Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on Donald Trump's social media posts regarding the Israel, Iran conflict

President Donald Trump's recent social media posts hint at major escalations in the Iran and Israel conflict.  

Israel and Iran continue to trade strikes, with at least 224 Iranians and 24 Israelis killed since hostilities began after Israel's initial attack on Friday. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Trump's posts mean we could be on a brink of a rapid shift in the American role in the Iran and Israel conflict. 

He says Trump wrote that they now have complete and total control of the skies of Iran,  which echoes exactly what Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu said in his most recent US interview. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right stateside. Richard Arnold morning, Good morning, Mike. Situation room.
Where are we at.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Well, it's still meeting. But as you've been noting, there
are some stark new social media posts from Trump in
the background of all of this. We could be on
the brink of a rapid shift in the American role.
Trump wrote, quote, we emphasize on the word emphasis on
the word we. We now have complete and total control
of the skies over Iran. Here's what is ready. Leader Nettno,

(00:26):
who said in his latest US interview.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
We control the skies of Tehran.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
So sound Familia, Trump, echoing Netnohu. Trump also put out
a veiled threat to the Iranian leader an Kamani quote,
we again, we know where he is hiding. Trump calls
the Iatola quote an easy target, while adding he is
safe for now. Netno, who also danced around the idea

(00:51):
that Israel might seek to assassinate the Ietola, he told
American ABC.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
For We're doing what we need to do. I'm not
going to get into the details. It's not going to
escalate the conflict, going to end the conflict.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Well after leaving the G seven summit in Canada a
day early, Trump said that the people of Tehran should
quote evacuate immediately. On his plane trip back to Washington,
Trump said this, said once again, this echoes the statements
of Israel's Nettunohu, who said this.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
What we're doing is targeting regime sites, nuclear sites, military sides,
and ballistic missile sites that are embedded in Tehran. We're
telling the people leave the zone of battle so that
you're not heard, and in fact they are leaving well.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Aerial views show massive traffic jams with people fleeing Tehran
at the minute, a city of what ten million people. Meantime,
there was and has already strike on Iran state television.
Many will have seen this video Presento shown fleeing in
the midst of collapsing walls and smoke rising up. Israel
says it hit the TV studios since they are key

(01:57):
to I run in propaganda. Trump's choice here is continuing
to plembency, or more directly siding with Israel militarily and
perhaps using the American bunker busting bomb, which is so
huge it can only be dropped by American be To
bombers to destroy the underground Iranian nuclear side of FORDO.
That is a thirteen six hundred kilogram bomb. Its use

(02:18):
would have reversed many years of American policy on Iran.
Just days ago, in late May, Trump had warned Netanya
Who against an Iranian attack, saying it would destroy diplomatic options.
Then on Dune the fourth, Iran rejected the latest Trump proposal. However,
there is a long history with all of it, like this.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
Iran is so dangerous, weeks away from having the fissile
material for an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
That was netnio Who saying Iran was just weeks off
from having an arsenal of nukes. That was netnia Who.
In twenty fifteen. There is a split among Trump supporters
over direct American involvement in the war with Iran. This
could turn out to be Trump's biggest decision indeed.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
And then we come to the business businessman the Apolis
or Minnesota the other day, and this, I mean, what
do we do to protect politicians?

Speaker 2 (03:09):
We're going to say, Well, in Washington, d C. They're
worried about their own security. They're asking to Speaker of
a more funding for security. Following those shootings where of course,
the State Polly and her husband were killed. Nan two
others have been critically wounded.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
You know.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
The latest information shows that those wounded State Senator John
Hoffman and his wife were hit by a total of
seventeen bullets. Somehow, they're still hanging on to life. The
accused assassin, E. Vans Belta, who now is in custody,
is charged with the murders and other crimes. There is
also a furor over the politic in Utah. Senator Might
Lee posted what I guess he thought was a joke.

(03:41):
Is this funny? Headlining a photo? Is quote nightmare on
Wall Street? Referring to Tim Waltsley, Minnesota governor who ran
as Kamala Harris's deputy. He was also on the list
of this alleged assassin's targets potential targets. So jokes about
politicals say that is pretty low. Well, Trump himself says

(04:02):
he hasn't bothered to call him. Walsh, who was, as
I say, on the target list.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
I could call him say hi, how you doing.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
The love? He said, he's a mess, So I could be.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
But why waste Trump himself, of course targeted twice with
compassion for now, said Trump, why waste time?

Speaker 3 (04:22):
All right? Do you have a good week.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
I appreciate it very much. Richard Arnold stateside, by the way,
there's a scrap of sorts over the phone that we
announced yesterday, the Trump Company launching a mobile app and
a phone and a service and all that sort of stuff.
He claims the phone's going to be made in America.
Everyone in the industry can't see how that's possible, because
they don't make phones in America. It will be Chinese made,
which is ironic. And Joey Chestnut is back for the

(04:45):
fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. If you missed this.
Last year, he was banned because he did a deal
with some of those people who don't like eating meat,
and so they banned them. But he's now back. He's
held the title sixteen times. July fourth, It's coming.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
News Talk Set B from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.