MIDDLE EAST ON EDGE: Iran conflict TESTS Trump’s diplomacy as regional threats mount

Both sides are now signaling a possible. breakthrough, but the threat of a wider. conflict is not going away. Reuters. reports that Saudi Arabia is bracing for. possible imminent attacks from. Iranianbacked terror proxies in both. Iraq and Yemen. >> Former defense secretary Mark Esper will. join us in a bit. >> But first to our senior White House. correspondent Peter Ducey. He is live on. the north lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania. Peter. >> and John, President Trump is speaking. more realistically about the peace. talks. He's not saying things are going. great. He's saying things are going fine.

and that the reason the United States. has not hit Iran again is because he's. trying to give peace a chance. It's not. because we're out of ammo. >> We have certain types of munitions that. are very powerful that we have unlimited. virtual unlimited supply. We have others. where it's a little bit tighter. We're. in great shape. But uh with that being. said, uh we always want more. We have to. have more. >> financial financial pressure looks like. this. According to the Rubio and Bessant.

teams, US Department of Treasury took. steps to dismantle a web of currency. exchange houses and shell companies that. helped Iran secretly move hundreds of. millions of dollars through the. international financial system. Through. these networks, Thran accessed oil. revenue and evaded sanctions designed to. curb its destabilizing activities, laundering funds using front companies. But there is financial pressure on the. rest of the world too. >> Oh, it's definitely increasing energy.

prices some and that's something that's. a temporary phenomenon as soon as this. thing is resolved that of course things. will go back. In fact, production has. gone up by so much that we expect the. energy prices are going to drop way. below where they were below the conflict. uh once the conflict is over. >> And we had been led to believe earlier. in the week that the conflict could be. over by now. It hasn't happened yet. Uh, but President Trump is scheduled later. on this hour to head over to the. Department of State for an event with.

Secretary Rubio and we expect an update. of some kind there. John, >> we'll see what he has to say. Peter. Ducey teeing us off this hour. Peter, thank you. >> Trump email showing new optimism about a. deal to open the Straight of Hormuz as. Iranian lawmakers reportedly work on a. bill to restrict US access. Chief. international correspondent Steve. Harrians reporting live for us in Tel. Aviv. Hi Steve. >> Sandra. Iranian officials have expressed. some optimism that they could be close. to reaching a final deal with Oman for.

the passage of the ships through the. straight of Hormuz. President Trump has. said he's been playing an active. personal role in these negotiations. And. he said we could expect to see an. announcement as early as today. Here's. President Trump. >> I think we're doing very well. I just, you know, I'm involved in the. negotiation. I think we're doing fine. >> Could be. It could be said. Iran is expected to demand that ships. going through the straight uh get paid. transit fees. That's something the US. has rejected in the past. Some analysts.

caution that even accepting the chance. that Iran will uphold any agreement that. they do sign is risky. Here's General. Keane. We know they won't comply with. the deal even if they sign it. So, the. United States has to go into this. clearly knowing full well, let's give. this a try. But if the Iranians don't. cooperate here, then we have to go back. to major combat operations. >> And President Trump has said that the US. blockade of Iranian ports as well as the.

threat of further military action will. be leveraged in any potential deal. Sandra, back to you. >> Steve Harrian live out of Israel on that. for us. Steve, thank you. John. >> All right, Sandra, let's dig deeper on. this. Arnold Punaro is here. He is a. retired twostar Marine Corps general and. CEO of the Punaro Group. So the formula. that's being talked about general with. the straight of Hormuz is that Iran. would have jurisdiction over incoming. traffic going into the Persian Gulf. through the straight. Oman would handle. jurisdiction for outgoing traffic. What.

do you think about that idea, >> John? Anything that would allow Iran to. continue to exert any kind of control. over an international waterway would be. a violation of one of the most. fundamental precepts of our national. security, which is freedom of. navigation. U this is not something. we've ever allowed any other country to. do. Since the founding of our republic, we've asserted that no other country. should be able to control an. international waterway. We've actually. fought wars over this with the Barbie. pirates when Libya tried to assert.

