An intelligence expert's looking at Donald Trump's reputation of walking back on threats. 

An expletive laden social media post from the President over the the weekend warned Iran the US would destroy power infrastructure if it doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz by tomorrow. 

Former CIA intelligence officer, Glenn Carle, says Trump often turns up the heat with ultimatums - before turning it down again.

"I wouldn't dismiss it - obviously, he lost the attack, but I find it hard to imagine that even he would obliterate the infrastructure of the country."

LISTEN ABOVE

An intelligence expert's looking at Donald Trump's reputation of walking back on threats.&nbsp;
An expletive laden social media post from the President over the the weekend warned Iran the US would destroy power infrastructure if it doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz by tomorrow.&nbsp;
Former CIA intelligence officer, Glenn Carle, says Trump often turns up the heat with ultimatums - before turning it down again.
"I wouldn't dismiss it - obviously, he lost the attack, but I find it hard to imagine that even he would obliterate the infrastructure of the country."
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Glenn Carle: former CIA intelligence officer on whether we should take Trump's Iran threat seriously

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/7c66d1c1-af4c-48fb-9c00-b4250063c68a/transcript

The Finance Minister says these increasing fuel prices will be tough on Kiwis as the Middle East conflict continues on.

Fuel supplies remain stable with the Strait of Hormuz still blocked, but petrol and diesel prices have continued to surge.

US President Donald Trump's threatening to obliterate all Iran's bridges and power infrastructure - if Iran doesn't do what he wants by tomorrow.

Nicola Willis says New Zealand is experiencing a price shock in line with the rest of the world - and it's tough.

LISTEN ABOVE

The Finance Minister says these increasing fuel prices will be tough on Kiwis as the Middle East conflict continues on.
Fuel supplies remain stable with the Strait of Hormuz still blocked, but petrol and diesel prices have continued to surge.
US President Donald Trump's threatening to obliterate all Iran's bridges and power infrastructure - if Iran doesn't do what he wants by tomorrow.
Nicola Willis says New Zealand is experiencing a price shock in line with the rest of the world - and it's tough.
LISTEN ABOVE

Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on the increase in fuel prices as a result of the Middle East conflict

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/5e332a58-830e-4bca-961c-b425007ad0fb/transcript

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday  7 April.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 7 April. 
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 07 April 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/9a3b22e9-e553-4474-8f00-b4250076a60b/transcript

Midday tomorrow - our time. That is the deadline Donald Trump has given Iran.

Now, if your reaction is something along the lines of not really caring because Donald Trump has set plenty of deadlines before and then walked away from them, that’s fair enough. All of that is true.

But this one does feel ever so slightly different.

This time he has set a very specific deadline - an exact hour on an exact day. He doubled down on it this morning in a lengthy news conference. It isn’t weeks away. And the threat itself is very specific: he says he will target bridges and power plants.

It also appears the administration has, to some degree, thought through how such an attack would unfold. Trump has even claimed it would take a precise amount of time - four hours.

Now, even if he sounds more serious and more prepared, that doesn’t mean he’ll actually go through with it.

The obvious off-ramp is the same one he’s used before: announcing that Iran has come to the table, that progress has been made in peace talks - progress no one else can verify - but insisting we simply trust that it’s happening behind closed doors.

What’s clear, though, is that Trump is deeply frustrated.

At the weekend, that frustration has centred on the Strait of Hormuz. And this should be dawning on everyone: Donald Trump can’t force it open. That reality seems to be hitting him now, hence the expletive-laden messages on social media in the past few days.

He has two options.

One is to escalate - to hit Iran so hard that it concedes and opens the strait. That’s a long shot.

The other is to declare victory, claim he’s achieved everything he set out to do and walk away - leaving Iran effectively in control of the strait.

Iran would then be able to levy a charge of around US$2 million a ship, split with Oman, which sits across the water. We know this because Iran has now put forward a 10-point peace plan that explicitly lays out this intention.

Those appear to be the only two paths left.

Trump has made a very big deal out of choosing the first - out of threatening massive escalation. So at midday tomorrow, it’s either all on…or it’s the most spectacular walk-back yet.

LISTEN ABOVE

Midday tomorrow - our time. That is the deadline Donald Trump has given Iran.
Now, if your reaction is something along the lines of not really caring because Donald Trump has set plenty of deadlines before and then walked away from them, that’s fair enough. All of that is true.
But this one does feel ever so slightly different.
This time he has set a very specific deadline - an exact hour on an exact day. He doubled down on it this morning in a lengthy news conference. It isn’t weeks away. And the threat itself is very specific: he says he will target bridges and power plants.
It also appears the administration has, to some degree, thought through how such an attack would unfold. Trump has even claimed it would take a precise amount of time - four hours.
Now, even if he sounds more serious and more prepared, that doesn’t mean he’ll actually go through with it.
The obvious off-ramp is the same one he’s used before: announcing that Iran has come to the table, that progress has been made in peace talks - progress no one else can verify - but insisting we simply trust that it’s happening behind closed doors.
What’s clear, though, is that Trump is deeply frustrated.
At the weekend, that frustration has centred on the Strait of Hormuz. And this should be dawning on everyone: Donald Trump can’t force it open. That reality seems to be hitting him now, hence the expletive-laden messages on social media in the past few days.
He has two options.
One is to escalate - to hit Iran so hard that it concedes and opens the strait. That’s a long shot.
The other is to declare victory, claim he’s achieved everything he set out to do and walk away - leaving Iran effectively in control of the strait.
Iran would then be able to levy a charge of around US$2 million a ship, split with Oman, which sits across the water. We know this because Iran has now put forward a 10-point peace plan that explicitly lays out this intention.
Those appear to be the only two paths left.
Trump has made a very big deal out of choosing the first - out of threatening massive escalation. So at midday tomorrow, it’s either all on…or it’s the most spectacular walk-back yet.
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Do we think Trump will go through with the Iran threats?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/43d727ab-bf2e-4ca6-b9cc-b4250075c704/transcript

Glenn Carle: former CIA intelligence officer on whether we should take Trump's Iran threat seriously

In 1 playlist(s)

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips