Ryan Knudson

Can you take me inside the Iranian regime?

What is left of it at this point?

On top of this entire system is the supreme leader.

The last one was killed at the start of the war.

The Revolutionary Guard is described as a state within a state.

It's a tough military force that was hardened by a long and bloody war with Iraq in the 1980s.

One of the ways to fight against the U.S.

and Israel, what Iran calls the Great Satan and Little Satan, involves the Strait of Hormuz.

It's a 100-mile stretch of waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the rest of the world.

At its narrowest point, it's just 21 miles across.

About 20% of the world's natural gas passes through it, as well as about a quarter of the world's oil.

There's also aluminum and fertilizer.

And Iran is holding the Strait hostage by threatening to unleash missiles, drones, or underwater mines at any passing ship.

And for the past couple of weeks, no ships have passed through the Strait without Iran's explicit permission.

I'm honestly a little bit surprised that Iran hasn't tried to create a tollbooth out of the Strait of Hormuz in the past, given how much leverage it gives the country.

Why haven't they?

Exercising this leverage has allowed Iran to have a huge impact on the world's economy.

The impact on the global oil market has been so severe that the U.S.

decided to lift sanctions on Iranian oil that was already at sea.

While the decision will release some oil into global markets, it could also result in billions of dollars going to the regime.