Two views on what the latest Iran talks mean for Lebanon and regional conflict

By — Nick Schifrin Nick Schifrin By — Dan Sagalyn Dan Sagalyn Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/two-views-on-what-the-latest-iran-talks-mean-for-lebanon-and-regional-conflict Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Audio For two views on the U.S.-Iran negotiations in Switzerland and the agreement that ended the war, Nick Schifrin speaks with Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, and Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. Nick Schifrin: We now have two views on the U.S.-Iran negotiations and the agreement that ended the war. Mouin Rabbani is a former U.N. official and is a non-resident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. And Jonathan Conricus is a retired Israeli lieutenant colonel who led forces in Lebanon and Gaza and served as the IDF's international spokesperson. He's now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Thanks very much. Welcome, both of you, to the "News Hour." Mouin Rabbani, let me start with you, and let me start with today's news that came out of Vice President Vance, that it was lifting sanctions on Iran, selling oil for 60 days. What's your response to that announcement? Mouin Rabbani, Senior Fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs: Well, I think this is an indication that the memorandum of understanding is beginning to produce serious negotiations between the United States and Iran. I think we have to disabuse ourselves of the illusion that an agreement can be reached within the next 60 days, but at least it could set the basis for constructive diplomacy and create the space and the additional time that will be required to reach an agreement ultimately between the U.S. and Iran. I think it's a positive and hopeful sign. Nick Schifrin: Jonathan Conricus, the U.S. lifting sanctions on Iran selling oil sets the basis for diplomacy? Do you agree? Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus (RET.), Former International Spokesperson, Israel Defense Forces: No, and I think that history teaches us that paying bloodthirsty murderers and terrorists, whether they are of a country or just a terrorist organization, never ends well. When you pay terrorists money, they are usually emboldened, and I will not be surprised to see that the money that the Iranian regime will make out of this very, very generous American concession won't go for the benefit of the Iranian people. It will go towards armament, weapons, trying to fund Hezbollah and Hamas and other terrorist organizations. And I don't think that much positive will come out of it. Nick Schifrin: Mouin Rabbani, the other major news from the U.S. today was the announcement of a mechanism of deconfliction. That's the phrase that J.D. Vance used for reg