ARTHEL: KEVIN CORKE, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
ERIC.
ERIC: FOX NEWS IS GETTING
REACTION FROM THE IRANIAN
OPPOSITION TO ALL OF THIS.
PRINCE REZA, SON OF THE SHAH
TELLING FOX NEWS, QUOTE, THIS IS
NOT HUMAN ERROR, THIS IS A CRIME
AGAINST HUMANITY.
HE IRRESPONSIBLY EMPOWERED HIS
THUG TO FIRE AT WILL AGAINST
INNOCENTS.
BEARS FULL RESPONSIBILITY.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
KHAMENEI AND HIS REGIME MUST GO.
THE NATIONAL UNITY FOR DEMOCRACY
IN IRAN, THEY WANT FREEDOM AND
DEMOCRACY FOR FRIENDLINESS WITH
THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD.
THEY DESERVE THE SPORT FROM THE
UNITED STATES AND ITS GOVERNMENT
IN SENATOR FOR NATIONAL LIBERTY.
THE LEADER OF THE NATIONAL
COUNCIL OF RESISTANCE OF IRAN,
ALL IRANIANS, ESPECIALLY THE
YOUTH EXPRESS SUPPORT AND
SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILIES OF
VICTIMS OF THIS HORRIFIC CRIME
BY THE MULLAHS.
PROSECUTE, PUNISH THOSE
RESPONSIBLE.
ALI KHAMENEI AS COMMANDER IN THE
CHIEF OF ARMED FORCES AND HUE
SAWN ROUHANI AND IRG COMMANDERS.
>> THEY HAVE SEEN MANY SAID DAYS
SINCE 2011, BUT THIS DAY IT IS
POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE SADDEST
BECAUSE IT IS FIRST TIME THAT A
SECURITY COUNCILMEMBER HAS
CHOSEN TO PLAY POLITICS WITH
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.
ERIC: BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE
UNITED NATIONS CARE REASON PEERS
DRESSING DOWN THE RUSSIANS ON
SYRIA, HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE
THAT SO SADLY CONTINUES AT HANDS
OF PUTIN, ASSAD, THE IRANIANS
AND GENERAL QASSEM SOLEIMANI.
THIS AS THE IRANIAN PEOPLE
CONTINUE TO TAKE TO THE STREETS
IN ANGRY DEFIANCE OF THEIR
GOVERNMENT, CALLING FOR THE
REGIME TO GO.
WHAT COULD HAPPEN?
AMBASSADOR PIERCE JOINS US HERE
IN THE STUDIO.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> THANK YOU, ERIC.
ERIC: PRETTY SHOCKING TO SEE THE
PROTESTS GROWING.
WE'RE TOLD THEY ARE CHANTING
DEATH TO THE DICTATORS, TEARING
DOWN BANNERS OF SOLEIMANI AND
OTHERS.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION, YOUR
GOVERNMENT'S REACTION TO WHAT
SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN IRAN ARE
DOING?
>> THESE ARE POTENTIALLY
INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS.
AS YOU SAY, IRANIAN PROTESTERS
TAKING TO THE STREET AFTER THE
DOWNING OF THE AIRLINER.
I THINK IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY
WHAT IT MEANS BUT I THINK
EVERYONE IS WATCHING IRAN VERY
CLOSELY A THE MOMENT.
I HOPE IT WILL BE ANOTHER SPUR
TO THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT TO
DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS, TO STOP
PURSUING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND, AS
IT WERE TO COME IN FROM THE
COLD.
OUR FOREIGN SECRETARY, DOMINIC
RAAB MADE THIS CALL TO THEM.
THERE IS A WINDOW FOR DIPLOMACY
NOW.
WHICH HOPE IRAN WILL TAKE IT BUT
ONLY IRAN CAN TAKE THAT
DECISION.
WE CAN'T TAKE IT FOR HER.
ERIC: WHAT DO YOU LEADERS DO?
DO YOU CALL FOR MEETINGS, CALL
FOR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT DOES YOUR
GOVERNMENT WANT?
>> THERE ARE MANY WAYS TOTIC SAL
ONE IS READY FOR TALKS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP, MR. POMPEO, MY
OWN GOVERNMENT, BORIS JOHNSON,
DOMINIC RAAB AS WELL AS THE
FRENCH, WE ALL MADE OVERTURES TO
THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
SUGGESTING THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF A DIPLOMATIC WINDOW THAT HAS
NOW APPEARED, THAT THEY COME IN
FROM THE COLD.
I WOULD THINK THAT SORT OF THING
IS NORMALLY DONE QUIETLY IN THE
FIRST INSTANCE WITH SENIOR
OFFICIALS MEETING, PRIVATELY,
PERHAPS TO PREPARE A WAY FORWARD
SO THAT LEADERS CAN MEET.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF DOING IT.
I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS
THAT THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
TAKES A STEP.
>> WHAT IS THE IRANIAN
GOVERNMENT DOING?
ARE THOSE OVERTURES
RECIPROCATED?
>> THEY HAVE SENT A VARIETY OF
MESSAGES BUT THE MESSAGES TEND
TO BE VERY IN THE MOMENT, VERY
TRANSACTIONAL.
THEY HAVE NOT AS FAR AS I KNOW
ACCEPTED U.S., FRENCH, OR
BRITISH OFFERS.
WE REALLY WOULD URGE THEM TO DO
SO.
WE THINK WHAT THEIR OWN PEOPLE
THINK OF THE CURRENT SITUATION.
NOW IS A VERY GOOD TIME TO
DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS.
