Mike Baker

Their goal is not to restore the monarchy, it's to remove the current repressive regime and build a democracy through free and fair elections.

But to the current regime, Pahlavi's image is radioactive.

The fact that his face appeared on state television, however briefly, cuts directly against decades of carefully controlled official narrative.

Internet shutdowns, arrests, and intimidation can slow dissent, but they can't extinguish it or fully cut a country off from the outside world.

Whether this hack was carried out by an organized opposition group, a foreign actor, or sympathetic insider still remains unclear.

Iranian authorities have not publicly assigned blame, but whoever was responsible demonstrated something critical.

The regime's information wall is not as solid as it once seemed.

For dissidents inside Iran, the broadcast was a signal that they're not as isolated as the government wants them to believe.

For the regime, well, it was a warning shot.

When even state television can be turned against you, the grip on power may not be as firm as it appears.

Coming up next, CIA Chief John Ratcliffe meets with Venezuela's interim government in Caracas, highlighting Washington's apparent intention to work with Delce Rodriguez.

I'll be right back.

Hey, Mike Baker here.

Let me take just a moment of time, if I could, to talk to you about personal finances and financial goals.

That's all very important, particularly now as we're heading into a new year.

Look, if you're a homeowner, there is no better time than now to call the folks at American Financing and wipe out that debt that you may have been worried about.

The Fed dropped rates for the fourth time in December.

I think we all knew that.

American financing can now help you access the equity in your home at an interest rate in the low fives.

That is a much lower rate and a much more attractive rate than the average 20% or more that credit cards charge.