‘Morning Joe’: Iran Vows ‘Harsh Revenge’ After U.S. Kills Top General

BAKER Well this is ░░░░░░░░ thing right Of course ░░░░░░░░ Trump has said all ░░░░░░░░ that he doesn t ░░░░░░░░ to get involved in ░░░░░░░░ East wars He in ░░░░░░░░ hesitated on a couple ░░░░░░░░ occasions in pulling the ░░░░░░░░ in retaliation against Iran ░░░░░░░░ time this summer of ░░░░░░░░ after the attacks on ░░░░░░░░ Saudi oil facility he ░░░░░░░░ all the way up ░░░░░░░░ the ten minute to ░░░░░░░░ mark and then changed ░░░░░░░░ mind So to have ░░░░░░░░ sort of you know ░░░░░░░░ not just a strike ░░░░░░░░ a strike at the ░░░░░░░░ of the Iranian leadership ░░░░░░░░ a drastic change 180 ░░░░░░░░ change in effect There ░░░░░░░░ been some concern inside ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration that the ░░░░░░░░ had sent signals over ░░░░░░░░ past year or over ░░░░░░░░ past several months that ░░░░░░░░ wasn t willing to ░░░░░░░░ force if provoked and ░░░░░░░░ this needed to be ░░░░░░░░ in effect But it ░░░░░░░░ a big big moment ░░░░░░░░ think for this administration ░░░░░░░░ You know Peter it ░░░░░░░░ something that we said ░░░░░░░░ I asked the question ░░░░░░░░ said what is going ░░░░░░░░ be the impact if ░░░░░░░░ President s getting pushed ░░░░░░░░ by Iran and being ░░░░░░░░ around by North Korea ░░░░░░░░ has sent the signal ░░░░░░░░ the past several months ░░░░░░░░ there will not be ░░░░░░░░ military strike And for ░░░░░░░░ like this that obviously ░░░░░░░░ seen as a green ░░░░░░░░ So any indication any ░░░░░░░░ from people close to ░░░░░░░░ President why he changed ░░░░░░░░ mind Why he so ░░░░░░░░ changed his mind and ░░░░░░░░ moved the United States ░░░░░░░░ to a Middle East ░░░░░░░░ than any time since ░░░░░░░░ BAKER Yeah that s ░░░░░░░░ good question That s ░░░░░░░░ one we ll be ░░░░░░░░ out today Obviously there ░░░░░░░░ been you know the ░░░░░░░░ on the embassy in ░░░░░░░░ One thing that Soleimani ░░░░░░░░ been responsible for for ░░░░░░░░ have been attacks on ░░░░░░░░ in Iraq the soldiers ░░░░░░░░ the combat phase of ░░░░░░░░ Iraq War and other ░░░░░░░░ over the years Other ░░░░░░░░ have decided not to ░░░░░░░░ to take him out ░░░░░░░░ a retaliation They look ░░░░░░░░ other ways to respond ░░░░░░░░ they feared that taking ░░░░░░░░ Soleimani would in fact ░░░░░░░░ into a larger confrontation ░░░░░░░░ they didn t want ░░░░░░░░ have with Iran President ░░░░░░░░ decided let s do ░░░░░░░░ let s make our ░░░░░░░░ known and in a ░░░░░░░░ and forceful way It ░░░░░░░░ a huge gamble There ░░░░░░░░ a lot on the ░░░░░░░░ right now I think ░░░░░░░░ is a turning point ░░░░░░░░ perhaps for this presidency ░░░░░░░░ into a new year ░░░░░░░░ He was described earlier ░░░░░░░░ Filkins as a singular ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ said last night that ░░░░░░░░ was the most significant ░░░░░░░░ believe you said military ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ the past 30 years ░░░░░░░░ the last generation Explain ░░░░░░░░ and explain how first ░░░░░░░░ all let s explain ░░░░░░░░ strategically taking him off ░░░░░░░░ battlefield actually is a ░░░░░░░░ for the United States ░░░░░░░░ America And then talk ░░░░░░░░ the consequences as you ░░░░░░░░ them that follows what ░░░░░░░░ would consider to be ░░░░░░░░ positive development FILKINS Well ░░░░░░░░ is when I said ░░░░░░░░ s the most significant ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ the past 30 years ░░░░░░░░ really is I mean ░░░░░░░░ you it all starts ░░░░░░░░ the end of the ░░░░░░░░ Iraq War in the ░░░░░░░░ 80s which was cataclysmic ░░░░░░░░ Iran a million people ░░░░░░░░ Soleimani who was then ░░░░░░░░ young man who fought ░░░░░░░░ the Iran Iraq War ░░░░░░░░ vowed this is never ░░░░░░░░ to happen again And ░░░░░░░░ he began to kind ░░░░░░░░ he was the architect ░░░░░░░░ this vision to extend ░░░░░░░░ to build a sphere ░░░░░░░░ influence across the Middle ░░░░░░░░ into Iraq into Syria ░░░░░░░░ and Lebanon And he ░░░░░░░░ He s incredibly effective ░░░░░░░░ many roads lead back ░░░░░░░░ Soleimani in Lebanon in ░░░░░░░░ with Assad in Iraq ░░░░░░░░ Houthis in Yemen He ░░░░░░░░ really if there is ░░░░░░░░ personality and one guy ░░░░░░░░ the Middle East that ░░░░░░░░ been at the center ░░░░░░░░ everything for the last ░░░░░░░░ years it s Soleimani ░░░░░░░░ taking him out is ░░░░░░░░ s huge I don ░░░░░░░░ think he s I ░░░░░░░░ t think he s ░░░░░░░░ in any kind of ░░░░░░░░ way There s nobody ░░░░░░░░ like him He was ░░░░░░░░ brilliant general but he ░░░░░░░░ sit with politicians and ░░░░░░░░ as well So it ░░░░░░░░ a it s huge ░░░░░░░░ s a body blow ░░░░░░░░ the Iranian regime.”