Are you alarmed that the Chinese, who we know how close they've been to the Iranians and so forth, but now they're helping the Houthi and the threats to Israel, I think, are pretty obvious, right?

Well, thanks for having me on.

It's good to be with you.

Look, the Chinese have been doing this.

Yes, you're right.

This is now with the Houthis, not with Iran.

But let's not pretend that the Houthis are some independent agent.

What do you think about that?

Why aren't we hearing more about this?

Look, this gets to two big issues.

Number one is this was a plane crash of many, mostly Israelis.

And quite frankly, to see the Jewish people and the strength of that country and the people to stop a suicide bombing attack, a suicide attacker.

I mean, yes, the Indian pilot is getting all the kudos, which he should.

But because this was the Jews showing strength People don't want to talk about it.

This goes to the historic anti-Semitism, which I think I've shared before.

What do you think, E.J.? ?

So how do we know that the regime is gone from this?

We'll, we'll know when the people rise up and the people take over and take control of their areas and start fighting back against this regime.

Now, this is not a goal of the United States.

The United States has never been about a, a regime change in that sense.

Yes, President Trump has talked about how the regime has changed, but it has not been about regime change.

The Israelis, on the other hand, are about regime change.

Uh, and the key to doing that is the people rising up, because there's two ways.

What stops or prevents or holds back some of those same outcomes in Iran? I understand we probably don't have the same, you know, ethno-religious factions as Iraq had, but, uh, but, uh, the, the old line, the nature abhors a vacuum, terrorists love a vacuum, I think.

Um, [laughs] at what point do, do we begin to say, "Okay, Iranian people, now it's your turn"? You know, when, when can they, when can they be assured that they can go ahead with this and maybe win it this time? And, and with full recognition that the last uprising resulted in tens of thousands of them being slaughtered.

Sure, and so the timing is, is a challenging one because obviously neither you nor I are, are getting the intelligence of what's happening on the ground in Iran.

However, as the military stops getting paid because of the blockade that's still in force, then you start... you will start to see, and, and we've heard some reports of, of some splintering there because there are the people who are devoted to the cause ideologically, and there are those who are pragmatists who are doing this because it's a job.

Uh, yes, they like the power, but it's also a way to get paid, and if they're not getting paid and the people hate them, then you may start seeing some of the splintering there w- to weaken them, and that's an moment for the people to rise up.

But again, going back to the point about the weapons, until the weapons are in place, there cannot be an uprising because they will be slaughtered.

The regime still controls, uh, their, their forces.

They still have weapons, and they have shown that they are unafraid of using them on their people with impunity right now.

Uh, certainly the, uh, the Israelis have given them the, the proper pounding, but they're not getting that support from, from Iran the way they've always had it for years, decades even.

Um, [laughs] at what point do, do we begin to say, "Okay, Iranian people, now it's your turn"? You know, when, when can they, when can they be assured that they can go ahead with this and maybe win it this time? And, and with full recognition that the last uprising resulted in tens of thousands of them being slaughtered.

slaughtered.Sure, and so the timing is, is a challenging one because obviously neither you nor I are, are getting the intelligence of what's happening on the ground in Iran.

However, as the military stops getting paid because of the blockade that's still in force, then you start...

You will start to see, and, and we've heard some reports of, of some splintering there because there are the people who are devoted to the cause ideologically, and there are those who are pragmatists who are doing this because it's a job.

Uh, yes, they like the power, but it's also a way to get paid.

And if they're not getting paid and the people hate them, then you may start seeing some of the splintering there wi- to weaken them, and that's an moment for the people to rise up.

But again, going back to the point about the weapons, until the weapons are in place, there cannot be an uprising because they will be slaughtered.

Uh, certainly the, uh, the Israelis have given them the, the proper pounding, but they're not getting that support from, from Iran the way they've always had it for years, decades even.

Uh, but th-this has caused some strife and, and Israel's had to deal with this.

Yes, it, it has, and of course, this is what the detractors like to point out.

Any opportunity to go after Israel and saying that they're threatening Christians is top of, you know, top of line for their arguments against the US-Israel relationship.

Now, I-- as you mentioned, uh, the Israeli military responded very quickly in acknowledging yes, that was true, and it would be investigated.

And the, not just the soldier who, uh, was, uh, smashing the statue, but also the person who was taking the picture were, uh, jailed.

They were punished immediately.

And look, this stuff does unfortunately happen in the military, even though you've got a chain of command.

How can Mr. Deke begin to address those things? Uh, it-it's hard to outdo the social media algorithms sometimes.

Uh, but th-this has caused some strife and, and Israel's had to deal with this.

Yes, it, it has, and of course, this is what the detractors like to point out.

Any opportunity to go after Israel and saying that they're threatening Christians is top of, you know, top of line for their arguments against the US-Israel relationship.

Now, I-- as you mentioned, uh, the Israeli military responded very quickly in acknowledging yes, that was true, and it would be investigated.

And the, not just the soldier who, uh, was, uh, smashing the statue, but also the person who was taking the picture were, uh, jailed.

They were punished immediately.

And look, this stuff does unfortunately happen in the military, even though you've got a chain of command.

How can Mr. Deke begin to address those things? Uh, it-it's hard to outdo the social media algorithms sometimes.

The, you know, international law, whatever that means, be darned.

Well, that's a good point.

And, you know, to the question about attacking bridges or power plants, y-yes, these are civilian infrastructure, but it's also military infrastructure.

If the IRGC is using these bridges to move their military, it becomes a legitimate target.

If they're using buildings as places to conduct military operations from, they become legitimate military targets.

This is something-- It's the same playbook that was used against Israel when they were fighting Hamas in Gaza, when Hamas was intentionally using hospitals, using schools.

By international law, those actually become legitimate military targets, even though there are civilians there.

What happens, you know, after this is all over? There, there's probably gonna be some reckoning here.

The, you know, international law, whatever that means, be darned.

Well, that's a good point.

And, you know, to the question about attacking bridges or power plants, y-yes, these are civilian infrastructure, but it's also military infrastructure.

If the IRGC is using these bridges to move their military, it becomes a legitimate target.

If they're using buildings as places to conduct military operations from, they become legitimate military targets.

This is something-- It's the same playbook that was used against Israel when they were fighting Hamas in Gaza, when Hamas was intentionally using hospitals, using schools.

By international law, those actually become legitimate military targets, even though there are civilians there.

What happens, you know, after this is all over? There, there's probably gonna be some reckoning here.

the only deal that I think that they really should be negotiating at this point, knowing you can't trust them, and knowing their history of being the number one state sponsor of terror and their pledge to destroy the West and destroy Israel and wipe it off the map and how they destabilize the, the, the area since nineteen seventy-nine with the, the Iranian Revolution, I, I think the only option right now is, do you wanna leave today, tomorrow, or over the weekend? I mean, that, that pretty much is the only thing worth negotiating in my mind, knowing who they are.

Well, that's, that's what this is.

It's not a negotiation of two equals.

This is a surrender document that the Trump administration is giving the Iranians the choice.

They can surrender.

They can stop this war.

I mean, look, President Trump is alluding to ending the ninth war.

I mean, are they just delusional as they fire their ballistic missiles into the Straits of Hormuz and trying a saber rattle and putting out videos and talking about the death of Donald Trump, and he'll be in his coffin within two months? Uh, I mean, are they delusional, or do they actually believe it?

Correct?

That's, that's true, and Bill, thanks for having me on.

You know, there are a lot of players that have a role to play in, in this decision, and, you know, I, I think your conversation with President Trump makes a lot of sense, and, and I agree, President Trump does not want to carry out airstrikes, because he knows that it's gonna lead to civilian deaths.

That would be, uh, unfortunate.

He wants to make a deal, but he has shown, even in Venezuela, he wanted to make a deal with Maduro.

Maduro would not play ball.

And I think what we're seeing right now with the Iranians, they're not looking to make a deal right now.

Do you?

President Trump said help was on the way, and people have just sort of been waiting with their, their arms out, going, "Well, well..." But these things do have to happen very carefully, don't they?

They do, and, and that's a good point that you raise.

We saw this in Venezuela, and Venezuela is a much smaller challenge than Iran is.

And we saw the US moved assets into the region.

There were attempts to negotiate with Maduro until finally the president realized that those negotiations were going nowhere.

Everything was in place, the planning was done, and they executed their-... their mission, uh, to perfection.

Now we'll still see how things play out there, but in that case, it was not about regime change.

How, how much balancing does President Trump need to do here, uh, especially s- meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu once again, which shows a level of deference that he's not shown to other world leaders?

So one of the reasons that you're here, Mr. Kemble, uh, in addition to being a smart guy, is because it's not only the USA that has to sign off on what's gonna happen in Iran, but Israel does, and Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States do, correct?

That's, that's true, and Bill, thanks for having me on.

You know, there are a lot of players that have a role to play in, in this decision, and you know, I, I think your conversation with President Trump makes a lot of sense, and, and I agree.

President Trump does not want to carry out airstrikes, because he knows that it's gonna lead to civilian deaths.

That would be, uh, unfortunate.

He wants to make a deal, but he has shown, even in Venezuela, he wanted to make a deal with Maduro.

Maduro would not play ball, and I think what we're seeing right now with the Iranians, they're not looking to make a deal right now.

Do you?

Good morning.

Yes, there's definitely a lot of landmines, potholes, a lot of unknowns as to phase two.

I think, as the president said, the most important thing right now is to get those hostages home.

And while we should be very jubilant about that possibility, knowing Hamas and what I've already seen, I'm staying cautiously optimistic that this will go through.

I believe it will.

But Hamas, you cannot trust them.

They are a genocidal jihadist terrorist organization.

The larger question, however, is does this deal secure political stability for Benjamin Netanyahu or will that political stability be tied to the success moving forward of this peace deal and how Hamas reacts and whether it does in fact see its side through? Good question.