NEW WARNING: Iran ‘HARDLINERS’ now calling the shots

H. THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS SO THAT. IS VERY INSIGHTFUL. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, WE BRING IN NATHAN. SASALES, FORMER COUNTERTERRORISM. AND AMBASSADOR AT LARGE UNDER. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND NOW A. DISTINGUISHED FELLOW AT THE. ATLANTIC. GREAT TO HAVE YOU. I ACTUALLY WANT TO START WITH. ONE POINT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP. MADE TWICE TODAY. THIS MORNING IN A TRUTH SOCIAL. POST HE SAID THE MAIN THING IS. NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND.

THEN TODAY HE SAID THAT AGAIN. IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING SURE THERE. ARE NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. AND YET THE MOU THAT JUST. EXPIRED TODAY, WHICH ALLOWED. IRAN A NUMBER OF THINGS, I WANT. TO REMIND EVERYONE, IT ALLOWED. IRAN TO SELL OIL, TALKED ABOUT. FREEING UP SOME OF THEIR FROZEN. ASSETS AND A $300 BILLION FUND. POTENTIALLY IF THEY MET ALL. THESE MARKERS TO REBUILD THE. COUNTRY AND THEIR MAIN. OBLIGATION IN THE MOU WAS TO. OPEN THE STRAITS SO ARE WE.

SEEING A SHIFT BACK TO NUCLEAR. WEAPONS PROGRAMS AND AWAY FROM. THE STRAIT? >> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND. WHAT YOU'VE JUST LAID OUT IN. RECITING WHAT WAS IN THE MOU. SHOWS HOW RESPONSIBLE AND INDEED. IRRATIONAL IRAN HAS BEEN. THEY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD DEAL TWO. MONTHS AGO AND EVEN THAT WAS NOT. ENOUGH FOR THEM AND THAT SHOWS. THAT THEY ARE NOT REALLY SERIOUS. ABOUT DIPLOMACY AND YOU HEARD. THIS FROM THE PRESIDENT AND FROM. JARED KUSHNER, THEY ARE NOT.

PREPARED TO AGREE TO A DEAL THAT. IS REMOTELY ACCEPTABLE TO THE. UNITED STATES. LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE ASKING. FOR, CONTROL OVER THE STRAIT. NO WAY. THEY WANT TO CHARGE TOLLS OF. COMMERCIAL SHIPPING, NO WAY. THEY WANT TO PAY REPARATIONS AND. WITHDRAW FROM THE REGION, DEAD. ON ARRIVAL SO I THINK DIPLOMACY. HAS RUN ITS COURSE, THE IRANIANS. ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT TALKING. ABOUT THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM OR. EVEN THE STRAIT WHICH THEY HAVE. APPARENTLY TRIED TO SAY YES TO. MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE APRIL WHEN. WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT A.

CEASE FIRE SO WE'VE RUN OUT OF. RUNWAY HERE ON THE DIPLOMATIC. FRONT. >> Martha: WE OBVIOUSLY Y HAVE A. NAVAL BLOCKADE, BUT THE REALITY. IS THAT VERY FEW SHIPS ARE. GETTING THROUGH AND IT USED TO. BE 130 OR SO PER DAY SO ON BOTH. SIDES IT'S NOT FLOWING LIKE IT. SHOULD. THIS PIECE IN. "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" THAT. DROPPED YESTERDAY AND HERE IS. THE HEADLINER, RON'S SECRET PLAN. TO ESCALATE THE WAR. IT SAYS THE IRANIAN NATION STILL.

HAS MUCH UNFINISHED BUSINESS. WITH TRUMP. THIS IS COMING FROM A MEMBER OF. THE NEGOTIATING TEAM WHO SAYS. IRAN IS PREPARED FOR THE GREAT. FOUNDATION AND IT GOES ON TO. TALK ABOUT A GENERATIONAL. PROJECT FOR BLOOD VENGEANCE FOR. THE KILLING. WHAT DO YOU READ IN THAT. LANGUAGE? >> NO SURPRISES, THIS IS WHAT. THE IRANIANS ALWAYS DO. THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 47. YEARS.

THEY USE DIPLOMACY AS A FOG TO. CONCEAL THEIR TRUE OBJECTIVES. AND HERE THEY ARE PREPARING FOR. A LONG WAR AGAINST THE. UNITED STATES BUT NOT JUST US. BUT OUR PARTNERS IN THE REGION, THE GULF STATES, ISRAEL AND. THOSE ALIGNED WITH THE. UNITED STATES SO WE HAVE TO GO. THROUGH THE DIPLOMATIC DANCE AND. HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM BUT. WE HAVE TO DO IT WITH OUR EYES. WIDE OPEN. THE IRANIANS ARE AN ENEMY AND. NOT SERIOUS ABOUT BECOMING A. NORMAL NATION. THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN EVERY. OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO UNDER THIS. REGIME AND THEY KEEP SAYING G N.

THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE. IMMEDIATELY GO BACK TO WAR WITH. THESE GUYS, WE CAN USE, AS. YOU'VE SAID, MAXIMUM ECONOMIC. PRESSURE TO WEAKEN THEIR ECONOMY. AND PUT THEM IN A MUCH WEAKER. POSITION TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN. THE SECURITY SERVICES AND. SUSTAIN THE REVOLUTION THAT IS. REALLY BRUTALIZING THEIR OWN. PEOPLE FOR THE PAST HALF. CENTURY. >> Martha: YOU TALK ABOUT. CAPITULATION AND BREAKING THE. WILL OF THE ENEMY AND THAT IS. WHAT IS AT STAKE HERE. FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THAT AND. YOU LISTENED TO MAHMOUD, THE.

PRESIDENT, DOES NOT SEEM -- IS. CLEARLY SENDING SIGNALS TO THESE. NEGOTIATORS THAT HE SEES THE. PEOPLE SUFFERING IN IRAN. HE SEES THAT THEY CAN BARELY BUY. GROCERIES, THAT THEY ARE CUTTING. THEIR HAIR AND SELLING IT ONLINE. AND HE SEEMS TO HAVE SOME. EMPATHY FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAN. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT WE ARE. HEHEARING FROM THE IRGC AND IT S. INTERESTING IN THIS PIECE, TWICE. THEY MENTIONED HIM AS GIVING. THIS SIGNALS.

AND WHETHER OR NOT HE'S EVEN. CAPABLE. BUT THAT REPORTING SAYS HE IS. >> ON WHO IS THE SUPREME LEADER. AND SPEAKING FOR HIM, THIS SEEMS. LIKE WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S. NO ONE HAS SEEN THIS GUY IN. PUBLIC. WE'VE SEEN CARDBOARD CUTOUTS. LITERALLY SO NO ONE IS SURE WHAT. ROLE HE'S PLAYING BUT IT IS. CLEAR THAT THE HARD-LINERS IN. THE IRGC ARE CALLINGNG THE SHOTS. AND AS YOU'VE SAID, MARTHA, THEY. DON'T CARE ABOUT THE LONG. SUFFERING PEOPLE OF IRAN BUT.

ABOUT MAINTAINING THEIR GRIP ON. POWER AND EXPORTING TERROR. AROUND THE REGION. SO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD. EXPECT ANY KIND OF BEHAVIORAL. CHANGE FROM THE IRANIANS ANY. TIME SOON, WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE. REALITY OF THE WORLD AS IT IS. IRAN WILL STAY THAT WAY SO LET'S. ACT ACCORDINGLY. >> Martha: VERY QUICKLY IF YOU. CAN. GENERAL KEANE SAID THIS MORNING. THAT I SUSPECT THE PRESIDENT. WILL COME DOWN STRONG ON THEM. ONCE AND FOR ALL. DO YOU THINK THAT'S WHERE THE.

PRESIDENT IS HEADED? >> IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY. THAT'S ONE OF THE OPTIONS. ECONOMIC PRESSURE IS ONE AND THE. OTHER OPTION IS IF IRAN IS. REALLY BIDING THEIR TIME AND. MUSTERING THEIR STRENGTH FOR A. MAJOR CAMPAIGN AGAINST US, MAYBE. WE GO IN PREEMPTIVIVELY AND HIT. THEM FIRST TO DENY THEM THE. ABILITY TO THREATEN OUR SOLDIERS. AND OUR DIPLOMATS AND OUR. FRIENDS. TIME WILL TELL. >> Martha: COMPLEX.