1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: Week three of this war, and the US has unleashed 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: mess of strikes on Hager Island. This is Around's oil island. 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: Trump wants help opening the Strait of Horn moves. David 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 1: Smith is Washington Bureau chief for the Galleon, joins us 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: this morning. David, good morning, Good morning. So the issue 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: of the strait? Has anyone come to his aid? Is 7 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: anyone saying yep, we'll jump on board and help. 8 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 2: There not much sign of that yet. British ministers and 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 2: others sort of being very diplomatic and non committal, and 10 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 2: was notable. There's been a British newspaper report saying that 11 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 2: diplomats from France and Italy have been talking to the 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: Iranian government about getting safe passage for their ships. And 13 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 2: the Iranian Foreign minister has interviewed on one of the 14 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 2: Sunday politics shows in the US saying, you know, they're 15 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: open to countries who want to talk about safe passage 16 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 2: of their vessels. He couldn't mention in any country in particular, 17 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 2: he said, So all a little bit nebulous right now. 18 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 2: And what you're seeing in America is certainly some political 19 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 2: blowback against Donald Trump. Basically, why did he not think 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 2: of this. I think many military experts and politicians feel 21 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 2: it was pretty obvious that Iran would be hopelessly outgunned 22 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: and overwhelmed militarily. But it does have this card to 23 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 2: play of closing the Strait Ashle news which of course 24 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 2: the twenty percent of oil goes through there, and even 25 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 2: for a position of weakness, it can inflict some pain 26 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 2: on the US and indeed the entire global economy. 27 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: It's literally in their playbook that they would do something 28 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: like this. So is it fear to say that they 29 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,559 Speaker 1: weren't prepared the Americans, or that they didn't see this coming, 30 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: or they didn't prepare enough for it happening. 31 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 2: Well, the White House denies that and claims that they 32 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 2: did foresee it. And there's been some reporting suggesting that 33 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 2: Donald Trump was warned and this is a possibility by 34 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: his military planners, and his response was it'll be okay. 35 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 2: The regime will have collapsed by then, or if it hasn't, 36 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: the military can take care of it. But I think 37 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: critics are pretty skeptical of that and feel that the 38 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 2: White House has been caught out here, and evidence of 39 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: that is the way Trump has been fairly insulting towards 40 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 2: some Western allies such as Keir Starmer of the UK 41 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 2: for several days and then yes, suddenly on Saturday we 42 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 2: got this appeal from international coalition to help out, and 43 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 2: he mentioned the China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK 44 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 2: and others affected by this, wanting them to weigh in 45 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 2: and help provide the safety for the shipping. But among 46 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: other things, notable that China is mentioned. There often a 47 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: big US the adversary, of course, and Trump is visiting 48 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: Beijing towards the end of the month and fascinating to 49 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 2: see how China plays all of this. But yeah, it 50 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: does appear this at least one example of a lack 51 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 2: of US planning and foresights in a war that we 52 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: and many members of the Democratic Party say Trump really 53 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: failed to sell to the public and failed to form 54 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 2: a strategy on David. 55 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: Appreciate your analysis this morning, David Smith, Washington Bureau, Shape 56 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: for the Garden. 57 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 2: You for more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen 58 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 2: live to News Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, 59 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.