and that knots the reid out, all in with chris hayes starts right now.

good evening from new york, i'm chris hayes. today that u.s. military began a long expected military campaign zaria and iraq against iranian proxy forces and the islamic revolutionary guard corps, sometimes known as the -- force. the retaliation for that drone attack over the weekend went three american army reservist 48 and a dozen more injured in the airbase in jordan. the strikes that killed americans for himself as part of a series of extended between various militant groups backed by iran and u.s. forces that followed the october 7th hamas attack in israel and israel's subsequent counter offensive in gaza. right now you are seeing footage of one of today's strikes on your screen where and iraqi security official, you seek it hit, they're a weapons warehouse in western iraq belong to a group known as kata'ib hezbollah. according to u.s. central command, military forces struck

more than 85 targets which numerous aircrafts -- which numerous aircraft include long- range bombers from the united states. the airstrikes have deployed more than 125 procession emissions. if facilities struck included command and control centers, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, and on our armed -- facilities of militia groups and the iranian revolutionary guard sponsored and facilitate techs against u.s. forces. and a call with reporters, national security spokesperson john kirby provided more details about those strikes. >> u.s. military forces struck more than 85 targets -- utilized by islamic revolutionary guard corps and the militant groups they sponsor. all of the facilities -- for our insurriaga.

-- more than 125 precision guided munitions over the course of about 40 minutes. target facilities included command and control centers as well as headquarters, buildings, and intelligence centers, drone storage facilities, and logistic ammunition supply chain facilities. >> and a statement, president joe biden said our response began today and it will continue at times and places of our continues. secretary of defense lloyd austin went a step further, confirming the president has confirmed additional actions to hold the islamic revolutionary guard accountable for the attacks on u.s. and coalition forces. austin also echoed president biden sentiment, the u.s. is not second conflict and that middle east but it is difficult to say today strike as anything other than an escalation. since the october 7th attack -- and the grunt invasion of gaza, it wasn't a few of the conflicts and skirmishes break out across the water middle east . you can save them there on

the map. that includes fire exchange between israel and hezbollah fighters in lebanon, houthi rebels in yemen seeking commercial ships in the red sea -- and targeting american stations there but which culminated in that fatal strike against american reservists and jordan over the weekend. it was that last incident that president biden retaliated against today. it is among the most graphic responds the u.s. could have taken -- and with more retailer direction confirmed for future, there is of course at risk of the conflict expanding further. nbc news chief international correspondent keir simmons is live in iraq tonight with the latest. keir, what have you got? >> chris, this was clearly an escalation by the biden administration. we haven't seen something like this for years. but it was also limited. the strikes -- and for accounting hit because we haven't been holding back -- told exactly but the u.s. worth

a took place. accountant on regional reporting strikes appear to have taken place and eastern story, along the border between syria and iraq along the province to where it meets the jordanian border and tower 22 we are those three u.s. military servicemen and women were killed. eastern syria, folks watching who know their history will remember those are the kinds of places particularly anbar province where the u.s. fought battles during the invasion of iraq. then of course followed i.s.i.s.. it is quite extraordinary tonight to have that u.s. bombing iranian-backed militia in those same places. it tells you something about u.s. foreign policy over the years. but not one person is clearly an effort to send a message to iran, but targeting those iranian-backed militias and targeting those in areas

closest to tower 22. they could have gone closer to iranian revolutionary guard stations around damascus airport. it doesn't efforts of them. that they don't appear to have hit high value targets. so it is restricted but it is -- escalatory. the question is going to be how iran responds now. just to give you a picture, here in iraq, in anbar province they also have hit, according to the popular mobilization forces, at base where they are. they are also iran backed. but they're also connected to the iraqi government. that gives me a picture, too. the iraqi government complainant tonight about its sovereignty being violated. but the fact the u.s. felt it needed to hit a particular group connected to the iraqi army tells you something. this place, iraq now, plays a part of that u.s. and of iran. it looks in both directions. and a challenge to the biden administration is going to have an impact with a push in iraq

closer to iran which is exactly what iran wants to push the u.s. out in this region. incredibly difficult judgment for the biden administration to make and we'll see what effect it has as today plays out. we'll see what happens. >> let me follow up on, that keir, as you are there in the north of iraq in the kurdish region there. it is the case, the shiite majority of iraq is controlled, the government, it is closely aligned with iran and there are a whole bunch of militia groups that are essentially aligned what that government throughout iraq. the u.s. also maintains relationship with the government. tonight, the iraqi government, we're talking about the airstrikes against iran-backed militia. but it's important to stress, physically happening in the countries of syria and the sovereign nation of iraq. tonight iraqi officials complaining about the violation of their sovereignty. and presumably some political ramifications as you noted in iraq tonight. >> that's right.

