>>> HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO AMANPOUR & CO.

HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP.

IRAN FIRES MISSILES TOWARDS U.S. TARGET FOLLOWING AMERICA DROPPING ITS BIGGEST BOMBS ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR SITE.

PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMED OBLITERATION OF THOSE SITES AND IRAN'S LEADERSHIP VOWED REVENGE.

WE ASK KEY EXPERTS AND INSIDERS FROM THE U.S. AND ISRAEL WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

I SPEAK TO THE FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY, THE CHIEF NEGOTIATOR OF THE 2015 IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL, AND WE HEAR FROM IRAN'S FORMER NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR ON THEIR WAY OUT OF THIS, PLUS I ASK FORMER CHIEF OF ISRAELI MILITARY INTELLIGENCE WHAT ISRAEL AND AMERICA'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS.

>> AMANPOUR & CO. IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE ANDERSON FAMILY ENDOWMENT, JIM ATTWOOD AND LESLIE WILLIAMS, CANDACE KING WEIR, THE SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM, THE FAMILY FOUNDATION OF LEILA AND MICKEY STRAUS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, MARK J. BLECHNER, THE FILOMEN M. D'AGOSTINO FOUNDATION, SETON J. MELVIN, THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, AND JEFFREY KATZ AND BETH ROGERS.

AND FROM CONTRIBUTIONS OF VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>>> WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, EVERYONE.

I'M CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR IN LONDON.

MISSILES IN TOTAL TOWARDS AMERICAN MILITARY BASES IN QATAR AND IRAQ, THIS AFTER IT VOWED TO PUNISH THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS KEEP UP ITS RETALIATION AGAINST ISRAEL.

FOLLOWING THIS WEEKEND'S ATTACKS ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES.

THIS IS WHERE THE U.S.

TESTED ITS BIGGEST BOMB EVER, THE 30,000-POUND BOMB, SEVERAL OF THEM ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR FACILITY FORDOW AND STRUCK TWO OTHER SITES.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECLARES IT A HUGE WIN SAYING HE'S "OBLITERATED THOSE SITES," BUT NOW HIS VICE PRESIDENT IS CLARIFYING THOSE COMMENTS SAY THEY PROBABLY DELAYED, BUT NOT DESTROYED IRAN'S NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES AND FURTHERMORE, THEY ARE NOT CERTAIN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED TO IRAN'S ENRICHED URANIUM STOCKPILE.

THE FAST MOVE CAME AS A SHOCK TO MANY, ESPECIALLY IRAN, AFTER THE PRESIDENT OPENED A TWO-WEEK WINDOW TO MAKE HIS DECISION.

TECHNICALLY, HE WAS WITHIN THOSE TWO WEEKS, BUT MUCH EARLIER THAN ANYBODY THOUGHT.

SO IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR A DIPLOMATIC WAY OUT OF THIS?

JOHN KERRY JOINS ME NOW FROM MASSACHUSETTS FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

SECRETARY KERRY, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM AND, OF COURSE, SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOU AND YOU NEGOTIATED THE ONLY DIPLOMATIC ARMS CONTROL WITH IRAN.

FIRST, I NEED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS IRANIAN RESPONSE.

CLEARLY, A RESPONSE WAS EXPECTED.

WHAT DO YOU THINK FROM WHAT YOU'VE HEARD --AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHETHER ANY HAVE HIT THEIR TARGETS YET?

>> CHRISTIANE, THANK YOU.

LOOK, I'VE JUST HEARD ABOUT THIS JUST LIKE YOU HAVE.

SO I HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO BRIEFING OR KNOWLEDGE OF EXACTLY WHAT'S UNFOLDING, BUT CLEARLY, IRAN HAD TO RESPOND IN SOME WAY AND THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD AND I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION ANTICIPATED THAT.

NOW IS WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

HOW BIG IS THIS SERIOUS EFFORT TO COUNTER IN A WAR-LIKE WAY OR IS IT A MESSAGE AND THEN PEOPLE WILL WORK IN GOOD FAITH TO TRY TO GET TO THE DIPLOMATIC TABLE.

I MEAN WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER HERE IS THERE'S NO MILITARY SOLUTION TO THIS.

THIS CAN GO ON AND ON.

IT COULD GET UGLIER AND UGLIER AND MORE AND MORE DANGEROUS WITH GREATER AND GREATER IMPLICATIONS FOR A GLOBAL BASIS.

THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.

MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS MORE PERFORMATIVE THAN CONSEQUENTIAL AND WILL SATISFY THEIR NEED TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND.

I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP NEEDS TO CLEARLY BE VERY JUDICIOUS ABOUT MEASURING THAT AND UNDERSTANDING IT AND HOPEFULLY, TAKE THE HIGHER GROUND OF GETTING BACK TO THE TABLE FOR WE DON'T HAVE ANY VISIBILITY ANYMORE, INSIGHT OR THE DEPTH OF INSIGHT THAT WE HAD WITH THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.

WITH THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WE PUT IN PLACE WE HAD HUGE INSIGHT AS TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

WE HAD STOPPED THEM FROM DEVELOPING IN WHOLE SECTORS.

WE DESTROYED THEIR PLUTONIUM REACTOR, WHICH THEY WERE WEEKS AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO HAVE BOMB MATERIAL.

WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CENTRIFUGES DESTROYED.

WE REQUIRED THEM TO DESTROY THE CORE OF WHAT EXISTED IN FORDOW AND THEY DID.

THEY DISMANTLED THAT UNDER WATCH.

EYES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

REMEMBER THAT WE BROUGHT FIVE NATIONS AND THE UNITED NATIONS TO THE TABLE AND WE PUT IN PLACE THE STRONGEST NUCLEAR AGREEMENT THAT HAS BEEN TO BY ANY COUNTRIES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD SINCE THE 1950s OR '60s.

SO WE JUST NEED TO GET TO A NEGOTIATION IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REALLY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

>> OKAY.

I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT, BUT FIRST ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT THIS BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, IT WAS HIGHLY TELEGRAPHED.

IRAN HAS BEEN SAYING SINCE THE U.S.

ATTACK THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO RESPOND.

SOME HAVE CALLED FOR A BIG RESPONSE, SOME OF THE HARDLINERS INSIDE IRAN, BUT WHAT --THE U.S. OBVIOUSLY HAS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS.

WHEN TRUMP ORDERED THE ASSASSINATION OF SOLEIMANI, IT WAS CLEARLY TELEGRAPHED THERE WOULD BE A RESPONSE FROM IRAN AND FROM MY MEMORY, IT DID HIT A BASE, BUT DID NOT CAUSE THE DAMAGE AND DEATH THAT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AND THAT WAS WHAT PEOPLE SAID WAS A TELEGRAPHED, RESPONSE.

DO YOU THINK THIS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, DEPENDING ON WHAT IS THE RESULT OF THIS, DO YOU THINK HIM AND PEOPLE AROUND HIM WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT OR HE'S PROMISED TO RETALIATE IN HIS SPEECH OVERNIGHT, TRUMP, IF IRAN HITS ANY U.S.

TARGETS?

>> CHRISTIANE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SPECULATE AS TO EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN EITHER THE PRESIDENT'S MIND OR THE NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I DO THINK PEOPLE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC HERE IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CHOICES ARE.

IRANIANS, IRAN IS A PROUD, PROUD, PROUD NATION.

ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED IN MY NEGOTIATIONS WAS THE LEVEL OF PRIDE WAS JUST ENORMOUS.

THEY ALSO HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL.

THAT'S A CULTURAL ALMOST RELIGIOUS COMPONENT OF THEIR POLICY AND SO IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING TO BRING THEM BACK TO THE TABLE, BUT I KNOW THIS.

YOU CANNOT BOMB AWAY THE MEMORY OF HOW TO MAKE A BOMB.

YOU CAN'T BOMB AWAY THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE DEVELOPED.

YOU CAN'T BOMB AWAY, YOU KNOW, THE BROAD ARRAY OF TECHNICIANS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR YEARS WHO WILL GO BACK TO WORK IF THAT'S THE MISSION THEY'RE GIVEN BY THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTRY.

>> OKAY.

>> AND ONE OF THE DANGERS HERE IS THAT THE MORE THIS GOES ON IN A MILITARY WAY, THE MORE POWER GOES TO THE WORST OFFENDERS WITHIN IRAN, THE IRGC, AND THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR ANYBODY.

>> JUST QUICK I WANT YOU TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE AMOUNT OF TALK NOW, EVEN TRUMP IS SAYING AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER HE'S EGGED ON BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL OR THE OTHERS WHO HAVE REGIME CHANGE IN THEIR MIND, BUT YOU HAVE JUST RAISED A POTENTIAL IT IS NOT SOME HAPPY DEMOCRACY OVERNIGHT.

DO YOU FEAR THAT IS A RISK THAT COULD HAPPEN?

>> OH, I THINK IT'S AN ENORMOUS RISK.

I THINK IT'S BEYOND RISK.

IT'S THE GREATER LIKELIHOOD BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WITH THE GUNS AND WITH THE MILITARY POWER AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE PRISON AND THE WAY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TREATED AND SO FORTH, WE KNOW THESE GUYS HAVEN'T BEEN NATURAL GOOD ACTORS IN SO MANY WAYS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE, I MEAN NONE OF WHITE HOUSE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS OVER THE YEARS LOOK HAPPILY AT THE CHOICES THAT IRAN HAS MADE, FEEDING THE POWER OF HEZBOLLAH, THE HUTHS HOUTHIS, SUPPORTING HAMAS, BUT WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA.

WE HAD A LOT OF CHOICES.

WE HAD THE BOMB BACK THEN.

IN FACT, THIS BOMB WAS DEVELOPED BACK IN 1991 AND THEN REFINED, HASN'T BEEN USED SINCE, BUT THE FACT IS THAT WE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US.

THE MODEL OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE PRIOR AGREEMENT IS REALLY A SIGNIFICANT MARKER FOR WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW AND THE IRANIANS, YOU KNOW, IN FAIRNESS HERE, I DON'T LIKE, AS I'VE DESCRIBED, MUCH OF THE BEHAVIOR AND I THINK THAT WHAT THE UNITED STATES, THE MILITARY, SHOWED THEY COULD DO AND DID THE OTHER DAY IS A REMARKABLE OPERATION AND THEY DESERVE ENORMOUS CREDIT IF THAT'S THE CHOICE THAT WAS MADE, BUT THAT CHOICE HAS TO TRANSLATE INTO THE DIPLOMATIC PROCESS AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO WE HAD MASSIVE INSIGHT AS TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING IN THEIR PROGRAM.

YES, IT WAS VERY WORRISOME WHAT THE IAEA REPORTED A FEW DAYS AGO, BUT IF WE HADN'T PULLED OUT OF THE AGREEMENT AND IF WE HADN'T SUBSEQUENTLY, YOU KNOW, TAKEN THE POSITIONS WE'VE TAKEN WITH RESPECT TO HOW YOU NEGOTIATE, WE COULD HAVE REALLY COME BACK TO A PLACE OF REASONABLENESS.

>> I WANT TO ASK YOU.

THIS IS VERY -- >> THIS HAS TO CALM DOWN SOMEHOW.

>> OKAY.

BUT ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS AND WHAT HAPPENED, OF COURSE, YOU SAID WE PULLED OUT.

PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HIS FIRST TERM PULLED OUT OF THAT DEAL.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM A FORMER NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR WHO BASICALLY SAID ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT THEN WERE INTERRUPTED BY ISRAEL'S FIRST BOMBING ROUND ABOUT TEN DAYS AGO.

SO THIS NEGOTIATOR SAYS THAT THEY HAD AGREED, BOTH THE IRANIANS AND STEVEN WITKOFF, SPECIAL ENVOY, ON A DRAFT AND THEN THEY WERE MEANT TO GO TO ANOTHER ROUND ON THE WEDNESDAY AND THEN FURTHER ROUNDS ON THAT WEEKEND, WHICH THEY THEN DIDN'T.

THE UNITED STATES, HE SAYS, CANCELED THE WEDNESDAY MEETING AND WITKOFF CHANGED ITS POSITION TO ZERO ENRICHMENT.

AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SHIFTING U.S. POSITIONS.

TRUMP AT FIRST SAID THEY COULD HAVE SOME.

THEY CAN'T HAVE A BOMB EVER LIKE EVERYBODY SAYS, BUT THEN IT CHANGED RADICALLY.

THEN THEY MET FOR ANOTHER ROUND.

WITKOFF STAYED VERY SHORTLY, LEFT THE MEETING AND THEY AGREED TO MEET ON THE SUNDAY AND AS WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

SO WHAT CHANGED WAS THE ADMINISTRATION DECISION NOT TO LET ANY ENRICHMENT ON IRANIAN SOIL.

SO THEN TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU GET BACK TO DIPLOMACY WHEN THE IRANIANS BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A DECEPTION JUST TO ALLOW ISRAEL TO ATTACK AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE U.S. DECIDED TO JOIN AND THEN APPARENTLY THEY WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS CONSORTIUM THING ABOUT HAVING ENRICHMENT OFF SITE, SO TO SPEAK, TO THREAD THAT NEEDLE.

>> RIGHT.

>> TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY AT DIPLOMACY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO YOU.

>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE DETAILS.

YOU'VE CERTAINLY GOT SOME REPORTING THERE.

I CAN'T VOUCH FOR IT.

>> RIGHT.

>> I'M NOT BEING NEGATIVE ABOUT IT.

I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE WAY IT UNFOLDED.

WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU HAS FOR YEARS BEEN SEEKING TO BOMB IRAN AND HE CAME TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND ASKED.

HE SUBSEQUENTLY TRIED TO PERSUADE OTHER PRESIDENTS AND IT DIDN'T UNTIL NOW BECOME A REALITY.

SO WHAT CHANGED IN THAT IS SOMETHING I'M NOT --I'M ABLE TO CERTAINLY --I'M NOT GOING TO SPECULATE PUBLICLY ABOUT IT, BUT SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY DID CHANGE, BUT AGAIN, LET'S COME BACK TO THE REALITY OF ARE, CHRISTIANE.

WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE A WIDER WAR.

THE WHOLE REGION DOESN'T WANT THAT.

THE WORLD DOESN'T WANT THAT.

IT'S THE LAST THING WE NEED AND THE ISSUE IS WHAT'S THE OFF RAMP NOW THAT WE HAVE, IN FACT, BOMBED?

AND THAT OFF RAMP IS GOING TO TAKE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DIPLOMATIC EFFORT AND RESTRAINT AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT.

IF EVERYBODY GOES WHOLE HOG, INCLUDING ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES JOINING TOGETHER, THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE WILDEST CONFRONTATIONS THAT WE HAVE SEEN BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ONE THAT IS CONTROLLABLE AND YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST.

YOU HAVE RUSSIA, CHINA, INDIA, OTHERS WHO WILL HAVE VERY STRONG VIEWS ABOUT WHERE THIS STARTED, HOW IT STARTED.

THIS IS THE DANGER OF HAVING PULLED OUT OF THE AGREEMENT, IAEA SAID AT THE TIME THE AGREEMENT WAS WORKING.

IRAN WAS LIVING UP TO THAT AGREEMENT AND THEY DIDN'T GET THE FULL SANCTIONS RELIEF AND THEN THE PRESIDENT PULLS OUT AND THEY DECIDED OKAY, HOW DO WE DEFEND OURSELVES NOW?

I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF ANY OF THE CHOICES THAT IRAN HAS MADE.

THEY'VE BEEN WORSE THAN MISCHIEVOUS WITHIN THE REGION AND HAVE CAUSED A LOT OF SUSPICION AND DOUBTS ABOUT THEIR LONGER INTENT HERE, BUT GOOD DIPLOMACY NOW HAS TO TAKE THE LEAD AND THE PRESIDENT, I HOPE, WILL EXERCISE RESTRAINT AND TAKE THE HIGHER ROAD IN ORDER TO TRY TO GET BACK TO THAT TABLE, WHICH IS SO CRITICAL.

YOU CANNOT STOP THIS PROCESS.

I MEAN WHERE IS THE MATERIAL THAT WAS IN FORDOW?

>> RIGHT.

>> AS I SAID, YOU CANNOT BOMB AWAY THE MEMORY AND THE THEY HAVE NOW LEARNED.

THEY'VE MASTERED THE NUCLEAR CYCLE.

THEY KNOW HOW TO MAKE A BOMB.

THE ONLY ISSUE IS WILL THEY FIND SOME WAY NOW TO FEEL COMPELLED TO DO THAT OR WILL THEY WANT TO JOIN THE COMMUNITY OF NATIONS AND BEGIN TO COME TO A CALMER PLACE AND REACH SOME KIND OF AN ACCORD AND AS I SAY, THAT'S GOING TO TO BE VERY DIFFICULT.

>> THE DEPUTY MINISTER SAID THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE EVEN NOW SINCE THE AMERICAN BOMBING THAT HE HAS SAID THEY WILL NOT PULL OUT OF THE NPT.

THAT WAS A FEAR THAT THEY WOULD PULL OUT OF THIS OBSERVING ROLE BY THE MPT AND THEN GO EVEN FURTHER DARK AND FURTHER UNDERGROUND, BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE --AND THIS IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL THOSE YEARS AGO THIS HAPPENED IN IRAQ AND TRUMP ACTUALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, IN HIS 2016 CAMPAIGN IRAQ WAS A BIG, FAT MISTAKE.

THOSE ARE HIS QUOTES AND HE ACCUSED THE GOVERNMENT OF LYING ABOUT INTELLIGENCE.

AS WE KNOW, THERE WERE NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

SO HE WAS VERY CLEAR THAT HE OPPOSED THAT.

NOW WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER DEBATE ON THE INTELLIGENCE ABOUT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, WHICH IS, AS YOU'VE SAID AND THE INTELLIGENCE SAID, IRAN DOES NOT HAVE, BUT HERE IS WHAT SECRETARY RUBIO SAID ON THE SUNDAY MORNING SHOW WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE, WHICH IS ALSO U.S. INTELLIGENCE.

HERE'S WHAT HE SAID.

>> LET ME FOLLOW UP ON A PHRASE YOU JUST WORDED, WEAPON AMBITIONS.

ARE YOU SAYING THERE THAT THE UNITED STATES DID NOT SEE INTELLIGENCE THAT THE SUPREME LEADER HAD ORDERED WEAPONIZATION?

>> THAT'S IRRELEVANT.

I SEE THAT QUESTION BEING ASKED IN THE MEDIA.

>> THAT IS THE KEY POINT IN U.S. INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS.

>> NO, IT'S NOT.

>> I KNOW IT BETTER THAN YOU KNOW AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

>> I'M ASKING WHEN THE ORDER WAS GIVEN.

>> IT DOESN'T MATTER.

THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO BUILD NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

>> I'VE GOT DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN.

THIS IS PRECISELY THE ARGUMENT THAT WAS MADE AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE WAR IN IRAQ WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A DISASTER FOR THE UNITED STATES AND FOR THE REGION.

SO ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT YOUR SUCCESSOR, SECRETARY RUBIO, BELIEVES THAT ANY INTELLIGENCE IS IRRELEVANT, THIS INTELLIGENCE ANYWAY?

>> I THINK IT'S A BIGGER QUESTION THAN THAT, FRANKLY.

THE DECISION TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE INTEL COMMUNITY HAD NOT BEEN MADE, BUT HE IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

THEY HAVE THE MATERIALS THEY NEED.

>> RIGHT.

>> AND THERE WAS A RATHER ALARMING REPORT BY THE IAEA TO THE EFFECT THAT THEY HAD ABOUT THEY HAD -- >> YEAH.

>> --INCREASED THE LEVEL, YOU KNOW, OF THEIR AMOUNT OF ENRICHABLE MATERIAL AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A BOMB.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT CREATES A CAUSE FOR WORRY.

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CREATE THE SITUATION WHERE YOU AUTOMATICALLY GO IN.

YOU CAN SHOW AT THE TABLE THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW.

THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

THIS IS HOW WE NEGOTIATED WITH THEM OVER THREE YEARS AND WE FOUGHT OVER THESE THINGS, BUT WE GOT A FINAL AGREEMENT THAT HAD TELEVISION CAMERAS IN EVERY SINGLE FACILITY, RADIO SEALS ON ALL OF THEIR CENTRIFUGES.

IF THEY'RE OPENED, YOU WOULD KNOW IT.

WE HAD 130 ADDITIONAL INSPECTORS ON THE GROUND WHO WERE PERSONALLY GOING IN AND MAKING THESE INSPECTIONS.

WE HAD CENTRIFUGES DESTROYED.

SO THEY HAD NO PROGRAM FUNDAMENTALLY AND WE HAD THE INCREDIBLE VISIBILITY ON THAT PROGRAM AND WE WERE ABLE TO TELL EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING SO THAT IF THEY DIDN'T KEEP THEIR AGREEMENT, WE STILL HAD THE ABILITY TO BOMB THEM AND WE MADE THAT VERY, VERY CLEAR.

IF YOU DO NOT LIVE UP BY THIS, THEN YOU ARE SUBJECT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MILITARY SOLUTION.

>> RIGHT.

>> BUT THEY CHOSE TO GO THE OTHER ROUTE AND WE CHOSE TO GO THE OTHER ROUTE AND WE LITERALLY HAD A NUCLEAR WEAPON TAKEN OFF THE TABLE AND SOME PEOPLE TRIED TO SAY WELL, IT'S SUNSET.

NO.

ONLY A COUPLE OF PROVISIONS IN IT SUNSET.

THE AGREEMENT STAYED IN EFFECT AS LONG AS IRAN, FOR 100 YEARS, 200 YEARS, WAS DEALING WITH URANIUM AND ENRICHMENT.

WE HAD TOTAL GUARANTEE OF INSIGHT AND WE HAD SOMETHING CALLED THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL WHICH PROVIDED EVEN MORE INSIGHT THAN EVER BEFORE IN THESE NUCLEAR AGREEMENTS.

