BIDEN

HOST Iran you mentioned ░░░░░░░░ there They just held ░░░░░░░░ elections of their own ░░░░░░░░ opportunities do you see ░░░░░░░░ this new reformist president ░░░░░░░░ Blinken Well I think ░░░░░░░░ ll of course look ░░░░░░░░ see what policies Iran ░░░░░░░░ but the reality is ░░░░░░░░ bottom line is the ░░░░░░░░ leader continues to call ░░░░░░░░ shots So I can ░░░░░░░░ say that we have ░░░░░░░░ great expectations but let ░░░░░░░░ see what he and ░░░░░░░░ team actually do once ░░░░░░░░ re in office As ░░░░░░░░ know when this administration ░░░░░░░░ in we tried to ░░░░░░░░ again nuclear diplomacy with ░░░░░░░░ because if you could ░░░░░░░░ least take one problem ░░░░░░░░ the board which is ░░░░░░░░ potentially with a nuclear ░░░░░░░░ that s inherently a ░░░░░░░░ thing We had as ░░░░░░░░ know well an agreement ░░░░░░░░ during the Obama Administration ░░░░░░░░ actually put Iran s ░░░░░░░░ program in a box ░░░░░░░░ one of the biggest ░░░░░░░░ that we ve made ░░░░░░░░ recent years was throwing ░░░░░░░░ that agreement and allowing ░░░░░░░░ to get out of ░░░░░░░░ box that we put ░░░░░░░░ in So we were ░░░░░░░░ the proposition about whether ░░░░░░░░ could at least recreate ░░░░░░░░ that looked like that ░░░░░░░░ Every time every time ░░░░░░░░ ve interviewed you as ░░░░░░░░ I have asked you ░░░░░░░░ same question is U ░░░░░░░░ policy still that Iran ░░░░░░░░ not be allowed to ░░░░░░░░ a nuclear weapon Blinken ░░░░░░░░ is HOST Which you ░░░░░░░░ answer And then I ░░░░░░░░ ask So how are ░░░░░░░░ gonna stop them How ░░░░░░░░ you gonna stop them ░░░░░░░░ Well they re by ░░░░░░░░ the preferable way to ░░░░░░░░ it would be through ░░░░░░░░ Where we are now ░░░░░░░░ not in a good ░░░░░░░░ Iran because the nuclear ░░░░░░░░ was thrown out instead ░░░░░░░░ being at least a ░░░░░░░░ away from having the ░░░░░░░░ capacity producing fissile material ░░░░░░░░ a nuclear weapon is ░░░░░░░░ probably one or two ░░░░░░░░ away from doing that ░░░░░░░░ they haven t developed ░░░░░░░░ weapon itself HOST One ░░░░░░░░ two weeks Blinken One ░░░░░░░░ two weeks is probably ░░░░░░░░ the realistic breakout time ░░░░░░░░ They are they haven ░░░░░░░░ produced a weapon itself ░░░░░░░░ that s something of ░░░░░░░░ that we track very ░░░░░░░░ carefully And you put ░░░░░░░░ two things together the ░░░░░░░░ material and explosive device ░░░░░░░░ you have a nuclear ░░░░░░░░ So we re focused ░░░░░░░░ that What we ve ░░░░░░░░ in the last weeks ░░░░░░░░ months is Iran is ░░░░░░░░ moving forward those programs ░░░░░░░░ the first thing we ░░░░░░░░ to see if Iran ░░░░░░░░ serious about engaging is ░░░░░░░░ pulling back on the ░░░░░░░░ that it s doing ░░░░░░░░ its program Second we ░░░░░░░░ course have been maximizing ░░░░░░░░ on Iran across the ░░░░░░░░ We ve imposed more ░░░░░░░░ 600 sanctions on Iranian ░░░░░░░░ entities one kind or ░░░░░░░░ We haven t lifted ░░░░░░░░ single sanction and we ░░░░░░░░ much closer coordination now ░░░░░░░░ European partners and allies ░░░░░░░░ I guess it gets ░░░░░░░░ my question though You ░░░░░░░░ you re applying every ░░░░░░░░ in the toolkit and ░░░░░░░░ you just told us ░░░░░░░░ are moving forward Blinken ░░░░░░░░ they re they re ░░░░░░░░ forward in terms of ░░░░░░░░ capacity to break out ░░░░░░░░ producing fissile material We ░░░░░░░░ looking very carefully at ░░░░░░░░ they might be doing ░░░░░░░░ weaponization But it s ░░░░░░░░ here as well to ░░░░░░░░ sure that in doing ░░░░░░░░ we re acting in ░░░░░░░░ concert with partners in ░░░░░░░░ and the region And ░░░░░░░░ ve built that kind ░░░░░░░░ approach in ways that ░░░░░░░░ didn t have a ░░░░░░░░ years ago.”