How Iran Just Quietly Won The War Against The U.S. — And Why Saudi Arabia Is Already Flinching
Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, where today’s episode tackles the chaos and complexity of our rapidly changing world. From escalating tensions in the Middle East and the geopolitical chessboard around Iran, to the domestic battles over tariffs, manufacturing, and the future of America’s middle class, Tom Bilyeu digs deep into the realities that shape our moment.
We’ll break down how international conflicts could shape global economics, why the war of narratives is as important as the war on the ground, and how U.S. political choices impact everything from oil prices to AI development. We’ll also look at the role of Congress versus executive power, the unintended consequences of economic sanctions, and the ongoing struggle to restore opportunity for America’s working class.
And that’s just the beginning — Tom Bilyeu and the team dive into everything from the drug-fueled shifts in human relationships, to the accelerating rise of robotics, to the existential debates over democracy, regulation, and the fabric of society itself. If you’re ready for a fast-paced, unsparing, and deeply insightful journey across today’s most pressing issues, you’re in the right place.
Let’s jump in!
00:00 Intro
01:17 IrRan War Is Back
16:28 Reparations For Iran
17:21 Tariffs Ruled Unlawful Again + Us Economic Policy
44:46 UFO Files
46:19 Gerrymandering
01:00:14 AOC Says You Can’t Earn A Billion Dollars
01:20:57 Hantavirus
01:25:51 Ozempic Causing Divorces
01:35:40 New Robots Just Dropped
01:50:00 Friday Funnies
And as always:
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This episode covers: AOC billionaire math, “you can’t earn a billion dollars” rebuttal, AOC net worth hypocrisy, wage theft economic argument, Iran Love Tap strikes, Saudi Arabia Kuwait airspace denial, Strait of Hormuz war restart, Iran oil leak Kharg Island, GLP-1 Ozempic relationship effects, hantavirus cruise ship, COVID-2 fearmongering, Trump UFO files release, race-based redistricting SCOTUS, robotics dexterity progress, manufacturing tariffs, globalism middle class.

@TomBilyeu
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
AOC just said on a podcast "you can't earn a billion dollars" — while sitting on a personal net worth estimated near $4 million, earned through the same free-ish market she's now arguing is impossible to win in. Where's the line between principled critique and personal hypocrisy? Comment below 👇
@DougKing-g2p
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Is it the free market when the rich lobby your govt. to game the system?. They do it through laws and the tax code. Theft. They gamble with everyones money and steal money from americans. It goes much deeper.
@HollowVortex
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Tom, your take is naive on the money printing aspect. Democrats print so much money that Trump is forced to money print to gain back control. If you look along with his money printing he is shutting down globalist/Democrat money streams simultaneously while growing the Right. This is a rebalancing act
@omajonathan9928
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
for once, Tom talks nonsense. The USA isn't the Almighty God.
@curtisrcain
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Algo juice😊
@Osobravodog
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Iran is unequivocally not winning. Even suggesting that is absurd. It’s been two months. Chill and let Trump cook!
@dianadiacocervantes6068
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
You are actually hold the same talking points as your fellow democrats, so I'm done with your show! Yeah, let's keep Iran as the victor, right??? You guys are despicable… good riddance!
@danieloates6829
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
On earning a billion dollars. Tom you are conflating an individual with a billion dollars and a company that creates billions of dollars. There is no reason that the founder/owner of a multibillion company is paying him or herself a billion dollars other than pure greed. Especially when is at the expense of suppressed worker wages. AOC is right. They did not "earn" that. They rewarded themselves that. Don't confuse the two things. They are not the same. Billionaires also then have all the tax advantages so they get to keep more of their wealth. They didn't "earn that either.
@Centurion_Awakening
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Remember when Tom said that 98% of people will hear new, correct information and then just do nothing with it and never change? If that isn’t this Drew kid in a nutshell then idk what is.