WE DID THAT --THE ADDITIONAL WHAT HAPPENED WITH NORTH KOREA WHERE NORTH KOREA SAID IT WAS GOING TO DO A, B, AND C AND THEY DIDN'T.

SO WE CAME WITH A WHOLE NEW PROTOCOL TO DEAL WITH THAT PROBLEM.

THAT'S REALLY THE ISSUE.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A WIDER WAR, WHICH APPARENTLY MAYBE A FEW PEOPLE WANT, BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A WIDER WAR AND I THINK THE BROAD ARRAY OF NATIONS IN THAT REGION ARE REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN HERE, IT'S THE LAST THING THAT WE LEAVE ON THIS PLANET IS YET ANOTHER WAR AND CONTINUED ESCALATION.

SO I HOPE WISER VOICES WILL PREVAIL AND WILL FIND THE ROAD AHEAD.

>> LISTEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS BECAUSE YOU WERE THERE IN THE ROOM AND YOU DID GET A DEAL AND WE'VE SEEN THE DANGER NOW COME TO A HEAD WHEN THAT DEAL WAS THROWN OUT.

SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.

>>> NOW WE'LL GET MORE ON THE BREAKING NEWS OF IRANIAN BASIS WITH CORRESPONDENT NICK PAYTON WALSH FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS.

TELL US WHAT WE KNOW NOW.

>> Reporter: YEAH.

AT THIS POINT I THINK THE KEY THING IS TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE.

THE QATARIS HAVE SAID THE MISSILES WERE ALL INTERCEPTED AND THERE WERE NO DEATHS AND INJURIES.

THIS IS CLEARLY WHAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIREWORKS YOU'RE SEEING REMARKABLY OVER THE SKIES OF DOHA NEAR THE AL UDEID AMERICAN BASE, THE AMERICAN BASE EVACUATED IN THE PAST DAYS CLEARLY AS CONCERNS ROSE OF A POTENTIAL IRANIAN RETALIATION IN THE REGION AND WE'VE ALSO HEARD FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE IRANIAN NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SAYING --AND I PARAPHRASE HERE --THAT THE NUMBER OF BOMBS DROPPED OR WEAPONS USED IN THESE RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ARE EQUAL TO THE NUMBER USED BY THE UNITED STATES IN THEIR STRIKES ON NUCLEAR FACILITIES.

NOW I SHOULD POINT OUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MISSILES HAVE 75 I THINK WAS THE TOTAL FIRED BY THE UNITED STATES.

THAT DOES NOT MATCH SOME OF THE INITIAL REPORTING AS TO HOW MANY MISSILES, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT'S NOT REALLY THE CONSEQUENCE HERE.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS WHAT GOT THROUGH AND IN QATAR WE'RE HEARING INITIAL REPORTS THE ANSWER IS ZERO AND THE FACT, TOO, THAT THE IRANIANS ARE VERY CLEARLY TELEGRAPHING HERE THAT THIS IS PROPORTIONATE, THAT THEY ARE SAYING WE FIRED EXACTLY THE SAME NUMBER THAT YOU FIRED AT US, ESSENTIALLY HOPING TO DRAW A LINE UNDER AND A STATEMENT GOES ON TO SAY THIS THIS ATTACK CLEARLY AGAINST THE TERRITORY OF QATAR, BUT U.S. ASSETS ON THAT TERRITORY, IS NOT MEANT IN ANY WAY TO BE AGGRESSION TOWARDS THE SISTERLY NATION OF QATAR.

SO CLEARLY, I THINK WE'RE SEEING A REMARKABLE MOMENT OF TELEGRAPHING BUILDING UP TO HERE, LITERALLY TALKING ON CABLE NEWS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THESE ATTACKS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN, THE FACT THAT THIS BASE WAS WELL KNOWN IN QATAR, AL UDEID, KEY TO U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND'S OPERATIONS ACROSS THE BUSIEST REGION THEY HAVE, SYRIA, IRAQ, IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, ALL THE MAJOR WARS THE LAST 20 YEARS OR SO MOSTLY EMPTIED OF PERSONNEL AND KEY AIRCRAFT BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN OF THIS.

THAT WAS WELL PUBLICIZED.

IRAN WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT AND THESE MISSILES STILL FIRED AT IT WITH ADEQUATE WARNING FOR QATAR TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE ITS AIRSPACE IN THE PREVIOUS HOURS, FOR THIS MORNING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO TELL ITS STAFF AND AMERICANS TO SHELTER IN PLACE.

YOU COULDN'T HAVE MUCH MORE TELEGRAPHING AND THIS DOES SOMEWHAT ECHO WHAT WE SAW AFTER THE KILLING OF SOLEIMANI IN 2019, THAT THAT OCCURRED AND THERE WAS SWIFTLY AFTERWARDS A TELEGRAPHED RESPONSE FROM IRAN TOWARDS AMERICAN FACILITIES IN IRAQ.

WE DON'T KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF THIS.

WE DON'T INDEED KNOW IF MULTIPLE BASES HAVE BEEN TARGETED.

INITIAL INDICATIONS ARE THAT IS NOT THE CASE, BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT WE ARE SEEING A VERY LOUD AFTER DAYS OF RHETORIC BID BY IRAN TO SHOW THAT IT'S ABLE TO RESPOND, BUT NOT DO ANYTHING TO POTENTIALLY FURTHER ESCALATE THE SITUATION.

THIS IS A COUNTRY WHOSE MILITARY CAPABILITIES ARE POTENTIALLY DOWN TO MAYBE 1,000 MISSILES THAT CAN HIT ISRAEL.

THESE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY SHORTER RANGE TO HIT QATAR, BUT THIS IS A MILITARY GRADED HEAVILY OVER THE PAST TEN DAYS, POTENTIALLY I THINK TRYING TO SHOW IT HAS SOME DETERRENT VALUE, BUT ALSO, TO BE HONEST, NOT PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE NATURE OF THIS ATTACK ALSO EMPHASIZING THEIR WEAKNESS AT THIS POINT.

>> REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THAT CLARIFICATION AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR OBVIOUSLY.

THANK YOU.

>>> JUST BEFORE IRAN FIRED THOSE MISSILES AT AMERICAN BASES IN QATAR AND IRAQ, AN IRANIAN OFFICIAL TOLD CNN IT WANTS THE U.S. TO "DIRECTLY PAY FOR THE WAR."

WELL, MAKE THIS IS IT.

IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER MET RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TODAY AT THE KREMLIN.

WHILE RUSSIA DOES SUPPORT IRAN DIPLOMATICALLY AND IRAN SUPPORTS PUTIN'S WAR IN UKRAINE, THERE IS NO INDICATION PUTIN WILL JOIN IRAN IN ANY MILITARY ESCALATION.

ON SUNDAY THE FOREIGN MINISTER SAID HIS COUNTRY HAD THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE.

>> THE WORLD MUST NOT FORGET THAT IT WAS THE UNITED STATES WHICH IN THE MIDST OF A PROCESS TO FORGE A DIPLOMATIC OUTCOME BETRAYED DIPLOMACY.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE U.N. CHARTER AND ITS PROVISIONS ALLOWING RESPONSE IN SELF- DEFENSE, IRAN RESERVES ALL OPTIONS TO DEFEND ITS SECURITY INTEREST AND PEOPLE.

>> NOW THERE ARE CURRENTLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF U.S.

TROOPS BASED AROUND THE MIDDLE EAST AND TRUMP HAS PROMISED AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE IF THEY WERE TARGETED, BUT AS WE ALSO DISCUSSED WITH SECRETARY KERRY, IF THIS IS A PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE, IF IT IS THE ONLY RESPONSE, IF THERE ARE NO DEATHS, NO INJURIES, THEN HE SAID THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, ANY ADMINISTRATION, SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE PROPORTIONALITY NEGOTIATING TABLE.

WE'LL SEE HOW THE U.S.

RESPONDS, BUT JOSE NUSAVIGNON SERVED AS IRAN'S AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY AND HE'S JOINING ME FROM PARIS NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS.

WELCOME BACK TO OUR PROGRAM.

CAN I FIRST ASK YOU WHAT YOU MAKE OF THIS RESPONSE?

IT WAS TELEGRAPHED BY IRANIAN STATE TELEVISION AND NOW WE'RE HEARING THE DETAILS, THAT APPARENTLY IT WAS 11 MISSILES.

THEY SAY IN PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE TO THE NUMBER OF BOMBS THAT THE U.S.

DROPPED.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS RESPONSE AND DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE THE ONLY RESPONSE?

>> I THINK, CHRISTIANE, IT WAS CLEAR FOR EVERYONE THAT IRAN WILL RESPOND AND THE RESPONSE ALSO WAS EXPECTED TO BE PROPORTIONATE.

NOW JUST WE HAVE HEARD THEY BASIS IN QATAR AND IRAN HAS PUBLICLY SAID THIS HAS BEEN PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE.

IF THIS IS THE IRANIAN POSITION, IT MEANS YOU HAVE LAUNCHED X NUMBER OF BOMBS AND WE HAVE LAUNCHED X NUMBER OF BOMBS.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IS EXACTLY WHAT SECRETARY KERRY SAID.

THERE IS NO SOLUTION, MILITARY SOLUTION, ONLY DIPLOMACY AND I HOPE AFTER THIS MILITARY ESCALATION BOTH NEGOTIATORS WOULD GO BACK TO NEGOTIATING TABLE.

>> LET ME ASK YOU, THOUGH, BECAUSE IRAN HAD TO MAKE A DECISION OBVIOUSLY.

WE'VE SPOKEN IN DEPTH ABOUT HOW IT HAS BEEN WEAKENED, BOTH WITH ITS MILITARY CAPACITY AT HOME AND WITH ITS PROXIES, WHO ARE ITS FOREIGN SHOCK TROOPS ABROAD.

IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY DISADVANTAGED IN THAT BUT THE SUPREME LEADER, KHOMEINI, HAD TO DECIDE, RIGHT, EXACTLY WHAT TO DO SO THAT HE DIDN'T, HE HOPES, INVITE AN EVEN STRONGER U.S.

RESPONSE AND THAT THE REGIME SURVIVES.

IS THAT THE CALCULATION THAT WAS GOING ON, DO YOU THINK, IN THE ESTABLISHMENT AS THEY MADE THIS RESPONSE?

>> CHRISTIANE, I THINK ALWAYS THERE HAS BEEN A MISCALCULATION ON BOTH PARTIES AND ALSO WESTERN COUNTRIES FREQUENTLY HAVE MADE AND HAVE HAD MISCALCULATIONS.

WE REMEMBER THE EIGHT YEARS WAR WHEN THE U.S., EUROPE, SOVIET UNION, ALL ARAB COUNTRIES, THEY WERE UNITED TO SUPPORT INVASION OF SADDAM, MONEY, AND THE MOST SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS OF EVEN THAT TIME IRAN DID NOT HAVE MISSILE AND THE NARRATIVE WAS OH, SHAH IS GONE AND THE IRANIAN ARMY IS IN DISORDER.

THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO ATTACK AND DISINTEGRATE IRAN AND THEN YOU NOTICE DESPITE OF THE CONSENSUS INTERNATIONALLY FROM THE EASTERN BLOC TO WESTERN BLOC, ARAB COUNTRIES, EVERYBODY SUPPORTED WITH HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS AND MONEY, EVERYTHING, PROPAGANDA, POLITICAL, AT THE END IRANIAN RESISTED EIGHT YEARS AND DID NOT GIVE A MILLIMETER OF THEIR LAND AND SADDAM IS GONE AND THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IS THERE.

I MEAN THIS IS ALWAYS THE WRONG NARRATIVE TO GET INTO.

>> LET ME ASK YOU TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 1980s AND AT THAT TIME THE LEADER, AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI, SAID I WILL HAVE TO DRINK RELUCTANTLY FROM THE POISON CHALLIS, THE CUP OF POISON, IN ORDER TO END THIS WAR.

IS THAT WHAT KHOMEINI IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO BECAUSE TRUMP HAS PEACE OR ELSE?

IS THERE A CALCULATION BEYOND THAT RESPONSE THAT THE SUPREME LEADER HAS TO MAKE?

>> CHRISTIANE, WHEN IN 1988 AYATOLLAH SAID ABOUT THE POISON BECAUSE HE SAID HE WILL FIGHT UNTIL SADDAM IS REMOVED.

THE ONLY DECISION HE MADE, HE DECIDED NOT TO CONTINUE THE WAR UNTIL SADDAM IS REMOVED.

OTHERWISE HE COULD SAVE THE COUNTRY WITH HIS LEADERSHIP, BUT AT THE MOMENT WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE ON THE TABLE?

IS IT ABOUT NUCLEAR OR BEYOND?

I PERSONALLY BELIEVE PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU, HIS OBJECTIVE IS NOT NUCLEAR.

IT IS REGIME CHANGE.

IT'S DISINTEGRATION OF IRAN.

WHETHER THIS IS AMERICAN OBJECTIVE OR NOT, THIS IS THE WHETHER PRESIDENT TRUMP ONLY DOES NOT WANT NUCLEAR BOMB AND HIS ISSUE IS NUCLEAR OR HE IS AFTER REGIME CHANGE?

IF HE IS AFTER REGIME CHANGE, THEN YOU CAN I THINK THINK ABOUT FURTHER ESCALATION, REGIONAL WAR, TRANSREGIONAL WAR AND A TOTAL DISASTER, BUT IF HIS ISSUE IS ABOUT IRANIAN NUCLEAR BOMB, THEY HAVE THREE MAJOR ISSUE, CHRISTIANE, ON THE TABLE.

ONE IS ABOUT THE IAEA COOPERATION WITH IRAN TAKING AMBIGUITIES, TAKING QUESTIONS OR WHAT OR POSSIBILITY MILITARY DIMENSION ISSUES.

AS SECRETARY KERRY SAID, DURING 2015 THE NUCLEAR DEAL HAD AND HAS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY AND INSPECTION MEASURES.

THEREFORE, ON THIS ISSUE THEY CAN EXACTLY IMPLEMENT THE SAME DEAL BECAUSE THE DEAL WAS ALREADY IMPLEMENTED.

EVERY IAEA AMBIGUITIES WERE REMOVED.

THIS WAS THE RESULT.

THERE WERE, THEY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE.

THE SECOND BIG ISSUE IS ABOUT THE IRANIAN STOCKPILE.

FIRST OF ALL, AS JOHN KERRY SAID, IRAN WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE SUCH A BIG STOCKPILE.

WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHDREW WHILE IRAN WAS IN FULL COMPLIANCE OF THE DEAL, IRANIANS ALSO MINIMIZED THEIR COMMITMENT WITHIN THE JCPOA AND TRIED TO INCREASE THE LEVEL AND CAPACITY OF THE NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS A BARGAINING CHIP.

