Report from Tehran: Amid More U.S./Iran Bombing, Trump Warns Iran Is "DEAD...Will Pay the Price"

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN : This morning, President Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran has taken too long to negotiate a ceasefire deal and will now have to, quote-unquote, “pay the price.”

This comes as the U.S. military said it had completed strikes against Iran that were reportedly in response to the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media is reporting around 20,000 Iranians have lost access to drinking water after two reservoirs were reportedly hit by U.S. strikes. Two U.S. officials told CNN the Apache helicopter was brought down by an Iranian drone, and said it was unclear whether the helicopter was intentionally targeted. An Apache helicopter costs between $52 [million] and over $100 million, while an Iranian Shahed drone costs roughly $35,000.

Iran said it launched regulatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region. This morning, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. This is Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.

PRESIDENT MASOUD PEZESHKIAN : [translated] We must get out of this “no war, no peace” state. War is certainly not in the country’s interest, but if they think that by violating our dignity, our territory and our homeland, we will surrender or back down, then let them only dream about it. This is not something that we will back down from.

AMY GOODMAN : The social media post made by President Trump this morning said, quote, “Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD !!!” in all caps. “They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” unquote.

For more, we go to the Iranian capital, Tehran, where we’re joined by Mohammad Eslami, research fellow at the University of Tehran. His latest piece , he co-authored for Responsible Statecraft . It’s headlined “The Persian Gulf is blowing up. These 3 obstacles explain why.”

Mohammad, thanks so much for being with us. If you could explain why? But start off by responding to President Trump saying Iran will now pay the price, after saying that they were days away, the U.S. and Iran, from reaching an agreement, which he has said dozens and dozens of times before.

MOHAMMAD ESLAMI : First of all, thank you so much for having me, Amy.

I should say that this war, which is a war of choice, a collaboration between Donald Trump and Bibi Netanyahu, is based on a series of miscalculations regarding the Iranian people, Iranian political system, Iranian economy and resilience, and also the role of the Americans in the regional order around the Persian Gulf. Right now Donald Trump is threatening Iranians, while he didn’t achieve none of his declared objectives during the war. The Iranian political system is intact. The Iranian nuclear program, which has lots of capabilities, according to NPT , Non-Proliferation Treaty, is continuing. The Iranian stockpile is in the hand of the Iranians. It is about 100 days that the Iranians closed the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. naval blockade cannot and couldn’t open the Strait of Hormuz. And right now Donald Trump is threatening again to bomb Iran. It is not — it is not a way that he can proceed.

Right now there are three challenges that they face during the negotiations between Iranians and Americans. First of all, Donald Trump is thinking about face saving in a war he cannot win and he cannot leave. He’s not thinking about the details of the negotiations. He’s thinking about his social media account, Truth Social, and other things.

The second point is, while the Americans are asking Iranians to act and to do irreversible actions, they cannot offer Iranians the same irreversible actions. Right now Donald Trump is out of his card. I mean, maximum pressure and the sanctions doesn’t work. A campaign of two — I mean, two military powers in the region and internationally didn’t work. A coercive diplomacy didn’t work. And right now he’s again threatening the Iranians. So, Iranians understood by — I mean, Donald Trump one and Donald Trump two, that — I mean, sanctions relief is not something irreversible from the American side, while the Americans are asking Iranians to do irreversible actions.

And the second — and the third point is about the regional order. Donald Trump sacrificed the interests of the American people. Donald Trump sacrificed the future of the so-called American allies around Persian Gulf, these Arab states — I mean, Arab states around Persian Gulf interests sacrificed by Donald Trump. The so-called, I mean, international order or regional order around Persian Gulf was based on American promises to defend these countries. But after this war, these Arab states understood that Donald Trump and the Americans will not defend them in any kind of circumstances. And right now the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

So, Donald Trump is asking I…