@utammaharaj4572
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
On the voting and redistricting point mentioned in this conversation why can't maps just be a reflection of county maps for example if you live in Miami Dade County that is your district to vote in
@kablechrist
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Drew – Irregardless… lmao
@kablechrist
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
14:53 – "This seem like a dub to me" – Drew really the type of dude that wants America to fail. Tom, drop the low iq cohost, you can do better.
@Dr.Sarah2025
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
So far 3 weeks on tirzepatide has been a wonderful tool for me and I agree understanding the levers is key.
@guineapig1016
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
The only reason why a militarily weak nation could win is because the stronger one is following Geneva Conventions. Imagine raining down nukes on civilians…. yeah.
@shiverman8
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Nah.. Iran hasn't won anything. Just keep bombing them until it sticks. If Iran blockades the straight the world will just go around.
@majorshocker2097
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
This crossed a line. Doing propaganda on behalf of the enemy, is not something I'm willing to support. Unsubbed.
@mrkoerc
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
No, you cant,
@komuharikomushisi6761
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
A lot of mental gymnastics… nukes are off the table here
@paulransome7156
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
If you make it all in the states you’d better be ready for the inflation
@caseyrindal1815
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
What makes you believe they want to cause problems for anyone other then us allies.
@tylermules09
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
If the US destroys Iran's wells through shut ins, Iran would likely destroy the regions oil producers as well in a scorched earth retaliation. Remember, we cannot stop their hypersonic missiles. Its checkmate, the only option is for the US to walk away and take the L. Israel won't be happy, but too bad.
@l.wilson3484
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
How about this. Stop drawing weird lines and simply draw the lines as they are. Lines existed because Blacks were segregated. Now weird lines are being drawn to erase the Black vote, which Tom understands, but he’s flipping it around and saying Drew is actually the one that wants weird lines.
This is similar to the SCOTUS saying districts based on race shouldn’t exist, knowing full well that this will enable racist policies in new districts. Pretending that racism doesn’t exist to enable racism.
Tom understands all of this but pretends that he doesn’t. It’s why I unsubscribed from this BS and I’m angry at myself for watching now.
@stevenmcelroy3611
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Is everyone insane…you can’t argue with god. They talk to god, their god wants all infidels dead. Simple.
@CaneBTC
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Tom still hasnt figured out that China doesnt matter.
@jedediahbeaman7989
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Good job again Tom. Congress does need to bring manufacturing back and raise the living standards eg income and wealth of the bottom 80%. This has been evident for years now. It’s good to hear you’re onboard.
@CaneBTC
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Tom will never get a grip on things because he sees everything through the US lens aka mammon, while rest of the world views it via religion.
@kupchoy
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Drew has to go
@l.wilson3484
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Republicans are redrawing district lines and erasing the right of the people to choose their leadership. They prove time and time again that if they can’t win, they will cheat. Trump is going to survive the midterms
@SDV-h1o
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
There is also been, absolutely, no good sense in what the US has been doing the last decades! Just imagine, the world talking about breaking the US…..
@danieloates6829
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
I know this is an unpopular view point, but what if Iran does get a nuclear weapon? So what? Pakistan has a nuke. India has a nuke. They hate each other yet they don't destroy each other. We know Israel has a nuke. So let Iran have one too. Everyone will just aim their nukes at Iran and we have mutually assured destruction. Have you ever met Iranians? They aren't crazy they are like you and me. They have a different religion. But we have just as many religious nuts in this country that would burn it all down if they were in a similar situation.
@cietai9843
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Someone stop Drew from touching his mic! The boom every time he grabs it is f'ing terrible!
@juanmaldonado4193
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Guys Prof. Jiang's latest: US retreats, Israel takes over Iran. Turkey follows.
@johnpike8010
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
1:31:30 i started mounjaro 6 months ago. Since then ive gone from 210kg to 190kg. I had no idea how addicted to calories i was until i started it. The best way to describe it is ive gone from having to spend >99% of my daily willpower to eat sensibly to <10%. And ive tried keto, intermittent fasting, calory restirction, weight watchers, gym, sports, running, pyschotherapy etc etc etc. It got to the point where i had 3 choices: 1. Mounjaro, 2. Surgery, or 3. Death. When i say this has saved my life i am not kidding at all. Might it have negative effects down the track? Maybe? Are those worst than the weight? Almost certainly not.
@learnanewayoflife
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
I run a call center. We use AI, but consumera dont want to engage with AI, so as of yet ot cannott replace humans totally.
@learnanewayoflife
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Drew nailed it. Ive lost 80 pounds. Im interested in exploring.
@learnanewayoflife
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Doing the thing is what matterrs…except that stance, to MAGA means, the means justify the ends. Fuck the Constitution and human rights.
@KenCapasso
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
WHY DO YOU LIE ABOUT US VICTORIES? WHY DO YOU LIE ABOUT US VICTORIES? WHY DO YOU LIE ABOUT US VICTORIES? WHY DO YOU LIE ABOUT US VICTORIES? WHY DO YOU LIE ABOUT US VICTORIES?
@Mystic4000
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Lay off Drew. He’s there for one reason and that’s to make Tom look good. This is not and was never meant to be debate time. It is a TB platform, presumably existing to inform others and raise Tom’s visibility and authority. You have to dig deep into some interviews to find any debate really going on
@Mathijs-Nederland
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
There is no free market, biggest example: petrol dollar. If you do otherwise you got bombed and regime-changed by the terrorists of USA.
@Mystic4000
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
I wanted to go further into the video but couldn’t do it without hitting a wall of self loathing. Listening to this meandering is about as satisfying as jacking off in a closet. I didn’t make it to the AOC segment but I’m 99% sure I know what was coming. He already said Trump was brilliant when it comes to understanding capital flows. It must be true cuz he’s rich and has powerful. What I’ve never heard from Bilyeu is his mea culpa. FAFO, Tom. FAFO.
@xchazz86
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Asking wall street and globalists to take a hit on their margins to save the country by bringing back productivity and real economics?
Yea dream on, the ruling class don't serve the country nor its people, they serve themselves.
All US companies are good at are outsourcing, labor arbitrage, and legal arbitrage. They could'nt care less about national interests nor real economics.
In the real world, employees get paid more not because they are more productive nor more valuable, they get more pay by sucking up to their corrupt leaders and being "aligned" to their internal ponzi scheme.
Tom has not idea how the real world works for most people.
@Mariesedlacek-i3o
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Planned. Ozempic is a population control lol
@JoshuaLeakey-g6z
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Plenty of, "working & middle class" people who work very hard their whole life and are smart with their money, will never be wealthy. The system that has blessed you with your financial wealth requires many people hat work equally as hard as you, and it seems like you look down on these people. I love the podcast btw. But sometimes you can come across like a rich douche. Like, only rich people think medical care shouldn't be free. It's tough to remember the peasants once your safe inside the B castle.
@seedlessgreen420
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
If we don't come out of this with all their enriched uranium and inspectors having access to facilities to ensure their compliance he will need to be immediately impeach him. He has made numerous claims to why he's done this and what he's going to accomplish while exhausting our military assets. If he and his administration has been misleading us he needs to be gone. I personally support the objective of removing their ability to enrich.
uranium at all costs at this point. We need to keep killing their leaders. Weaknesses of a democratic society will always be exploited. Sad but in a world of war and dictators democracy will lose many battles if they're not willing to fight and die to defend it. Americans don't appreciate their freedoms enough to defend them in the way that's necessary. The walk of Jesus ended with death.
@lilagentic
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
New found respect for Drew
@sibeguy
May 9, 2026 at 8:16 pm
The idiot is behind the mic! You think a financial system is what defines an economy…government can’t fix this problem. Get rid of the financial elites.