and as i cite, that's the difficult calculation that the bottom administration would have had to have made, chris. remember, what iran's strategy is, put pressure on israel and try to push that u.s. out of this region. so if this has the impact on the iraqi government, it becomes more determined that it shouldn't have the u.s. here. that's playing into iran's strategic objectives. another point to make, too, chris, the scale of this and the breadth of it. although it is-limited, it will put the spotlight on just the extent to which iran has spread its tentacles here. is embedded here. particularly in syria. and has go to the point, now, around damascus, closer and closer to the border with israel. and i think what we are really seeing illuminated is one of these regional challenges which is about, actually, the standoff between iran and the

u.s. and iran and israel. and fundamentally, i know you've talked about this many times, we've seen from here, the u.s. doesn't seem to be able to decide whether it wants to confront iran or negotiate with iran. what's the best strategy is to try to change iran's strategic goals. and the question of are without this action, whatever it is, will move that needle for tehran. >> great reporting as always, keir simmons, so appreciative to have the report and left tonight. thank you so much. joining me now is john brennan, former cia director. and mr. bryan, i'd love for you to tell, us your rate on the calculation, very careful calculation here tonight on these strikes after the death of three americans in jordan. amidst a series of back and forth strikes that happened prior to that, how to think about what we're seeing tonight and how that narrow calculation is being made.

>> well, chris. the biden administration made a determination they attack against u.s. forces in jordan that resulted in three deaths and over 50 injured was a trip wire that wreck largely united states to push back forcefully against these militias, these proxy forces of iran, that has continued to carry out these attacks against u.s. presence in the region, whether it be syria and iraq as well as yemen, and the targets in the red sea. so therefore, it was a decision made that enough is enough. and they need to severely degraded the capabilities of these proxy forces. these strikes took place in areas of syria and iraq, basically tribal areas. the government in baghdad and damascus has no control over these areas. which has allowed iran to cultivate relationships with these tribes, given that money and weapons, material, training, other kinds of things so they're able to use these tribes, these militias, for

their own purposes. that's why if the iraqi government and syrian government aren't going to limit what these groups do, and they're not going to prevent them from carrying out attacks against u.s. forces in the region, united states has to make these decisions on its own. now i know the biden administration notified the iraqi government before the top strikes and was very clear from the statement that came out from central command today, there were targeted against those elements used to carry out the attack against u.s. forces in jordan. also, those where the iranian revolutionary guard -- which is the component that has worked with these groups over the course of time to purposely target because it is iranian support for these groups that allowed and enabled his groups to carry out these strikes. >> the groups you're talking about, there was some discussion about -- i guess my question is, is there a calculation -- the trip flowers

, that loss of three american reservists in that tower 22 base, is there a calculation here, again, my carb calculation of essentially live for life, i'm for i, is there a little of mortality intentionally targeted as that means off deterrence? >> i think it's more to degrade and take away the capability of these forces that carried out the strikes. yes there it will be casualties. individuals will be killed. iranians, members of the force embedded with this forces. but it is clear, the main element within iraq in this area, the proxy for us iran, is kata'ib hezbollah. and it's been many years iran has been able to develop relations with them and give them the ability to carry out the attack. so the biden administration, i think, central command, was very, very purposeful and careful in terms of where they were targeting. that number of strikes was not that large.

the number of munitions used, clearly large munitions -- to destroy the capabilities, could take away the trading places, their weapons depots, the command and control centers, maybe the underground tunnels worth a store some of these munitions and other material. so what i think they're trying to do is degrade capabilities, take away the ability of these groups to take attacks. yes, individuals will be killed but it is not to avenge the death of u.s. soldiers. it is to mitigate the dangers and risks these groups posed to our forces. >> former cia director john brennan, great to have you on tonight. appreciate it. >> thanks, chris. coming up, the u.s. retaliates the death of three -- senator tammy duckworth and congressman jason crow, both iraq veterans, join me next. t. woah, a lost card isn't keeping this thrill seeker down.

