Original subtitles

BRET?

>> Bret: LIVE FROM THE NORTH

LAWN, AISHA, THANK YOU.

TO THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT.

MR. PRESIDENT, THANK YOU FOR THE

TEAM.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Bret: ON TUESDAY PRESIDENT

TRUMP TOLD THE U.N. THAT HE'S

WEIGHING WHETHER TO ANNIHILATE

IRAN OR TO MAKE A GRAND BARGAIN.

ON WEDNESDAY YOU STOOD AT THE

SAME PODIUM AND SAID THE UNITED

STATES WERE TERRORISTS.

AT THE SAME TIME, YOUR TEAM

THROUGH MEDIATORS WAS

NEGOTIATING WITH STEVE WITKOFF

AND JARED KUSHNER.

SO IS IRAN CHOOSING WAR OR A

DEAL?

>> TRANSLATOR: WE CAN NOT CHOOSE

WAR.

THE WAR WAS IMPOSED ON US.

WE DO NOT SEEK WAR.

RATHER, WHENEVER THEY ATTACK US,

WE'RE FORCED TO DEFEND

OURSELVES.

WE NEVER STARTED A WAR BUT IF

THEY WISH TO KEEP FIGHTING WITH

US WE WILL RESPOND STRONGLY.

RESOLUTELY, AND TODAY THE

PRESSURES THAT THEY KEEP

IMPOSING ON US IS TO FORCE US TO

SURRENDER OUTSIDE THE LEGAL

FRAMEWORK OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE.

>> Bret: DID ANYTHING CHANGE IN

THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH WITKOFF

AND KUSHNER THIS WEEK?

>> TRANSLATOR: THAT WHICH IS

DISCUSSED AND NEGOTIATED IS

WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF

INTERNATIONAL LAW, AND WHAT

WOULD BE RIGHTFULLY OURS UNDER

INTERNATIONAL LAW.

WE NEVER SOUGHT ANYTHING MORE,

AND THE RESULT OF THAT, BASED ON

THAT FOUNDATION, WE'RE SEEKING

AN AGREEMENT IF THE COUNTERPART

AGREES TO IT.

>> Bret: THE GOVERNMENTS, YOUR

GOVERNMENT'S CONDITIONS HAVE

BEEN TO LIFT THE BLOCKADE, TO

LIFT THE SANCTIONS, TO RELEASE

FROZEN ASSETS.

TO HAVE INAND OMAN CONTROL THE

SHIPPING LANES.

THAT'S WHAT IRAN HAS SAID THAT

IT WANTS, BUT WHAT IS IRAN GOING

TO GIVE?

>> TRANSLATOR: WE HAVE NO

PROBLEMS.

WE DID REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH

YOUR PRESIDENT, WHICH WAS

SIGNED.

THAT AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED, AND

BASED ON THAT, WE'RE WILLING AND

STILL WISH TO MOVE FORWARD, AND

THE FRAMEWORK WAS AGREED UPON.

WE HAD NOT CLOSED THE STRAIT OF

HORMUZ.

IT WAS OPEN WITHOUT ANY LEGAL

JUSTIFICATION OR FRAMEWORK, THEY

ATTACKED US, ASSASSINATED AND

MATERED OUR SUPREME LEADER.

OUR SCIENTISTS ARE MILITARY

COMMANDERS AND GOVERNMENT

OFFICIALS.

>> Bret: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT

THAT MOU IN A SECOND BUT

SPECIFICALLY, WILL IRAN STOP

FIRING ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS NO

MATTER WHAT FLAG IT IS?

>> TRANSLATOR: WE'VE NOT

ATTACKED.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT WITHIN THE

STRAIT, THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN

RESPONSIBLE FOR A LIFETIME FOR A

SPRAIGHT, THEY ARE FORBIDDEN TO

MOVE THEIR VESSELS THROUGH THE

WATERWAY, THEN OF COURSE, WE

WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THAT RIGHT

FOR OTHER VESSELS.

NOW AMERICA IS FORBIDDING OUR

TRANSIT THROUGH THAT WATERWAY.

FOR WHAT REASON?

BASED ON WHAT FOUNDATION?

ISN'T NAVIGATION SUPPOSED TO BE

FREE?

>> Bret: WILL YOU GIVE UP THE

60% ENRICHED URANIUM?

>> TRANSLATOR: YES, WITHIN THE

FRAMEWORK OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

BASED ON THE NONPROLIFERATION

TREATY, WE WILL.

>> Bret: WILL YOU STOP ARMING

THE HOUTHIS AS PART OF A DEAL

AND TELL THE HOUTHIS TO STOP

ATTACKING SAUDI ARABIA

>> TRANSLATOR: THE HOUTHIS ARE

RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN

ACTIONS.

THEY DON'T TAKE DIRECTION FROM

US.

AS THOSE WHO ARE RESISTING IN

THE REGION, BASED ON THE

SITUATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN

IMPOSED ON THEM, WE HAVE

CONTACTS WITH THEM.

THERE IS NO SYSTEMATIC

RELATIONSHIP.

HEZBOLLAH, IN REALITY, AS THOSE

WHO RESIST, WE FEEL THAT THERE

IS IN REALITY A SORT OF COMMON

FRAMEWORK.

>> Bret: WITH ALL DUE RESPECT,

MR. PRESIDENT, THERE IS A LONG

TIE BETWEEN IRAN FUNDING

HEZBOLLAH AND ALSO FUNDING THE

HOUTHIS, AND THERE IS

INTELLIGENCE IN MANY

INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES THAT

SUGGESTS THOSE MESSAGES COME

DIRECTLY FROM IRAN.

YOU'RE DISPUTING ALL OF THAT?

>> TRANSLATOR: VIS-A-VIS THE WAR

AND CONFLICT TO THE EXTENT THAT

I'M AWARE OF, SINCE I TOOK OVER

OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITIES, THERE

HAS BEEN NO SUCH CONTACT

DIRECTING THEM TO ENGAGE.

FROM A HUMANITARIAN STANDPOINT

AND HUMAN RIGHTS STANDPOINT.

>> Bret: YOU TALKED ABOUT THE

ISLAMABAD MEMORANDUM, THE

SO-CALLED MOU.

A FEW WEEKS LATER THE

REVOLUTIONARY GUARD FORCES FIRED

ON THREE SHIPS AND SET A QATARI

GAS TANK ON FIRE.

THE DEAL COLLAPSED.

IT'S REPORTED THAT YOU CALLED

THE IRGC COMMANDER AND HE SAID

HE DID NOT AUTHORIZE THOSE

ATTACKS.

IF THAT'S TRUE, WHO GAVE THE

ORDER FOR THOSE ATTACKS?

>> TRANSLATOR: THE PROBLEMS, THE

DIFFICULTIES THAT EXIST IN THE

REGION IS A LACK OF

COORDINATION, A LACK OF

COORDINATION BETWEEN THE UNITED

STATES AND WHO ARE IN THE

REGION, SPECIFICALLY IN IRAN,

AND WISH TO MOVE FORWARD, WITHIN

THE FRAMEWORK OF THAT AGREEMENT,

AS IT'S BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE

AGREEMENT, IN THE IMPLEMENTATION

OF THAT AGREEMENT, THERE HAVE

BEEN MISUNDERSTANDINGS.

>> Bret: BUT IT HAPPENED IN

APRIL, TOO.

THE STRAIT WAS COMPLETELY OPEN

AND THE NEXT DAY THE

REVOLUTIONARY GUARD ATTACKED

SHIPS.

TWICE DIPLOMATS MADE A PROMISE

AND THE NEXT DAY THE

REVOLUTIONARY GUARD BROKE IT

WITHIN A DAY.

LET'S GO BACK TO JANUARY.

YOUR GOVERNMENT SAID THAT YOU

ORDERED NO FORCE AGAINST THE

PROTESTORS IN THE STREETS.

THOUSANDS ENDED UP BEING KILLED.

IN MARCH, MARCH 7, YOU SAID THIS

ABOUT YOUR MILITARY FIRING ON

NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.

>> THE -- THAT ARE SACRIFICING

THEIR LIVES TO DEFENDS TERRITORY

FIRED AT WILL BECAUSE THEIR

COMMANDERS WERE ANTICIPATE

SEPTEMBER AND THEY DID WHATEVER

WAS NECESSARY.

>> Bret: THEN YOU APOLOGIZED

PERSONALLY TO IRAN'S NEIGHBORS

FOR THOSE ATTACKS.

THEN BACK IN JULY, COMMANDERS

ATTACKED SHIPS WITHOUT YOUR

KNOWLEDGE.

SO MR. PRESIDENT, THERE ARE

THREE TIMES THAT YOU GAVE

SPECIFIC ORDER AND SOMEONE

OVERRODE YOU.

SO WHO IS IN CONTROL OF IRAN?

>> YOU SEE, THAT WHICH OCCURRED

IN IRAN, AND YOUR PRESIDENT

ANNOUNCES 70,000 PEOPLE HAVE

BEEN KILLED, WE MADE PUBLIC THE

NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS

AND THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF

3,015 PEOPLE.

IF THERE ARE ANY ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION SUCH AS 40,000

INDIVIDUALS, 70,000, SOMEONE

SHOULD FURNISH PROOF SO IT'S NOT

TRUE OF THESE 3,000 SOME ODD

PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR PRECIOUS

LIVES ABOUT 500 OF THEM

CONSISTED OF THE SECURITY AND

POLICE FORCES.

YOUR OWN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED

THAT THEY ARMED AND EQUIPPED

INSTIGATORS, AND THIS WAS

SUPPOSED TO LEAD TO A COUP.

NOT IN SUPPORT OF STREET

PROTESTS OF PEACEFUL PROTESTS.

AND THOSE NOTICE ARMED FORCES

AND SECURITY FORCES WHO LOST

THEIR LIVES IS UNPRECEDENTED.

WHY?

BECAUSE THE FIREPOWER FROM THE

RIOTERS WAS THE NEW ELEMENT

INTRODUCED IN THIS 3,000 PLUS

PEOPLE.

REGULAR CITIZENS AND INDIVIDUALS

LOST THEIR LIVES.

IT HAS BEEN PROVEN AND SHOWN IN

CLIPS, AND IT WAS QUITE

UNFORTUNATE, AND THAT'S WHY WE

APOLOGIZED DUE TO THE LACKLUSTER

MANAGEMENT OF THE EVENTS.

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MANAGED

BETTER, TO ALLOW SOMEONE TO

WEAPONIZE A DEMONSTRATION IN THE

STREETS.

THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.

>> Bret: YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

THE JANUARY ATTACKS AND YOU SAID

YOUR PEOPLE WERE ASHAMED BEFORE

THE PEOPLE.

WAS THE QUOTE.

YOU DID PUBLISH THE 3,000

NUMBER, A HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP

SAID IT WAS 6,221, WITH 17,000

MORE DEATHS UNDER REVIEW.

"TIME" MAGAZINE HAD A REPORT

THAT A HOSPITAL LIST OF 30,000

DEATHS, JANUARY 8 AND JANUARY 9

ALONE, BUT MORE THAN 41,000 WERE

ARRESTED AND NOW THE NUMBERS ARE

WELL MORE THAN THAT UNREPORTED.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU REPORTED

PUBLICLY.

MR. PRESIDENT, THAT'S THE

JANUARY INCIDENT.

YOU ARE A HEART SURGEON.

HOW MANY IRANIANS DID IRAN

SECURITY FORCES KILL?

>> YOU SEE, IT'S NOT VERY

DIFFICULT.

YOU CAN SEND PEOPLE THERE IN

ORDER TO ASCERTAIN THE TRUTH.

WHAT SUCH AND SUCH JOURNAL

REPORTS OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY

IS CONTRARY TO THE ACCURATE

RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS.

WHEN THEY SAY 10,000, 17,000,

WHY DON'T THEY FURNISH NATIONAL

IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS.

>> Bret: BACK TO THE FIRST PART

ABOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD

INITIATING ATTACKS AFTER YOU

SIGNED A DEAL, MOU'S, TWO OTHER

SPECIFIC TIMES, IF YOU SIGN A

DEAL WHO GUARANTEES THE

REVOLUTIONARY GUARD IS GOING TO

OBEY IT?

>> WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PUT A

TEAM, ACCORDING TO THIS MOU IN

ORDER TO COORDINATE ANY

MISUNDERSTANDINGS, OR CORRECT

LACK OF COORDINATION.

WE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO

ESTABLISH AND SET UP THE TEAM.

THIS IS NOT ONLY FROM US.

THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR THE

AMERICAN FORCES THAT ARE PRINT

IN THE REGION, AND OPEN FIRE AT

WILL ON ANY LOCATION WHEN THEY

WISH.

