Trey Yingst: Iran remains DEFIANT

O. SEE WHAT EXACTLY CAUSED THIS. THOUGH. THEY WILL BE INVESTIGATING IT. >> Brian: 3 MINUTES AFTER THE. TOP OF THE HOUR WHERE IN THE. MIDDLE EAST TENSION REISS MAIN. HIGH 60 DAY CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT. WITH IRAN IS SET TO EXPIRE. TODAY. >> Ainsley: OUR CHIEF FOREIGN. CORRESPONDENT TREY YINGST JOINS. US LIVE WITH THE LATEST. HEY, TREY. >> Trey: HEY, GUYS. GOOD MORNING. TODAY THE MEMORANDUM OF. UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED. STATES AND IRAN EXPIRES AND. REPORTS INDICATE VERY LITTLE. PROGRESS TOWARD A DIPLOMATIC. SOLUTION THAT WOULD REOWN THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ.

ISSUES NATIONAL SHIPPING DATA. INDICATED ONLY FIVE ON SATURDAY. AND NONE TON SUNDAY. IRANIANS CONTINUING ATTACKS ON. VESSELS. A BOX CARRIER REPORTED BEING HIT. UNKNOWN PROJECTILE ON SATURDAY. AN OIL VESSEL WAS ALSO TARGETED. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID THIS ABOUT. THE CRITICAL WATERWAY ON FRIDAY. >> AFTER WE FINISH DEFEATING. IRAN, WHICH IS BEING VERY BADLY.

DEFEATED,. [CHEERS]. PRETTY SOON I WILL BE DECLARING. THE HORMUZ STRAIT A TERRITORY OF. THE UNITED STATES. WE HAVE THE BLOCKADE. >> "WALL STREET JOURNAL" REPORTS. THAT IRAN HAS BEEN USING THIS. TIME TO PREPARE FOR A RETURN TO. CONFLICT RATHER THAN FINDING A. DIPLOMATIC OFF RAMP. IRANIAN AND ARAB OFFICIALS TOLD. THE JOURNAL THAT IRAN HAS. PRODUCED ADDITIONAL MISSILES AND. DRONES BELIEVING THAT THE UNITED. STATES IS WAITING FOR A FUTURE. ATTACK. THIS COMES AS TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, INCLUDING JARED KUSHNER ARE IN.

THE REGION PURSUING DIPLOMATIC. AVENUES TO ADDRESS THE CEASEFIRE. IN GAZA. KUSHNER MET SNUNSD EGYPT WITH. HAMAS CHIEF TO SOLIDIFY IN GAZA. ING JOINED BY NIKOLAY AND TONY. BLAIR. REPORTS INDICATE IS HE MEETING. TODAY WITH BENJAMIN NETANYAHU. WHO RECENTLY CALLED THE BOARD OF. PEACE ROADMAP UNACCEPTABLE. , ISRAEL DOES NOT ACCEPT THE 15. POINT DOCUMENT.

THE IDF WILL NOT CARRY OUT ANY. WITHDRAW UNTIL HAMAS IS. DISARMED. WHEN I SAY DISARMING HAMAS IT, MEANS HEAVY WEAPONRY, WEAPONRY, ALL WEAPONRY. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GENUINE. DISARMAMENT. NOT DICK FISSURES DISARMAMENT. >> ON THE ISSUE OF IRAN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT. SAID LAST WEEK IN AN INTERVIEW. THE UNITED STATES IS GOING TO. PREPARE NEVER BEFORE SEEN. ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON THE IRANIAN. REGIME AS THIS QUESTION REMAINS. IF A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION CAN BE.

REACHED. GUYS? >> Brian: THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. THE TREASURY SECRETARY NOW IS. FRONT AND CENTER. THE 60 DAYS EXPIRES MEANS NOT. MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEAL. NOT AS IF THEY GO BACK TO WAR. NECESSARILY. REUTERS IS SAYING THAT BESSENT. IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE. THIS. IS HE GOING TO HIT TOUGHER. SECONDARY SANCTIONS ON CHINESE. REFINERS AND BANKS, AVIATION. RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER ACTION. AGAINST ENTITIES HELPING IRAN. MOVE OIL AND MONEY. GOING TO GO THROUGH DARK FLEETS. AND MAKE IT EVEN TOUGHER TO MAKE.