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launched artillery strikes for killing the u.s. soldiers last weekend. hit targets used and funded by iran. and a statement, president joe biden deliver a clear warning, quote, the united states does not seek conflict in the middle east or anywhere else in the world. but those who seek to do us harm no, this if you harm and american people respond. earlier today, president biden joined the grieving families of the soldiers. solemn ceremony, dignified transfer of their remains. sergeants william jerome rivers, kennedy ladon sanders, breonna alexsondria moffett, or members of the army reserve based in georgia. a cousin described 46 year old rivers as a family man with a heart of gold. he leaves behind a wife and son. kennedy ladon sanders was a talented athlete who coached basketball -- pro father said

he was proud of his daughter with a bright future in front of her. breonna alexsondria moffett -- her parents called her that light of everything. she pulled into her, she commented attention. moffatt was just 23 years old. senator tammy duckworth from illinois rough and the armed services committee, also retired army lieutenant colonel in iraq war veteran, she joins me now. senator, your reaction to the news we're getting tonight about the scope and targets of this set of american strikes and retaliation for what happened at the weekend? >> i thought it was a good balance of balancing, showing that much of that united states military and what we can do. that breadth of that number of targets, 85 of them. the swiftness of the attack, it only took 30 minutes. but also with the president's very careful statement to say we do not see war in the middle

east. i think it sent a song -- struck message but says we don't want to go to war. i thought that was a nice balancing act on the part of the president. >> i want to get your thoughts, as someone who served in combat in iraq. if i'm not mistaken, it was just about 20 years ago. this year. that your helicopter was shot down there while you are working as a combat pilot. 20 years later, we face a situation in which that government is -- the iranian- backed militia is there and here we are in the year 2020, full striking inside iraq. >> we only just voted to repeal the authorization for military force last year, that went all the way back to the beginning of the war. we still have warned that is still in effect. my thoughts are really worried about what some apparent

intelligence. right after the tragedy of our three heroes being killed, so many of my republican colleagues made these really inflammatory statements -- calling recklessly for retaliation. i certainly want to retaliate. i'm heartbroken those members were killed and so many wounded. we have to be careful we don't escalate ourselves and another endless war. that's right, this year is my 20th year since i was wounded in iraq. and 19 years -- we repealed the aumf. as we have to be careful, as we respond, we don't get ourselves into the path with no off ramp to what the war in the middle east yet again. the best we can do to honor those members is make sure we don't send them into harm's way in a thoughtful spanner. >> do you have thoughts about just where we are in the broader trajectory of the conflict? obviously there is long-standing context for the conflict, of

course, which is the aftermath of the iraq war, the standing up of a variety of iranian proxies throughout the region -- that's part of this context. part of it is the context of the hamas attack on october 7th and the ongoing israeli counter offensive and what that has done to the region and how that has incited some escalation but a variety of those iranian groups. >> iran has been packing all of these groups all over. i think what the shows is the pride of their involvement. and remember, it is not just the groups but iran has now backed opposition leaders elected to the iraqi parliament. we helped the iraqis right there constitution and sit up a new parliament and supreme court in iraq after the war. i don't think we ever direct that iran would actually be a

proxy actor with people elected to the iraqi parliament. it absolutely astonishing. i think where we are right now is a reaction to the ongoing effort to normalize relations between israel and other middle aged nations. you have the abraham accords. saudi arabia and israel on the verge of signing an agreement when hamas attacked. i think all these things are connected. but i think this retaliation tonight by the president say a very strong message to iran that enough is enough and we need to combat some of these proxy groups. >> all right, senator tammy duckworth of illinois. thank you very much, appreciate it. >> my pleasure. >> congressman jason crow is a democrat of colorado -- who served three tours in iraq and afghanistan. he joins me now. congressman, your thoughts on the strikes that have been announced tonight? >> good evening, i agree with senator duckworth, this appears

to be a good response that shows strength, shows capability and retaliates for the killing of our soldiers. but polls avoids de-escalation. that's that near term analysis. the long term analysis also senator duckworth happily pointed out, it must be held us serve our longer term interests? what is the endgame here? most of my adult life we have been fighting in the conflict in the middle east. so we very clearly made a different model. we have been walking around, carrying the hammer for the last couple of decades. so what does the different models look like that can actually de- escalate and change the entire scenario, long term, for the middle east. that's the discussion that's really important for congress to be engaged in. >> let me ask you what that is. i was trying to, not use it tonight, most of your life, and we are around the same age, congressman. i remember the gulf war when i was 11 in 1990.

