June 20, 2025 • 5 mins
We know that President Trump may drop bombs on Iran to destroy their Nuclear System, but what happens next after that? Rick gives us his analysis on the reasons Iranian officials won't come to The White House for a meeting with Trump.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now let's go to Rick Cline, ABC News Washington Bureau chief. Hi, Rick,
how are you hey?
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Great to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
It's great to be with you. What a week. I
seem like I'm saying this every week with what you're
covering in Washington. What a week to be covering the
news down there. It seems like history is being made
every single week. And now we have a delay in
the decision on what America is going to do, if
they're going to join Israel and allow them to have
bunker buster bombs and the B two bomba that has
(00:30):
to bring them over there, whether we're going to get
involved in the war. That's all been delayed. Do we
know what went into that decision?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, I think the biggest factor is that Donald Trump
does not want to act in a way that makes
a long term commitment for United States troops. He ran
on not allowing around to have a nuclear bomb. He
also ran on not getting involved in Middle Eastern wars
that last forever. And there's a tension in that that
you see the Israelis try to exploit, frankly and trying
(00:58):
to get a to join along in the efforts to
eradicate the Iranian nuclear program. So a lot of people
were in Donald Tumpty or Steve Bannet and himself at
the White House yesterday saying, look, you wanted to do
this right away, this is a phony timeline. Don't move
that quickly. So I think Donald Trump, by not acting,
is acting ultimately he's delaying the big decision.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah. I've heard a lot of reporting on this. What
is ABC saying is it is it a phony deadline?
How close is Iran to getting a nuclear weapon?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, look, Israeli intelligence have not shared their details. American
intelligence has been split. We've heard, like you said, different reporting.
Tulsey Gabbert, the DNI said a few weeks ago, we
don't believe Iran you're pursuing an a clear mom. The
White House said yesterday, actually, American intelligence shows that they
have everything they need and they could do it in
a matter of weeks. Of course, there's a boy who
(01:48):
cried well aspect to the way he is relative described this.
For decades they have said, Alan is month maybe a
year plus away from a mom. So we don't know.
We haven't seen the intelligence. And God has a sort
of history in America where you have a run up
to the war that's based on classified intelligence that the
public doesn't get to see.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, again, it's not one and done either. I think
you have to really think this out. And I'm sure
they are at the White House right now. I'm sure
we could go over there and we could bomb their
nuclear facilities and take them out. I'm sure that could
happen with several bunker buster bombs. I guess the big question, Rick,
is what happens next.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
That's precisely right when you hear people saying, look, this
is a low risk proposition. They're talking about the direct cognission.
The b two bombers leave from Saint Louis, they drop
these bombs, they come home safely. But that's really the
beginning of the story. Because does Iran then try to
reconstitute a nuclear program. Is there a push as the
Israelis want for regime change, for a new government to
(02:50):
oust the dictatorial government of Iran, or you know, is
there an American invasion of some sort that has to
follow up. It's not like he suddenly Iran as a
peaceful and prosperous democratic ally the day after. Even if
you've eradicated that threat, and again, you know, go back
to the history of the recent history of the Iraq War.
(03:12):
There's a lot of bluster, there's a lot of phoniness
that gets involved in these things, and there's a lot
of unpredictable things. We're not going to be greeted as liberators.
I think that's clear.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
No, I don't think so either. And what about President
Trump talked about the offer of from the Iranians to
come to the White House, but the Supreme Leader at
Harmony said, we're not going there. That's not going to happen.
What is the truth on that.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Well, look, there's there's an effort by some European leaders
today to try to get the Ranians back to the table.
I think Donald Trump would love to be a peacemaker wherever. However,
he even said he's let toutin' do it, which I
don't think has a broad international or domestic support. But
I think Trump would absolutely love to kind of deal
on this, even if the deal frankly ends up being
(03:56):
very similar to the one he blasted the would sign
under under the Obama and trading with the Israeli he's
never liked. I think he's trying to leave a window
open your for negotiations he's not taking anything off the
table yet, but that's the clear signal that Donald Trump
wants to end this. And I think ring me in
his head are some of those taunts that we've heard from,
you know, supposedly from Wall Street table traders, the taco taunts,
(04:19):
Compoy's chickens out. He doesn't want to be seen that
way either. So at some point you know that the
action has to follow some of the threats.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Right, But this just came out of nowhere. I mean,
everybody thought a decision was going to be made, that
he was closed. He said it would only take him
a second, and then out of nowhere. And it's interesting
that he didn't make that statement, that he had Caroline
Levitt make that statement and go out and deliver it.
Do you read anything at all into that?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I certainly do. I mean, I think it's a great point,
and I think if he wanted to put his full
force in and his name behind it, he knows how too.
He has access to lots of cameras. Instead, he put
his press secretary out there to kind of take the
incoming around the statement like that and try to deflect
some of the more direct questions that comes their way.
He knows that he's not acting here now. He's gonna
take a lot of questions on this from story hill
(05:05):
face cameras today, tomorrow, into the weekend. But you know,
at least the news of it is out there, and
he seems to have given himself a little bit of
breathing into the potential negotiation.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It's a fascinating time. I'm certain that this is going
to dominate this week on ABC on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah, we're going to be talking to Senator Tom Cotton
from Arkansas, Republican, who's in the more fucused wing of
trying to trying to confront this threat. He does want action.
He's not been shy about it. We saw that fascinating
Ted Cruz Tucker Carlson interview playoff this week to show
that split in the magabase and Cotton is on the
side of more of a hawks, even if that means
(05:43):
some other Trump allies aren't happy with him.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Well, thanks so much, Rickline, ABC News Washington Bureau Chief.
