Trump issues profanity-laced threat to Iran on Easter Sunday

[0:00] All right, welcome back to your two live now from Fox. I'm Andy Mack. Let's continue to discuss [0:04] what's going on in Iran as early on Easter morning, President Trump sent out a series [0:10] of social media posts, including an expletive laden threat to Iran, potentially talking about [0:17] strikes on infrastructure if they do not open the Strait of Hormuz. And this was the post here [0:23] from Truth Social from the president saying Tuesday will be power plant day and bridge day [0:28] all wrapped up in one in Iran. There will be nothing like it. Open the effing Strait, [0:34] talking about the Strait of Hormuz. And he moved the deadline back to about 8 p.m. Eastern [0:40] on Tuesday night, Eastern time. That is now potentially the deadline for this, [0:45] the ultimatum for Iran. Let's be joined right now by research analyst at the FDD, Ahmad Sharawi. [0:52] Thank you so much for joining us here on live now from Fox. And it feels like we're on the [0:56] brink of escalation once again. [0:58] Thanks again with these new threats from President Trump. What does that signal to you? [1:04] First of all, thank you for having me. Of course, I mean, President Trump has extended the deadline [1:11] last week to April 6th for Iran to negotiate and to open the Strait of Hormuz. Until now, [1:17] we have no indication that the Iranians are doing so or are planning on doing so. [1:21] All the reporting is indicating that Iran is refusing to negotiate and are putting [1:26] harsh conditions, conditions that the U.S. would, [1:30] would never accept in order to reopen the Strait. [1:35] Thus, I think President Trump, that's why he is doubling down on the threat of attacking the [1:44] power, power plants in Iran. But the upcoming 24 hours will be detrimental. As we've seen over the [1:51] past two, three weeks, usually President Trump opens up on Monday and says that the negotiations [1:56] are going well, or that there are negotiations happening. [1:59] Well, we're [2:00] all eyes on, are on Monday morning to see the status of these negotiations and if anything [2:05] might happen between the U.S. and Iran. [2:09] Yeah, obviously he says he's optimistic that a negotiation would get done, [2:13] but he did put that deadline out there. You mentioned how these two sides very far apart, [2:17] and there's not a lot of crossover in some of the demands from the United States, but all as well [2:22] as Iran. Have we seen them come together in any way? Is there any crossover in some of these points? [2:31] Okay. [2:31] Again, I think, I think the Iranians are refusing to negotiate, and they're planning on continuing [2:37] the relentless attacks against civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, against U.S. bases [2:42] so there are no indications that the Iranians – [2:45] Or, I mean – [2:46] At the moment that they are willing to sit. Apparently even these, the Mediators Pakistan, [2:53] Turkey and Egypt, have been trying to extend the deadline that President Trump presented. [2:59] But again, [3:00] We, we want to try and maintain that balance. [3:01] There are no indications that the Iranians are willing to concede on the demands that the U.S. are putting, especially when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz. [3:10] And just in terms of the Strait of Hormuz, that choke point is so very vital. [3:15] President Trump has really told NATO allies to go ahead and get it, saying it's not important, [3:19] and then saying that they need to, an expletive, open the Strait of Hormuz or there will be living hell involved in this. [3:26] How much pressure is there on President Trump, the United States, to get this Strait reopened? [3:33] I mean, I think the global impact of closing the Strait has been clear. [3:38] I think oil prices have increased significantly. [3:41] And with the markets opening in the next few hours, we'll understand the impact of the events of this weekend, [3:48] how it might affect the decision-making by President Trump. [3:52] But I think if oil prices are high, then we might see, [3:57] either in a situation where the U.S. is going to close the Strait of Hormuz or the U.S. is going to close the Strait of Hormuz, [3:58] or the U.S. is going to close the Strait of Hormuz, or the U.S. is going to close the Strait of Hormuz. [3:58] Or a bigger push towards diplomacy. [4:02] But again, it all depends on the oil market prices that are, [4:06] and especially because of the amount of oil that is transported through the Strait of Hormuz. [4:11] The Gulf states are impacted. The European states are impacted. [4:15] I mean, in the U.S., it's a different case. [4:16] I think we have a domestic industry that is capable. [4:19] But of course, the global economy is interconnected. [4:22] And so the impacts are felt worldwide. [4:24] If this deadline comes and goes on, [4:28] Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern, [4:30] and the U.S. does decide to carry out some of these attacks on the infrastructure, [4:35] the critical points of oil in that country, in Iran, [4:39] what is Iran's response? [4:41] Are they going to strike other Arab states like they have done previously? [4:46] Yes. I mean, the desalination plants in the Gulf states [4:49] would be in the crosshairs of the Islamic Republic. [4:52] Oil infrastructure along the Gulf would be targeted, [4:58] or extensively targeted. [5:00] But I mean, let me point out that these states have already been targeted by Iran [5:03] extensively over the past five weeks. [5:06] We saw multiple attacks targeting all infrastructure [5:09] and water desalination plants in Kuwait yesterday. [5:13] But I would assume that if Iran is attacked, [5:18] then we will see an increase in these attacks against these Gulf states. [5:21] So instead of one facility being targeted, [5:24] we might see more drones and missiles targeting these facilities. [5:28] And let me point out that water desalination plants [5:32] in small countries like Kuwait and Bahrain [5:34] are very detrimental to the survival of these states, [5:37] as in they don't have the storage facilities [5:39] that can help them sustain themselves. [5:41] And so if they're extensively targeted, [5:43] then we might be looking at a humanitarian catastrophe. [5:47] Yeah, and obviously so many people impacted in regions [5:49] that are kind of caught up in this entanglement. [5:52] But I wanted to get to kind of that point. [5:55] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, [5:57] the UAE, the U.S., the U.S., the U.S., the U.S.? [5:58] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S., the U.S.? [5:58] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S., the U.S.? [5:58] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S., the U.S.? [6:29] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S., the U.S.? [6:29] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [6:59] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [7:30] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [8:00] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [8:30] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [9:00] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [9:30] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [10:01] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [10:31] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:02] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:03] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:04] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:05] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:06] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:07] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:08] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:09] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:10] What are the countries going to be leaning on the United States, the UAE, the U.S.? [11:11] Let's talk about Israel a little bit because they worked in collaboration on the initiation of this operation, Epic Fury, this Roaring Lion, their operation as they call it. [11:20] They also stopped some of the attacks in the region where the search and rescue operation is ongoing. [11:26] Is Israel still in line with the United States on all the goals that they have set forth in these negotiations and potentially also the threats beyond? [11:34] I mean, I think Israel understands that degrading this regime and its military capabilities is essential for its long-term security. [11:43] And I think in terms of that, there's clear alignment between Israel and the United States. [11:48] But also Israel faces another threat coming from Iran's proxies, and that's Hezbollah who's attacking Israel on a daily basis, Israel's north, as well as the Houthi threat. [11:57] So in terms of priorities, I think that's where we see that the U.S. is not targeting these proxies. [12:05] In Lebanon or Yemen at the moment, Israel is looking at that front as well and dealing with that front at the same time. [12:13] But in the overall aims of the war and degrading the Iranian regime and making sure that it can't, again, its war-making abilities to attack the U.S. bases and attack U.S. interests and attack Israel and attack neighboring states, [12:26] I think the U.S. and Israel are fully aligned in their goals. [12:29] Yeah, and Iran has also said that they don't want to be ever attacked again. [12:33] That is part of their negotiation. [12:35] What? [12:35] They want in their demands. [12:37] But if a negotiation is taking place, if President Trump wants diplomacy, is that something that Israel is fully on board with? [12:46] I mean, I think all in all, I think Israel understands that President Trump, or I mean, at least that there's been, in terms of the war aims, that a severe degradation of the military capabilities, the naval power and the air force were the main goals from day one. [13:04] And I think... [13:06] With the targeting, or Israel targeting some of the political leadership in Iran and the military leadership, that they were, there was a division of labor in terms of the targeting. [13:15] But I think Israel also understands that President Trump has opened the door for negotiations and that he may have to find a negotiation tactic to end this war. [13:26] But in terms of, even despite that, we're still seeing Israeli strikes, we're still seeing Israeli-U.S. collaboration in the targeting of the military infrastructure. [13:35] The ballistic missiles and the launchers. [13:39] So, despite all this talk about negotiations, we're still seeing full U.S.-Israeli alignment in terms of the goals in degrading the Iranian regime. [13:46] But also, I mean, as we saw yesterday, Israel played an important role in the rescue of the weapons systems officer that was in Iran. [13:54] Yeah, that is a very good point. [13:56] I just want a last question before I let you go. [13:59] Kind of circle back to the beginning, because this expletive-laden threat saying now 8 p.m. Eastern or it will be bridge day. [14:05] It will be power plant day. [14:07] And we've seen these ultimatums before. [14:10] Is it likely and is it possible that President Trump could also push that deadline to try to lean into diplomacy? [14:17] So, as I said, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are playing or are trying to extend the deadline, according to Arab reporting. [14:25] I mean, as we saw, the deadline was supposed to end at 10 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, if I remember correctly. [14:34] Now it's at 8 p.m. [14:36] So, the question is, will the Iranians ask these mediators to extend? [14:41] It all depends on the status of negotiations at the moment. [14:45] Are U.S. diplomats directly speaking with their Iranian counterparts? [14:51] Again, these things are usually done in secret and are usually reported after. [14:57] But, I mean, there's always a chance of that extension. [14:59] It's already been extended once before. [15:02] It was supposed to be last week, but it got extended until April. [15:06] I mean, the question is, will, I mean, in the upcoming hours, we'll understand if this will be extended. [15:13] 8 p.m. Tuesday is in 48 hours. [15:16] So, if the Iranians are willing to sit down and negotiate and these states, the mediating states, are willing to continue their campaign to convince President Trump of extending it, then we might see an extension. [15:34] But, again, this all depends on progress. [15:37] All these factors coming in hand. [15:38] Yeah, obviously, President Trump kind of in his own timeline. [15:41] So, we'll see as this window closed, as we go hour by hour. [15:44] And, like you said, potentially Monday morning, we usually hear from President Trump about exactly where the negotiations stand. [15:51] So, we'll keep our eyes out for that. [15:53] All right, Ahmad, thank you so much. [15:55] I appreciate your time here on Live Now. [15:57] Thank you for having me. [15:57] All right, thank you so much. [15:58] All right, great conversation there, breaking it all down of where we stand on this expletive-laden threat from the president talking about them needing, [16:07] to open the Strait of Hormuz, or it will be power plant day, it will be bridge day. [16:13] And this also coming in from Fox News, Trey Yinks, some of his reporting, saying the clock is ticking. [16:19] President Trump gives a stark warning to Iran while detailing the negotiations with Fox News chief foreign correspondent, Trey Yinks, saying, [16:27] if they don't make a deal and fast, I'm considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil. [16:33] So, we'll see if it is a Venezuela type of takeover. [16:37] We'll see if they extend the deadline. [16:39] Lots of different factors at play here.