Nancy Youssef

Having said that, we have heard from them throughout the week that they are interested in a diplomatic solution.

But I think they have shown themselves to be skilled negotiators, both in the details of the agreement, but also in buying time for themselves, because for them, time is essential if their goal is to avoid U.S.

military action.

I think that's the hope.

I mean, the president in the State of the Union said that he wants to see diplomacy first.

He said that he doesn't believe that the Iranians have sort of said the right thing, that he thinks they want a deal.

We've heard from inside the Pentagon that there are concerns about some of the second and third order effects that could come from military strikes.

It is a costly prospect.

And frankly speaking, the United States conducted strikes last June.

And while the president has said they obliterated the nuclear program, Stephen Witkoff came out and said that they could pose a threat within a week.

And so we have seen from the administration themselves the limitations of these strikes in terms of achieving the outcome, which is an Iran that doesn't pose a nuclear threat.

And so...

Because of all that, you would think that there would be a hope of finding some pathway in which both sides can feel that they have come out on top, short of what could be a protracted, costly, and consequential military action.

And I'll unpack that.

Look, let's say the president's right and that the strikes completely eliminated those programs, those facilities, their capability.

OK, that alone doesn't stop their ambition to have a nuclear program.

It doesn't remove all the scientists who can rebuild it.

So this is not a problem that can be solved strictly through military action because military action can't deal with those other two factors.

But also we know that it didn't happen the way that the president has described it in terms of a total elimination of the program.

That while there was damage, we have seen the Iranians through satellite images rebuilding it.