David Marchese

And that's a very short leap, just days or weeks to the 90 percent you need to make a bomb.

And that's a very short leap, just days or weeks to the 90 percent you need to make a bomb.

That's right. Now, the fuel alone does not make a weapon. You then have to fabricate it, turn it into a metal, fit it into a warhead, design a triggering system, and so forth. And one of the concerns that Trump got in the intelligence that the Biden administration left for him was that the Iranians were racing ahead to a faster, cruder way to build a weapon.

That's right. Now, the fuel alone does not make a weapon. You then have to fabricate it, turn it into a metal, fit it into a warhead, design a triggering system, and so forth. And one of the concerns that Trump got in the intelligence that the Biden administration left for him was that the Iranians were racing ahead to a faster, cruder way to build a weapon.

Maybe they could make one in just months. And, you know, I think Trump recognized if they did that, it's not just the Middle East that changes. The world changes. Right. Because all of a sudden this regime, which, you know, still says it is looking for death to America and an end to the Zionists in Israel. Right.

Maybe they could make one in just months. And, you know, I think Trump recognized if they did that, it's not just the Middle East that changes. The world changes. Right. Because all of a sudden this regime, which, you know, still says it is looking for death to America and an end to the Zionists in Israel. Right.

And that's why a series of American presidents back to Bill Clinton and George Bush have said one can never let Iran have a bomb.

And that's why a series of American presidents back to Bill Clinton and George Bush have said one can never let Iran have a bomb.

Well, Donald Trump wouldn't say that. He'd blame it on Joe Biden. But I would certainly say, having followed this thing for a couple of decades, that Trump's decision to walk out of the agreement in 2018 eventually gave the Iranians the opening opportunity To go race ahead. They said, look, if you're not going to abide by the rules in this agreement, we certainly aren't. Right.

Well, Donald Trump wouldn't say that. He'd blame it on Joe Biden. But I would certainly say, having followed this thing for a couple of decades, that Trump's decision to walk out of the agreement in 2018 eventually gave the Iranians the opening opportunity To go race ahead. They said, look, if you're not going to abide by the rules in this agreement, we certainly aren't. Right.

So we're in a situation now where they're far closer to a weapon than they were when the U.S. negotiated this agreement in 2015. So that explains why the U.S.

So we're in a situation now where they're far closer to a weapon than they were when the U.S. negotiated this agreement in 2015. So that explains why the U.S.

Well, the simplest answer to that, Michael, is the Iranians suddenly have never been more exposed. After the October 7th, 2023 terror attack on Israel, the Israelis systematically destroyed Hamas. And then last fall, Hezbollah, the two terror groups that were funded and basically proxies of the Iranians.

Well, the simplest answer to that, Michael, is the Iranians suddenly have never been more exposed. After the October 7th, 2023 terror attack on Israel, the Israelis systematically destroyed Hamas. And then last fall, Hezbollah, the two terror groups that were funded and basically proxies of the Iranians.

That's right. And then the Assad government in Syria fell. And Assad was the closest single ally that the Iranians had. Right. And then one more thing changed. And this was probably the biggest of all. You'll remember that last year there were these series of direct missile exchanges between Iran and Israel. That had never happened before. But two things happened in this.

That's right. And then the Assad government in Syria fell. And Assad was the closest single ally that the Iranians had. Right. And then one more thing changed. And this was probably the biggest of all. You'll remember that last year there were these series of direct missile exchanges between Iran and Israel. That had never happened before. But two things happened in this.

The first is the Iranian missiles, which we thought were pretty fierce and hard to defend against, did not pierce the anti-missile defenses that Israel and the United States had carefully assembled around the region. Almost nothing got through. And then in late October of last year, the Israelis retaliated.

The first is the Iranian missiles, which we thought were pretty fierce and hard to defend against, did not pierce the anti-missile defenses that Israel and the United States had carefully assembled around the region. Almost nothing got through. And then in late October of last year, the Israelis retaliated.

They very carefully did not attack the Iranian nuclear facilities, but instead they took out all of the Iranian air defenses that were around the nuclear facilities and around Tehran. Got it. So here were the Iranians without their proxies, without their missile defenses, totally exposed.

They very carefully did not attack the Iranian nuclear facilities, but instead they took out all of the Iranian air defenses that were around the nuclear facilities and around Tehran. Got it. So here were the Iranians without their proxies, without their missile defenses, totally exposed.