AND, OF COURSE, PLENTY OF POLITICS.

>> CATHY: WE START WITH INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND THE WAR IN IRAN.

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE HEADED TO PEACE TALKS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AT THE END OF A WEEK THAT INCLUDED A THREAT FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT "A WHOLE CIVILIZATION WILL DIE TONIGHT" IF IRAN DID NOT COMPLY TO HIS DEMANDS BY TUESDAY NIGHT.

A FRAGILE CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT FOLLOWED, BUT AN END TO THE WAR DOES NOT SEEM IMMINENT.

UNIVERSITY OF ST.

THOMAS PROFESSOR SHAHERZAD AHMADI SPECIALIZES IN RECENT POLITICAL HISTORIES OF IRAN AND IRAQ.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>> Cathy: WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR PEACE TALKS?

>> THE HOPE FOR PEACE TALKS WOULD BE AN END TO THE WAR.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CEASE-FIRE, WHICH MEANS A BREAK IN THE CONFLICT, AND HOPEFULLY A PATH TOWARD PEACE.

SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

>> Eric: WHAT IS THE COMPLICATING FACTOR, HOW MUCH OF A COMPLICATING FACTOR IS ISRAEL, OTHER NATIONS IN THE REGION?

IT SEEMS KIND OF A MESSY FROM THAT STANDPOINT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THE BIGGEST QUESTION RIGHT NOW IN PRESIDENT TRUMP'S KIND OF SIDE OF THE EQUATION WOULD BE HOW MUCH INFLUENCE HE CAN EXERT OVER PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU IN ISRAEL.

THE POINT OF CONTENTION FOR IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS WOULD BE THE CONFLICT IN LEBANON.

SO FROM ISRAEL'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY WOULD LIKE IRAN TO PUT PRESSURE ON HEZBOLLAH TO COMPLETELY SURRENDER FROM IRAN'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY DO NOT WANT TO ABANDON THEIR SATELLITE MILITIA IN LEBANON, WHICH HAS BEEN SUPPORTING THEM.

SO THIS WILL BE THE MAJOR ISSUE HAT THEY HAVE TO DETERMINE BEFORE THE CEASE TALKS REALLY -- OR THE CEASE-FIRE REALLY GOES THROUGH.

>> Cathy: AND EVEN BEFORE MUCH OF THE OLD REGIME WAS LITERALLY KILLED OFF, IT WAS A COMPLICATED GOVERNANCE SITUATION IN IRAN ANYWAY, RIGHT?

SO I WONDER HOW MUCH THAT COLORS THESE TALKS GOING IN.

THESE ARE EVIDENTLY, I GUESS, NEW PEOPLE.

>> IT DOES INDEED.

THE OLD GUARD WAS DEEPLY INFORMED BY CONVENTIONAL WARFARE IN THE IRAN/IRAQ WAR, BETWEEN 1980 AND '88.

THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW IN CHARGE OF LEADERSHIP WERE MUCH MORE SHAPED BY THE KIND F PERIPHERAL CONFLICTS IN IRAQ, SYRIA, LEBANON.

THEY SEE HESSE THEY SEE HESS HEZBOLLAH HAS INTEGRAL IN THEIR DETERRENCE OF FURTHER CONFLICT WITHIN IRAN.

SO FOR THEM ABANDONING HEZBOLLAH IS REALLY NOT ON THE TABLE.

THERE'S TREMENDOUS PRESSURE IN THE ICE LAMBIC -- ISLAMIC REPUBLIC.

>> Eric: IS THERE PRESSURE TO GET THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ OPEN?

>> I THINK THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

AND IRAN WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE FROM THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WHILE THEY HAVE THAT LEVERAGE.

SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE EAGER TO OPEN THAT UP NY TIME SOON.

>> Cathy: DO YOU REALLY THINK THERE WAS TRUTH TO THE PRESIDENT'S COMMENT THAT THE U.S.

WOULD JOIN WITH IRAN AND MAKE MONEY OFF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ?