control of the Gulf of Cidra. It also, if it was agreed to, set a terrible. precedent. I could see Xi Jinping. sending a thank you note saying, "Thank. you. Now you've asserted and confirmed. that China controls the South China. Sinai South China Sea where five. trillion dollars of the world's economy. transit. >> In fact, I was going to ask you about. that because freedom of navigation has. always been the rule of the day in the. straight of Hormuz as it is in other. waterways throughout the world. So if. Iran starts charging a fee for inbound.

traffic, if Oman starts charging a fee. for outbound traffic, what then about, as you pointed out, the South China Sea, the straight of Malaa, uh the straight. of Gibralar, uh or I mean, heaven. forbid, the English Channel, we should. keep the economic sanctions on Iran. We. shouldn't allow them to get any kind of. revenues either from their oil revenues. or from this proposed deal because all. they're going to do is rebuild their. military. With Iran, we should focus on. deeds, not words. >> Right. Uh, I want to ask you about all. of these reports about the depletion of.

certain types of munitions in the US. arsenal. The president was asked about. it yesterday. Here's what he said. Listen here. We have certain types of. munitions that are very powerful, that. we have unlimited, virtual unlimited. supply. We're in great shape. But, uh, with that being said, uh, we always want. more. We have to have more. We have. other things maybe come up. You maybe. come up and maybe don't come up. Hopefully nothing else does come up, but. we're in very good shape. We have. literally massive amounts of ammunition. >> We should point out, General, this is.

something that you've been concerned. about for some time. >> John, there's no bumper sticker to. explain the many, many decades of. underfunding by the Pentagon and. Congress on munitions. Let's look at. where we are today. The administration. has asked for over $300 billion for more. defensive and offensive munitions and. missiles in 26 and 27. The issue is not. the Pentagon leadership. They've put out. framework agreements to really beef back. up. It's not our industry. The industry. the industry has rogered up. They're. actually spending their own money to get.

ready. The problem is Congress hasn't. funded it. And here we go again. Congress has patted itself on the back. for a continuing resolution. And in that. continuing resolution, we're $300. billion below where the Pentagon wants. to start, $153 billion below what. they're spending now. and they don't. approve new starts or rate increases for. the munitions that we are already. buying. So, it's not a good deal. So, the problem is the Congress. Yes, there. are some areas where we need to really. move up quicker. The other thing I would.

say though, the Republican Guard should. not go to parade rest cuz we have plenty. of 2,000 lb bombs uh almost an unlimited. supply and those are very, very lethal. >> Uh before we go, want to point out that. this is Purple Heart Day. You are a. Purple Heart recipient. Uh the. circumstances under which you received. your Purple Heart, you were wounded uh. in Vietnam are detailed in your book on. war and politics. Ambush at Hill 953, which is the very first chapter. Uh. Corporate Royally Hammonds died trying.

to save you. Tell me what Purple Heart. Day means to you. >> Well, it it means everything to me. January 4th, 1970 in the Quissson. Mountains of Vietnam, uh, our platoon. got in an intense firefight and Corporal. Roy Lee Hammonds, who would rotate back. to Texas in two weeks, dashed from a. totally safe position to help a. seriously wounded second lieutenant. where he'd been hit by a sniper and the. sniper bullets were whacking all around. He put himself between the sniper and. the lieutenant, bullets that surely. would have killed that second. lieutenant. I was that second.

lieutenant. I was able to pull him, drag. himself and myself to a safer position, administered first aid, but I wasn't. able to save him. So, he died in my. arms. The the firefight was so intense, we had to fight the entire day up a. mountain. I helped carry him up the. mountain with other Marines. And I went. out on the last medevac with Roy. Hammonds, both lying on the helicopter. floor. I held his hand cuz I didn't want. him to be alone. I didn't even know him. He wasn't in my platoon. And yet he made. that kind of sacrifice that people that. have worn the cloth of this nation have.

made you know forever and ever. And so. for me every day that the good Lord lets. me on this earth I hope I conduct myself. in a way that measures up to the. sacrifice that Corporal Hammonds and. others have made for our country. >> And we should also point out that you. did all that with a big hole in your. back. >> Well I still defer to Corporal Hammonds. God bless Corporal Hammonds simp. >> Uh General, thank you for your service. I think it's going to end pretty soon. I. don't think they can go much longer. I. think we're doing very well. I just, you.

