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Raising the Stakes on Iran

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    Democrat accuses administration of dodging meaningful efforts to stop suspected nuclear program

  • Duration 3:49
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Now they are raising the stakes -- powerful democratic senators slamming the White House over its policy on Iran.

Senator Robert Menendez accusing the administration of dodging meaningful efforts to stop -- Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.

The clock is ticking.

The published reports say we have about a year.

Now what every gonna start.

And that was just part of it forward -- democratic senator Evan -- with me now a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a Fox News contributor today and senator good morning you.

Good morning these guys are ticked off I mean Democrats and Republicans -- what is the administration doing to head off what some consider.

A march toward the possibility of war.

Well it's a dilemma in some respects bill we need to pull out all the stops to try to keep Iran from going -- killer because the consequences of that would be very very bad.

At the same time we want to make sure we don't shoot ourselves in the foot.

Economically or otherwise so what's going on here is the administration made the decision to ratchet up the economic and financial pressure by sanctioning their energy sector.

But stopped short of cutting off their Central Bank the Europeans for a change -- that -- -- -- the Europeans were actually being more aggressive than we were there were on the cover -- the Central Bank.

What the administration is concerned about is if you do that.

You may ratchet up the price of oil -- the global economy including the US economy at a time when it's very important to us.

That we not do that Strickland who has -- where do you agree with that position senator.

I personally think we had to put all the pressure we -- can on Iran to maximize the the cost of them.

A continue to pursue their particular program because I think the consequences of that longer term threats to Israel threats to Western Europe threats to us.

Are greater than a temporary spike in the price of -- I would come you don't you would disagree with this administration's position that released their strategy.

I would come down on the side of being more aggressive and going ahead and sanctioning the Central Bank.

Running the risk.

Of the price of oil consequence.

Because I think that the consequence of going new killer or us having to go to war with Iran to keep from going -- -- I think those consequences or even worse so -- one of these situations where their -- either way.

I would run the risk of being more aggressive with regard to our -- right on the so you would use.

You would take action against the central bank and you would take action against anyone who does.

-- business activity with that back.

-- correct and it's actually ratcheting up the pressure internally in Iran their economy is not good there's a lot of dissatisfaction.

Within the country.

A directive of the government because of that and this would add additional pressure.

Domestically.

In Iran to change it in your view.

How real is the possibility.

Of war between Israel -- I don't think I think that's more of a threat right now than a reality and the reason for that bill is that it Israel.

Could launch a single attack against the running -- -- facilities assuming we know where they all are.

We know where most of them are there maybe somewhere we don't.

But it would really take several weeks of constant military action to make sure that we had really degraded their program so the Israelis don't have that kind of capability.

All of the United States of America has that kind of capabilities so.

The real consequent to be if Israel launched attack against Iran Iran -- probably think that we were complicit in that.

They would never believe he's -- you Israelis -- -- on their own even if that were true.

The Iranians might -- lash out at us bombs from -- embassies go after our troops in Afghanistan.

Unleash Hezbollah against us some places.

And that would then confront the United States with the decision of having been attacked by Iran.

Well of course we're not gonna just sit idly by and let them get away with that so.

They -- -- look wishful toward war yeah -- tell -- it was a heated hearing yesterday and we'll see whether or not the administration gets the message or holds firm now senator Evan -- thank you for your time today.

I suppose you play.

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