on 44. now for 33 years, some sort of military u.s. activity directed at iraq. three quarters of my life. when you say changing that model , what do you mean by that? well, wait for a very long time have over relied, in my opinion, over relied on military force. the problem with that, don't get me wrong, there is absolutely a time and place to use military force. and i completely agree with the president, these four tell ea shun strikes are made to reestablished deterrence. but we continue to do this over and over again. so let's look at how to readjust the proportion of the various tools and our tool box, humanitarian, diplomatic, economic, and military. how do we apply a better proportion and how do we leverage all of those tools to better achieve the things we have not been able to achieve?

we have not brought the rock proportional photos to appear and we continue to have to use military force over and over again. >> asked about diplomatic channels with iran. a number of interesting channels have developed recently. there is a qatari channel through which u.s. negotiators including director of the cia william burns has been involved in negotiating with the israelis and hamas representatives for the qataris for some kind of exchanges -- hostilities, rose fudges in gaza. . there is no real iran channel of different diplomacy after right now. they've lost one that tried to revive that nuclear deal, the trump administration ramped up. there is some channels with the qataris, but do you think it's something that needed, lacking?

>> i'm always always a proponent of establishing some method of communication to avoid misunderstanding. when you have very large and capable military that have significant penalties operating in close proximity to one another, you'll be waiting for this to go awry for actions to be misunderstood. that's what i'm making sure that facilitates strikes the administration thought they were carefully calibrated, were strategic and surgical. because that misunderstanding is how you turn this into a larger middle ace conflict with more fighting. and you have not a few soldiers being killed, a terrible tragedy of itself, but you have very large numbers of soldiers being killed and on the pedal field, pets what we want to avoid at all costs. >> let me ask you a slightly political question, a question about your constituents in your

district. how top of mind is this for folks you represent in the sixth district of colorado? >> it's very top of mind. i have the honor of representing one of the most diverse district in the nation. 20% of my constituents were born outside of the united states. i have 120 languages spoken in my community. i have a large jewish community, i have a large arab community, i have a palestinian diaspora. so i'm engagement with these folks quickly. over the last couple of months, i've engaged with him all the time. i've been doing extra the last few months to make sure i'm facing them, hearing their concerns, hearing how we can address this. because it is their lived experience that informs my work. they have families and loved ones in harm's way, whether it be in israel or gaza. and i held a roundtable a couple of months ago with palestinian members of my

community. and one gentleman told me, he lost 15 members of his family in the last couple of months. 15 members from one family. it is truly heartbreaking. that informs my work, to make sure we're putting humility first -- i'm a former army ranger, i served three tours in iraq and afghanistan -- the protection of civilians and conflict zones is a motion of priority. it's not secondary, it's not a distraction, you can achieve your mission and make nobody safer unless civilians are protected and that is a priority. and i've done a lot of work, the last couple of years before that. >> congressman jason crow from the sixth district of colorado. thank you, congressman, appreciate it. we have got much more on tonight strikes in iraq and syria. but also big news in a trial of donald trump and a timeline of

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break against tonight in the many legal faces donald trump. tanya chutkan just formally canceled trump's election interference trial. that had been scheduled for march 4th. the court will say that you schedule if and when the mandate is returned. the mandate, of course, is that long awaited decision by the appellate court on the ex presidents claim of absolute

immunity for prosecution. until that ruling, which we are still waiting for, we don't know -- arguably the most important trial in race in american history, and certainly those four criminal cases against trump will happen. just the kind of delay he wants. joining me now, harry litman for more deputy assistant attorney general at the department of justice. let's just start with this. i think just acknowledging what anyone knew to be true, it is essentially an administrative move that put hot the fact is not been three or four weeks, i think, and we still don't have anything from the d.c. circuit. >> 24 days. and, yes, it's administrative. the mandate is what one aide for jurisdiction. and that sense, it is not my case anymore, but if and when -- wafts off the page, the sigh of frustration with it, d.c. circuit, is there and if? here will i ever see it again?

you know, yes, kind of checking off a box. but a little bit, almost, frustrated and poignant. >> i got that to, maybe i'm operating and it, but i thought it was striking. >> you didn't need the if. >> that's right. let's talk about two other cases. here one is, there is another thing we're waiting for, the ruling by judge engoron in new york state court were civil fraud trial. we have a development there. the former finance chief allen weisselberg is in negotiation to plead guilty to perjury for testimony during the civil fraud trial. as part of the agreement, he would have to admit he lied on the witness stand in that race in civil fraud trial -- cooked at her other witnesses and mr. trump's circle for lying on the

stand. what do you make of that? >> he's become the human pen auto for donald trump. like, the ultimate whatever trump touches dies. the pelican state to it and he takes it and he doesn't want to cooperate. it's a pretty interesting -- i think the perjury, chris, is going to concern his testimony that he didn't really care about the 10,000 forest park 1000 foot discrepancy in the parliament. it was clear that he did. that is not part of the case. it is now being pursued. prosecutors don't like perjury very much. and they come after him. but just what a completely defeated shell of a man. 76 years old and just standing there and having to take it for his lifelong loyalty to fred trump and donald trump. he's the ultimate kind of road kill here. >> good point.

