WEBVTT - Instant Reaction: US, Israel Attack Iran as Trump Urges Regime Change 0:00:02.520 --> 0:00:10.160 Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. Welcome to the Bloomberg 0:00:10.280 --> 0:00:15.960 This Weekend podcast with David Gura, Christina Raffini, and Elisa Matteo. 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:19.239 We're covering a lot of breaking news this morning out 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:22.239 of the Middle East, the US taking extraordinary strikes on Iran. 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:24.079 We have a statement from the present that he posted 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:27.320 in the early morning hours. We're going to have news reports, 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:29.760 analysis over the course of this morning, as we will 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:31.720 every weekend Saturdays in Sundation from seven o'clock to ten 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:35.479 o'clock on Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, streaming on the Bloomberg 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:38.000 Business app, and at Bloomberg dot com as well. And 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:40.640 Christina sufice to say, we're both woken early by all. 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:42.400 Of this news, quite early. 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:44.600 This was not quite the show we had planned today, 0:00:44.600 --> 0:00:46.400 as we just mentioned, but look, this is why we're here, 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:48.040 this is where our teams are in and this is 0:00:48.040 --> 0:00:50.000 one of the great things about being at Bloomberg is 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:53.720 people were awake all night, people were online immediately and 0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:55.800 reporting this out. We want to play you some more 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:59.200 of the sound from that startling about eight minute statement 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:01.440 the President dropped on social media this morning. Again, he 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:04.160 didn't call the press pool. He didn't notify everyone. While 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:06.120 we talked to our reporter in mar Lago, and she 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:07.520 said she found out when the rest of the world 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:11.399 did post it online. Among some of the many remarkable 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.600 things in that statement, including a declaration of war against 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.720 Iran and a call for regime change, the President also 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:20.360 said this campaign could cost American lives. 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:24.040 The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and 0:01:24.120 --> 0:01:28.920 we may have casualties that often happens in war. But 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:32.000 we're doing this not for now. We're doing this for 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:36.240 the future, and it is a noble mission. We pray 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:40.000 for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:43.760 to ensure that Americans and our children will never be 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:47.720 threatened by a nuclear armed Iran. We ask God to 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:51.120 protect all of our heroes in harm's way, and we 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:54.840 trust that with his help, the men and women of 0:01:54.880 --> 0:01:58.920 the Armed Forces will prevail. We have the greatest in 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:02.200 the world. They will prevail. To the members of the 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:07.520 Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the Armed Forces, and all of the police. 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:11.600 I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:16.840 and have complete immunity, or, in the alternative, face certain death. 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:21.640 So lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:27.880 with total immunity, or you will face certain death. Finally, 0:02:27.919 --> 0:02:31.200 to the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:35.400 that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered, 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:39.359 don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:43.480 be dropping everywhere. When we are finished take over your government, 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:47.600 it will be yours to take. This will be probably 0:02:48.000 --> 0:02:52.360 your only chance for generations. For many years you have 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:55.960 asked for America's help, but you never got it. No 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:58.880 president was willing to do what I am willing to 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:02.320 do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving 0:03:02.360 --> 0:03:05.840 you what you want. So let's see how you respond. 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:11.000 America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:14.359 Now is the time to seize control of your destiny 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:18.880 and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:22.520 close within your reach. This is the moment for action. 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:26.400 Do not let it pass. May God bless the brave 0:03:26.560 --> 0:03:30.440 men and women of America's Armed forces. May God bless 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:34.200 the United States of America. May God bless you all. 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:35.160 Thank you. 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:37.480 The last two minutes of that extraordinary statement from the 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.600 President of United States released on truth social early this morning, 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:43.200 well before dawn. Our coverage spans the globe, and I'm 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:45.680 going to bring in Dan Williams, Jerusalem based correspondent for 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:47.680 Bloomberg newslam that Jemann top set, you, the anchor of 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:51.440 Horizons on Bloomberg Television, Joe Matthew, the anchor of Balance 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:53.880 of Power, and Jeff Mason, White House correspondent with us 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:55.880 on set here in New York. Jimani, we're just talking 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:58.600 about your current circumstance, the fact that you've been hearing 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:01.080 these strikes where you're sitting. I want to go to 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:03.000 that entreaty from the President of the United States there 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:05.240 at the end, urging Iranians to lay down their weapons. 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:08.280 I should point out here these are airstrikes, and one 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:10.680 wonders what the logical next steps would be were one 0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:12.480 to do that on the ground in Iran. And I'm 0:04:12.520 --> 0:04:15.960 curious how you're thinking about that. The President calling for 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:20.200 Iranians effectively to rise up, calling on the Revolutionary. 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:21.400 Guard those who do lay down their weapons, but. 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:22.960 What mechanisms in place to do that. 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:25.080 Talk about that challenge, if you would, Jumana, in these 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:26.159 next few hours and days. 0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:29.279 Yeah, Well, it's a huge challenge, and I think from 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:33.279 what we can gather, just the retaliation that all of 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:35.440 these Gulf states have seen and witness of the last 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:38.200 few hours, suggests that the Iranian regime isn't going to 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:41.200 go down quietly. They've been reading themselves for the real 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:42.720 possibility of military action. 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:44.400 They have responded very quickly. 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:47.280 Remember and the twelve day Iran Israel war, it took 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:49.400 them a couple of days to calibrate their response. This 0:04:49.520 --> 0:04:52.400 time they were ready to go, and they have targeted 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:55.200 multiple countries. I will tell you, I'm sitting here in 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:58.440 Dubai and fifteen minutes ago I heard a couple of 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:02.479 blasts and it seems as so they're not sparing any 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:06.960 Gulf state in so far as the US has assets 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.160 in those countries. So we're talking about the UAE, We're 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:13.599 talking about Kuttar Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq. All of these 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:15.000 countries are involved, so it. 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:17.679 Has become a regional war. 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:21.560 And what we know from authorities in all of these 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:23.960 countries is that most of the missiles and drones have 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:27.160 been intercepted, so there don't appear to be any civilian 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:30.640 casualties from the strikes themselves. There has been one casualty 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:35.160 in Abu Dabian Bako shrapnel, But that is the bigger 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:38.400 issue here because a short while ago it was reported 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:40.880 that the Foreign Minister Abbasa actually actually didn't make a 0:05:40.920 --> 0:05:43.359 call to his counterparts in all those countries and warned 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:48.120 them about them allowing the US to use their basis 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:51.560 to launch further strikes on Iran. So this would suggest 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:56.560 that Iran are intent on retaliating. Now when it comes 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:58.600 to the demonstrators, I mean you have to rewind back 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.760 a month ago. There was and uprising, but it was 0:06:01.839 --> 0:06:05.159 brutally put down and there are unofficial numbers that have 0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:07.880 come through. We don't know the exact death death toll, 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:11.320 but the number is put forward by human rights agencies 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:14.400 suggest that thirty thousand people, more than thirty thousand people 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:18.320 were killed in these demonstrations. So there is a wariness, 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:22.320 i think in Tehran amongst the population and a real 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:26.880 question as to what exactly the US's assistance actually looks 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:29.960 like and whether the focus here is to target once 0:06:29.960 --> 0:06:34.520 again military infrastructure, perhaps key individuals within the Iranian regime, 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:37.680 but in terms of actual support on the ground, what 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:39.920 does that look like? Because once again the stakes are 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.480 very high. And this is an Iranian regime we spoke 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:45.359 about in the prior hour that is very intense on 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:49.840 its own survival. It's an existential threat to them and 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:51.839 they will not go down easily. 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:54.960 And I run in xpacts I've spoken to recently in 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:57.880 the US who despise this regime with every fiber of 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:01.160 their being. Still have family in Tehran. I talked to 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:04.159 a woman who said her family she hadn't spoken to 0:07:04.200 --> 0:07:06.159 them in days during the last round of strikes because 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:07.880 they had gone to the mountains to try to hide 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:10.120 from these air assaults. So these are the people the 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:12.600 Trump administration is trying to appeal to, But at the 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:14.840 same time, these are the people who are being put 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:17.880 in harm's way, as well as our colleagues and friends 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:20.520 and other people throughout the region. Dan, I understand you 0:07:20.720 --> 0:07:23.480 are now outside and say, I hope you've emerged from 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:26.680 a shelter. I'm wondering if you're hearing any more from 0:07:26.840 --> 0:07:29.240 the Israeli government. This morning, I reached out to the 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:31.400 embassy here and they said they're not speaking yet. I'm 0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:33.680 wondering if you're hearing anything on your side of the world. 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:38.480 As of now, No, there have been procedural updates, for example, 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:42.960 from the Transportation Minister about conditions at Israel's airports. The 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:47.360 Israeli airspaces closed, as are the airspaces of other relevant 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:51.160 countries in the region that obviously will affect air traffic, 0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:52.800 travel and the like. 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:54.320 They've also been called to. 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:59.440 Shelters very regularly, usually divvied up by sector, by city, 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.480 by community, by part of the country. These readies have 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.680 been weathered two such missile attacks going back all the 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:09.120 way to nineteen ninety one the Gulf War, and over 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:11.880 those three and a half decades have been developing a 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:15.840 very sophisticated system that really homes down to the areas 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:20.400 likely to be affected by any specific launch. So basically, 0:08:20.440 --> 0:08:22.920 if you are in the line of fire where you 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:25.800 happen to live, or potentially in the line of five 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:28.080 for debris that could emerge for an interception of a 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:31.120 missile above way, you are a missile intended for another 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:34.480 part of the country, you'll receive a timely warning to 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.000 go down to shelters. That's happened already a half dozen 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:41.160 times since this really blew up at just past eight 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:45.080 am this morning, just past ten in the Gulf and 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:47.680 we've been seeing that repeatedly. I think part of the 0:08:47.720 --> 0:08:52.320 reason the Iranians have succeeded, apparently in scoring strikes in 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:56.600 those golf targets, as Jumana alluded to, is it comes 0:08:56.600 --> 0:08:58.960 down as much to range as anything else. Israel is 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:02.320 well over a thousand and kilometers away. Those golf targets 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:05.319 are in some cases just a few hundred kil klometers 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:08.800 away from the Iranian launch points. That means there's far 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:12.600 less time to prepare for those incoming missiles to intercept them, 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:15.560 to mount an interception. Obviously, when you're across the region 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:18.720 as Israel is, and Israel has a very sophisticated defense 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:21.920 of race system, then it's easy to track those missiles 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:25.160 and see them coming. I expect after Prime Minister is 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:28.120 and now put out that recorded message very close to 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:32.000 President Trump's message. In fact, the content tracking almost exactly 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:33.320 with what Trump said. 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:35.080 These Raeli's also calling on. 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:38.720 The Iranian people, Iranian people of all communities and sectors 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.840 to rise up and take hold of their destiny. Now 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:45.280 that the Iranian government is apparently receiving a drubbing at 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:48.280 the hands of the combined US and Israeli forces, we 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:51.600 won't hear back from him until I think nightfall when 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:53.920 the Jewish Sabbath ends here in Israel. 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.800 That's a really good point, Dan. I mean in June, 0:09:56.840 --> 0:09:59.280 during that twelve day back and forth, we did watch 0:09:59.320 --> 0:10:03.400 the Iron Dome very successfully intercept most of those minisions. 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:04.760 There were a few they got through, but for the 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:07.360 most part, what you were seeing watching those screens was 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.000 actually the interceptors going out and taking on those Aaran 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:12.440 clearly knew this was a possibility and recalculated what they 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:13.400 would strike and one. 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:15.640 Matthew, let me stick with this theme of surprise, and 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:17.280 I know that you were listening as I was to 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:19.719 Courtney Supermanian who's with the White House pool at mar 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:22.200 A Lago, noting that she was as surprise as all 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:24.160 of us by the presentation of that statement. Early in 0:10:24.160 --> 0:10:26.120 the morning. She saw it pop up online as we 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:30.240 all did. I'm curious about lawmakers and how surprised they were. 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:32.080 I saw reporting earlier this morning from The New York 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:35.120 Times that Jack Read's communications director, Jack Read, of course, 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:37.240 the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:39.880 given no advanced notice of this. One wonders about the 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:41.920 so called Gang of Eight, the leadership from the House 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:45.400 and the Senate, the leading members of the select intelligence committees, 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:47.280 as well any indication if they were given any heads 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:47.600 up here. 0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:50.040 This was actually just have learned at a Bloomberg News 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:52.600 that the Gang of Eight did get a heads up 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:55.720 on this, which did not happen for instance, when the 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:59.120 US went into Venezuela to captured Nicholas Mduro, and there 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:01.560 was a bit of outrage when Marco Rubio, at the 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:04.760 time the Secretary of State, suggested that they couldn't trust 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:07.680 members of Congress to not leak that information, and the 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:10.560 Gang of Eight is quite well known for not doing that. 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:12.640 These are the two party leaders in each chamber, and 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:16.040 leader and ranking member of both intel committees. That would 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:18.720 include Mark Warner, who is out with the statement this 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:21.360 morning demanding a war powers vote. And it gets back 0:11:21.400 --> 0:11:24.440 to this idea of a prolonged engagement, which the President 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:28.200 is clearly telegraphing. The Speaker of the House was also briefed, 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:31.160 we understand, and I suspect that that came from the 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:34.120 same place. Whether there's going to be a classified briefing 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:35.920 for all members now will be the next question, And 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:37.800 I suspect in the days ahead they'll be demanding that. 0:11:38.040 --> 0:11:40.160 And Jeff correct my memory, but I think that's a 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:44.280 departure from when the US struck arounds nuclear facilities earlier 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:46.920 in last year in the summer, because I remember hearing 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:49.160 a lot of griping from Congress that members hadn't been notified. 0:11:49.200 --> 0:11:50.800 Maybe some Republicans had, but I don't think the full 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:51.520 G eight was notified. 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:52.760 No, I think your memory is right on that. 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:56.280 And just to sort of take a broader look or standback, 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:58.920 look at that. You heard the president use the language 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:01.840 and use the word war. Well, Congress has the right 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:05.800 to declare war. And that could be another major tension 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:08.960 point politically in Washington. The fact that the president, though 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:11.720 some lawmakers may have been given a heads up, he 0:12:11.760 --> 0:12:12.920 didn't go and ask permission. 0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:16.360 He didn't ask Congress to get behind this. 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:19.720 He went ahead and did it. This is another example 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:22.199 I think that some critics would say of the Congress, 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:26.240 which of course is controlled by Republicans, giving up powers 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:28.920 that the Constitution gives them to the executive. That's been 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:31.880 true with tariffs as well. This, of course on a 0:12:32.200 --> 0:12:34.319 major foreign policy level, and debate. 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:36.400 About the Warpowers Act is not exclusive to this president. 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.680 This was an issue for Democratic presidents, it's an issue 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:41.480 for Republican This has been as long as we've covered Washington, 0:12:41.600 --> 0:12:44.080 this has been something Congress has complained about. But to me, 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:47.360 the fact that usually when you hear presidents announce strikes 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:50.520 like this, they dance around this specifically so they don't 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.360 come into direct conduct. What does it tell you about 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:55.880 the power dynamic between Congress and this White House that 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:58.200 the President is outright saying this is a war, It 0:12:58.240 --> 0:12:59.960 could be protracted, and there could be American case. 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:02.560 I think it's just another example of the strengthening of 0:13:02.600 --> 0:13:05.600 the executive that has happened under President Trump's second term. 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:08.560 I mean, he has claimed powers in many times, many 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.559 ways that are not his. He has used executive orders 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:14.240 to govern more so than legislation, which is not to 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:17.640 downplay the legislation, the legislative victories that he also had 0:13:17.640 --> 0:13:20.520 in terms of tax cuts, and that has been attention 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:24.359 point in Washington. It's been attention point with certainly with Democrats. 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.920 The question is whether Democrat Republicans, rather as Joe was 0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:32.559 referencing earlier, are going to rise up against that as well. 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:34.520 Certainly I can guarantee you if. 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:37.080 This were a Democratic president in office, they would not 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:37.920 be standing for this. 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:39.520 But that has been a. 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:42.880 Hallmark character that has been a hallmark of the Republican 0:13:42.920 --> 0:13:45.760 response to President Trump's second term is that they don't 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:49.120 stand up. So will this be a line that they 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:50.000 feel he's crossed? 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:52.959 TVD Jamani, you heard Dan talking about the alignment in 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:55.880 those statements between Prime Minister and net Nyahu and President Trump. 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:58.880 I want to ask you about how effectively golf leaders 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.240 have been able to make their case to President Trump 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:02.640 in the run up to all of this. We saw 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.160 that inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:07.160 d C. Many golf leaders party to that, and we're 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:11.480 present for that first meeting. I guess there is some 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.280 inherent ineffectiveness here, but what is that level of communication, 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:16.839 the quality of that communication like between golf leaders and 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:17.720 the president right now? 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:20.520 I mean, you've got to be thinking that, You've got 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:22.200 to be thinking they're working on the channels. We just 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:25.280 got a statement put out by the Saudi Arabian Pharmastry 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:27.960 calling for an immediate de escalation, saying that they stand 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:31.720 in unity with their golf allies in the region, the 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:34.720 ones who had been targeted and for Golf states, look, 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:39.840 this is of utmost priority. The escalation is of utmost priority. 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:43.200 And I think you know, when it comes to the 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:46.400 relationship with Iran, I wouldn't say that there's a huge 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:49.240 amount of love lost between many of these Golf nations 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:52.360 and the Iranian regime. But that being said, for them, 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:55.600 what is more important in the region in the context 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:59.080 of their own economic visions, because many of these countries 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:04.080 are undergoing ECONO trans transformation, is political stability, and that 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:06.520 has been a consistent theme. If you speak to the 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:09.760 leaders in these various Gulf states, they will tell you 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:13.880 that they don't want this crisis to spiral out of control. 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:18.320 And viewers may recall that a couple of years ago, 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:21.520 twenty twenty three, that was actually a mediation that was 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:26.080 brokered by China between Saudi Arabia and Iran to sort 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:30.400 of restore diplomatic relationships or both sides pledged non interference 0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:32.280 in each other's affairs, and that was a big step. 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:33.360 It was a big mouthpone in. 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:38.600 The region because you may also recall that in prior incidents, 0:15:39.080 --> 0:15:43.800 Saudi IRANQO facilities in Kai were also subject to retaliation 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:47.280 from Iran. So this time around, they've been working very 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:49.720 aggressively the last couple of years to ensure that those 0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:52.320 type of strikes don't happen again. And yet here we 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:55.800 are on a daylight today where every single US based 0:15:55.880 --> 0:15:59.480 military base, or not every single but every single country 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:03.400 that is ho staying at US base has been targeted 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:07.600 with the Iranian retaliation. So they would be looking upon 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:11.600 this with a lot of consternation concern about what happens next. 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:16.120 Obviously pushing for a big de escalation here, working those 0:16:16.120 --> 0:16:21.520 diplomatic channels, but it's unlikely at this point that things 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:25.120 can calm down or de escalate because the messaging that's 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:27.600 come through, at least from the Israeli side, is that 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:30.280 this is an operation that's going to go on for days, 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:32.280 and as long as that happens, you would think that 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:36.440 also the Gulf States and their assets, the US assets 0:16:36.440 --> 0:16:38.520 in the region will continue to be targets. 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:41.840 I also want to update our audience. Coordney Supermann, in 0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:44.360 our White House correspondent in mar Lago with the President 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:47.280 updates us and confirms that we are not expected to 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:51.400 get further remarks from President Trump today. Dan, I want 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:53.640 to go to you and ask about President Trump and 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:57.080 the relationship between him and Benjamin Netanyahu. This has been 0:16:57.440 --> 0:16:59.800 two leaders who were very close and then had it 0:16:59.840 --> 0:17:01.800 been of a tiff, the romance seemed to be over, 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:06.960 and then it has reignited in recent months. The Prime 0:17:06.960 --> 0:17:09.879 Minister was recently at the White House and sources were 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:11.879 telling me Israel officials were coming out of that meeting. 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:15.440 The word they used was giddy. Flashboard. A few weeks 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:18.280 later and we have this joint strike on Iran. Talk 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:21.199 to us about that relationship and how much influence you 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:23.480 think then has over President Trump when it comes to 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:24.440 taking action in Iran. 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:28.240 I think he has a great deal of influence. 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:31.240 Indeed, there was something of a falling out in between 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:36.359 the two Trump administrations. Famously, Trump, then out of office 0:17:36.359 --> 0:17:40.920 in mar Lago, used the effort about Nita. I was 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:43.840 unhappy about these radiister Prime Minister being so quick to 0:17:43.880 --> 0:17:48.600 recognize President Biden's election win. I think that's all well 0:17:48.640 --> 0:17:50.800 in the past. I didn't there's any dispute. I think 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:53.159 President Trump would be the first to agree with this. 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:56.679 This is a president who really enjoys success and ad 0:17:56.760 --> 0:18:01.520 Maya's success, and I think after the catastrophe of October seventh. 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:04.840 The way these readly government and military were blindsided by 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:08.399 that Hamas attack two and a half years ago. Ntanneo, 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:11.560 veteran prime minister, the longest serving prime minister, with his 0:18:11.640 --> 0:18:15.440 eye firmly on his historical legacy and also the needs 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:18.720 of the country in the given moment, put his mind 0:18:18.840 --> 0:18:21.560 not just to turning around the situation in Gaza, but 0:18:21.600 --> 0:18:26.000 effectively revolutionizing revolutionary bring about revolutionary. 0:18:25.480 --> 0:18:27.480 Change to the Middle East at large. 0:18:27.640 --> 0:18:31.120 Israel went on the offensive on several fronts against other 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:35.720 Iranian allies. Hamas has enjoyed Iranian patronage for a very 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.920 long time, as has Hizballah in Lebanon, Shiite groups in Iraq, 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:43.520 certain groups in Syria until very recently, and then again 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:47.640 the Huthis in Yemen are also aligned with Iran and 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:50.200 now Israel with a healthy United States, it took taking 0:18:50.240 --> 0:18:54.600 on Iran directly. So I think what's clear here is 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:57.320 that Trump has been persuaded. It may have been by 0:18:57.640 --> 0:18:59.920 other forces, may have been for his own reading of history. 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:04.200 He'll be someone who will remember the Iran Crisis of 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:07.520 nineteen seventy nine, the Iranian Revolution, when the US embassy 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:10.880 was taken over and many of the staff held hostage 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:11.480 for a long time. 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:12.919 He will be aware of that. 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.760 There are also US allegations that Iran has been behind 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:19.720 assassination attempts or at least one against this president, who 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:24.680 survived two assassination attempts, active assassination attempts in recent months. 0:19:25.000 --> 0:19:28.000 So it would appear a combination of the council of 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:31.280 the Israeli Prime minister, prime minister he trusts to get 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:34.520 the job done and potentially to give him a solid 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:37.560 accounting of the realities of the Middle East and his 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:41.879 own ideas about his historical place or US priorities in 0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:44.560 the Middle East, and how US interests might be served. 0:19:44.560 --> 0:19:46.600 By seeing a change of regime in Iran. 0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:49.400 It seems that they've coalesced in this day that we've seen, 0:19:49.440 --> 0:19:52.639 and also, as noted six months ago in June, they 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:56.760 stressed this relationship with the United States joining the Israelis 0:19:56.800 --> 0:20:00.080 in what was then a surprise attack against Iran. The 0:20:00.160 --> 0:20:02.359 US joined in, and now they joined in at the 0:20:02.400 --> 0:20:05.840 outset with the US prepositioning planes in Israel, which. 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:07.080 Itself is without precedence. 0:20:07.440 --> 0:20:09.840 So yes, there is a very tight relationship between these 0:20:09.880 --> 0:20:12.879 men that goes well beyond the rapul to what appears 0:20:12.880 --> 0:20:14.680 to be a common understanding of the Middle East. 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:17.320 Joe, at a moment like this, one tends to look 0:20:17.359 --> 0:20:19.560 back on what happened in the preceding days. You were 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:22.240 on Capitol Hill for the State of the Union, watching 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:25.320