>> BUT CLEARLY THEY MISJUDGED.

THEY MISREAD ISRAEL AFTER OCTOBER 7th.

THEY MISREAD TRUMP AND THIS BARGAINING CHIP CLEARLY BACKFIRED AGAINST THEM.

SO THE REAL QUESTION IS IF THEY WANT TO GET BACK TO A TABLE, ARE THEY GOING TO, AS KERRY SUGGESTED, REMOVE -- I'M EXTRAPOLATING --REMOVE THIS COMMITMENT TO THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL AND ACTUALLY GO TO SOME CONSORTIUM WHICH YOU I THINK WERE INVOLVED WITH WHICH INVOLVES BASICALLY THREADING THE ENRICHMENT NEEDLE, WHAT THEY NEED FOR A NUCLEAR PROGRAM THAT'S CIVILIAN BUT OFF FORMAL IRANIAN TERRITORY.

IS THAT GOING TO BE WHAT THEY MIGHT DO?

>> FIRST OF ALL, CHRISTIANE, I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD BE THE FINAL POSITION OF IRANIAN GOVERNMENT BECAUSE I'M NOT IN THE GOVERNMENT, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE I HAVE WRITTEN FOR TWO YEARS THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR CEASEFIRE BETWEEN IRAN AND ISRAEL AND IRAN AND ISRAEL CHARTER AND RESPECT THE U.N. CHARTER, NOT TO THREATEN EACH OTHER.

THERE WERE, THESE SHOULD BE I THINK A PRINCIPLE THAT IRAN AND ISRAEL SHOULD RESPECT THE U.N. CHARTER.

THE SECOND IS ABOUT THE NUCLEAR DEAL, ABOUT THE STOCKPILE.

I TOLD STEVE WITKOFF DURING THE FIRST THREE ROUNDS OF NEGOTIATIONS THAT IF THERE IS A DEAL, IRAN WOULD BE READY TO EXPORT OR TO DILUTE THEIR 400- KILOGRAM OF STOCKPILE.

THEREFORE, THERE WOULD BE NO WORRY ABOUT IRAN TO MAKE TEN NUCLEAR BOMB AND FINALLY, THE CONCERN IS ABOUT IRANIAN ENRICHMENT WOULD BE MILITARY ENRICHMENT OR CIVILIAN ENRICHMENT.

IF THEY ENRICH BELOW 5%, DEFINITELY THIS IS CIVILIAN AND IN MEDIUM AND LONG TERM, AS YOU SAID, AND I HAVE ALREADY BE A REGIONAL CONSORTIUM BETWEEN IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES, SO BY THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC AGENCY.

THIS WOULD BE MULTILATERAL, SUPERVISED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

>> THE LAST THING, THEN, IS BECAUSE YOU'RE A FORMER NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR, I ASKED THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER BEFORE THE U.S.

ENTERED THIS WAR WHETHER, IF THE REGIME SURVIVES BECAUSE YOU HAVE SAID YOU THINK THE ISRAELI POSITION IS REGIME CHANGE, THAT THEY WOULD GO, YOU KNOW, IN SECRET AND ACTUALLY TAKE A DECISION TO MAKE A BOMB BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED AND HE SAID NO, NEVER.

WE NEVER HAVE.

WE NEVER WILL, ET CETERA.

DO YOU THINK THEY MIGHT IF THIS DOESN'T GET BACK TO A NEGOTIATING TABLE?

IS THAT AN OPTION LIKE NORTH KOREA THAT'S LEFT ON THE TABLE?

>> I THINK, CHRISTIANE, IT DEPENDS TO THE END OF THE STATE OF THE CURRENT SITUATION.

IF THE U.S. AND ISRAEL WOULD STOP ATTACKING IRAN, IRAN WILL STOP.

IF THE U.S. COMES BACK TO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE, IRAN WOULD COME.

IF THE U.S. WILL RESPECT INTERNATIONAL RULES, LAWS, REGULATIONS, IRAN WOULD BE READY TO MAKE A DEAL AND ACCEPT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY OPEN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND THEN GO TO CONSORTIUM, BUT IF THE EFFECTIVE IS REGIME CHANGE AND THEY ARE USING THE NUCLEAR JUST AS AN INSTRUMENT TO BRING THIS COUNTRY TO A TOTAL COLLAPSE, I THINK IRANIANS ULTIMATELY WOULD GO FOR A NUCLEAR BOMB.

>> GOSH.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WE'VE BEEN WARNED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

>>> NOW LET US GET MORE ON THE IRANIAN MISSILES THAT WERE FIRED AT U.S.

BASES OR A BASE -- WE DON'T KNOW --WITH BECKY ANDERSON.

SHE'S BEEN FOLLOWING THIS FROM ABU DHABI.

WHAT'S THE LATEST IMPACT THESE MISSILES HAVE HAD?

>> Reporter: WE GOT A STATEMENT FROM QATAR AND LET ME JUST READ THIS TO YOU, CHRISTIANE.

THE MISSILES WERE FIRED AT THE AL UDEID AIR BASE BY THE IRGC.

QATAR CONSIDERED THAT A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF THE STATE OF QATAR'S SOVEREIGNTY AND AIRSPACE.

THE ONE YOU'RE SEEING ON YOUR SCREEN AT THE MOMENT IS ACTUALLY THE DEFENSE MINISTRY STATEMENT, THE SECOND STATEMENT.

THE ONE I'M READING IS FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

THIS IS A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF THE STATE OF QATAR SOVEREIGNTY AND AIRSPACE AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL LAW.

WE AFFIRM THE STATE OF QATAR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO RESPOND DIRECTLY IN A MANNER PROPORTIONAL TO THE NATURE AND SCALE OF THIS BLATANT AGGRESSION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW, ALSO AFFIRM THE CONTINUATION OF SUCH ESCALATING MILITARY ACTIONS WILL UNDERMINE SECURITY AND STABILITY IN REGION AND DRAG IT INTO SITUATIONS THAT WILL HAVE DISASTROUS REPERCUSSIONS.

TEN MISSILES FIRED AT THE AL UDEID AIR BASE AND LET'S REMIND OURSELVES THAT IS THE BIGGEST AIR BASE IN THE REGION.

IT IS A BASE OF U.S. ASSETS.

IT IS ACTUALLY HOSTED BY QATAR.

THIS IS NOT A U.S. BASE PER SE.

IT IS A BASE HOSTED BY QATAR.

IT HAS CENTCOM THERE AS WELL, CENTRAL COMMAND.

FIRSTLY, IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME BY SOMEBODY BRIEFED ON THE MATTER AS SYMBOLIC TO THE DEGREE THIS BASE HAD BEEN EVACUATED.

THE IRANIANS HAVE SAID THEY FIRED EXACTLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MISSILES AT IT AS WERE FIRED AT ITS NUCLEAR SITE IN IRAN.

SO THIS WAS PROPORTIONAL.

THERE IS SOME REPORTING DURING THE ROUNDS TONIGHT THAT THIS, IN FACT, WAS COORDINATED.

I'VE BEEN TOLD ON GOOD AUTHORITY FROM SOURCES IN QATAR THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.

WHY MIGHT THAT HAVE BEEN SPECULATED?

WELL, I THINK MANY PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED THAT IN THIS GULF REGION QATAR AND IRAN SHARE EXTREMELY GOOD RELATIONS.

IN FACT, OF COURSE, YOU ALL KNOW WELL THEY SHARE A GAS FIELD.

THEIR RELATIONS ARE EXTREMELY GOOD.

AGAIN, I WAS REMINDED THAT ON SATURDAY THE QATAR P.M. WAS IN ISTANBUL WITH THE IRANIAN PRIME MINISTER TRYING EXTREMELY HARD TO MEDIATE GETTING THESE U.S.-IRAN TALKS BACK ON TRACK, BUT THEN, OF COURSE, OVERNIGHT SUNDAY THE U.S. HIT THESE IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES.

SO A BIG SYMBOLIC STRIKE ON THE DEFENSE SYSTEMS, THE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS, TOOK THESE MISSILES OUT, BUT A HUGE ESCALATION ON THE PART OF THE IRANIANS.

THEY HOPE THIS WILL BE SEEN I THINK AS A ONE AND DONE.

>> OKAY, BECKY.

>> Reporter: THAT WAS THEIR RESPONSE AND THINGS CAN MOVE ON.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO WATCH THIS.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT IT DOES ESCALATE AS YOU INDICATED QATAR SAYING IT WOULD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>> WE HAVE TO GO NOW TO ISRAEL.

BILLBOARDS AND LANDMARKS ARE LIT UP WITH THE U.S.

FLAG AND THANKS TO DONALD TRUMP FOR FINALLY LETTING THE U.S.

STEP INTO THEIR LONG PLANNED WAR ON IRAN.

HERE'S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.

>> HISTORY WILL RECORD IT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP ACTED TO DENY THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS REGIME, THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPONS.

HIS LEADERSHIP TODAY HAS CREATED A PIVOT OF HISTORY THAT AND BEYOND TO A FUTURE OF PROSPERITY AND PEACE.

PRESIDENT TRUMP AND I OFTEN SAY PEACE FROM STRENGTH.

FIRST COMES STRENGTH.

THEN COMES PEACE AND TONIGHT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE UNITED STATES ACTED WITH A LOT OF STRENGTH.

PRESIDENT TRUMP, I THANK YOU.

THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL THANK YOU.

THE FORCES OF CIVILIZATION THANK YOU.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

GOD BLESS ISRAEL.

MAY GOD BLESS OUR UNSHAKEABLE ALLIANCE, OUR UNBREAKABLE FAITH.

>> NOW ISRAEL'S DEFENSE MINISTER SAID THEIR AIR FORCE STRUCK AT THE HEART OF TEHRAN WITH "UNPRECEDENTED FORCE" TODAY.

THEY SAY THEY STRUCK AT THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS HEADQUARTERS AND THE GATES OF THE NOTORIOUS PRISON.

IT'S UNCLEAR WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INMATES INSIDE, MANY OF WHOM ARE INNOCENT POLITICAL PRISONERS.

ISRAEL SAYS IT IS ALSO STRIKING TO THE SITE.

SO WHAT IS THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL AND NOW THAT TRUMP IS POSTING ABOUT REGIME CHANGE, HAS NETANYAHU GOT TRUMP TO BUY INTO THAT NOW?

AGAIN, VICE PRESIDENT VANCE SAID THEY ARE NOT AT WAR WITH IRAN, ONLY ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

ISRAEL'S CHIEF OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAQ AND SYRIA'S NUCLEAR REACTORS BACK IN THE '80s AND EARLY 2000s AND HE'S JOINING ME NOW FROM TEL AVIV.

WELCOME BACK TO OUR PROGRAM.

SO WHERE TO BEGIN, YOU'VE ALL CALLED THIS A SPECTACULAR SUCCESS.

DONALD TRUMP HAS SAID THAT.

YOUR PRIME MINISTER HAS SAID THAT.

YOU BELIEVE I THINK --AND YOU TELL ME --WHAT DO YOU THINK ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN INTELLIGENCE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN DONE TO FORDOW?

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE U.S.

BOMBING OVER THE WEEKEND?

>> WE DON'T KNOW YET.

YOU NEED TO HAVE INTELLIGENCE COMING FROM MANY SOURCES.

SATELLITE RECONNAISSANCE AS WELL AS HUMAN AND IT WILL BE MIXED AND FUSED AND IN A WAY IS MORE ART THAN SCIENCE.

IF I CAN MY INITIAL ASSESSMENT, IT WAS DESTROYED BUT NOT TO THE LEVEL THE U.S. AIR FORCE AND ISRAELIS HOPED.

IT'S NOT TOTAL DESTRUCTION, BUT IT'S ENOUGH DESTRUCTION IF YOU ADD IT AS THE MARGINAL INSTALLATION ON THE NUCLEAR MANY SITES OF IRAN THAT WERE ATTACKED IN THE LAST TEN DAYS.

SO IT IS NOT THE KINETIC EFFECT.

IT'S WHAT WILL BE THE POLITICAL AND THE DIPLOMATIC EFFECT OF >> ALL RIGHT.

LET ME ASK YOU THAT, THEN.

>> IT'S VERY IMPORTANT -- >> LET ME ASK YOU THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SOUND AND NOISE IN THE ATMOSPHERE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, THE DAY AFTER?

WHAT'S YOUR PLAN?

IS IT REGIME CHANGE?

YOU HAVE GONE, YOU, THE ISRAELI MILITARY HAVE, GONE FROM NUCLEAR TARGETS, FROM MILITARY TARGETS, TO FULL-ON REGIME TARGETS AND NOT JUST INTERNATIONAL, NOT JUST THE FOREIGN REGIME FORCES, BUT THOSE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTROL AND DISSENT DOMESTICALLY.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?

>> THE STATED GOALS OF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND THE ISRAELI MILITARY IS TO DESTROY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THE NUCLEAR ORDER, THE BALLISTIC MISSILES, FIRING MISSILES INTO ISRAEL, AND TO CREATE THE CONDITION FOR A BETTER DEAL WITH IRAN AND THIS WAR WILL BE TESTED WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE DAY AFTER TO THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

THIS IS THE GOAL.

THE REGIME CHANGE WAS NEVER THE GOAL, NEVER, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW AND I'M EXPERT TO AIR POWER HOW YOU CHANGE A REGIME WITH AIR POWER.

WITH REGIME CHANGE YOU NEED BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

NEITHER THE U.S.

NOR ISRAEL WANT TO PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

THIS CAN COME ONLY FROM INTERNAL DOMESTIC.

80% OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE WHO HATE THE REGIME AND IF THERE WERE FAIR AND FREE ELECTION, THEY WILL VOTE OUT THE ISLAMIST AYATOLLAH, THE RADICAL TERRORIST REGIME OF AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI.

>> I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS.

YOU SAID THE STATED GOAL, BUT THE INCREASINGLY STATED GOAL BY BOTH YOUR PRIME MINISTER AND OTHER MINISTERS AND NOW BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS REGIME CHANGE.

SO SPECIFICALLY I WANT TO ASK YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS BUSY TALKING IT ALL UP IN PUBLIC AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

SO ISRAEL SAYS THAT IT ATTACKED THE GATES, THE ENTRY, TO THE AVIAN PRISON IN NORTHERN TEHRAN, A PLACE I KNOW VERY, VERY WELL INDEED, AND NOW IT'S POSTED A VIDEO OF THE ATTACK WITH THE CAPTION "SYMBOL OF REPRESSION," AND ALSO GOING OFF TO THE BASIEGE, THE DOMESTIC TROOPS THAT PUT DOWN CONTROL AND KEEP DOWN DOMESTIC UPRISINGS.

SO I WANT TO ASK YOU WAS THAT A BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES INSIDE, THE BLAST HAS GONE INSIDE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO AT IT LEAST ONE BLOCK AND MAJOR DAMAGE TO ANOTHER BLOCK?

APPARENTLY THERE'S BEEN A BIG DEBATE IN ISRAEL ABOUT THE WISDOM OF DOING THIS.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF HITTING A PRISON WITH INNOCENT POLITICAL PRISONERS INSIDE, FEEL PEOPLE WHO YOU SHOULD BE TRYING TO SAVE, NO?

>> CHRISTIANE, YOU ARE TAKING ME TO A PLACE I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS ABOUT.

WHAT I SAW WAS ONLY ATTACK OF THE GATE.

SO TO FREE THEM FROM THIS AWFUL PRISON.

SO DON'T TAKE ME TO THESE DETAILS BECAUSE I CANNOT HELP YOU.

ON THE OTHER SIDE I WILL TELL YOU THAT TWO FAMILIES OF TARGETS WERE EXCLUDED FROM THE ISRAELI ATTACK, THE OIL INDUSTRY, THE GAS, THE ENERGY BECAUSE ISRAEL DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE A GLOBAL CRISIS AND SECOND IS THE TOP CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP.

ISRAEL TARGETED THE IRGC COMMANDERS, THE HEAD OF THE IRANIAN ARMY, BUT NOT THE CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP AND WHAT ISRAEL IS SIGNALING, THAT IT CAN REACH THE CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP AND THOSE BESIEGED AND OTHER ILGC ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF TERROR.

SINCE IRAN IS TARGETING TEL AVIV AND HOSPITALS AND BY NOW KILLED ONLY CIVILIANS, ISRAEL IS TARGETING ONLY MILITARY AND NUCLEAR TARGETS AND NOW IT IS COMING TO THE REGIME.

IF IT WILL HELP TO CHANGE THE REGIME ON THE INSIDE, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

IT WOULD BE THE BEST RESULT OF THIS WAR, BUT NOBODY IS TRYING TO MAKE THE REGIME CHANGE BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE DONE, AS I ALREADY SAID, BY AIR POWER.

>> SO I WONDER WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOW MUSING IN PUBLIC POSTS ABOUT REGIME CHANGE EVEN AFTER HIS OWN ADVISERS SAID WE'RE NOT AT WAR WITH IRAN, BUT ONLY WITH THE NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND WITH RESPECT, I MEAN WE HAVE PLENTY OF REPORTING PLENTY OF CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED AND INJURED.

SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES TO ALL OF THIS, BUT MOST PARTICULARLY, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A VIABLE OR THE MOST OBVIOUS GROUP OR WHATEVER TO TAKE OVER IF THIS REGIME, AS YOU SAY, SHOULD TOPPLE?

I MEAN WHO DO YOU IDENTIFY AS BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY DO THAT AND RUN THE PLACE WITHOUT IT BECOMING A FAILED STATE OR DISINTEGRATED STATE?

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS?

>> I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION.

>> OKAY.

>> BUT IF YOU ASK ABOUT INNOCENT PEOPLE THAT ARE KILLED IN THE WAR, THIS IS A WAR.

WHAT YOU ARE JUDGED BY WHO YOU AIM AT.

IF YOU AIM AT LEGITIMATE MILITARY TARGET THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE WAR, THIS IS A LEGITIMATE TARGET AND THERE WILL BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

THERE WILL BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE, BUT IT SHOULD BE PROPORTIONAL TO THE GOALS OF THE COUNTRY AND IF YOU ASK ME WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF THIS CAMPAIGN, I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY IF THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM WILL BE ROLLED BACK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, IF ISRAEL WILL DESTROY THE BALLISTIC MISSILES AND THE LAUNCHERS OF THE BALLISTIC MISSILES THAT ARE FLYING TO MY COUNTRY EVERY NIGHT AND KILLING ONLY CIVILIANS AND IF WE WILL BE ABLE TO BRING THIS AWFUL REGIME INTO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE WITH LESS LEVERAGES THAN THEY HAVE BEFORE AND THE AMERICANS ARE THE SUPER POWERS THAT WILL NEGOTIATE WITH THEM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING A RELIABLE, CREDIBLE AGREEMENT THAT WILL STOP ALL THE --AND THIS WILL BE DONE ON THE BASIS OF THE GOLDEN STANDARD.

THE GOLDEN STANDARD IS ALLOWING A COUNTRY THAT WANT TO HAVE NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS TO GET ENRICHED URANIUM FROM THE OUTSIDE, PROFESSIONAL CONSORTIUM, AND WHEN IT IS USED AND PRODUCED PLUTONIUM THAT CAN ALSO BE A SOURCE OF ATOMIC BOMB, IT IS SHIPPED OUT.

HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK IN THE UAE.

THE UAE IS UP TO THE STANDARDS AND THEY HAVE NUCLEAR REACTORS AND EVERYBODY'S HAPPY.

>> LET ME ASK YOU ONE FINAL QUESTION BECAUSE THE THREATS IRAN HAS MADE AGAINST ISRAEL FOR YEARS AND DECADES, I PUT THAT TO THE IRANIAN FORMER NEGOTIATOR BEFORE I SPOKE TO YOU AND HE AGREED THERE NEEDS TO BE A CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND IRAN OVER THREATS AND COUNTER THREATS AND ALL THE REST OF IT AND I WONDER WHETHER YOU AGREE THAT THAT'S A POSSIBLE FUTURE IN THIS IMAGERY YOU DESCRIBE AS A CONSORTIUM, A DIFFERENT WAY TO HAVE WHAT THEY NEED FOR A CIVILIAN PROGRAM.

>> I'M PRAYING FOR A CEASEFIRE.

I'M PRAYING FOR ISRAEL AND IRAN RETURNING TO BE A FRIENDLY NATION, AS WE HAVE BEEN FOR 3,000 YEARS UNTIL THIS ISLAMIC REVOLUTION THAT HIJACKED THE IRANIAN PEOPLE FROM BEING FRIENDS OF ISRAEL AND IN THIS CASE, OF COURSE, AS WE HAVE GOOD RELATION WITH THE UAE, THE IRANIANS CAN HAVE AS MUCH NUCLEAR REACTOR FOR CIVILIAN POWER AS THEY WANT.

SO THIS WILL BE MY GOAL.

IRAN HAS TO TOP TO PREACHING DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL.

THIS IS THE SOURCE OF EVERY PROBLEM IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE PEACE WITH THE PALESTINIANS, BUT THE IRANIANS SPOILED IT.

EVERY PEACE PROCESS WAS SPOILED BY TERROR THAT'S SUPPORTED BY IRAN.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT -- >> OUT OF THIS WAR WE CAN HAVE A BETTER MIDDLE EAST, MUCH BETTER IF IRAN --IF THIS REGIME WILL BE OVER.

>> I REALLY WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ACTUALLY -- >> NO OBJECTIVE OF THE WAR.

>> I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT BIG PIECE THAT YOU'VE JUST SAID AND THAT IS BECAUSE THAT ALSO IS THE MASSIVE WOUND THAT IS HARMING PEACE AND SECURITY AND STABILITY IN YOUR REGION.

I WILL COME BACK TO YOU ANOTHER TIME AND WE'LL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE THAT'S HUGE IN THIS ESCALATING SITUATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED FOR JOINING US.

>>> AND THAT'S IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'S COMING UP EVERY NIGHT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT PBS.ORG/AMANPOUR.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND GOOD- BYE FROM LONDON.