know, I'm involved in the negotiation. I. think we're doing fine. >> Could be. It could be soon. >> Well, you heard the president say he's. personally involved at this point to end. the war in Iran, those talks. And Vice. President JD Vance says the diplomatic. path will not be an easy one. I can certainly understand the American. people are maybe looking at this and. they say, "Well, it seems like we're. making progress and then it seems like. we're not." Well, the reality, Laura, is. that number one, the Iranians are. extraordinarily difficult people. Number.

two, they have a fractured system. So, there are people within their system who. want the war to be over. There are also. people within their system who are crazy. radicals who want the war to continue. Well, 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 straight of. Hormuz. However, Iran has insisted on. some measure of control and we know that. they would love to do a deal along with. Oman for some cash as people come. through that street. Victoria Coats,

vice president of national security at. the Heritage Foundation and former. deputy national security adviser to. President Trump. Great to have you. today. First of all, tell me where we. are in just terms of dealing with what. Vice President Vance calls those. difficult people on the ground. >> Well, Harris, great to see you. And I. think the vice president also used a. very important word in that in that. clip, which is fractured, and that's. really what's happening inside Iran. We. can't really see it. It's quite opaque. to us. But the reporting that we're. getting is not good for the regime. Uh.

there are widespread reports today that. the supreme leader who we still haven't. seen since March is on martyrdom watch. that the president says he would not be. surprised to receive word of his. martyrdom soon. I think we all think. that's richly deserved. So we have that. We have some breakdown in their economic. system, their uh national development. fund, their sovereign wealth fund is. failing, their oil company's having its. accounts frozen. So I think we're seeing. a kind of slow motion train wreck there. and the president is correct to pursue.

diplomacy during that time because this. situation I mean nature may just take. its course uh over the course of the. next few weeks. Wow. I'm that report. that you're citing on Maba potentially. on martyrdom watch. I mean what what. does that do for the next in line for. leadership? What could it look like? >> Well, that's the big question. Nobody. knows. I mean the Majaba Kamei became. supreme leader in March after his. father's elimination because he was the.

son and so that was kind of a logical. succession. It's not you know what the. Iranian people want by any stretch of. the imagination but there was a kind of. internal logic to it and now I mean I. don't know who would even want that job. I mean, you're literally going to be a. marked man the minute you come come into. office and everybody knows the Islamic. Revolutionary Guard Corps, the guys who. control the guns are the ones who are. calling the shots now. >> Yeah, you're talking about enemies. within in that country. Um, you're kind. of making a point that speaks to this. So, I want to get your thoughts on it.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting. Arab mediators working on a deal with. Iran to reopen the Straight of Hormuz. said they fear the country's diplomats. who are under pressure from hardliners. in Thrron, that's the capital city, lack. the clout to guarantee compliance even. if an agreement is reached. So you do a. deal, who's going to make compliance. possible? Victoria, well that's that's the thing is is it's. not clear anybody will. And if the IRGC. isn't on board with this deal, I don't I.

don't give it a lot of hope. I do think. that we can force the issue to some. extent at least in that western channel. near to Oman. Uh that that that we can. make sure that's clear. We can get we. can get material coming out. But the. other thing, Harris, is what we're. seeing is the entire region line up. against the Iranians. uh the the Houthi. shelled an area in southwestern uh Saudi. Arabia overnight and the Qatari uh. government put out a statement. condemning that that attack. So all of.

our allies who have been kind of. fractured themselves in the past are. lining up behind this. And Iran itself, their former foreign minister Jave. Jazarif said in foreign affairs last. month that he is worried that all of. these countries are just going to line. up against them, refuse to pay the. tolls, force their way through the. strait, and they will have squandered a. really important uh point of leverage. for them. >> Wow. Well, so far 12 United States have. reported potential strikes on our water. distribution and wastewater systems,

including more than 30 in Minnesota. alone. US investigators believe Iranian. hackers are likely behind the. coordinated cyber attacks. The New York. Post editorial board reports attacks on. purely civilians facilities are yet. another sign of how evil and. untrustworthy Iran's rulers are, as. we've warned repeatedly. and so an added. reason for caution in negotiations and. ample cause to ratchet up military and. economic pressure on the regime.