IN ORDER TO PREVENT SUCH EVENTS

FROM TAKING PLACE, TWO GROUPS

MUST BE IDENTIFIED AND HAVE OPEN

CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION SO AS

TO BE ABLE TO PREVENT SUCH

INSTANCES FROM OCCURRING.

NOT ONLY REACTING.

>> Bret: WHY SHOULD PRESIDENT

TRUMP NEGOTIATE WITH YOU AND NOT

WITH THE IRGC COMMANDER?

>> THE PROBLEM WE FACE IS THERE

IS A DEEP MISTRUST THAT'S FORMED

BETWEEN US.

THE REASON FOR IS THAT PRIOR

JCPOA REACHED AN AGREEMENT.

YOUR PRESIDENT TORE THAT UP.

IF WE'RE UNABLE TO TRUST ONE

ANOTHER WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF

A DIALOGUE, HOW CAN WE HOPE THAT

THESE ISSUES WILL EVER BE

RESOLVABLE?

>> Bret: BUT AS I JUST SAID THE

REVOLUTIONARY GUARD FIRED ON

THOSE SHIPS AFTER THE MOU, AND

THE DAYS AFTER.

YOU SAID THE SUPREME LEADER

DECIDES.

HE'S THE ULTIMATE DECIDER.

THEN, DID THE SUPREME LEADER

APPROVE DESTROYING YOUR OWN

DEAL?

>> WE WOULD NEVER ATTACK OUR OWN

POPULATION.

YOU KNOW --

>> Bret: YOU DID?

>> NO.

WHO CONDUCTED TERRORIST ACTIONS

AGAINST US?

WHO HIT OUR SCHOOLS?

>> Bret: ON JANUARY 8 AND

JANUARY 9 YOU DEFINITELY HAD

SECURITY FORCES THAT KILLED

IRANIAN CITIZENS.

>> MR. TRUMP HIMSELF ANNOUNCED

THAT WE HAD EQUIPPED AN ARMED

THESE PEOPLE IN ORDER TO BRING

DOWN THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT.

NETANYAHU'S PEOPLE ANNOUNCED IT

FROM TWO PROVINCES, THE FORCE

WOULD BE PENETRATING THE MAJOR

METROPOLITAN CENTERS IN ORDER TO

BRING DOWN THE GOVERNMENT.

THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE A

THREE-DAY AFFAIR AND THAT THE

GOVERNMENT WOULD FALL.

IT REMAINS STEADFAST.

BECAME MORE COHESIVE.

MORE UNITED, EVEN KNOWS WHO

STOOD AGAINST THE IRANIAN

GOVERNMENT, WHO OPPOSED US, ARE

NOW SUPPORTING IRAN.

>> Bret: WHEN IS THE LAST TIME

YOU SAW THE SUPREME LEADER IN

PERSON?

IS HE HEALTHY AND IS HE ABLE TO

GOVERN?

>> PRECISELY, I DON'T REMEMBER

THE DATES.

ABOUT A MONTH OR A MONTH AND A

HALF AGO.

WE MET, IN ABOUT SEVEN HOURS.

>> Bret: YOU SAW HIM IN PERSON A

MONTH AGO?

>> YES, SEVEN HOURS, AS I SAID

EARLIER.

>> Bret: IS HE HEALTHY?

IS HE ABLE TO GOVERN?

>> VERY MUCH SO, COMPLETELY.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

POLICIES IS IN THE HANDS OF THE

ADMINISTRATION AND THE

GOVERNMENT BUT THE CONSULTATIONS

AND THE DIRECTIONS COME FROM

THERE.

>> Bret: WHY HAVEN'T WE SEEN A

VIDEO OF THE SUPREME LEADER

ADDRESSING THE IRANIAN PEOPLE,

ADDRESSING THIS WASHINGS EVEN

ADDRESSING PRESIDENT TRUMP?

>> WELL, THIS IS A PROCESS --

THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WAS

CREATED IN OUR SOCIETY, WHICH IS

THE LACK OF SECURITY THAT WAS

CREATED BY THE ACTION OF

FOREIGNERS, THE ACTION OF

AGGRESSORS.

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED

THAT WE'RE TERRORISTS, BUT IN

REALITY EVERYONE CAN EASILY

DISTINGUISH THAT WE'VE BEEN THE

VICTIM AND THE TARGETS OF

TERRORISM, AND THEN THEY SAY NO,

WE DIDN'T.