Will all be watching on Sunday. Thanks a lot for
your time.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Hey, thank you
Now let's go to Rick Cline, ABC News Washington Bureau chief. Hi, Rick,
how are you hey?
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Great to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
It's great to be with you. What a week. I
seem like I'm saying this every week with what you're
covering in Washington. What a week to be covering the
news down there. It seems like history is being made
every single week. And now we have a delay in
the decision on what America is going to do, if
they're going to join Israel and allow them to have
bunker buster bombs and the B two bomba that has
(00:30):
to bring them over there, whether we're going to get
involved in the war. That's all been delayed. Do we
know what went into that decision?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, I think the biggest factor is that Donald Trump
does not want to act in a way that makes
a long term commitment for United States troops. He ran
on not allowing around to have a nuclear bomb. He
also ran on not getting involved in Middle Eastern wars
that last forever. And there's a tension in that that
you see the Israelis try to exploit, frankly and trying
(00:58):
to get a to join along in the efforts to
eradicate the Iranian nuclear program. So a lot of people
were in Donald Tumpty or Steve Bannet and himself at
the White House yesterday saying, look, you wanted to do
this right away, this is a phony timeline. Don't move
that quickly. So I think Donald Trump, by not acting,
is acting ultimately he's delaying the big decision.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah. I've heard a lot of reporting on this. What
is ABC saying is it is it a phony deadline?
How close is Iran to getting a nuclear weapon?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, look, Israeli intelligence have not shared their details. American
intelligence has been split. We've heard, like you said, different reporting.
Tulsey Gabbert, the DNI said a few weeks ago, we
don't believe Iran you're pursuing an a clear mom. The
White House said yesterday, actually, American intelligence shows that they
have everything they need and they could do it in
a matter of weeks. Of course, there's a boy who
(01:48):
cried well aspect to the way he is relative described this.
For decades they have said, Alan is month maybe a
year plus away from a mom. So we don't know.
We haven't seen the intelligence. And God has a sort
of history in America where you have a run up
to the war that's based on classified intelligence that the
public doesn't get to see.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, again, it's not one and done either. I think
you have to really think this out. And I'm sure
they are at the White House right now. I'm sure
we could go over there and we could bomb their
nuclear facilities and take them out. I'm sure that could
happen with several bunker buster bombs. I guess the big question, Rick,
is what happens next.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
That's precisely right when you hear people saying, look, this
is a low risk proposition. They're talking about the direct cognission.
The b two bombers leave from Saint Louis, they drop
these bombs, they come home safely. But that's really the
beginning of the story. Because does Iran then try to
reconstitute a nuclear program. Is there a push as the
Israelis want for regime change, for a new government to
(02:50):
oust the dictatorial government of Iran, or you know, is
there an American invasion of some sort that has to
follow up. It's not like he suddenly Iran as a
peaceful and prosperous democratic ally the day after. Even if
you've eradicated that threat, and again, you know, go back
to the history of the recent history of the Iraq War.
(03:12):
There's a lot of bluster, there's a lot of phoniness
that gets involved in these things, and there's a lot
of unpredictable things. We're not going to be greeted as liberators.
I think that's clear.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
No, I don't think so either. And what about President
Trump talked about the offer of from the Iranians to
come to the White House, but the Supreme Leader at
Harmony said, we're not going there. That's not going to happen.
What is the truth on that.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Well, look, there's there's an effort by some European leaders
today to try to get the Ranians back to the table.
I think Donald Trump would love to be a peacemaker wherever. However,
he even said he's let toutin' do it, which I
don't think has a broad international or domestic support. But
I think Trump would absolutely love to kind of deal
on this, even if the deal frankly ends up being
(03:56):
very similar to the one he blasted the would sign
under under the Obama and trading with the Israeli he's
never liked. I think he's trying to leave a window
open your for negotiations he's not taking anything off the
table yet, but that's the clear signal that Donald Trump
wants to end this. And I think ring me in
his head are some of those taunts that we've heard from,
you know, supposedly from Wall Street table traders, the taco taunts,
(04:19):
Compoy's chickens out. He doesn't want to be seen that
way either. So at some point you know that the
action has to follow some of the threats.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Right, But this just came out of nowhere. I mean,
everybody thought a decision was going to be made, that
he was closed. He said it would only take him
a second, and then out of nowhere. And it's interesting
that he didn't make that statement, that he had Caroline
Levitt make that statement and go out and deliver it.
Do you read anything at all into that?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I certainly do. I mean, I think it's a great point,
and I think if he wanted to put his full
force in and his name behind it, he knows how too.
He has access to lots of cameras. Instead, he put
his press secretary out there to kind of take the
incoming around the statement like that and try to deflect
some of the more direct questions that comes their way.
He knows that he's not acting here now. He's gonna
take a lot of questions on this from story hill
(05:05):
face cameras today, tomorrow, into the weekend. But you know,
at least the news of it is out there, and
he seems to have given himself a little bit of
breathing into the potential negotiation.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It's a fascinating time. I'm certain that this is going
to dominate this week on ABC on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah, we're going to be talking to Senator Tom Cotton
from Arkansas, Republican, who's in the more fucused wing of
trying to trying to confront this threat. He does want action.
He's not been shy about it. We saw that fascinating
Ted Cruz Tucker Carlson interview playoff this week to show
that split in the magabase and Cotton is on the
side of more of a hawks, even if that means
(05:43):
some other Trump allies aren't happy with him.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Well, thanks so much, Rickline, ABC News Washington Bureau Chief.
Will all be watching on Sunday. Thanks a lot for
your time.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Hey, thank you
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