‘DEAL OR NO SURRENDER’: Trump gives Iran ONE last chance...

>> Martha: SO PRESIDENT TRUMP, IN A LENGTHY APPEARANCE FROM THE. OVAL OFFICE THIS AFTERNOON, BASICALLY SAID THERE ARE TWO. OPTIONS FOR TEHRAN. A DEAL, WHICH HE SAYS HE'S. GIVING THEM ONE LAST CHANCE TO. COME TO THE TABLE ON. OR TOTAL SURRENDER AFTER HE. CALLED OFF HIS BOMBING CAMPAIGN. THAT MAY HAVE LASTED A COUPLE. WEEKS IF IT WAS BROUGHT IN ITS. FULL FORCE. HERE'S THE PRESIDENT JUST A.

SHORT TIME AGO. >> IT WAS GONNA COME LAST NIGHT, AND IT WOULD HAVE GONE ON FOR A. LONG TIME AND THERE WOULD BE. ESSENTIALLY LITTLE LEFT. THERERE WOULD BE NOTHING LEFT. IF I HAD GIVEN A CHANCE TO LET A. LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE, I WOULD GIVE. THAT CHANCE. I'M UNDER NO TIME CONSTRAINTS. >> Martha: LET'S LOOK AT THIS. FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE. WE BRING IN RETIRED FOUR STAR. GENERAL JOSEPH VOTEL FORMER. CENTCOM COMMANDER, WHICH IS THE.

LEADERSHIP IN THIS REGION. GENERAL, ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU. WITH US. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING. ME TODAY. THIS IS THE REACTION FROM. GENERAL JACK KEANE EARLIER TODAY. ON OUR AIR WHEN HE WAS ASKED. ABOUT THIS SAUDI INFLUENCE THAT. HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES DURING. THE COURSE OF THE LAST SIX. MONTHS ABOUT A PULL BACK FROM. MILITARY ACTION THAT LOOKED. IMMINENT. WATCH. >> THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE. SAUDIS ARE NOT WILLING TO.

SACRIFICE TO RID THE MIDDLE EAST. REGION OF IRAN'S AGGRESSION. THAT IS THE ABSOLUTE FACT THAT. WE ARE SEEING PLAYING OUT HERE. WHAT DO I MEAN BY SACRIFICE? CASUALTIES AND THE DAMAGE TO. SOME OIL RESERVES. THAT'S THE REALITY THAT'S TAKING. PLACE HERE. THEY ARE WANTING US TO MAKE THAT. SACRIFICE FOR SURE. >> Martha: DO YOU AGREE WITH. THAT, GENERAL? >> WELL, CERTAINLY -- FIRST OF. ALL, GREAT TO BE WITH YOU, MARTHA. CERTAINLY, THERE'S BEEN A. SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ALL THE. GULF PARTNERS OVER THE LAST SIX.

MONTHS OF THIS WAR. TOP OF THE LIST HAS BEEN KINGDOM. OF SAUDI ARABIA. THEY'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT. RETRACTION OF THEIR REVENUES. FROM OIL 25R7BD% OR SO WHICH IS. SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING THEM. SO THEY ARE MAKING DECISIONS IN. THEIR OWN INTERESTS RIGHT NOW. WHETHER THOSE ARE GOOD DECISIONS. OR NOT, TIME WILL TELL DOWN THE. LINE. BUT THEY ARE CERTAINLY MAKING. DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THEIR OWN.

INTERESTS RIGHT NOW. >> Martha: WE COULD DIG IN ON. THAT BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT. BRAD COOPER, THE CURRENT CENTCOM. COMMANDER. WE UNDERSTAND, ACCORDING TO. REPORTING, THAT CENTCOM WAS. ASKED ABOUT THIS. YOU SEE THE REPORTERS ON THE. BOTTOM. SAYS COOPER HAS LONG LABORED. WITH A BUREAUCRATIC.

DISADVANTAGE. HE LACKS THE EASY ACCESS THAT. KEANE HAS TO THE OVAL OFFICE. THE VAST MESSAGES HAVE BEEN. DELIVERED BY CAINE AND HEGSETH. HE HAS ONLY BEEN BRIEFED A. HANDFUL OF TIMES SINCE THE WAR. BEGAN. THE SUGGESTION HERE IS THAT. COOPER BELIEVES THAT MILITARY. FORCE COULD DELIVER A. DEVASTATING BODY BLOW IF HE'S. GIVEN THE LEEWAY TO DO IT. WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A. FOREIGN COMMANDER, WE RELIED ON. THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND THE. CHAIRMAN TO EXERCISE THEIR. RESPONSIBILITIES AND CARRY BEST. MILITARY ADVICE TO THE PRESIDENT. OF THE UNITED STATES. THEY INTERACT WITH HIM OR HER ON. A REGULAR BASIS. AND SO THAT'S THEIR JOB. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. AND ON OCCASION I HAD THE. OPPORTUNITY TO TALK DIRECTLY TO. THE PRESIDENT. I'M SURE ADMIRAL COOPER HAS AS. WELL. I MEAN, AGAIN, LOT OF THIS IS. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE FOR WHICH.

PEOPLE ARE OPERATING. ADMIRAL COOPER IS LOOKING AT A. MILITARY PROBLEM THAT HE HAS IN. THE REGION RIGHT NOW. HE HAS RESOURCES AT HIS DISPOSAL. AND HE WANTS TO USE THOSE, I. THINK, TO BRING THOSE TO A. CONCLUSION. >> Martha: THAT'S HIS JOB, AS. YOU SAY, TO COME UP WITH. MILITARY SOLUTIONS, TO PRESENT. THEM TO THE PRESIDENT AND TO SEE. WHERE IT GOES. HE'S LARGELY SEEN AS SOMEONE WHO. HAS JUST A VERY UNIQUE. PERSPECTIVE AND HANDLE ON THE. REGION, AS YOU DID AS WELL, IN.

THAT ROLE. A LOT OF WISDOM AND EXPERTISE ON. WHAT CAN AND COULD BE DONE. GENERA.