THEY DENY THE OBVIOUS TRUTH.

BUT YET THEY ACCUSE US OF SUCH

ACTIONS.

WE WISH TO LIVE IN THE REGION

WITH PEACE.

>> Bret: WILL YOU RULE OUT

EXECUTING PROTESTORS IF THEY

TAKE TO THE STREETS?

>> -- PROTESTORS FULLY ENTITLED

TO DO SO.

WE SAT AND HAD A DIALOGUE WITH

MANY OF THESE PROTESTORS.

NOW, WEAPONIZING PROTESTS,

THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT AFFAIR.

ILLEGAL EVERYWHERE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ISSUES.

THEY WANT TO CHALLENGE POLICIES

OR IMPLEMENTATIONS OF POLICIES.

WE SIT AND DISCUSS AND REACH

MUTUALLY AGREEABLE CONCLUSION.

WE ANSWER TO THE PEOPLE, BUT NOT

WITH A WEAPON.

>> Bret: MR. PRESIDENT, THE

CHINESE PRESIDENT XI IS AT THE

WHITE HOUSE TODAY.

THERE IS A "WALL STREET JOURNAL"

REPORT THAT IRAN OBTAINED HIGH

RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGES OF

THE U.S. BASE IN JORDAN FROM

CHINESE ENTITIES BEFORE THE JULY

17th MISSILE STRIKE.

THREE AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE

KILLED THERE.

SO DID CHINESE SATELLITE IMAGES

HELP KILL AMERICAN SOLDIERS AT

THE HANDS OF IRAN?

>> WE DO NOT SEEK TO KILL

AMERICANS.

AS SHOWN BY ACTIONS,

DEMONSTRABLE ACTIONS AMERICA HAS

SOUGHT TO KILL IRANIANS.

WHY DO --

>> Bret: BUT THEY WERE KILLED.

DID YOU --

>> NOT AT ALL.

NOT AT ALL.

NUMBER ONE, I'M SPECIFICALLY

UNAWARE OF THESE REPORTED --

PURPORTED IMAGES THAT YOU TALK

ABOUT.

NOW, WHAT MILITARY DO WITH ONE

ANOTHER BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES IT

IS THEIR OWN BUSINESS WITHIN

THEIR OWN GUIDELINES.

IF THE CHINESE WISH TO DO THAT,

IF THEY COULD MOVE HEAVEN AND

EARTH, THEY WOULD FREE SOME OF

THE FUNDS IN ORDER TO PAY FOR

THE GOODS THAT WE HAVE SOLD TO

THEM.

BUT POLITICALLY, CHINA IN

REALITY IS MUCH MORE ON THIS

SIDE, THAT WE MUST MOVE FORWARD

WITH DIALOGUE AND NEGOTIATIONS.

>> Bret: CHINA BUYS MOST OF YOUR

OIL STILL.

IS BEIJING PAYING FOR THIS WAR?

>> ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE

FACE IS THAT OUR MONEY IN CHINA

IS BLOCKED.

THE FACT THAT YOU TOUCHED UPON

EARLIER THE ACCUSATIONS THAT WE

SUPPLY SO AND SO WITH FUNDING,

WE CAN'T EVEN GET OUR OWN MONEY

OUT OF A COUNTRY TO WHICH WE'VE

SUPPLIED GOODS, LET ALONE USING

THOSE FUNDS TO PAY SOMEONE ELSE

IN ANOTHER CORNER OF THE WORLD.

THE FRAMING OF OF THIS AS

REPORTED IN SOCIETY IS

INCORRECT.

BECAUSE THEY WANT TO USE IT AS A

TOOL IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY

AGGRESSION.

>> Bret: WILL PRESIDENT, YOU

HAVE SAID THAT YOU DON'T KNOW

SOMETIMES WHEN THE MILITARY

ACTS, AND YOU HAVE SAID THAT

THEY HAVE ACTED WITHOUT YOUR

ORDER.

YOU'VE SAID YOU DON'T KNOW

ANYTHING ABOUT THE CHINESE

SATELLITE IMAGES BEING USED BY

THE U.S. MILITARY TO TARGET

MILITARY BASES.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR MILITARY

IS GOING TO DO TOMOR