EVEN ILLICIT FUNDS. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING. THAT WOULD BE UNPRECEDENTED, TREY? >> ABSOLUTELY, PUT NEW ECONOMIC. PRESSURE ON IRAN. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SANCTIONS. HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT LIKE AN. ONION. THE U.S. NAVAL BLOCKADE. PREVENTING THE IRANIANS FROM. EXPORTING CRUDE OIL, THEY'RE. CRITICAL EXPORTS THAT PROVIDES. THE REGIME WITH MONEY NOT JUST. TO PAY SOLDIERS BUT TO PRODUCE. MISSILES AND DRONES. BUT THEN YOU HAVE SECONDARY. SANCTIONS AND SANCTIONS NOW THAT. APPEAR WILL TARGET THE COUNTRIES.

THAT ARE BUYING OIL FROM IRAN. BUT THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO. EXPORT ON THE GROUND. SO THE GOAL HERE IS TO. ECONOMICALLY ISOLATE THE IRANIAN. REGIME FROM THE REST OF THE. WORLD, WITH NO OFF SWITCH. BECAUSE, AS TIME MOVES FORWARD. THE IRANIANS THINK THEY HAVE AN. ADVANTAGE. AS A RESULT OF THE U.S. NAVAL. BLOCKADE AND THESE ADDITIONAL. SANCTIONS, THE IRANIANS ARE. HURTING ECONOMICALLY. THE INFLATION RATE IS RAPIDLY. RISING INSIDE OF IRAN. ACCORDING TO REGIONAL. INTELLIGENCE SOURCES, THEY ARE. STARTING TO FEEL THIS ECONOMIC. PRESSURE.

AND THIS COUPLES WITH DOMESTIC. PRESSURE FOR THE REGIME. OFFICIALS IN TEHRAN. >> Lawrence: TREY, WHEN YOU SAY. THEY ARE FEELING IT, WHICH I. BELIEVE A LOT OF OUR. INTELLIGENCE IS SHOWING, ARE WE. SEEING ANY INDICATION OF DISSENT. AMONGST THE IRGC? SOLDIERS NOT BEING PAID AND. WALKING OFF AS A RESULT OF THAT. OR DO WE KNOW? >> THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT. THEY ARE HAVING TROUBLE PAYING. CERTAIN IRGC OFFICIALS AND. DOMESTICALLY THE COST OF FOODS.

AND OTHER GOODS ARE RISING. IRAN VERY CLOSE TO HOME FOR. THOSE OFFICIALS IN TEHRAN. BUT THE BROADER QUESTION HERE IS. IF THE IRANIANS ARE WILLING TO. CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR. EACH AND EVERY DAY THEY ARE. STILL THREATENING THE UNITED. STATES. JUST YESTERDAY PUT OUT A BOUNTY. ON THE HEADS OF U.S. SOLDIERS. SAYING IF ANYONE IN IRAN KILLS A. U.S. SOLDIER, THEY'RE GOING TO. BE PAID IN CASH. THEY ARE STILL THREATENING THE. LIFE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP. AND THEY ARE MAKING A LOT OF. STATEMENTS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY. OF RETURNING TO DIRECT CONFLICT. WITH THE UNITED STATES AND SO,

DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IS. EXPIRING, THERE ARE BROADER. QUESTIONS ABOUT IF IRAN IS. SERIOUS ABOUT A DIPLOMATIC OFF. RAMP OR IF THEY ARE, ACCORDING. TO THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL,". PREPARING FOR A RETURN TO. COMBAT. STRAIGHTAWAY, THE PRESIDENT WAS. SAYING YESTERDAY THAT THEY ARE. NOT PAYING THEIR SO-CALLED. POLICE. THEY ARE NOT PAYING SOLDIERS. CURRENT SANCTIONS ARE COSTING. IRAN ESTIMATED $435 MILLION PER. DAY. THERE IS ALSO A REPORT THAT THE. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OPENED ITS. BACK CHANNEL TO IRAN'S IRGC.

BECAUSE U.S. OFFICIALS ARE. QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT THE. NEGOTIATORS THAT REPRESENT. TEHRAN HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO. ACTUALLY END THE WAR. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? >> YEAH. THOSE REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WAS ABLE TO. DEVELOP A BACK CHANNEL WITH THE. IRGC OFFICIALS, USING THE. KURDISH PRESIDENT IN IRBIL AND. ULTIMATELY, HE WAS ABLE TO USHER. MESSAGES TO IRGC OFFICIALS WHO. PREVIOUSLY WEREN'T IN DIRECT. COMMUNICATION WITH THE. ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE.

SOMETHING THAT OTHER PRESIDENTS. WERE NOT ABLE TO DO. THAT IS CREATE A BACK CHANNEL. WITH IRAN NOT JUST WITH THE IRGC. AND OTHER NEGOTIATORS THE. COUNTRY TRIPS PARLIAMENT. SPEAKER. THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TO COME. TO A PHYSICAL NEGOTIATING TABLE. MEDIATED BY QATAR OR PAKISTAN. THEY CAN DELIVER DIRECT. MESSAGES. WHEN WE INTERVIEW PRESIDENT. TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE LAST. MONTH. I ASKED HIM AT THAT MOMENT, WHEN. WAS THE LAST TIME THAT YOU SPOKE. WITH AN IRANIAN OFFICIAL? HE SAID MY TEAM SPOKE WITH THEM. AN HOUR AGO. AGAIN, THIS SPEAKS TO THE REAL.

TIME MESSAGING BACK AND FORTH. BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND TEHRAN TO. TRY TO REACH AN AGREEMENT. AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, THE. IRANIANS REMAIN DEFIANT. THEY ARE STILL THREATENING U.S. FORCES AND PERSONNEL ACROSS THE. MIDDLE EAST. THEY HAVE TO REMEMBER THERE ARE. STILL 50,000 U.S. FORCES. DEPLOYED ACROSS THE REGION. THEY'RE DEPLOYED AT A MOMENT'S. NOTICE IF PRESIDENT TRUMP. DECIDES TO COMBAT FORCES AGAINST. THE REGIME. >> Brian: THANK YOU SO MUCH, TREY. WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AS THE. MOU EXPIRES TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Lawrence: WOULD LIKE CLARITY. FROM THE WHITE HOUSE I SAW IN. THIS INTERVIEW THE VICE. PRESIDENT DID WITH OUR OWN WILL. CAIN HE SAID THE NUMBER ONE GOAL. FOR THE ADMINISTRATION IS TO. KEEP OIL AND GAS PRICES CHEAP. AND THEN NUMBER TWO IS TO ENSURE. THAT THEY DON'T GET A NUCLEAR. WEAPON. IF YOU'RE GOVERNING THIS. CONFLICT BY JUST GAS FIRST THEN. YOU ARE PLAYING INTO THE. IRANIANS' HANDS. LAST TIME I HEARD AND I WAS GONE. LAST WEEK BUT BEFORE I LEFT, THE. PRESIDENT STILL SAID THAT THE.

NUMBER ONE GOAL IS SO THEY DON'T. GET A NUCLEAR WEAPON. >> SAID THAT FRIDAY IN NEW YORK. IF WE'RE REVERSING THE STRATEGY. THIS IS INCONSISTENT MESSAGE. THAT THEY NEED TO CLARIFY. OBVIOUSLY THE PRESIDENT'S WORD. IS WHAT I'M GOING TO ROLL WITH. YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CHIEF. NEGOTIATOR GOVERNING THIS GEE. GAGHT BACK AND FORTH TO GET TO. THE RESOLUTION GOAL IN MIND TO. GET GAS PRICES DOWN THAT MATTERS. TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND I. UNDERSTAND THAT MATTERS IN THE.

MIDTERMS. THE IRANIANS KNOW THAT AS WELL. THEY ARE GOING TO KEEP THIS. GOING BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT'S. TOP.