WEBVTT - Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton Talks Mideast Peace Talks

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<v Speaker 1>Gaza.

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<v Speaker 2>Peace talks underway in the Middle East between Israel and

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<v Speaker 2>international mediators, Axios reporting some progress was made on the

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<v Speaker 2>first day of discussion, citing US officials. This coming as

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<v Speaker 2>Israel braces for a possible attack from Iran. Joining US

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<v Speaker 2>now is Ambassador John Bolton, former US National Security Advisor

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<v Speaker 2>and former Ambassador to the UN. Ambassador Bolton, thank you

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<v Speaker 2>so much for being with us. I want to start

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<v Speaker 2>with what you think of the recent talks underway and

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<v Speaker 2>why you think Iran has not retaliated yet.

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<v Speaker 3>Well.

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<v Speaker 4>With respect to the talks, the administration saying making progress.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, they've been saying making progress on these talks

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<v Speaker 4>for about four or five months now and never seem

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<v Speaker 4>to get to the finish line. I think there's still

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<v Speaker 4>enormous gaps between the Israeli position and the Hamas position.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm not saying a miracle couldn't happen. It happens in

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<v Speaker 4>the Middle East from time to time, but I wouldn't

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<v Speaker 4>look forward.

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<v Speaker 3>I do think.

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<v Speaker 4>Iran has hesitated to retaliate for the killing of Ismail Hania,

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<v Speaker 4>the Hamas leader in Tehran. They need to strike back.

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<v Speaker 4>I think very strongly they've been humiliated by what Israel

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<v Speaker 4>did killing this terrorist leader in their capital in a

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<v Speaker 4>secure compound with a bomb planted two months before. It

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<v Speaker 4>shows nobody in Iran is safe from Israel, including the

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<v Speaker 4>Supreme Leader. On the other hand, the Iranian leaders are

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<v Speaker 4>also intimidated by bb Netan, Yahoo, and israel I think

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<v Speaker 4>this time they are worried that the US will not

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<v Speaker 4>be able to pressure Israel into a limited response as

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<v Speaker 4>Israel did after the three hundred and twenty drone and

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<v Speaker 4>missile assault on Israel from Iran's territory some months ago. Really,

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<v Speaker 4>Iran is more intimidated by Israel than it is by

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<v Speaker 4>the Biden administration. So they've got a difficult decision how

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<v Speaker 4>strong a response to make to restore their own very

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<v Speaker 4>damaged credibility versus their fear of what Israel would then

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<v Speaker 4>do to them.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, in April, when those three hundred missiles were flying over,

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<v Speaker 1>it was because of the US defense that Israel's able

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<v Speaker 1>to fend them off, Ambassador, Given your level of intel

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<v Speaker 1>regarding Iran, how can they retaliate but also try to

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<v Speaker 1>not strike this cycle of endless retaliations back and forth.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, let's come back to the April attack. Wall Street

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<v Speaker 4>Journal and CBS reported that of the one hundred and

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<v Speaker 4>twenty ballistic missiles that Iran fired at Israel, sixty never

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<v Speaker 4>made it within range to be shot down. They either

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<v Speaker 4>blew up on the launch pad or crashed before they

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<v Speaker 4>got close enough, which speaks to the quality of Iran's

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<v Speaker 4>ballistic missile force. But if there had been one hundred

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<v Speaker 4>and twenty rather than sixty ballistic missiles in the skies

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<v Speaker 4>over Israel, I don't think it would have been such

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<v Speaker 4>a good performance. The cycle that's at work here is

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<v Speaker 4>caused by Iran. Look, this is not a war between

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<v Speaker 4>Palestinians or Gozans and Israel. This is a war by

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<v Speaker 4>Iran against Israel, what they themselves call the ring of

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<v Speaker 4>Fire strategy. And as long as the current regime in

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<v Speaker 4>Tehran is in power, seeking nuclear weapons, arming, equipping, training, financing,

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<v Speaker 4>giving intelligence to multiple terrorist groups in the region, threatening

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<v Speaker 4>not only Israel but the golf Arab states too, there's

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<v Speaker 4>going to be conflict. And what's driving Israel and the

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<v Speaker 4>golf Arabs closer together is they all see Iran as

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<v Speaker 4>the main strategic threat, and they think the United States

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<v Speaker 4>is feckless.

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<v Speaker 1>As these sees fire talks continue. Do you agree with

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<v Speaker 1>the idea that Iran could potentially use those if they

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<v Speaker 1>were to Incadeal use that as an off ramp to

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<v Speaker 1>not retaliate.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, they may want to use it as an off ramp,

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<v Speaker 4>but I think it would be a big blow to

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<v Speaker 4>Iran's prestige. You know, they're not exactly stepping up here

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<v Speaker 4>to take responsibility for what happened to Hamas after the

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<v Speaker 4>October seven attack, and they've also not been able yet

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<v Speaker 4>to persuade Hezbalalah to use its unbelievably large arsenal of

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<v Speaker 4>missiles against Israel. So as I say, I think it's

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<v Speaker 4>the fear of further Israeli retaliation that has the Iranians intimidated.

