1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Sounds like the US is considering getting involved in bombing Iran. 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: US media are reporting that Donald Trump's emergency meeting in 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: the White House was held to discuss whether the US 4 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: should join Israel in the attack. Robert Patman is Otago 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: University's professor of international relations, and with US Now, Hey, Robert, 6 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: good evening, how do you rate the chances that they 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: get involved? 8 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 2: Well, he's the Republicans are split on this issue, and 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 2: he's obviously taking not only advice from colleagues, but soundings 10 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: from his party and the mega people who his bedrock 11 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,840 Speaker 2: support are very much against it, with people like Steve 12 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 2: Bannon saying that, you know, the president must stick to 13 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,279 Speaker 2: his promise to be a peaceful president and keep out 14 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: America out of forever war was particularly wars in the 15 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: Middle East. On the other hand, no conservative Republicans, they 16 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: tend to take the view that the United States should 17 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: respond to neshia Who's official request for the United States 18 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 2: to enter the war alongside Israel. Remember this follows an 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 2: illegal and somewhat reckless attacked by Nessinya Who about five 20 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: days ago. So it's a difficult decision. I suppose for 21 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: the President to weigh and he's going to have to 22 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 2: take a very close account I think of you know, 23 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: whether Nisi Nya, who's claim that Iran's very close to 24 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: nuclear bomb is credible or not. 25 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: It sounds like the US is the only one that 26 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: has a bomb big enough to take out that nuclear 27 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: site that Iran has underground. So if they want to 28 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: take out correct Iran's nuclear capability altogether, they really do 29 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: have to get involved, don't they. 30 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: Yes, But you know, you have to think this thing through. 31 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 2: If America goes ahead, that will only further incentivize Iran 32 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 2: in the future to develop the nuclear bomb. And the 33 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,559 Speaker 2: knowledge that Iran has built up over many years now 34 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 2: Iran is quite explicitly said repeatedly it wants nuclear any 35 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: but it does not want a nuclear weapon. And indeed, 36 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 2: the chief negotiator who was killed in the recent Israeli attacks, 37 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: was televised in an interview saying two weeks ago that 38 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: Iran was quite willing to give an absolute category assurance 39 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: that it will not develop nuclear weapons and will accept 40 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 2: on site inspection to make that happen. But it wanted 41 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: the right to develop nuclear energy. But the Trump administration 42 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 2: has moved away from that position. They now take the 43 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 2: view that Iran can't have any nuclear capability, whether peaceful 44 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 2: or weaponized, and that's causing some concern amongst many countries 45 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 2: because obviously Israel has a nuclear capability, and there are 46 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 2: a number of countries in the world that have nuclear 47 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 2: energy that don't have nuclear weapons, such as Japan and Germany. 48 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: Robert, thanks for talking as story to really appreciate your expertise. 49 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: It's Robert Patman, Professor of International Relations. 50 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Du and Drive, listen live to 51 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 2: News Talks at b from four pm weekdays, or follow 52 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.