However, the current campaign ends. freeing uh the world of monsters who. rule Iran should be a US priority until. the country is free. Your last quick. thought. >> Indeed, and I mean that we have to be. hyper viligent here at home. Uh Harris, we don't know what's in our country. after the Biden administration. And I. absolutely agree with the with the post. on their assessment there. >> Victoria Coats, always great to have you. in focus. Thank you for watching the. Falner Focus outnumbered after the.

break. Mr. >> President, >> President, am on munitions, you uh. posted overnight that the US has a. massive amount and you denied that there. were any shortages. There is a. supplemental request for $21 billion to. to restock. So, um why is that request. still there? Well, because we need more. all the time. I mean, we need more. Look, we gave tremendous amount to. Ukraine. The Biden people did. >> And they were given free of charge. No,

no charge. No charge. Billions, hundreds. of billions of dollars. And fortunately, I built up so much during my term. I. rebuilt the military and also loaded it. up with a lot of stuff. We have certain. types of munitions that are very. powerful that we have unlimited virtual. unlimited supply. We have others where. it's a little bit tighter and we're. getting them in on a daily basis. As you. know, our defense companies are building.

more plants right now than at any point. in history. They're building plans for. the Patriots, for the tomahawks, for. everything. But we have uh certain types. of munitions which are very uh they may. not be as accurate. They may not be, you. know, they're not as elite. We have. elite too, but we're we're watching that. very closely. But we have certain types. which are very powerful and very good. and we have an unlimited supply and uh. so we're in great shape. But with that.

being said, uh we always want more. We. have to have more. We have other things. maybe come up. You maybe come up and. maybe don't come up. Hopefully nothing. else does come up. But we're in very. good shape. We have literally massive. amounts of ammunition. Yeah. >> Aisha, that'd be a terrible outcome for. America, for the Middle East, indeed for. the world. Uh to allow the Iranians to. control that in any way is simply. unacceptable. I think President Trump. actually knows that, too. And I'm. confident that in the negotiations he's.

making clear, there'll be no tolls, there'll be no control. This is an. international waterway. Um, if we begin. here, um, there are endless number of. places in the world that some country. would assert this was theirs and they. had their right to control it. >> Well, when he says Omani, the Omanis. that are in a tough spot with the. Iranians, I understand why they're. trying to cooperate, but there's no. reason for us to end our blockade until. it's wide open, uncontrolled by Iran. >> Well, the Omanis have always been sort. of in charge of, I mean, not really in. charge, but helping to get ships across. the street in a safe uh manner. Um, but.

the Iranians are, it seems like, trying. to take advantage of that. Sir, when the. president says that he is now personally. involved, personally talking to the. Iranians, what does he mean by that? Who. do you think he's talking to over there? I I don't really know. I think one of. the challenges that President Trump and. the other negotiators have faced all. along is that we talk about negotiating. with the Iranians and there there's no. such thing, right? This this is not a. unitary entity. And when you talk to the.

United States, you're speaking to the. US. When you're talking to the Iranians, there are multiple groups, each with. their own agendas, all of which want. death of Israel and the destruction of. the United States. So, I don't know who. he might be speaking with. You can see. these comments come from the foreign. ministry. You should just ignore them. They're meaningless. The only. individuals that can control the outcome. here is the IRGC. And I've seen no. evidence that the IRGC is prepared to. give up their pathway to a nuclear. weapon. So we now are at 10:33 on a Friday.

morning. President Trump revealing he's. directly involved in the talks with Iran. trying to reopen the straight of Hormuz. hoping a deal could be coming quote very. soon. How do we define that? Jackie Hinrich on. the north lawn white house now. Jackie. good morning. >> Good morning Bill. We are now outside. the 48 hour window where the president. said earlier this week we could see a. deal come together. Nevertheless, he. says that things are moving along well, even though there is no breakthrough yet.