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<v Speaker 5>With that retaliation coming from Israel if Ron does do

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<v Speaker 5>some sort of large attack. Ambassador Bolton, what is the

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<v Speaker 5>ability of the US and its allies to reign in

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<v Speaker 5>Netanyahu's response?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I'm sure that the Biden administration will want to

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<v Speaker 4>rein them in. They've been afraid of this issue and

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<v Speaker 4>the war in Ukraine dominating the news in the United

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<v Speaker 4>States because it shows a world in chaos due to

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<v Speaker 4>three and a half years of American weakness. Really, what

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<v Speaker 4>they would like to see is this go away until

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<v Speaker 4>after election day, even though Biden's no longer running himself.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, Frankly, I think the lesson to be learned

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<v Speaker 4>is that the prospect of a really forceful Israeli response

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<v Speaker 4>if Israel comes back at them, shows that a strong

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<v Speaker 4>posture toward these rogue states is the way to go.

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<v Speaker 4>And Iran has a lot to fear from Israel. It

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<v Speaker 4>should have a lot to fear from the United States,

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<v Speaker 4>but at the moment it doesn't.

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<v Speaker 5>And Ambassador a lot of times when we're talking about

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<v Speaker 5>this retaliation, even if Iran would like to do that

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<v Speaker 5>without provoking a response, the question always comes into the fore,

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<v Speaker 5>what is the likelihood that mistakes are made, mistakes are

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<v Speaker 5>made that escalate things further, and that there's been this

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<v Speaker 5>conversation that it won't just be around this time, but

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<v Speaker 5>Hesbelah as well, are the aws for mistakes higher by

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<v Speaker 5>involving proxy forces in the retaliation to the retaliation to

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<v Speaker 5>the retaliation.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, look, I think you have to look at what

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<v Speaker 4>the strategic picture is. There is a regional war in

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<v Speaker 4>the Middle East now of Iran against Israel on five fronts.

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<v Speaker 4>Hezbalah from Lebanon Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the hoodies

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<v Speaker 4>that have closed the Suez Canal red Sea passage, one

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<v Speaker 4>of the most important commercial shipping channels in the world,

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<v Speaker 4>closed effectively since October. The Shia militia in Iraq and

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<v Speaker 4>Syria that have been attacking American positions and Iran itself,

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<v Speaker 4>and the question is how do they dial up one

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<v Speaker 4>or the other. Israel does fear Hesbelah's arsenal, which in

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<v Speaker 4>public estimates this is an extraordinary number. But public estimates

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<v Speaker 4>are that Hezbola has between one hundred and twenty and

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<v Speaker 4>one hundred and fifty thousand missiles, which would obviously be

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<v Speaker 4>enough to overwhelm Israel's air defenses, and leads to the question,

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<v Speaker 4>if they really think it's about to happen, might not

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<v Speaker 4>Israel strike first.

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<v Speaker 3>It's complicated. It's not mistakes.

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<v Speaker 4>It's the fact that the leadership in Tehran is determined

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<v Speaker 4>to destroy the Little Satan.

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<v Speaker 3>That's what's at work here.

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<v Speaker 1>Ambassador Bolton. Yesterday we heard from Foreign President Donald Trump,

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<v Speaker 1>who you worked for it. I'm not looking to be

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<v Speaker 1>bad to Iran. We're going to be friendly, I hope

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<v Speaker 1>with Iran. Maybe, but maybe not. But we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>be friendly. I hope we're going to be friendly. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you know what Trump two point zero's policy towards Iran

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<v Speaker 1>potentially will look like.

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<v Speaker 3>Look, he has no idea what it will look like.

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<v Speaker 4>People who look at what happened in the first term

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<v Speaker 4>and believe that it'll be the same in the second term,

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<v Speaker 4>I think are are mistaken.

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<v Speaker 3>It's always possible.

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<v Speaker 4>But remember Trump almost met with Iran's then foreign minister

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<v Speaker 4>job At Zarief at the ba ritz G seventh Summit

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<v Speaker 4>in August of twenty nineteen. Emmanuel mccron, the President of France,

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<v Speaker 4>had Zarif in a villa in bea Ritz almost persuaded

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<v Speaker 4>Trump to do it. The attraction to Donald Trump of

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<v Speaker 4>making a deal with anybody is hard to quantify. It

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<v Speaker 4>really goes off the charts, and it could be the

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<v Speaker 4>same way in a second term. That's why I think

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<v Speaker 4>there's a certain amount of pressure on the Israelis if

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<v Speaker 4>they're going to do something, to do it now rather

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<v Speaker 4>than to wait for the uncertainty of the American election.

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<v Speaker 2>Ambassador John Bolton, thank you so much for taking the

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<v Speaker 2>time