1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,160 Speaker 1: Mr Secretary, thank you for being with Bloombergh. Great to 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: be with you. The situation in Iran has appeared to 3 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: be escalating in recent weeks, the US shooting down at 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: least one drone of ron seizing a British flagged oil tanker. 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: Is this situation getting back on track or is it 6 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: still intensifying? You know, it's always important to remember the 7 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: history this is it seems like escalation because there's been 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: stories in the news, but this is forty years forty 9 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: years of malign behavior. And so whether it was UH 10 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: seizing a British tanker that was an international waters or 11 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: shooting down an American uavy that was also in international airspace, 12 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: or assassination campaigns in Europe, are trying to kill an 13 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: ambassador here in the United States. Iran has this long 14 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: history of malign behavior, and so our mission set when 15 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: we came in was to create as much to build 16 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: in the Middle East as we could. We watched Iran 17 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: engaging in this behavior. We had a terrible deal that 18 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: the previous administration had entered into that had as one 19 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: of its major side effects, creating enormous wealth for the 20 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: leadership inside of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they 21 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: were using that wealth in malign ways. So we broke 22 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: out of the deal. We stopped giving them money. We 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: put pressure on the Iranian regime and we're forcing them 24 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: to make tough decisions about how they're going to behave 25 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: We want change in behavior from the Iranian leadership so 26 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: that the Iranian people can ultimately get what it is 27 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: they deserve. How do you get that change in behavior 28 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: when foreign ministers A Reef who was in New York 29 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 1: the other day is saying that the sanctions are going 30 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: to quote unquote backfire. What what? What do you how 31 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: do you get that change in behavior? Yeah, I mean 32 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: foreign ministers are Reef is no more in charge of 33 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: what's going on in Iran the the man in the moon. 34 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, this is driven by 35 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: the Ayatollah. He will be the ultimate decision maker here 36 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: on the I r g C. Cosum Sulamani has the 37 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: capacity to do all this activity that you're talking about, 38 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: all these seizure of ships and the bad behavior in 39 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: the straits and the malign activities all driven by this 40 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: I r g C. This could force leader Uh. Those 41 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: are the two that are the decision maker. Those are 42 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: the people on upon whom we're trying to apply sufficient 43 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: pressure to show them that the cost just isn't worth it, 44 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: to convince them that if they simply behave like a 45 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: normal nation, that the Iranian people can live normal lives. Sure, 46 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: if that's if that's the call, happily go there and 47 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: would you would you appear on Tehran television? Would welcome 48 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: the chance to speak directly the Iranian people. I've I've 49 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: talked about this before, uh zarif gets the comer, he 50 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: comes to New York, he drives around in the most 51 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: wonderful city in America, uh and the and he speaks 52 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: to the media, talks to the American public, gets to 53 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: put Iranian propaganda out into the American airwaves. I'd like 54 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: a chance to go, not to propaganda, but speak the 55 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,119 Speaker 1: truth to the Iranian people about what it is their 56 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: leadership has done and how it has harmed Iran. I 57 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: think I think the reason they won't permit that to 58 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: happen is because they know the truth as well. You know, 59 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: in terms of the economics of this situation, especially as 60 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: it pertains to oil in particular the US recently, you 61 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: should sanctions against the state run energy company zoosenro own 62 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: for violating and doing business with Iran. Are you concerned 63 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: about other nations, even potentially US allies still doing business 64 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: with Iran uh in the oil market. So the sanctions 65 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: that we put in place apply to everyone. There were 66 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: equal opportunity with respect to our command, that is, thou 67 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: shalt not create wealth for the Ayatollah and the people 68 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: who are killing others around the world. And so this 69 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 1: happened to be a Chinese vessel. Um. We have a 70 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 1: pretty good beat on where these ships are moving around. 71 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: We haven't seen our allies and partners. They have all 72 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: agreed to cooperate with this sanctions regime. But wherever we 73 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: find violations, we will do our level best to enforce 74 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: them completely and thoroughly. Speaking of sanctions, Senator Lindsey Graham 75 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: just saying with within the last few hours to Defense 76 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: one that he called the Turkish Foreign Minister and said, 77 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: if you don't activate the S four hundred that sanctions 78 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: won't be applied. Is that the position of the administration. Well, 79 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: I'm not going to talk about internal deliberations. We're all 80 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: working everyone's working together to do our best. We've made 81 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: clear to the Turks that the activation of the four 82 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: is unacceptable. We've already taken the action of curtailing the 83 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: F thirty five program that was an important part of 84 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: what Turkey was doing. Uh, there could be more sanctions 85 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: to follow, but frankly, what we'd really like is the 86 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: S four not to become operational. That's our objective. It's 87 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 1: what we've been talking to the Turks about four months 88 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: and months. We've told them that it's simply incompatible with 89 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: the F thirty five that taken delivery of some of 90 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: the components today, and we're urging them to reconsider that decision. 91 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: And there's so much going on around the world, I mean, 92 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: coming up with these questions. There's literally like hot pockets 93 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: all around the world. Just within the last twenty four hours, 94 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: the North Korean's test firing two new short rain ballistic 95 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: missiles on Thursday. How does this impact the denuclearizations Hawks 96 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: with Kim John Noon. Look, everybody tries to get ready 97 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: for negotiations and create create level which um and create 98 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: risk for the other side. President Trump has been incredibly 99 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,239 Speaker 1: consistent here. We want diplomacy to work. We want Chairman 100 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: Kim to deliver on the promise that he made to 101 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: President Trump, which that he would denuclearize. I was there 102 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: the day they signed the document. I've had Chairman Kim 103 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: tell me this personally no less than half a dozen times. 104 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: We remain convinced that there's a diplomatic way forward, a 105 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: negotiated solution to this. We look forward to the opportunity. 106 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: Chairman Kim told President Trump that he would send his 107 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: working team to negotiate with ours next week. Right, it'll 108 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: be in a couple of weeks. I anticipate everybody's got 109 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: to get schedules right, and everyone more importantly than the date. 110 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: If we wait two weeks or four weeks or six 111 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: weeks to make sure that we've had enough conversations so 112 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: that there can be productive dialogue when the teams get together, 113 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: that's the real objective. If it takes us another two 114 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: weeks or four weeks, so be it. And and the 115 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: situation that we alluded to China. But these protests in 116 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: Hong Kong, the the Hong Kong authorities have rejected a 117 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: request by protesters to take this dreets on Saturday. I mean, 118 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: are you concerned about China's military intervening in a president 119 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: I think capture it right when he said that we 120 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: need China to do the right thing. We hope that 121 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: they'll do that. We hope that the protest will remain peaceful. 122 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: We think that's important to avoid violence wherever there are protesters. 123 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,919 Speaker 1: We always think that's in the world's best interest, and 124 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: that's certainly the case here as well. You know, it's 125 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: it is so interconnected with China, whether it's North Korea 126 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: or whether it's US China trade hawks. And just this 127 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: week with Boris Johnson assuming power, I saw what you 128 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: tweeted out just this afternoon about you're hoping that you'll 129 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: be able to work with Boris Johnson on US initiatives. 130 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: I'm curious if you think that his government and his 131 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: policies will be perhaps more in line with the Trump 132 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: administration on something like Huawei. I think so we'll see. 133 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: Only time will tell their So. I spoke with my 134 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: counterpart Domini Grob just a couple hours back. UH he's busy, 135 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: he's still getting briefed up and making sure that he's ready. 136 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: But we talked about that, and we talked about the 137 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: importance of uh, these two democracies working together. I think 138 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: I think we'll find that there's a very good working 139 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: relationship there. But I'd say this, Uh, we already worked 140 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: together on most things. We work together on large segments 141 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: of the Iran file as well. Everybody talks about the 142 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: differences they've stayed in the deal we got out, but 143 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: there's large pieces of the pressure campaign against Iran that 144 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom understands, and there's a lot of places 145 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: we've worked together and on making sure that their ships 146 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: are secure. I am confident that we will work together. 147 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: These are places where democracies share a set of overlapping 148 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: values and interest and I'm looking forward to though, when 149 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: the Prime Minister gets his feet on the ground, I'm 150 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: looking forward to having a chance to chat with him 151 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: and his Foreign secretary so that we can deliver on 152 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: behalf of these two important democracies. And in terms of 153 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: so many of these sanctions and so many of these 154 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: specific targets. Earlier today, I believe it was just announced 155 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: that there were penalties against another Venezuelan for for more 156 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: corruption in the dictator Manduto's regime. Why was that important? 157 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: So we add to the list of individuals in Venezuela 158 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: who are sanctioned nearly every week we try and find 159 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: the right entities, the right people. Uh. In this case, 160 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: it was a group of individuals this week that we 161 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: have sanctioned. Our aim is really very clear, right, you 162 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: come back to first principle. The first principle there is 163 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: Maduro is not the duly elected leader. Jan Guy though 164 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: is the duly elected interim president there in Venezuela. We 165 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,959 Speaker 1: want Maduro to leave so that there can be free 166 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: and fair elections with the ultimate goal of ensuring that 167 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: there's democracy and freedom in Venezuela. For that to happen, 168 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: the Cubans have to leave. Uh. You can't have a 169 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: couple of thousand Cuban intelligence and military officials in the 170 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: country running the security apparatus and have the as Venezuelan 171 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: people flourish. That's our mission set. These sanctions are not 172 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: aimed at the Venezuelan people, but indeed just the opposite. 173 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 1: They're aimed at benefiting the Venezuelan people. And American companies 174 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: have interest there and security risks there. Chevron, for example, 175 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: they've been in Venezuela, I believe for like a hundred years. 176 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: They've got a waiver that could expire. You have to 177 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: make a decision about whether or not this waiver is 178 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:27,839 Speaker 1: going to expire on Saturday. Saturday, about whether or not 179 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: a partner with Venezuelas Oil Company, Can you give us 180 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: any any inkling and so what that decision will be. No, 181 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: but the President will ultimately make an announcement. But I'm 182 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: I've been part of the conversations here. In the next 183 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 1: few days, you'll you'll get a chance to see precisely 184 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: what the President decided. Remember again, they'll come back to 185 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: the first principle. What is that we're trying to do. 186 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: We're trying to ensure that there aren't wealth and resources 187 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: that are getting into the pocket of Majureita's cronies and 188 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,719 Speaker 1: flowing to the Cubans. That's the objective. Where we make 189 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: a decision on a license, or a particular sanction, or 190 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: a particular designation of an individual, those are all aimed 191 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: to support the strategy, which is the ultimate beacon for 192 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,599 Speaker 1: our direction. Mr Secretary, I had my final question for you. 193 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: I would be remiss if I didn't ask you just 194 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: in this political in the political lens, there's a lot 195 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 1: of speculation, Mr Secretary, about your political future. Perhaps maybe 196 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: I will be interviewing you as Senator Senator Pumpeio, is 197 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: that something? Is that a title you would maybe like 198 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: to have one day. I'm really happy doing what i'm doing. 199 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: The speculacens coming from places other than me. I've made 200 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:38,079 Speaker 1: clear Um the Secretary of State, and I'm very focused 201 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: on that