Russia prefers Iran to stir the pot in the Middle East to take attention away from Ukraine

>>> WELCOME BACK TO THE >>> WELCOME BACK TO THE WEEKEND AND OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE OF THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IRAN WARNING ISRAEL THERE WILL BE LARGER ATTACKS ON ITS TERRITORY IF THERE IS ANY RETALIATION AFTER YESTERDAY’S ATTACKS. ALSO IRAN SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE U.S. THAT

IT SPACES WILL BE TARGETED IF WASHINGTON BACKS ANY ISRAELI RETALIATION. JOINING US NOW IS EVELYN, THE FOUR NEAR, THE FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR AND FOR SENIOR FELLOW FOR THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL ALSO WITH US FORMER CIA AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CHIEF OF STAFF, JEREMY BASH, WELCOME TO YOU BOTH. >>

I WANT TO START WITH YOU AND PICK UP WHERE RICHARD INGLE LEFT US OFF LAST HOUR, ESSENTIALLY TALKING ABOUT THE ROOT OF WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TWO WEEKS AGO, 13 DAYS AGO TO THE ATTACK THE ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAN AND DAMASCUS. WHY, WHY

WOULD AT THE POINT IN TIME THAT WE ARE FINDING OURSELVES IN IN THE WORLD WITH HAMAS AT ISRAEL’S DOORSTEP, WHY WOULD ISRAEL TAKE SUCH A STEP AND AS RICHARD INGLE SUGGESTS THAT FOLKS IN THE REGION HAVE NOTED, WHAT NETANYAHU WANTS IS THE WIDER CONFLICT WITH IRAN, WHAT SAY

YOU JEREMY? >> THERE IS A VIEW INSIDE ISRAEL AND I THINK MANY IN THE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNITY THAT IRAN REALLY IS

THE REASON WHY THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH INSTABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SO IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THE OCTOBER 7 ATTACKS WERE OF COURSE HAMAS

IS THE PROXY RECEIVING FUNDING FROM IRAN BUT ALSO THE VIOLENCE AND PERPETRATED BY GROUPS AGAINST U.S. FORCES AND KILLING THREE U.S. TROOPS BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR AND ATTACKING SHIPS IN THE RED SEA. IRAN IS REALLY THE REASON WHY THERE IS SO MUCH CONFLICT IN THE

REGION AND SO ISRAEL IS SAYING WE GOT TO KIND OF GO TO THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE AND THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE IS THE LEADERSHIP OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD, IT’S THE SAME REASON WHY THE UNITED STATES UNDER THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION TOOK OUT HIM, THEY ARE TO

FERMENTABLE OF AN ALLEY AND I THINK THEY THINK ISRAEL IS ON THE BACK HEELS IN PUBLIC OPINION SO THEY HAVE DONE UNPRECEDENTED HERE AND HAVE LAUNCHED ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL’S HOMELAND INSIDE ISRAELI TERRITORY WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT OVER MASSIVE ATTACK BY IRAN AGAINST ISRAEL BEFORE IN HISTORY. >>

U.S. OFFICIALS COMING INTO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, WE WERE DOING ALL THESE BRIEFINGS AND EVERYONE WOULD SAY THE SAME THING THAT IRAN IS THE GREATEST THREAT THE UNITED STATES. THREAT THE UNITED STATES. >> ON MEET THE PRESS WITH OUR COLLEAGUE KRISTIN WELKER AND SHE ASKED HIM ABOUT WHAT HAS

TRANSPIRED IN THE PAST 24 HOURS, TAKE A LISTEN. >> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO AMERICANS THAT SEE THOSE MISSILES BEING INTERCEPTED IN THE SKIES OVERNIGHT AND BELIEVE THAT THIS HAS ALREADY ESCALATED? >> I WOULD ASK THE AMERICANS THAT SAW LAST NIGHT WHAT THAT SAW LAST NIGHT WHAT HAPPENED

TO TAKE INSIGHT AND HOW THEY ARE DEFENDING THEIR INTEREST IN THE REGION, AND INTEREST IN THE REGION, AND ALSO, REITERATE WHAT I SAID BEFORE, KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT IS WORKING THE DIPLOMATIC SIDE OF THIS PERSONALLY. >> IT’S THAT LAST PIECE THAT I WANT TO PICK UP ON THE

PRESIDENT WORKING THE DIPLOMATIC SIDE OF THIS PERSONALLY, YOUR SENSE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE HIM OF THE RESOURCES THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS AT HIS DISPOSAL? >> YES, WE KNOW RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING FROM GOING BACK TO OCTOBER, WHEN THE ATTACKS OCCURRED, ON THE ISRAELI PEOPLE, LAUNCHED FROM

GAZA BY THE HAMAS TERRORISTS WHO OF COURSE ARE IRANIAN PROXIES THAT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, PRESIDENT BIDEN WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONFLICT THAT WAS COMING BECAUSE OF COURSE WE KNEW ISRAEL WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TO ROOT OUT THOSE TERRORISTS. HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT

THE CONFLICT WOULD NOT SPREAD FURTHER. WE SAW IRAN’S PROXIES THOUGH YOU KNOW SPREADING THE CONFLICT WE SAW THE WHO TEASE, WE SAW HEZBOLLAH ATTACKING ISRAEL BUT ALL ALONG IF YOU PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS SAYING AND DOING IN TERMS OF PUTTING U.S. FORCES STATIONING FORCES

IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SURGING FORWARD THERE IF YOU WILL MOSTLY ON THE SEA AND IN THE AIR, WE WERE ESSENTIALLY SAYING TO IRAN, YOU KNOW KEEP THIS AT A LOW SIMMER. AND JUST ONE OTHER POINT BACK IN JANUARY, THE ISRAELIS ASSASSINATED A HIGH-LEVEL HAMAS LEADER IN LEBANON

AND AT THAT POINT WE WERE REALLY AFRAID THAT IRAN MIGHT TAKE ACTION LIKE THIS OR MAYBE NOT EXACTLY LIKE THIS BUT IRAN MIGHT TAKE ESCALATE TORY ACTION AND ACTUALLY IT DIDN’T, THE WORD ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS WAS THAT IRAN TOLD ITS PROXIES TO COOL IT AND THEY DECIDED

NOT TO TAKE ACTION AT THAT POINT IN TIME. >> YOU HAVE THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CALLING FOR RESTRAINT AFTER THIS ATTACK NOTING THAT WE EXPRESS OUR EXTREME CONCERN OVER ANOTHER DANGEROUS EXHALATION IN THE REGION, RUSSIANS FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID IN A STATEMENT ON THE ATTACKS WE CALLED ON ALL

PARTIES INVOLVED TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT, HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE RUSSIAN ASSESSMENT OF THIS MATTER? DO YOU THINK THEY ARE JUST GOING TO SET A WHOLE BACK ARE THEY GOING TO LEAN IN? ARE THEY GOING TO GET IN IRAN’S YEAR AND SAY YOU HAVE TO BRING IT DOWN A

NOTCH, HOW DO YOU IT DOWN A NOTCH, HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE RUSSIA PLAYING A ROLE TO SOME EXTENT IN THIS? >> A GREAT QUESTION I THINK RUSSIA HAS ZERO CREDIBILITY THEY’VE GAINED A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM IRAN IN FACT MANY OF THE DRONES ON THE BATTLEFIELD IN UKRAINE

ARE IRANIAN DRONES, SOME OF THE SIMILAR DRONES THAT IRAN LAUNCHED LAST NIGHT AGAINST ISRAEL. AND I THINK ACTUALLY RUSSIA PREFERS IRAN TO STIR THE POT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND IT TAKES WORLD ATTENTION AWAY FROM RUSSIA AND UKRAINE, YOU CAN SEE THIS BILL STALLED ON CAPITOL HILL, RUSSIA

IS ENJOYING SEEING THAT PLAY OUT AND AS FAR AS RUSSIA’S CONCERN THEM WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE THE UNITED STATES AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOCUSING ON THAT CONFLICT. >> YOU HAVE THIS IDEA NOW THAT THIS SPACE IS NARROWED AND MOVED IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE PRESSURE TO

BRING DOLLARS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE AND SO RUSSIA, DOING A PROFILING HERE AND SAYING EVERYBODY NEEDS TO SETTLE DOWN IN THE U.S. DON’T GET TOO HEADSTRONG. IRAN DON’T YOU GET TOO HEADSTRONG. TRYING TO PLAY THAT SORT OF MIDDLE SPACE WHEN THEY ARE HAPPY THAT THEY ARE NOT. >> IT’S

EVIDENT ON THE POINTS THAT JEREMY JUST MADE, YOU HAVE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE WHO TWEETED ABOUT THE DRONES AND SAID UKRAINE CONDEMNS IRAN’S ON- TOPIC, ATTACK ON ISRAEL. USING THE SAME DRONES AND RUSSIAN MISSILES THE SAME TACTICS OF MASS AIRSTRIKES, THERE IS A STORY THAT POSTED AROUND 1 AM

IN THE WASHINGTON POST THIS MORNING THAT TALKS ABOUT THE DRONES THAT SATURATE THE SKY OVER UKRAINE LOOKING FOR ANY MOVEMENT AND AS EVERY DAY GOES BY THAT UKRAINE HAS NOT RECEIVED THE HUMANITARIAN AID FROM THE SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE AND JUST TO BE CLEAR THE AID IS MONEY THAT WILL

GO TO THE PENTAGON TO BUY WEAPONS THAT WERE MADE IN AMERICA TO SEND TO UKRAINE, THEY ARE SLIPPING DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO PERIL ON THE FRONT LINES. >> YES, THIS IS ZELENSKYY CLAPPING BACK AT THE RUSSIANS SAYING YOU GUYS DON’T WANT ESCALATION? YOU WERE WORKING WITH A RUN

