01.07.2020

Mark Esper: “We Are Not Looking to Start a War with Iran”

Allies of the U.S. met today to call for both America and Iran to de-escalate the crisis over the killing of Qasem Soleimani, as emotionally charged scenes flooded the streets of Iran for the fourth straight day. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper joins the program to discuss the fast-moving situation.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: The administration has talked about an imminent threat, and that is what led to this strike. As you know, many well plugged in officials, people who apparently have had access to the Intelligence briefings, even after the strike, have reported to our colleagues that the evidence may be razor thin and the chatter was nothing out of the ordinary for what you already know about Soleimani and his plans and activities. So I guess, can you look the American people in the world down the barrel of this camera straight in the eye and say that there was a ticking time bomb evidence?

MARK ESPER, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Well, thank you, Christiane. First of all, let me send a few messages to the American people and the broader world. First of all to the American people. I want to assure them that they have the best military in the world. And the young men and women who wear our uniform of any service are extremely capable and professional and prepared to defend our homeland, our people and our interests in the region and more broadly. Secondly, I’d like to say to our service members and our diplomats in the region that we have your back. We thoroughly support what you’re doing, we’re proud of you, and that we are taking every necessary step to ensure force protection, as I know you ready yourself for what may be ahead. Thirdly, to our partners and allies and directly to the Iranian regime, I’d like to say we are not looking to start a war with Iran. But we are prepared to finish one. As I’ve told my many colleagues, as I’ve spoke to them over the last few days, what we’d like to see is this situation de-escalated, and for Tehran to sit down with us and begin a discussion about a better way ahead. We think that’s the best approach at this point in time. Now, Christiane, with regard to your question about the Intelligence — I can assure you that it’s more than razor thin, and it’s persuasive. The fact of the matter is, Soleimani was caught red-handed on the ground in Baghdad — one terrorist leader of a terrorist organization meeting with another terrorist leader to synchronize and plan additional attacks on American forces, diplomats or facilities. I think we took the right action to remove these players from the battlefield.

AMANPOUR: So ticking time bomb, imminent threat. Is that what you’re saying?

ESPER: I think the threat was being orchestrated by Soleimani. That’s what the Intelligence reported. That’s what he was doing on the ground in both Baghdad and Damascus and elsewhere, and I think it was only a matter of days, certainly no more than weeks.

About This Episode EXPAND

As allies of the U.S. call for both America and Iran to de-escalate the crisis over the killing of Qasem Soleimani, Christiane Amanpour discusses this highly fraught geopolitical moment with Mark Esper, Massoumeh Ebtekar, Elissa Slotkin and Turki Al-Faisal.

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