‘MARTYRDOM WATCH’: Iran’s supreme leader is nowhere to be found

>> President Trump: I THINK IT. WILL INCREASE. I DON'T THINK THEY CAN GO MUCH. LONGER. I THINK WE'RE DOING VERY WELL. I'M INVOLVED IN THE. NEGOTIATIONS. I THINK WE'RE DOING FINE. IT COULD BE SOON. >> Harris: WELL, YOU HEARD THE. PRESIDENT SAY HE IS PERSONALLY. INVOLVED AT THIS POINT TO END. THE WAR IN IRAN. THOSE TALKS. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE SAID THE. DIPLOMATIC PATH WILL NOT BE AN. EASY ONE. >> I CAN CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MAINLY. LOOKING AT THIS SAYING IT SEEMS. LIKE WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND. IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE NOT. REALITY IS NUMBER ONE THE. IRANIANS ARE EXTRAORDINARILY. DIFFICULT PEOPLE. NUMBER TWO, THEY HAVE A. FRACTURED SYSTEM. THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THEIR. SYSTEM WHO WANT THE WAR TO BE. OVER. ALSO PEOPLE WITHIN THEIR SYSTEM. CRAZY RADICALS WHO WANT THE WAR. TO CONTINUE. >> Harris: WHILE BOTH SIDES SAY. A DEAL IS CLOSE, THE. ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT HAS RULED. OUT ANY AGREEMENT THAT WOULD. CEMENT IRAN'S GRIP OVER THE.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ. HOWEVER, IRAN HAS INSISTED ON. SOME MEASURE OF CONTROL AND WE. KNOW THEY WOULD LOVE TO DO A. DEAL ALONG WITH OMAN FOR CASH AS. PEOPLE COME THROUGH THE STRAIT. VICTORIA COATES, VICE PRESIDENT. OF NATIONAL SECURITY AT THE. HERITAGE FOUNDATION AND FORMER. DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR. TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. TELL ME WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF. DEALING WITH WHAT VICE PRESIDENT. VANCE CALLS THOSE DIFFICULT. PEOPLE ON THE GROUND. >> GREAT TO SEE YOU. I THINK THE VICE PRESIDENT ALSO.

USED A VERY IMPORTANT WORD IN. THAT CLIP WHICH IS FRACTURED. THAT IS REALLY WHAT IS HAPPENING. INSIDE IRAN. WE CAN'T REALLY SEE IT. IT IS QUITE OPAQUE FOR US BUT. THE REPORT WE GETS ARE NOT GOOD. FOR THE REGIME. WIDESPREAD REPORTS THAT THE. SUPREME LEADER IS ON MARTYRDOM. WATCH. THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE WOULD NOT. BE SURPRISED TO RECEIVE WORD OF. HIS MARTYRDOM SOON. WE THINK IT IS RICHLY DESERVED. WE HAVE THAT. WE HAVE SOME BREAKDOWN IN THEIR. ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

THEIR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND, THEIR SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND IS. FAILING. OIL COMPANIES HAVING ACCOUNTS. FROZEN. I THINK WE'RE SEEING A SLOW. MOTION TRAIN WRECK THERE AND. PRESIDENT IS CORRECT THAT. PURSUED DIPLOMACY DURING THAT. TIME. THIS SITUATION, NATURE MAY JUST. TAKE ITS COURSE OVER THE COURSE. OF THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. >> Harris: THAT REPORT THAT YOU. ARE CITING MARTYR DOME WATCH. WHAT DOES IT DO FOR THE NEXT IN.

LINE FOR LEADERSHIP? >> THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION. NOBODY KNOWS. HE BECOME LEADER, IT WAS A. SUCCESSION AFTER HIS FATHER WAS. KILLED. THERE WAS AN INTERNAL LOGIC TO. IT. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD EVEN. WANT THAT JOB. YOU WILL BE A MARKED MAN THE. MINUTE YOU COME INTO OFFICE. EVERYBODY KNOWS THE ISLAMIC.

REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS AND. GUYS WHO CONTROL THE GUNS ARE. THE ONES CALLING THE SHOTS NOW. >> Harris: YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. ENEMIES WITHIN IN THAT COUNTRY. YOU ARE MAKING A POINT THAT. SPEAKS TO THIS. I WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON. IT. THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" IS. REPORTING ARAB MEDIATEORS. WORKING ON A DEAL WITH IRAN SAY. THEY FEAR THE COUNTRY'S. DIPLOMATS UNDER PRESSURE FROM. HARD LINERS IN TEHRAN LACK THE. CLOUT TO GUARANTEE COMPLIANCE, EVEN IF AN AGREEMENT IS REACHED. YOU DO A DEAL, WHO IS GOING TO.

MAKE COMPLIANCE POSSIBLE, VICTORIA? >> WELL, THAT'S THE THING. IT IS NOT CLEAR ANYBODY WILL. IF THE IRGC ISN'T ON BOARD WITH. THIS DEAL I DON'T GIVE IT A LOT. OF HOPE. I THINK WE CAN FORCE THE ISSUE. TO SOME EXTENT AT LEAST IN THAT. WESTERN CHANNEL. NEAR TO OMAN THAT WE CAN MAKE. SURE THAT'S CLEAR. WE CAN GET MATERIAL COMING OUT. BUT THE OTHER THING, HARRIS, IS. WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE ENTIRE. REGION LINING UP AGAINST THE. IRANIANS.

THE HOUTHIS SHELLED AN AREA IN. SOUTHWESTERN SAUDI ARABIA. OVERNIGHT AND THE QATARI. GOVERNMENT PUT OUT A STATEMENT. CONDEMNING THAT ATTACK. SO ALL OF OUR ALLIES WHO HAVE. BEEN FRACTURED THEMSELVES IN THE. PAST ARE LINING UP BEHIND US AND. IRAN ITSELF, THEIR FORMER. FOREIGN MINISTER, SAID IN. FOREIGN AFFAIRS LAST MONTH THAT. HE IS WORRIED THAT ALL OF THESE. COUNTRIES ARE JUST GOING TO LINE. UP AGAINST THEM AND REFUSE TO.

PAY THE TOLLS. FORCE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE. STRAIT AND SQUANDERED A POINT OF. LEVERAGE FOR THEM. >> Harris: 12 UNITED STATES HAVE. -- MORE THAN 30 IN MINNESOTA. ALONE WATER SYSTEMS. INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE IRANIAN. HACKERS ARE LIKELY BEHIND THE. COORDINATED CYBERATTACKS. "NEW YORK POST" EDITORIAL BOARD. REPORTS ATTACKS ON PURELY. CIVILIAN FACILITIES ARE ANOTHER. SIGN OF HOW EVIL AND. UNTRUSTWORTHY IRAN'S RULERS ARE.

AS WE WARNED REPEATEDLY AND SO. AN ADDED REASON FOR CAUTION IN. NEGOTIATIONS AND AMP CAUSE TO. RATCHET UP MILITARY AND ECONOMIC. PRESSURE ON THE REGIME. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT CAMPAIGN. FREEING THE WORLD OF MONSTERS. WHO RULE IRAN SHOULD BE A U.S. PRIORITY UNTIL THE COUNTRY IS. FREE. YOUR LAST QUICK THOUGHT. >> INDEED. WE HAVE TO BE HYPER VIGILANT AT. HOME. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS IN THE.

COUNTRY AFTER THE BIDEN. ADMINISTRATION AND I AGREE WITH. THE POST ON THEIR ASSESSMENT. THERE. >> Harris: ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE. YOU.