STATEMENT, OF COURSE, WE MUS'NT
TAKE OUR EYE OFF THE NUCLEAR WE.
WE REALLY DON'T WANT IRAN TO
ACQUIRE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
ERIC: OF COURSE THE PAST FEW
MONTHS THEY HAD PROTESTS AND THE
IRANIAN REGIME KILLED 1500 OF
THE PROTESTERS.
DIDN'T ALLOW THE FAMILIES TO
MOURN THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WERE
KILLED.
THE PRESIDENT TWEETED OUT ASKING
IRANIAN GOVERNMENT NOT TO KILL
THE PROTESTERS.
DOES YOUR GOVERNMENT AGREE?
>> WE ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH
THAT.
PEOPLE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN
RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY,
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
THAT INCLUDES THE RIGHT TO
PEACEFUL PROTEST.
SOMETIMES THOSE RESULTS HAVE A
VARIETY OF MOTIVATIONS BUT I
THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS
THAT THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
NEEDS TO LISTEN TO ITS PEOPLE.
IT NEEDS TO DE-ESCALATE THE
CURRENT SITUATION.
THAT IS IN THEIR HANDS.
WE MADE OUR OFFER.
ERIC: ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES,
THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO IRAN,
ROBERT KERRY, HE GOES TO THE
VIGIL, GOES TO THE VIGIL FOR 15
MINUTES, HE LEAVES AND THEY
ARREST HIM.
>> AS WE SAID, AS DOMINIC RAAB
SAID THAT IS A FLAGRANT
VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.
THERE IS THE A CONVENTION,
VIENNA CONVENTION ON DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS.
IT GOVERNS WHAT HAPPENS TO
DIPLOMATS ABROAD IN COUNTRIES SO
THEY CAN GO ABOUT THEIR DUTIES
IN SAFETY AND SECURITY.
REPRESENTING THEIR GOVERNMENT.
THAT IS WHAT AMBASSADOR McNAIR
WAS DOING.
HE WENT TO PAY HIS RESPECTS AT
THE VIGIL.
IT WAS IN HONOR OF THE IRANIAN
STUDENTS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON
THE AIRLINER.
QUITE NATURAL HE SHOULD GO
ESPECIALLY SINCE BRITISH PEOPLE
WERE KILLED AS WELL.
HE THEN LEFT THAT GATHERING,
WHEN IT STARTED TO TURN INTO
MORE OF A PROTEST.
HE WENT INNOCENTLY OFF TO HAVE
HIS HER CUT.
THEN THE IRANIANS ARRESTED HIM,
BUT HE IS OKAY.
>> HE IS NOW OKAY, EVENTUALLY
AND RELEASED AND WE TALKED TO
THE IRANIANS ABOUT THIS BREACH
OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.
ERIC: QASSEM SOLEIMANI WAS
SO-CALLED TERRORIST MASTERMIND
OF THE HORRENDOUS CATASTROPHE
THAT IS THERE.
YOU DEALT WITH IT IN THE
SECURITY COUNCIL AND IT STILL
HASN'T ENDED RUSSIANS BLOCKED
HUMANITARIAN AID.
>> WHAT HAPPENED ON FRIDAY THE
RUSSIANS HELD SECURITY COUNCIL
TO RANSOM AND PEOPLE OF
NORTHEAST SYRIA TO RAN SOME THEY
REFUSED TO ALLOW U.N. TO SEND
AID THROUGH WHAT ARE CALLED
CROSS-BORDER CROSSINGS, GO INTO
SYRIA FROM TURKEY, SYRIA, AND
OTHER COUNTRIES WITHOUT THE
SYRIAN GOVERNMENT PERMISSION AND
THE REASON THAT IS NEEDED
BECAUSE THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT
WILL NOT ALLOW ASSISTANCE TO
REACH ALL THE COMMUNITIES MOST
IN NEED.
IT WASN'T JUST GENERAL SOLEIMANI
WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SYRIA.
I DO WANT AGAIN TO CALL OUT THE
RUSSIANS BUT ALSO THE SYRIAN
GOVERNMENT THEMSELVES.
GOVERNMENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK
AFTER THEIR PEOPLE AND YET THE
SYRIAN GOVERNMENT WON'T ISSUE
PERMITS FOR AID.
THEY WON'T HELP GET THE AID TO
PEOPLE MOST IN NEED.
ERIC: FINALLY DO YOU FEEL WITH
THE DYNAMICS PERHAPS CHANGING
THAT THE SYRIA ISSUE AND THE
TURMOIL WILL BE REDUCED?
>> OH, THAT IS, THAT IS AN
INTERESTING QUESTION.
I MEAN, WE HAD SOME FOOTAGE
EARLIER OF THE SAD DEATH OF
SULTAN KABUTZ.
HE HAD BEEN A STRONG MODERATING
FORCE IN THE GULF.
HE HAS WIDE ADVICE FOR LEADERS.
HE TRIED TO KEEP A PRODUCTIVE
WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL
SIDES.
I THINK IT IS GOOD NEWS HIS
SUCCESS ARE SORE PLEDGED TO
CONTINUE HIS FOREIGN POLICY WE
IN BRITAIN HAD A RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE OMAN FOR 200 YEARS.
WE'LL BE IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH
THEM, HELPING THEM KEEP REGIONAL
STABILITY GOING.
ERIC: I KNOW BOTH SIDES, BOTH
GOVERNMENTS WILL LOOK AND
WATCHING OUT, TO MAKE SURE
PROTESTS ARE PROTECTED.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ERIC: AND THE REGIME DOES NOT
RESORT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN