Israel and Iran trade strikes in biggest escalation since April ‘ceasefire’
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Israel and Iran are trading strikes this morning in the most significant exchange of fire since the tenuous April truce.6 seconds
The
ramped up hostilities began over the weekend when Israel launched
airstrikes on Beirut, which President Trump had told Israel leader
Benjamin Netanyahu not to do an explosive call last week.17 seconds
Israeli attacks in Lebanon are a major sticking point in negotiations to end the war and a red line for Iran.23 seconds
Tehran,
which has insisted Lebanon be included in any deal, retaliated by
firing missiles at Israel for the first time in two months.31 seconds
Isran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called the attack a warning saying future responses would be broader in their words.38 seconds
Israel
then responded by launching strikes toward Tehran, with Iranian state
media reporting the sound of explosions in cities across Iran, adding
that a chemical plant was hit.48 seconds
This
despite Axios reporting that President PRESIDENT TRUMP URGED NETANYAHU
TO HOLD OFF ON ANY RETALIATORY ACT IN A SUNDAY PHONE CALL.55 seconds
THAT'S ACCORDING TO A SENIOR U .S.57 seconds
OFFICIAL AND AN ISRAELI SOURCE FAMILIAR WITH THE DETAILS OF THE CALL.1 minute
PRESIDENT
TRUMP ALSO TOLD THE FINANCIAL TIMES ON SUNDAY THAT NETANYAHU who had no
choice but to accept a deal with Iran, saying, quote, I call the
shots.1 minute, 8 seconds
He doesn't call the shots.1 minute, 9 seconds
Also
this morning, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen joined the war for the
first time since the ceasefire, firing missiles themselves toward
Israel.1 minute, 18 seconds
IT'S A LOT FOR US TO GET TO. IT'S A LOT FOR US TO GET TO.1 minute, 20 seconds
RETIRED CIA OFFICER MARK POLY MORAPOLIS IS HERE ON SET WITH ME.1 minute, 23 seconds
HE'S AN MS NOW NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE TALK ABOUT THIS ANALYST.1 minute, 26 seconds
SO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR US, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE THESE BACK AND FORTHS REIGNITED, ALREADY WE KNEW THAT THE U .S.1 minute, 33 seconds
AND IRAN HAD I THINK IT'S A BIGGER DEAL THOUGH, IS IT? IT'S A BIGGER DEAL, IS IT? IT FEELS LIKE A BIGGER DEAL THOUGH, IS IT?1 minute, 41 seconds
SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE We do have a bit of escalation now.1 minute, 44 seconds
And let me just say, when Iran has done anything against the U .S., we have retaliated immediately.1 minute, 48 seconds
So the notion that Israel wouldn't do so after yesterday, that would go against all Israeli national security doctrine.1 minute, 54 seconds
And in some ways, Prime Minister Netanyahu, whatever you feel about him, the Israelis had to respond.2 minutes
That, again, would go against just decades of what the Israelis really practice.2 minutes, 3 seconds
And so now we're at a point now in which clearly the U .S.-Iran ceasefire is holding, but in terms of Israel and Iran, it's not.2 minutes, 10 seconds
And even as we speak right now, there is still incoming Iranian fire and the Israelis are retaliating as well.2 minutes, 16 seconds
So
the big question is, as they climb up the escalatory ladder, you know,
is it going to be a point where both sides kind of step back and say,
OK, that's enough now.2 minutes, 24 seconds
Or does this keep going?2 minutes, 25 seconds
And
Israeli officials, I just read a press report, said they expect several
days of this now. Several days of this. And so that big it begs a few
questions.2 minutes, 32 seconds
The first of which is if the U .S.2 minutes, 35 seconds
is trying to get us back into a ceasefire posture or acknowledging that they still think a ceasefire is in place.2 minutes, 40 seconds
They've
been using this term and it is difficult to believe that it's still in
place when you're seeing shots fired back and forth. But if the U .S.2 minutes, 48 seconds
wants that and the Israelis are continuing in this posture, where does that leave us? Right.2 minutes, 53 seconds
The big question is, you know, what is the delta between U .S. and Israel right now?2 minutes, 56 seconds
It
is absolutely clear I think to everyone involved that President Trump
desperately wants a deal. Unfortunately, the Iranians know this as well.3 minutes, 3 seconds
The
sticking point, Ali, it has to do with kind of this whatever financial
relief ultimately that Iran receives. Their economy is in tatters.3 minutes, 11 seconds
They desperately want an infusion of funds.3 minutes, 13 seconds
The problem that President Trump has, as much as he wants a deal, is he is subject to the famous saying we always talk about.3 minutes, 19 seconds
Is this a JCPOA 2 .0, another Barack Obama-type deal that he has lambasted for years?3 minutes, 24 seconds
But
at the end of the day, if there is going to be a deal, it's going to
involve something AND THEN THE ISRAELIS DOESN'T WANT TO SEE THAT AT ALL.3 minutes, 33 seconds
AND
I WONDER AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO NOT JUST THE NEXT FEW HOURS BUT THE NEXT
FEW DAYS IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ESCALATES TO THAT AMOUNT OF TIME,
WHAT IS THE BEST-CASE 3 minutes, 42 seconds
SCENARIO THAT YOU COULD SEE IN THE COMING HOURS AND DAYS?3 minutes, 46 seconds
AND
THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO THAT SHOWS THAT THIS IS A CEASE-FIRE THAT IS
WELL OFF OF ITS HINGES AND VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT BACK IN PLACE.3 minutes, 53 seconds
SO I THINK THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO IS A BIT EASIER IN THE SENSE OF EVERYTHING JUST FALLS APART.3 minutes, 58 seconds
THERE
IS NO DEAL WHATSOEVER TO BE HAD, AND THE ISRAELIS IN PARTICULAR START
HITTING TARGETS INSIDE IRAN RELATED TO the energy infrastructure.4 minutes, 7 seconds
So everything falls apart.4 minutes, 8 seconds
Best
case, and I think this is what President Trump is certainly hoping
for, is that even these Israeli attacks show the Iranians that there's a
price to pay.4 minutes, 16 seconds
And so will this actually force them to the negotiating table?4 minutes, 19 seconds
The problem, of course, is that the Iranians think they can withstand this type of pain, whatever Israel is inflicting on them.4 minutes, 24 seconds
So best case is that somehow it helps the negotiations. I don't see it going that way.4 minutes, 28 seconds
And again, we're back to where we were, you know, despite every once in a while I come on the I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS THAT4 minutes, 35 seconds
RIGHT
NOW EXCEPT THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN WHO STILL IS PUTTING OUT THESE
KIND OF ROSY SCENARIOS THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY BELIEVES AT THIS
POINT.4 minutes, 42 seconds
EVEN
ONE OF OUR I THINK OUR MSNOW CONTRIBUTORS HAS SOME REPORTING THAT SAYS
FROM THE IRANIAN SIDE OR FROM SOME FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP THESE
NEGOTIATIONS ALONG4 minutes, 50 seconds
THAT THE IRANIANS ARE THEY'RE NOT INCLINED TO CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AT THIS POINT.4 minutes, 55 seconds
SO AGAIN, THAT CAN CHANGE BUT THAT IS SORT OF THE STATE OF PLAY, AT LEAST AS WE UNDERSTAND IT RIGHT NOW.5 minutes
THE
PRESIDENT, OF COURSE, WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS IN THIS TESTY INTERVIEW
WITH MEET THE PRESS, BUT ALSO WALKED OUT OF IT TAPED FRIDAY WHILE HE WAS
IN WISCONSIN.5 minutes, 9 seconds
HOST
KRISTEN WELKER REPEATEDLY PUSHED BACK ON THE PRESIDENT'S FALSE CLAIMS
ABOUT THE JANUARY 6th INSURRECTION AND ELECTION FRAUD.5 minutes, 15 seconds
SHE
ALSO PRESSED HIM ON HIS 2024 THE 2024 CAMPAIGN PROMISED THAT HE
WOULDN'T START ANY WARS IN HIS SECOND TERM. FIRST OF ALL, I DIDN'T
guarantee no war?5 minutes, 25 seconds
Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?5 minutes, 28 seconds
I built our military. I inherited a terrible military. We had no equipment. We had nothing. I built a tremendous military.5 minutes, 34 seconds
Biden gave a lot of it away, but it's still a I DON'T WANT TO BUILD A RELATIVELY SMALL PORTION COMPARED TO WHAT I BUILD.5 minutes, 39 seconds
BUT YOU SAID IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, MR. CHRISTEN.5 minutes, 41 seconds
WHY WOULD I BUILD A I DON'T WANT TO USE THIS, BUT I'M DOING YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE A BIG FAVOR.5 minutes, 48 seconds
IN
THE MIDST OF THE GREATEST STOCK MARKET IN HISTORY, IN THE MIDST OF THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL COUNTRY, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW IN THE LAST TERM WE WERE
DEAD COUNTRY, KRISTEN.5 minutes, 57 seconds
I KNOW YOU'RE A BIG LIBERAL OR BIG PROGRESSIVE. NO, I'M JUST A JOURNALIST. WE WERE A DEAD COUNTRY.6 minutes, 3 seconds
A
YEAR AGO, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE WERE A DEAD COUNTRY, NOW WE HAVE
THE HOTTEST COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND AT THE ALL-TIME HOTTEST
POINT, WHICH IS PROBABLY NOW, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.6 minutes, 12 seconds
WE JUST HAD ALL BRAND NEW STOCK MARKET RECORDS TODAY.6 minutes, 15 seconds
BUT AT THE HOTTEST POINT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, I TOOK I SAID, I HAVE TO DO THIS COUNTRY,6 minutes, 25 seconds
THIS WORLD, THE MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL, EVERYBODY A FAVORITE.6 minutes, 33 seconds
ANYONE WHO ATTACKED POLICE OFFICERS ON JANUARY 6TH SHOULD GET TAXPAYER MONEY?6 minutes, 37 seconds
I WOULDN'T BE INCLINED TO SAY SO, BUT I HAVE TO SEE IT. I CAN TELL YOU THIS, YOU LOOK AT THE F .B .I.6 minutes, 46 seconds
OR WHOEVER IT WAS, YOU HAD A LOT OF CROOKED COPS, DIRTY COPS.6 minutes, 49 seconds
COMEY WAS A DIRTY COP. A GUY LIKE BALTON WAS A DIRTY COPS. THERE'S NO EVIDENCE. WAIT A MINUTE.6 minutes, 54 seconds
WAIT A MINUTE. YOU THINK COMEY WAS A STRAIGHT COP? COMEY WAS A DIRTY COP. THEY HAD FBI. LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO ME.7 minutes, 3 seconds
THEY HAD FBI AGENTS USHERING THEM INTO THE BUILDING.7 minutes, 7 seconds
THEY HAD FBI GO INTO THE building, those people walking around, they're looking always in this night.7 minutes, 11 seconds
They weren't and they were being ushered into the building. There's no evidence of that.7 minutes, 16 seconds
You had a bunch of dirty cops and frankly what they did was weaponization of our IT'S FOUR DAYS, AND THEY AREN'T EVEN CLOSE 7 minutes, 27 seconds
TO COMING UP WITH THE VOTES IN CALIFORNIA. Do you have evidence to support that? All I have to do is look.7 minutes, 35 seconds
All
I have to do is look. That's not evidence. And I listen. And I listen
to people, and let's see what happens. But, sir, that's not evidence. Do
you think it's appropriate?7 minutes, 42 seconds
That's
how they count the votes in DO YOU THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT THEY
HAVE AN ELECTION AND FIVE DAYS LATER THEY'RE NOWHERE CLOSE TO PICKING
THE WINNER?7 minutes, 50 seconds
STATE
AND LOCAL OFFICIALS ACKNOWLEDGE THEY ARE SLOW, THEY'RE URGING THE VOTES
TO BE COUNTED THAT'S HOW THEY VOTE IN CALIFORNIA THEY'RE CROOKED JUST
LIKE YOU'RE CROOKED YOUR PRESS IS7 minutes, 58 seconds
CROOKED
AND MEET THE PRESS IS CROOKED TO BE FAIR I'M NOT CROOKED BUT LET'S
REALLY WELL YOU PLAY RIGHT INTO THEIR HANDS YOU'RE EITHER CROOKED OR
YOU'RE STUPID YOU PLAY RIGHT INTO8 minutes, 8 seconds
THEIR HANDS WITH THIS RAP YOU KNOW THAT THESE ELECTIONS ARE RIGGED YOUR NETWORK KNOWS THAT THEY'RE RIGGED YOU KNOW8 minutes, 16 seconds
THAT
I WON AN ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE AND I GOT 94 % BAD PRESS YOU KNOW WHY I
GOT THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO CREDIBILITY BUT YOU'VE NEVER8 minutes, 25 seconds
PRESENTED
EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS RIGGED LET'S KEEP TALKING ABOUT I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT YOU HAVE MORE EVIDENCE THERE'S MORE EVIDENCE THAN EVER8 minutes, 35 seconds
PRESENTED
MOMENTS LATER THE PRESIDENT TOOK OFF HIS MICROPHONE AND WALKED AWAY
FROM THAT INTERVIEW OF COURSE THERE IS NO PROOF OF ELECTION FRAUD IN
2020 OR ANY OTHER8 minutes, 44 seconds
ELECTION
MORE THAN 60 LAWSUITS WERE FILED CHALLENGING THE 2020 RESULTS NEARLY
EVERY CASE WAS REJECTED OR DISMISSED FOR LACK OF PROOF OR8 minutes, 51 seconds
CREDIBILITY
MANY BY REPUBLICAN APPOINTED JUDGES TRUMP JUST LOST THAT ELECTION AS
FOR JANUARY CREDIBILITY MANY BY REPUBLICAN APPOINTMENT8 minutes, 59 seconds
OF
