Hour 1 - Iran Optimism

<p>In Hour 1 of The Clay Travis &amp; Buck Sexton Show, Clay and Buck deliver an in‑depth, fast-moving breakdown of major international developments, focusing primarily on the rapidly shifting situations in Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela. The hour opens with breaking news out of Iran, where overnight U.S. strikes&mdash;ordered by President Donald Trump&mdash;reportedly eliminated several leading Iranian military and paramilitary figures, including the head of the Basij militia. Clay highlights how even outlets that typically oppose Trump, such as Al Jazeera, are publishing unusually balanced analyses of the conflict, in contrast to what the hosts describe as the U.S. media&rsquo;s superficial coverage. The conversation explores Iran&rsquo;s pursuit of nuclear weapons, decades of hostility dating to 1979, and Trump&rsquo;s long-standing belief that the U.S. should target strategic locations like Kharg Island, the main export hub for Iranian oil.</p> <p>The hosts also analyze political fallout at home, discussing former President Bill Clinton&rsquo;s reported private call to Trump praising his Iran strategy. Clay and Buck argue that Democrats are struggling to oppose a mission widely seen as successful, particularly as oil markets stabilize and fears of global escalation fade. They also address speculation within a small subset of Trump supporters suggesting foreign influence over U.S. strategy, strongly rejecting the idea that Trump acts under pressure from any other nation. Buck shares insider perspective from his CIA Counterterrorism Center background, responding to the resignation of Joe Kent from the National Counterterrorism Center and offering blunt criticism of NCTC&rsquo;s role within the intelligence community. The hosts emphasize Trump&rsquo;s independence and his decades-long public record advocating a tougher stance toward the Iranian regime.</p> <p>Midway through the hour, the discussion turns to Cuba, where a nationwide blackout has plunged the island into darkness following the U.S. cutoff of Venezuelan oil shipments. Clay and Buck highlight how Cuba&rsquo;s collapse, combined with Venezuela&rsquo;s political shift and Iran&rsquo;s military devastation, represents a historic weakening of three long-standing U.S. adversaries&mdash;an alignment the hosts compare to the geopolitical shift following the fall of the Berlin Wall. They also speculate on the enormous economic potential of a post-Communist Cuba, from tourism to restored American property claims.</p> <p>The hosts weave in lighter moments discussing St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day, Trump&rsquo;s meeting with Ireland&rsquo;s prime minister, Buck&rsquo;s travel stories, Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive, and even the possibility of Trump throwing the first pitch at the U.S.&ndash;Venezuela World Baseball Classic game in Miami. They close Hour 1 by analyzing Trump&rsquo;s comments from the Oval Office, his timeline for drawing down U.S. engagement in Iran, and the absence of support for Iran from supposed allies like Russia and China&mdash;calling the Iran‑Russia‑China axis &ldquo;a WWE‑style alliance that disappears the moment the fight starts.&rdquo;</p> <p>Make sure you never miss a second of the show by subscribing to the Clay Travis &amp; Buck Sexton show podcast wherever you get your podcasts! <a href="http://ihr.fm/3InlkL8">ihr.fm/3InlkL8</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For the latest updates from Clay &amp; Buck, visit our website <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.clayandbuck.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMarkWeiner%40iheartmedia.com%7Cf1fb28049c334a2cc7f008dd5b6dc780%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638767249239931219%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=eECesiWyOO3YOybB4HVSIOqFBQ6FQ83xp%2FJ%2FhPDAKfM%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.clayandbuck.com/</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Connect with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton:&nbsp;</p> <p>X - <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fclayandbuck&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMarkWeiner%40iheartmedia.com%7Cf1fb28049c334a2cc7f008dd5b6dc780%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638767249239960597%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=WdpyZ8Gzbhog1ml43mVvOghWqLGt0rZcdfa%2FPC3pkYY%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://x.com/clayandbuck</a></p> <p>FB - <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FClayandBuck%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMarkWeiner%40iheartmedia.com%7Cf1fb28049c334a2cc7f008dd5b6dc780%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638767249239980082%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Nqqk%2FXJNrFqQd%2BUdWMs5Xw7DxzwpMExmpDda7Y9fNNY%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/ClayandBuck/</a></p> <p>IG - <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fclayandbuck%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMarkWeiner%40iheartmedia.com%7Cf1fb28049c334a2cc7f008dd5b6dc780%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638767249239998376%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=s%2F3CGsjjib9Gu8mBlf5ff31%2Fixq4YP17xzT17hhpJCc%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.instagram.com/clayandbuck/</a></p> <p>YouTube - <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fc%2Fclayandbuck&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMarkWeiner%40iheartmedia.com%7Cf1fb28049c334a2cc7f008dd5b6dc780%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638767249240017198%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=hoGZ3pur0U5mQzw7AMhVbUTvt98j6iiA3uSdRyW8ilE%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck</a></p> <p>Rumble - <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frumble.com%2Fc%2FClayandBuck&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMarkWeiner%40iheartmedia.com%7Cf1fb28049c334a2cc7f008dd5b6dc780%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638767249240034483%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=b2TrFHYPxraFqTGFla%2BJ7HG5kQ5p006bXVNPXSsFvAw%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://rumble.com/c/ClayandBuck</a></p> <p>TikTok - <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@clayandbuck">https://www.tiktok.com/@clayandbuck</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck" rel="payment">Follow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck</a></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>