00:00So President Donald Trump has repeated his threat to bomb Iranian power plants and Karg Island,
00:06but says great progress made negotiating with new regime. Is there a high risk of
00:13further military escalation despite the back-channel diplomacy going on?
00:18It's great to be with you. I believe that this is part of President Trump's brand of
00:24coercive diplomacy, brandishing a wide array of threats while at the same time keeping the
00:30diplomatic channels and pipeline open to Iran to give it an opportunity for an off-ramp.
00:37And so this is what the president does, alternating between conciliation and confrontation
00:42to keep both options open. I can say that I'm completely optimistic that the diplomatic process
00:50will yield the kind of results the Trump administration is seeking, because the current
00:55constellation of power in Iran is just a continuation of the Supreme Leader's legacy,
01:01and they are actors that are committed to preserving that same system that has had
01:09repression at home and terrorism abroad for so many years.
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