>> THIS INDICATES HOW TRANSACTIONAL PRESIDENT TRUMP IS, THAT HE SEES IRAN AS MAKING MONEY FROM THE STRAIT AND WHY CAN'T AMERICA HAVE A CUT OF IT.

THE PURPOSE OF AMERICA'S INFLUENCE ABROAD IS TO ENSURE FREE TRADE FOR A GLOBAL ECONOMY TO FUNCTION.

THIS IS PART OF WHY AMERICAN INFLUENCE HAS BEEN SO ERALDED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

BUT NOW WE SEE IRAN EXERTING THIS INFLUENCE, PRESIDENT SEEING THAT THIS IS LEVERAGE THAT CAN BE USEFUL.

THE QUESTION IS, COULD AMERICA EVEN ACCOMPLISH THIS?

ACCORDING TO IRAN IT CANNOT.

SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, BUT, AT THE MOMENT, I DON'T SEE IT OPENING UP.

>> Eric: COULD NATO AND THE PRESIDENT GET BACK ON THE SAME PAGE IF NATO WERE TO HELP OUT DOING SOMETHING TO OPEN UP HE STRAIT?

>> WE WILL SEE IF NATO CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

RIGHT NOW THERE'S CONVERSATION ABOUT A COALITION OF COUNTRIES THAT WOULD INTERVENE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.

THIS REALLY COMES FROM THE ARAB GULF COUNTRIES THAT ARE APOPLECTIC ABOUT THIS AR.

IT'S NOT ONLY AFFECTED THE WAY THAT THEIR TOURIST ECONOMY FUNCTIONS, THE OIL ECONOMY FUNCTIONS BUT IT ALSO AFFECTED THEIR CALCULUS ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL, WITH THE UNITED STATES.

THEY NEED TO SEE THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY DO SOMETHING FOR THEM TO MERIT THE CONTINUATION OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

>> Cathy: HOW HARD IS THIS AS AN IRANIAN AMERICAN, THE OLD GUARD WAS NOT GREAT, OBVIOUSLY, AND YET, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT THE COUNTRY O BE OBLITERATED.

I MEAN, IT MUST BE VERY DIFFICULT TO WATCH THIS.

>> THE AMOUNT OF DISDAIN THAT IRANIAN AMERICANS FEEL FOR THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IS GREAT.

I'M TALKING ABOUT IT'S DEEP, IT'S PROFOUND, NOBODY LIKES THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC.

AND THE THREAT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE, WHICH WAS CIVILIZATIONAL, I MEAN, THAT WAS SOMETHING CATEGORICALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I THINK MOST IRANIAN AMERICANS, EVEN THOSE WHO MIGHT SUPPORT THE WAR, EXPECTED TO HEAR.

I THINK IT HAS CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE AMONG IRANIAN AMERICANS WITH RESPECT TO THE WAR.

BUT WE'LL SEE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PERSPECTIVE, YOU KEEP HEARING HIM SAY, I'VE HEARD IRANIAN AMERICANS SUPPORT THIS WAR, SO IT MUST BE A GOOD DEA.

THERE'S OBVIOUSLY DIVISION, BUT THAT TRUTH SOCIAL THAT HE PUT OUT WAS GENOCIDAL, I MEAN, IT WAS REALLY REALLY PROFOUND.

>> Eric: AND WHAT ABOUT THE NUCLEAR MATERIAL?

I HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH ABOUT IT IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.

>> SO PART OF IRAN'S TEN-POINT PLAN WHICH TRUMP SAID WOULD BE THE BASIS OF A REASONABLE NEGOTIATION, INCLUDED THE PRESERVATION OF NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT.

SO, IF THAT ENDS UP BEING THE BASIS OF A NEGOTIATION, IRAN IS ACTUALLY GETTING MORE THAN IT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IF THE UNITED STATES HAD NOT INITIATED THIS WAR.

>> Eric: YOU'RE EXPLAINING IT VERY WELL TO US.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> Cat