THE PRESIDENT'S CLAIMS, TELLING FOX NEWS WHILE THERE WERE AGENTS ON
HAND THEY WERE SENT IN AFTER THE RIOT HAD BEGUN TO TRY TO CONTROL THE
UNRULY9 minutes, 9 seconds
THE
PRESIDENT TOLD CROWDS DURING HIS 2024 CAMPAIGN THAT HE WOULD NOT START
NEW WARS, INCLUDING IN HIS VICTORY SPEECH SAYING QUOTE, I'M NOT GOING TO
START A WAR, I'M GOING TO STOP WARS.9 minutes, 20 seconds
THERE'S SO MUCH FOR US TO UNPACK THERE, MARK.9 minutes, 23 seconds
WE
ALSO JUST SHOULD EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT KRISTEN WELKER IS AN
EXCEPTIONAL JOURNALIST AND I THOUGHT SHE DID A GREAT JOB THERE FACT
CHECKING THE PRESIDENT BUT WHEN YOU TAKE9 minutes, 32 seconds
in totality that he's saying he wasn't going to start new wars, which of course he has. We were just talking about Iran.9 minutes, 37 seconds
And
then, of course, the fact that he's doubling back down on these rigged
election claims at a point where he has appointed an acting director of
national9 minutes, 45 seconds
I
THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SOMEONE WHO HAS
HELPED HIM TRY TO ENACT SOME OF HIS LEGAL EFFORTS AGAINST PERCEIVED
POLITICAL FOES.9 minutes, 54 seconds
AND
NOW TRUMP IS TALKING about, okay, he'll be there in a temporary
capacity, but he's going to do some things on rigged elections.10 minutes
I mean, you know the role of a DNI better than anybody. What might that look like?10 minutes, 5 seconds
And
should there be even more concern about the way that the president's
rhetoric might be matched by someone who he's put into this kind of a
role now?10 minutes, 12 seconds
So I think there's two things to unpack, well, there's lots of things to unpack about this.10 minutes, 16 seconds
But
one of them, let's just before we address the DNI part is just the idea
of you want a president to be kind of sober and mature and measured,
getting angry like that and storming off.10 minutes, 25 seconds
I
mean, if someone who is talking to a journalist just because it's
raining out and it's loud and noises and he gets exasperated and storms
off,10 minutes, 33 seconds
that's not who you want, you know, to have the nuclear codes in your hand. So just for that alone, that was disturbing.10 minutes, 38 seconds
The
second part of it though, Allie, is really important because Bill
Pulte, the new acting director of national intelligence, is a political
hack.10 minutes, 46 seconds
We know that.10 minutes, 47 seconds
We know what he did as the housing guy in terms of going after Trump's opponents.10 minutes, 51 seconds
But the director of national intelligence oversees 18 U .S.10 minutes, 54 seconds
intelligence
agencies, incredibly powerful tools of surveillance, of things in which
if it's put in the wrong hands can be rather damaging.11 minutes, 1 second
So
you do have to wonder, you know, is the DNI going to be weaponized like
that? That is the worst case scenario. And I think the fears are
absolutely real.11 minutes, 10 seconds
And you did see a lot of pushback, including from some members of the GOP.11 minutes, 13 seconds
On the other hand, though, there is the idea of will he then kind of proceed to downsize the DNI.11 minutes, 18 seconds
So
it's the weaponized portion or downsized, and Senator Cotton, who I
think we do have to kind of look for, the head of the Senate Select
Committee of Intelligence, had said he actually supports11 minutes, 26 seconds
the downsizing of the office, and that's a substantive policy issue, which does deserve debate.11 minutes, 30 seconds
So we're gonna see where it goes, or of course, is it both? Weaponized and downsized.11 minutes, 34 seconds
But you know, the fears in the national security establishment are acute. They go across the political aisle.11 minutes, 40 seconds
Every
Republican friend of mine who I've talked to does not like this
appointment whatsoever. So I do think there's reason for concern.11 minutes, 45 seconds
Yeah, because he has absolutely no national security experience and is being put in this role.11 minutes, 50 seconds
Mark, you came on, you covered a lot as you always do.11 minutes, 53 seconds
We thank you as always and have a great rest of your week.
MS NOW
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