with the straight of Hormuz. >> Well, I don't want to say it has been. It's sort of open right now. You know, we have a thing called the blockade. headed up by the US Navy and we control. it and uh now we control it, but they. can always shoot something. But uh I. think we're doing very well. I just, you. know, I'm involved in the negotiation. I. think we're doing fine. Could be. It. could be said. >> The president also expressed confidence. in US military readiness if he opts to. greenlight more strikes. He shot down a.

report from the Washington Post claiming. that he grilled war secretary Pete. Hegsath at Camp David for misleading him. on extreme munitions shortages. He. posted to Truth Social, "I'm extremely. happy with the job that Pete Hgsth is. doing. This rumor was started by the. Washington Post, one of the worst media. outlets in the business, despite our. telling them their story is completely. false. In actuality, I really believe. their fake reporting is treasonous. He. insisted the US has a virtually. unlimited supply of certain munitions. while defense companies are working to.

produce others that are in a little. tighter supply. And he blamed the Biden. administration for depleting stocks long. before the Iran conflict. >> We're in great shape. But uh with that. being said, uh we always want more. We. have to have more. We have other things. maybe come up. You maybe come up and. maybe don't come up. Hopefully nothing. else does come up. The president once again insisted that. oil and gas prices will fall sharply. once the conflict is over. That was a. point that the NEC director Kevin Hasset. reiterated this morning calling the.

higher prices a quote temporary. phenomenon, Bill. >> All right, Jackie. Thanks, Jackie. Hinrich. Good to see you from the north. Thanks. >> Okay, so while President Trump works on. finalizing a deal with Iran, we're. getting new details on the future of. passage in the street of Hormuz. Iran. and Oman are looking to share. responsibility for that waterway, including new transit corridors for. vessels. Let's bring in Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State and Fox News. contributor. So, we'll start there with. you, Secretary. What do you make of this.

Iran Oman relationship, this reported. deal they're working on to effectively. control the strait? Aisha, that'd be a terrible outcome for. America, for the Middle East, indeed for. uh the world. Uh to allow the Iranians. to control that in any way is simply. unacceptable. I think President Trump. actually knows that, too. And I'm. confident that in the negotiations he's. making clear there'll be no tolls, there'll be no control. This is an. international waterway. Um if we begin.

here, um there are endless number of. places in the world that some country. would assert this was theirs and they. had their right to control it. Well, when he says the Omanis that are in a. tough spot with the Iranians, I. understand why they're trying to. cooperate, but there's no reason for us. to end our blockade until it's wide. open, uncontrolled by Iran. >> Well, the Omanis have always been sort. of in charge of I mean, not really in. charge, but helping to get ships across. the street in a safe uh manner. Um, but. the Iranians are, it seems like, trying. to take advantage of that. When the.

president says that he is now personally. involved, personally talking to the. Iranians, what does he mean by that? Who. do you think he's talking to over there? I I don't really know. I think one of. the challenges that President Trump and. the other negotiators have faced all. along is that we talk about negotiating. with the Iranians and there there's no. such thing, right? This this is not a. unitary entity. And when you talk to the. United States, you're speaking to the. US. When you're talking to the Iranians, there are multiple groups, each with. their own agendas, all of which want.

death of Israel and the destruction of. the United States. So, I don't know who. he might be speaking with. You can see. these comments come from the foreign. ministry. You should just ignore them. They're meaningless. The only. individuals that can control the outcome. here is the IRGC. And I've seen no. evidence that the IRGC is prepared to. give up their pathway to a nuclear. weapon. >> Okay, some pretty big news out of the. Gulf today. It seems like some of these. countries have gotten together and. created their own NATO pact. We're. talking about Turkey as well as Saudi.

Arabia and Pakistan have joined uh a. defense agreement. So if somebody. attacks one of them, they're all going. to come together and defend that nation. And I think that there are some other. countries, maybe even Qatar, that might. join this defense pact. To me, that says. they're expecting more tensions. They're. expecting this Iran situation, this. problem to not go away. How do you read. this? >> A I think you're right. I think there's.

two things. One is I think they believe. that there'll be continued threats from. the regime in Iran and so they're. looking for partners. I think the. Pakistanis have already deployed u. military assets inside of Saudi Arabia. to help defend them. Uh but second, I. think it also suggests to me uh that. they understand that the problem isn't. right. We we we talk about the the. Israel Palestinian conflict. I think. they can all now recognize that the. problem stems from Thran and are all. beginning to unite in a way that. recognizes this massive threat and the.

need to actually make it go away, make. the regime be fundamentally different. than the regime has been for the last 47. years. >> Yeah. The big surprise in there for me. was Turkey. Turkey signing on to. something like this with the Gulf. States. Uh Secretary Pompeo, great to. see you. Have a great weekend. >> Thank you, Aisha. Have a have a great. weekend. So long. Has a deal been. reached to reopen the street of Horus? >> Well, I don't want to say it has been. It's sort of open right now. You know, we have a thing called the blockade. headed up by the US Navy and we control. it and uh now we control it, but uh I.

think we're doing very well. I just, you. know, I'm involved in the negotiation. I. think we're doing fine. Okay, that from. yesterday afternoon. President Trump. saying, and you heard it, personally. involved in the tough talks with Iranian. negotiators, teasing that a deal may be. coming soon. Uh Steve Harrian updates. us. Steve's in Tel Aviv, Israel with the. latest from there and more. Steve, hello. >> Bill, signs from all sides that an. agreement for free passage of shipping. through the straight of Hormuz could be.

getting close. Iranian officials saying. they have an agreement very close to. finalization with Oman and President. Trump insisting he is personally closely. involved in all negotiations and that he. could expect an agreement announced as. early as today. The president also. taking time out to slam some news. reports that uh there are munition. shortages in the US arsenal in the war. with Iran. also slamming reports that he. is dissatisfied in any way with the. Secretary of War Pete Hegath calling.

these reports not only false but. treasonous as well. The president. posting the fake news as usual is. spreading false and completely unfounded. rumors. I'm extremely happy with the job. that Pete Hegth is doing. Of course, Iran in any deal is likely to ask for. fees on ships that go through the. straight. That is something the US has. already rejected and we could see more. action if this doesn't work. President. Trump warning several times during the. week that Iran could be hit hard if the. straits are not opened and open soon. Bill, back to you.

>> Okay, Steve, watching by the hour. Thank. you, sir. Nice to see you. First. >> to chief international correspondent. Steve Harrian live in Tel Aviv. Hi, Steve. >> Martha, some very different messages. coming out of Iran. It's tough to decide. which faction to believe. On one hand, in parliament, talk about perhaps trying. to ban Israeli and US ships from the. Straight of Hormuz. At the same time, other Iranian officials talking about. real progress on talks to reopen the. Straight of Hormuz. The negotiations. with Oman have made tremendous progress.

President Trump has said he's played an. active personal role in those. negotiations and he could expect an. announcement on them as early as today. Here's President Trump. >> I think it's going to end pretty soon. I. don't think they can go much longer. Iran has been demanding fees for any. ships that go through the straight of. Hormuz. That position has been rejected. by the US. It's something that uh. analysts have raised an issue of and. also concern that no matter what.

agreement is eventually signed. The real. question is will Iran live up to or. uphold any deal at all. Here's General. Keane. >> We know they won't comply with the deal. even if they sign it. So, the United. States has to go into this clearly. knowing full well, let's give this a. try. But if the Iranians don't cooperate. here, then we have to go back to major. combat operations. President Trump has maintained that the. US blockade on Iranian ports. Also, the.

threat of renewed military action will. be enough leverage to enforce any deal. Martha, back to you. >> Steve Harrian in Tel Aviv. Thank you, Steve. And with that, we bring in Texas. Republican Senator Ted Cruz, whose. committees include Judiciary and Foreign. Relations. Great to have you with us, Senator, today. Um, you said recently, Thank you, sir. Um, you said recently. that what we should be doing is arming. the Iranians who oppose their government. and that regime change needs to be the.

goal. Um, what would you be doing. differently here? Well, listen. I think the president has. had extraordinary leadership standing up. to the threat of Iran. The Ayatollah and. the Islamic regime there have been. waging war with the United States for 47. continuous years. They have been the. world's number one leading funer of. terrorism across the globe. They have. killed nearly a thousand Americans. And. and the Ayatollah twice hired hitmen to. try to murder President Trump. and and.

so President Trump earlier this year. acted decisively as commander-in-chief. to take out their military capacity and. to prevent them from acquiring a nuclear. weapon. I think he was exactly right to. do so. In my view, the objective here. should be regime collapse. This is a. regime led by theocratic lunatics who. hate us, who chant death to America, who. over and over and over again have. demonstrated that they are willing to. kill Americans and they have killed. Americans over and over and over again.

And so what I've urged from the. beginning of this conflict is for us to. arm the Iranian protesters. Look, President Trump is not going to send. American boots on the ground. We should. not have American soldiers in harm's way. in Iran. But the protesters, there are. millions of protesters there that are. living under this Islamic tyranny, this. forced Sharia law. And and and and they. want to be free. We saw at the beginning. of this conflict between 10,000 and. 40,000 protesters murdered by the.

regime. It's not fair to expect. protesters with rocks to stand up to. soldiers with machine guns. if if we. armed the protesters, the Iranians could. be in charge of determining their own. future instead of American soldiers in. harm's way. >> So, I I think everybody uh wants the. people of Iran to have the hour of. freedom that the president talked about. at the beginning of this conflict, that. freedom was at hand, and that many of.

them, hard to get a handle on the. numbers, but many of them would love to. see the overthrow of the regime. And how. close do you think the regime is to. being tipped over? >> Look, I I I think the regime is hanging. on by a thread. Their economy is in. freef fall. Their ballistic missiles. have been almost entirely destroyed. Their drones have been decimated. Their. navy is sunken at the bottom of the. ocean. Uh their nuclear weapons. facilities are in rubble. I I think. President Trump has unleashed. devastating force on the military and. the economy. Right now though, the IRGC.

does not face armed opposition. You. know, I remember back more than 20 years. ago when when Tianaan Square when that. giant protest happened and a week later, the NRA bought a full page uh newspaper. ad in six newspapers across the country. And the full page ad had a picture of. everyone in Tianaan Square and it said. on the ad, "Last week, more than a. million people rose up in protest in. Tianaan Square." Imagine.

what would have happened if they had had. guns. And I remember reading that at the. time and going, "Wow, okay, that's not a. protest then. That's a revolution." And. and so look, there were early. discussions uh earlier this year in the. administration about arming the. protesters, in particular, arming the. Kurds, who have been a very loyal. American ally in multiple conflicts. Uh. the public reporting was that that idea. uh was killed because Erdogan in Turkey.

didn't like it. Well, look, at the end. of the day, I don't care that Erdogan. and Turkey doesn't like it. It is in our. interest not to have a theocratic. lunatic leading Iran who is actively. trying to and and tragically succeeding. in killing Americans. And and so I think. we ought to go down that road. >> So, how would you go down that road? Um. we haven't heard much about that. Since. in the in early days, as you just. pointed out, uh there was this push that. looked like regime change was what was. going to happen. And we know Israel said.

they wanted to essentially undermine the. regime until it collapsed of its own. weight. That's not where we seem to be. right now. So what would what's a. practical way to arm the people of Iran. against their government? It feels like. that moment h has passed. >> Well, we have the capacity to do that. the the CIA has done that in other. conflicts where we've armed rebels. standing up against enemies of America. We have the capacity to get get those. weapons. And you're talking small arms. You're not not talking tanks and and and.

bazookas, but the ability to fight back. against the IRGC. We have that capability. What what. hasn't happened yet is making the. decision to use that capability. And. listen, I think the Trump administration. articulated military objectives, but but. they they held short of saying the. objective was regime collapse. And I. think that's because after the Iraq war, the the the phrase regime change uh is. is radioactive. I I understand that. I.

thought the Iraq war was a mistake. I. oppose the Iraq war. President Trump, >> we see President Trump speaking of uh. the president coming into view now at. the State Department. Senator Cruz, thank you very much. Be sure to like and subscribe for all. the Fox News latest on YouTube and catch. full shows streaming now on Fox.