JUST IN: Trump expects mediators to hold more Iran talks

MIKE: NOW TO THE MIDDLE EAST, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS REJECTED. IRAN'S PROPOSAL FOR A SEVEN-DAY. CEASEFIRE TO REOPEN THE CRITICAL. WATERWAY, THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IT COMES AS IRAN'S PRESIDENT. SAYS THAT DESPITE A, QUOTE, ATMOSPHERE OF DISTRUST, TEHRAN. WOULD ALLOW U.N. NUCLEAR. INSPECTORS INTO THE COUNTRY AS. PART OF A LONG-TERM DEAL. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT JEFF PAUL. IS LIVE WITH THE LATEST FROM TEL. AVIV.

HI, JEFF. >> Reporter: HEY THERE. YEAH, WE ARE LEARNING TODAY THAT. ACCORDING TO AXIOS, PRESIDENT. TRUMP EXPECTS MEDIATORS TO. ENGAGE IN MORE TALKS THIS WEEK. WITH IRAN. BUT ACCORDING TO IRAN'S FOREIGN. MINISTER, ARAGHCHI, HE SAYS A. LOT OF CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS. HAVE BEEN MADE BY PRESIDENT. TRUMP LATELY, AND HE'S STILL. WAITING ON A FORMAL RESPONSE. FROM MEDIATORS REGARDING THE. LATEST CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL. [SPEAKING IN NATIVE TONGUE]. >> TRANSLATOR: THERE WILL BE NO. SOLUTION OTHER THAN A NEGOTIATED. SOLULUTION BASED ON DIGNITY AND.

JUSTICE. ONE THAT SECURES THE RIGHTS OF. THE IRANIAN PEOPLE AND FULFILLS. THE DEMANDS OF THE IRANIAN. PEOPLE. WHICH ARE LEGITIMATE DEMANDS. ONLY A NEGOTIATED SOLUTION CAN. GET THEM OUT OF THIS DEADLOCK. >> Reporter: IRAN HAS PROPOSED. REOPENING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IN SEVEN DAYS IF THE U.S. AGREES. TO END IT MILITARY BLOCKADE, RELEASE ITS FROZEN IRANIAN. ASSETS AND WAIVES IRANIAN OIL. SANCTIONS. IT'S A VERY SIMILAR PROPOSAL TO. THE PREVIOUS MEMORANDUM OF.

UNDERSTANDING THAT WAS TORN UP. AFTER IRAN STARTED FIRING ON. SHIPS AGAIN IN THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ. WHAT'S DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW IS. THE ECONOMIC PRESSURE BEING. APPLIED TO TEHRAN AS WELL AS THE. U.S. MIDTERM ELECTIONS THAT ARE. COMING UP. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS IRAN ONLY. WANTS TO MAKE A DEAL RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE THEY ARE LOSING SO. BADLY. WHEN REFERENCING THE U.S. ECONOMY TODAY, TRUMP HAD THIS TO. SAY ABOUT IRAN --. >> -- WILL COME DROPPING DOWN AS. SOON AS IRAN GIVES UP, AS SOON. AS THE WAR IS OVER WHICH WILL BE.

SOON. OIL IS GOING TO COME PLUMMETING. DOWN, AND OIL PRICES ARE COMING. DOWN -- ALL PRICES ARE COMING. DOWN. WE'RE TAKING TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS. OF OIL OUT. LAST NIGHT WE TOOK A RECORD OUT. FROM THE HORMUZ STRAIT, MORE. THAN WE TOOK OUT BEFORE THE WAR. >> Reporter: NOW, DESPITE. THOSE COMMENTS FROM PRESIDENT. TRUMP, THE WHITE HOUSE. CONFIRMING THAT U.S. OFFICIALS. ARE ENGAGING IN POSITIVE AND. CONSTRUCTIVE TALKS WITH. MEDIATORS. BACK TO YOU. MIKE: JEFF, YOU'RE THERE IN THE. REGION. ARE PEOPLE IN ISRAEL AND ACROSS.

THE REGION HOPEFUL THERE WILL BE. A DEAL SOMETIME SOON, OR ARE. THEY WORRIED THIS COULD DRAG ON. FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME? >> Reporter: I DIDN'T -- ON. THE GROUND ESPECIALLY IN ISRAEL. THINK THIS IS GOING TO DRAG ON. FOR SOME TIME. THERE ISN'T MUCH TRUST IN IRAN. OR IRAN JANUARY NEGOTIATORS. THEY FEEL -- IRANIAN. NEGOTIATORS. THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN HERE. BEFORE, THEY'VE HEARD SAME SORT. OF TALK THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO. GET BACK TO THE TABLE AND. NEGOTIATE AND THEN ONCE SOME. SORT OF AGREEMENT IS AGREED TO,

THERE'S A HOLD-UP, AND JUST THE. SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THAT IS THE FEELING HERE ON THE. GROUND. OF COURSE, EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE. A DEAL GET ACROSS THE LINE, BUT. AT WHAT COST AND AT WHAT EXPENSE. TO REGIONAL PARTNERS LIKE. ISRAEL, THE UAE AND OTHERS WHO. ARE WATCHING ALL OF THIS VERY. CLOSELY. MIKE? MIKE: JEFF PAUL LIVE IN TEL. AVIV. JEFF, THANKS VERY MUCH. >>> "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" IS. REPORTING IRAN HAS A, QUOTE, SECRET WEAPON IN ITS WAR WITH. AMERICA, AND THAT IS HELP FROM.

CHINA. LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL. PROFESSOR OF U.S.-ASIA RELATIONS. AT HARVARD'S KENNEDY SCHOOL AND. GREG -- FORMER NAVY COMMANDER. GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO BOTH OF. YOU. >> GAD, TO BE HERE -- GLAD TO BE. HERE. MIKE: GREG, WHERE IS YOUR. ASSESSMENT OF WHERE THINGS STAND. WITH IRAN RIGHT NOW? >> WELL, I THINK THE VISIT WITH. PRESIDENT XI REALLY KIND OF SET. THE STAGE FOR ALL OF US AND. PARTICULARLY FOR THE PRESIDENT. WHERE YOU CAN HAVE NOT A SUMMIT,

BUT RATHER A RELATIONSHIP TO. ENSURE THAT IRAN CAN BE. CONTAINED. AND THAT DIALOGUE WITH XI, I. THINK, WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO. THAT. YOU KNOW, CHINA RIGHT NOW. RECEIVES ABOUT 20% OF ITS OIL. FROM IRAN, AND IT'S CRITICAL. THAT THAT HAS DECLINED FROM 40%. THE IRANIANS ITSELF, OBVIOUSLY. SINCE FEBRUARY 28TH, HAVE BEEN. IN THE SAME RHETORICAL POSITION. WHERE THEY CAN CLAIM ALL THREATS. THEY WISH TO CLAIM. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY HAVE NONE. OF THE NAVY, NONE OF THE. WEAPONS, NONE OF THE CAPABILITY.

AND NONE OF THE FORCES IN ORDER. TO COMBAT THE UNITED STATES OR. THREATEN US ANYMORE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE BLOCKADES. ARE WORKING. EVERY NINE DAYS THAT GO BY TAKES. OUT OVER A YEAR OF REVENUE THAT. THE IRANIANS WOULD TYPICALLY. RECEIVE. SO IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE. THE BLOCKADE HOLDS, AND OUR. REGIONAL PARTNERS ARE FINALLY. CLAMPING DOWN THROUGH THE. TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S ACTION AS. WELL AS EVEN THINGS AS SMALL AS. NO MORE FLIGHTS FROM IRAN INTO.

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES IN. PARTICULAR. MIKE: I WANT TO PLAY SOME SOUND. FROM U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. DAVID PERDUE, AND I'LL GET YOUR. ANALYSIS, PROFESSOR. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR SOME TIME. HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT ANY. HELP THAT CHINA WOULD GIVE IRAN. WHETHER IT BE INTELLIGENCE OR. PARTS OR DIRECT MILITARY. EQUIPMENT WOULD BE TOTALLY. UNACCEPTABLE. HE REITERATED THAT THIS WEEK. PRESIDENT XI ASSURED HIM THAT. CHANGES HAD BEEN MADE, THAT THEY. WERE LOOKING INTO IT, THEY HAD. LOOKED INTO IT. AND IS WE SEEM SOME D -- SEE.

SOME IMPROVEMENT, BUT IT'S AN. ONGOING EFFORT WE HAVE, TO MAKE. SURE THAT THEY STAY OUT OF THAT. MIKE: PROFESSOR, WHAT DO YOU. MAKE OF CHINA'S ROLE IN HELPING. IRAN? >> WELL, I THINK AMBASSADOR PER. DUE HAS GOT THAT EXACTLY RIGHT. ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO. NOTE IS THAT CHINA IS NOT ONLY, OF COURSE, FRIENDLY WITH IRAN. AND DOES, OF COURSE, AS GREG'S. JUST SAID BUY A SIGNIFICANT. PORTION OF ITS OIL, IT'S ALSO. FRIENDLY WITH SAUDI ARABIA AND. SOME OF THE OTHER MAJOR. COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UAE. WHICH ARE INVOLVED IN THIS. CONFLICT. SO CHINA'S OVERALL AIM IN THIS.

CASE IS NOT ACTUALLY TO GET A. VICTORY FOR IRAN, IT'S TO MAKE. SURE THAT CHINA'S INTERESTS ARE. NOT HARMED IN THE REGION. THEY WANT THAT OIL FLOW. THEY WANT IT FROM SAUDI, FROM. IRAN, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE. ALSO THAT THE REGION IS STABLE. THEY'VE GOT LOT OF INVESTMENTS. IN AIRS -- AREAS SUCH AS. TECHNOLOGY IN PLACES LIKE THE. UAE WHERE THEY HAVE A SCIENCE. COLLABORATION AND, THEREFORE, FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, AGAIN, I THINK ACTUALLY AMBASSADOR. PERDUE IS RIGHT, GETTING TO A. PLACE WHERE CHINA GETS A STABLE. GULF IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THEY. WOULD FAVOR. OF COURSE, THEY WANT WANT TO.

MAKE THE EFFORT TO DO IT. THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT MUCH. ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT ANYTIME, BUT. THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR AN. IRANIAN VICTIMSLY. THEY'VE LOOKING FOR A STABLE. REGION. MIKE: GREG, WE'RE LOOKING AT. PHOTOS OF THE STATE VISIT OF. PRESIDENT XI COMING TO THE WHITE. HOUSE THIS WEEK. DO YOU BELIEVE PRESIDENT TRUMP. WAS EFFECTIVE IN TELLING XI TO. BACK OFF WHEN IT COMES TO THE. IRANIAN REGIME. >> OH, CATEGORICALLY. LOOK, THIS WAS NOT A SUMMIT, AS. I SAID BEFORE. THIS WAS A STATE VISIT. STATE VISITS ARE FOR.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. AND THE PRESIDENT IS MORE. SKILLFUL THAN ANYONE IN PREVIOUS. HISTORY ABOUT FORMING THESE. RELATIONSHIPS, KNOWING WHOM HE'S. DEALING WITH AND UNDERSTANDING. PARTICULARLY WHAT THE STAKES ARE. AND ALSO LETTING THOSE POTENTIAL. ENEMIES KNOW EXACTLY WHERE. AMERICA STANDS AND HOW WE HAVE. TO TREAT THIS. YOU KNOW, AS THE PROFESSOR HAD. STATED EARLIER HERE, CHINA'S. INTERESTED IN COMMERCE. THEY MUST EXPORT. AND THE INTERESTING STAKE THAT'S.

HAPPENED HERE RECENTLY IS THAT. IN 2024 WHEN THE PRESIDENT CAME. IN, THE TRADE IMBALANCE WAS. PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. IT WAS $300 BILLION IN FAVOR OF. CHINA, AND NOW RIGHT NOW IT IS. ESCALATING DOWN TO AROUND $140. BILLION. THAT'S NEARLY HALF WHAT IT WAS. BEFORE. SO THE UNITED STATES IS. PROGRESSING, IT'S WINNING. IT LETS ITS ENEMY KNOW EXACTLY. WHERE WE STAND AND HOW IMPORTANT. THIS IS TO THE UNITED STATES. ITSELF. MIKE: GENTLEMEN, I'M SORRY OUR. TIME IS SHORT DUE TO ALL T.