AND ALL OF THIS, FRANKLY I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF LATER WE FOUND OUT IN THE HISTORY BOOKS THAT RUSSIA WAS TIPPED OFF ABOUT THE HAMAS ATTACK MAYBE NOT EXACTLY ON THE DATE IN OCTOBER WHEN THEY LAUNCHED IT, BUT THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO LET THEIR

IRANIAN FRIENDS AND THE PROXIES DO WHAT THEY HAD TO DO OR WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD TO DO. VIS-@-VIS THE INNOCENT ISRAELI CIVILIANS SO YOU KNOW RUSSIA HAS BLOOD ON ITS HANDS, AND THESE MISSILES ARE ALSO BEING, NOT MISSILES RATHER, THE DRONES ARE BEING MANUFACTURED DOWN IN RUSSIA

SO THE IRANIANS NOT ONLY ARE GIVING DRONES TO RUSSIA BUT THEY’VE HELPED THEM SET UP FACTORIES, THE RUSSIANS I UNDERSTAND HAVE MADE THE DRONES BETTER. THE UKRAINIANS I WAS THERE TWO WEEKS AGO, AND WE FELT THE BARRAGE OF DRONES AND ARTILLERY SO THIS IS VERY REAL EVERY DAY

FOR PEOPLE IN UKRAINE. THIS IRANIAN DRONE THREAT. >> I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THIS QUESTION IN THE SPIRIT IN WHICH I AM ASKING IT JEREMY WHICH IS WHO HIM IF ANYONE HERE BELIEVES THEY BENEFIT FROM REGIONAL ESCALATION? >> NOBODY BELIEVES THEY BENEFIT FROM REGIONAL EXPLORATION EXCEPT FOR I

THINK THE LEADERSHIP OF IRAN. AND IRAN BELIEVES THAT FOR INTERNAL PURPOSES IF THEY CAN FOCUS ON AN EXTERNAL ENEMY THE QUOTE UNQUOTE ZIONIST ENEMY, THEN THAT POTENTIALLY FORTIFIES LEADERSHIP, THERE ARE AUTOCRATS, THEY RULE OVER A POPULATION OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT TO BE LED BY THE THEOCRACY INTO

RON AND SO THERE HAS BEEN GREEN REVOLUTIONS AND OTHER DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE STREETS THAT WE KNOW THE TREATMENT AGAINST WOMEN BY THE IRANIAN REGIME SO I THINK THEY NEED EXTERNAL ENEMY IN SOME WAYS TO KEEP AND MAINTAIN CONTROL IN IRAN AND THEY ARE PICKING ON THE SMALLEST COUNTRY

IN THE REGION THE AMERICAN ALLY THE COUNTRY THAT DOESN’T FIT IN WITH OTHER COUNTRIES THERE AND THEY BELIEVE THAT’S GOING TO MAYBE FORTIFY THE REGIME BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO WORK BECAUSE AMERICA’S GOT ISRAEL’S BACK IN THESE DEFENSIVE MEASURES ALMOST COMPLETELY. >> CONVENING THE G7 PARTNERS TODAY AND

COMPENSATING WITH THEM TO UPDATE THEM ALSO I THINK TO PUT TOGETHER SOME LEVEL OF DIPLOMATIC RESPONSE AND MAYBE SOME LEVEL OF COORDINATION. OVER THE NEXT WEEK, HOW DO YOU ASSESS YOU KNOW, WHAT WE MAY SEE COMING OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR G7 PARTNERS? >> IT IS SORT

OF RELATED TO THE COUPLE OF QUESTIONS YOU GUYS JUST ASKED BECAUSE I THINK THAT IRAN ACTUALLY DOESN’T WANT THIS TO ESCALATE I DON’T THINK. JUST LIKE THE JANUARY EPISODE, THIS TIME YES, THEY USED AN ATTACK DIRECTLY ON ISRAEL WAS CHOOSE ESCALATE TORY BUT THEY SAID WE CONSIDER THIS

NOW DONE, WE ARE DONE NOW. NOW, SO NOW THE WORRY IS WHAT IS ISRAEL GOING TO DO? I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION MANAGED TO CONVINCE NETANYAHU, FINGERS CROSSED BECAUSE THERE FINGERS CROSSED BECAUSE THERE WERE THANKFULLY VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF CASUALTIES, I THINK JUST ONE INJURY, THAT ISRAEL

WILL NOT STRIKE BACK DIRECTLY AT IRAN HOPEFULLY. BUT I THINK THE G7 NEEDS TO BUCKLE DOWN AND GET THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL SO I THINK BIDEN IS SAYING TO OUR ALLIES, LISTEN WE NEED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE. WE NEED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE

TO TAIWAN, ALL THESE THINGS ARE IN CAN INTERCONNECTED BECAUSE THE BAD GUYS ARE WORKING TOGETHER. IT’S NOT JUST RUSSIA AND IRAN, CHINA IS HELPING WITH THE WAR EFFORT AND NORTH KOREA SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE