again, this should have been number one and we should have had a great deal of detail. Item nine. We agree not to strengthen our forces in the region pending a final agreement. We agree not to impose any new sanctions on Iran, thereby surrendering yet more leverage over the regime as far as I’m concerned. Item ten. As I go through the points, I just keep shaking my head. Here with the signing of the merger, we agree to immediately issue waivers of exports of Iranian crude oil, petrol products or related services, banking, insurance, transportation and the like. In other words, the Iranian regime is back in business immediately before any final deal. Billions and billions will now flow into the regime. I am a layman. In addition, quote, frozen or restricted funds and assets of Iran will be released and made fully available, unquote. Now there’s also a section at the end of the memo here that says, you know. Certain parts of these articles, some of which I read to you, of course. Would become effective. Upon compliance. And so there’s there’s sort of a contradiction in this that says immediate and then effective upon compliance. So that’s something if we ever get somebody on the program, I’m going to ask them to help straighten out. But it’s not really what somebody’s opinion is. These things have to be in writing, right? And even then, they’re not going to adhere to them, are they? What’s not in this arrangement. Not a word about ballistic missiles. The single most destructive weapon Iran has and has used and which had the capability of killing tens of thousands and destroying cities if launched. In a way, this is a grave capitulation to the regime. I don’t think we could get that from them. So I think we gave up on it. I also think this $300 billion slush fund or whatever we want to call it. I suspect that came up as an alternative to their demand for reparations. Otherwise, why bring it up at all? We all know none of that money is going to go into the economy or to help the people there. All that money will go towards the regime and it will go towards arming the regime. In 2015, the president wrote an op ed saying basically the same thing about the money that would be released to Iran. And in this respect they overlap. And I don’t like it. Not a word about promoting and funding terrorism and terror groups. And by the way, let’s say there was a whole sentence on it. I have no illusions the regime’s terrorism and terror funding will not be curtailed under any circumstances. Now they may follow this, whatever this is during the course of the Trump presidency, but I sure as hell have no expectation that they will follow it thereafter. Not a word about the Iranian people. Not a word. Who? We promised to help at the outset. We promised. They’re abandoned, I think. Not a word about the regime paying reparations to our country, to the Arab countries, to Israel for the massive damage caused by their ballistic missiles and other missiles. You see, they’re downplaying ballistic missiles now. But oddly enough, a couple of weeks ago, I was told that that was a big concern of the Arab countries, that they weren’t hit with ballistic missiles, that is. Their whole oil infrastructure. And the impact that could have on the entire world. But now it’s downplayed. I don’t get it. I get it. In order to get a deal, you got to make a deal. But I don’t like it. So I’m hoping during the next 60 days. This module requires serious changes and those will happen, if not an outright abandonment. Now, do yourselves a little favor. Play a little game. If you don’t physically write it down mentally, try and write it down. Keep in mind, the politicians, the podcasters, the so-called influencers who have no influence. Who are all gung ho. Who insists that you shut up. Who insists that you’re undermining the president, who insists that you will be responsible if we lose a midterm election, even though you’re had nothing to do with that. Neither will I, but that’s okay. Keep in mind, those who who tag you with the line that you wanted troops and boots on the ground when nobody does, are you support a forever war when in fact we’re the ones who support ending this war that has been a 47 year forever war. Keep in mind who says what. And who doesn’t have the guts to speak up. Some of them are on talk radio. Some of them are on television. A lot of them are online. So you need to be discerning. Christopher Ruddy. Is the CEO and founder of Newsmax. And he writes here. President Trump was right to call reports of a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran. Fake news he should get. He should keep calling them that. So the idea is dead, buried and impossible to revive under another name. He says. Vice President Vance has sought to reassure skeptics about the plan. The vice president said the Iranians are not receiving any cash and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting. Vance then said he wrote that economic benefits would flow only if Tehran meets its obligations under a future agreement. He says that’s better than a blank check, but it suggests a $300 billion is still in the works and part of the memorandum of understanding. That starts a 60 day cease fire. Here’s the central question, writes Christopher Ruddy. Why should Iran receive access to any reconstruction fund, let alone one worth 300 billion? This is what everybody wants to know. And then when you bring it up, that’s fake. That’s not what we mean. That’s not what’s happening. That word or that phrase, $300 billion shouldn’t even be in this deal. He says the floated proposal makes no sense. Worse, it is dangerous. It would reward a maniacal regime. Not for reforming, not for compensating its victims, not for abandoning terror as an instrument of statecraft. It would reward Iran for surviving a war it provoked through decades of nuclear blackmail, proxy violence and regional aggression. He said, Let me put this in perspective. For more than 40 years, Iran’s rulers have obsessed over acquiring the capability to destroy Israel, threaten America, and dominate the Middle East. They call the United States the Great Satan. They have burned through tens of billions of dollars and effectively checked out the out of the civilized community of nations in pursuit of their dream nuclear weapons. They have repeatedly stated their aim publicly and loudly to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. In the interim of that goal, Tehran has funded mayhem across the region. Hezbollah so clearly backed by Iran, it has been part of their negotiations, has long terrorized northern Israel. Now they’re going to be protected. For 40 years, Hezbollah has fired tens of thousands of rockets into Israel, costing billions in damage, thousands of casualties and hundreds of deaths. He goes on to the Houthis. This is not a misunderstood regime looking for an off ramp. It’s a revolutionary regime that made violence its business model. Even the assassination of President Trump remains a priority business item. And by late February, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA and Western Intelligence, Iran was dangerously close to a nuclear breakout weeks, if not days. On February 28, the United States and Israel acted. They struck Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure to prevent the nightmare scenario of a terrorist financing regime armed with nuclear weapons. And let’s be clear about the character of those strikes. They were not Dresden, they were not Hiroshima. They were not indiscriminate attacks on civilians. There were only 2600 highly selective attacks aimed overwhelmingly at military infrastructure of these attacks. The Financial Times says 2400 targets were targeted missile sites, command and control facilities, launchers, airbases, drone facilities, naval assets. I think he’s going to get to the point where I was. Even a handful of reported hits on bridges are still plans were tied to military logistics and weapons production. So why, again, does Iran deserve 300 billion to rebuild? Exactly. To rebuild what infrastructure? The missile bases, the drone factories, the command centers, the steel plants feeding its weapons program. He goes on. It’s a very clearheaded and sober and sober peace. I would just advise those who are in Washington and in a bubble who go to mostly friendly media that this is not sit well with many patriotic Americans, many Republicans and many conservatives, many people in MAGA and diehard Trump supporters. It hasn’t settled well. I have better access to the public view than most people do. And I can tell you from the past several weeks, it’s a victory that you wanted. And when I’d been briefed, I’ve been told basically that we can’t. We can achieve it for 4000 different reasons. You know, we’ve had very difficult wars. We’re very difficult enemies. Different kinds of wars. And there are always been ways to win them to victory. So we can have walk right types going on and on against forever wars. And yet. So many of them are responsible for the. I don’t want to forever war. Iran wants a forever war. I feel it’s time to end this once and for all. Well. My view has not won out, has it? We’ll be right back.

Segment 4
You know, the truth is, folks only intelligent. Broadcasters. Podcasters. We’ll go through an agreement and question. It doesn’t mean they disagree with it. In my case, I disagree with multiple items, but they’ll go through and ask questions like how does this work and why is this money in here? And why is this being opened up immediately or why are we. Able to rely on the truth of what these people say. Not just today and tomorrow, but a year, five years, ten years from now. So if you’re the least bit curious or inquisitive. The least bit. You’re going to share these issues with you and you’re going to ask questions about them. If you start attacking everybody who’s questioning it and asking questions, even now, even though, you know, those people are very pro-Trump and they’ve supported Trump and they’ve defended Trump through thick and thin, then there’s something wrong with them. And it could be many things. Number one, they’re not smart. Number two, they don’t give a damn. Number three, they only see things through slogans and bumper stickers. And number four, they’re not serious about, you know, the audience. They have no respect for you. You see this in various places in communication. Don’t worry about it. Everything’s going to work out. That’s not how we serious individuals think. What are we celebrating? On July four, 250 years of what? Of slavish agreement with everything the government does or even everything Republicans do or everything a. A public figure does? Of course not. Of course not. And so if you’re relatively mature and adult about these things, you go through them, you ask questions, you want to know about them, and you reach your own conclusion. And if you disagree with somebody who you love, like your wife or a husband or who you tremendously admire, like a senator or kind of the president or a professor, if you’re in a class or something like that, you respectfully raise the issues. And by the way, they’ve been occasions when I’ve done exactly this. Where minds have been changed. And that includes two presidents. Because they start to think about it because maybe they haven’t heard the advice. Now there are people who negotiated this deal. I have respect for all of them. One of them’s a good friend of mine, but I disagree. It’s not because I hate them or distrust them or so forth and so on. But there are those who have they feel like a vested interest in these things. And I don’t mean financially, I just mean a vested interest because they’ve spent so much time on it. And their love, whether they embrace it, they believe it’s the very best they can do. I get it. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t look at it with a fresh set of eyes. This is why we talk about free speech, right? This is why we talk about not brainwashing people so they can so they can acquire knowledge. That’s who we are. That’s what we do. Whether some people like it or not. We’re not going to be. You know, threatened into silence or intimidated or anything of that sort. Because here’s the truth. You ready? Write it down. June 17, 2026. Oh, Mark said that the Iranian regime will violate any agreement. They sign with us. Any and every agreement they signed with us. It’s just a matter of time. Write it down. You know what, Mr. Producer? I’d bet $1,000,000 on that. If there were some kind of a banning form, you’d take it to. Everybody would. So that’s the reality. I’ll be right back.