>> sorry, one more thing. because engoron, engoron said the 31st. two weeks later, that is a long time. i think one can surmise that both this effect, and he doesn't know any more than we do, they don't tell him in that d.a.'s office, that weisman may plead guilty and also that report we got from judge jones that set at all this ongoing problems. those and i will figure in engoron's calculation of penalty for certain protections and the like. i think that's the most likely explanation for why we are getting two more weeks. >> finally here on the georgia, case allegations of impropriety it leveraged and both -- and a court filing against district 20 fani willis four what the opposing counsel had contained it was an improper relationship with mason wei, in an hernia who's been an outside attorney brought into the office. her filing today basically top

line is, yes they had a relationship, no it isn't improper, it doesn't arise to any level of anything that should affect her involvement in the case. what do you think of her filing? >> 100% to under georgia law. she needed to do it, felt lot these kind of scandals is get it out early. but now there is blood in the water. you have one of these phony baloney special investigative commissions in georgia. no one other than jim jordan -- mcafee is going to have a hearing on the 15th. and oddly, even before, this he started an evidentiary hearing. what sort of evidence is it going to take? that could be a bit of a circus and this could continue even though it should be the end of it. there is no conflict here. >> okay, harry litman, think you very much. >> thank you, chris. >> up next, much more on the u.s. military strikes -- the role iran has played in the middle east, we'll be right

back. middle east, we'll be rig back.

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and syria. and, you know, so, israel has constantly been beating that drum, saying that iran is the

problem here. and they've been doing this really for the better part of our generation. and hamas is part of that. hamas also benefits from iranian large as. but when it comes to these strikes, now we're about to see anthony blinken making his next trip to the region, his fifth trip as u.s. secretary of state. it's gonna be traveling all are all around here in israel but also to american allies like egypt and saudi arabia, countries that are very, very sympathetic to the palestinian cause. they are close u.s. allies, all of them, almost all of them, are inimical to iran. now perhaps more than ever as one of the primary threats because, remember, even when that october 7th attack happened, we were in the midst of a normalization of diplomacy between israel and the rest of the arab world. the october 7th, and israel counter attacks and incursion into the gaza strip interrupted all of that. but we are about to see antony blinken traveling around, doing

his shuttle diplomacy, shoring up u.s. support. u.s. allies who might be very frustrated with u.s. support for israel, really, what we're seeing in the beginning here is the biden administration gets its way, it's a redrawing and realizing of the middle east in the u.s.'s favor, from the ashes of the conflict of the gaza strip. chris? >> matt bradley reporting live in tel aviv tonight, thank you. nbc news contributor, and authored several books including the ayatollah democracy and iranian challenge. and there are a national security reporter at politico. her latest pieces on how u.s. intelligence officials estimate tehran does not have full control of the proxy groups that has been firing on the u.s.. a contributing writer and columnist for the new yorker. he's been in the middle east for decades -- how ten middle east conflicts are covered and converging into one big war. they all join me now. robin, let me just start with you, and set the context here, because i know this is sort of an important part of this

contests. we talk about iranian proxy groups, iranian influence throughout the region. and you spent time with these groups and with americans in these groups, the aftermath of the iraq e war, right? iraq and iran are mortal enemies. they're fighting one of the bloodiest wars of the last 50 years. of course, the u.s. comes in, we get rid of saddam hussein, regime change, this creates a power vacuum. and the shia majority in iraq rises to power. and that government up, the arab spring and the subsequent revolutions produced huge parts of the region that are essentially some of the outside of the reach of the central governments. on the ground, what does it look like in these areas, where precisely these groups are operating? re >> it's not just since the iraq invasion, it's really going back for two years, and the birth of hezbollah and lebanon, back in

1982. u.s. military lost a lot of -- in world war ii. so one of the problems is that the united states is in a short game, and iran is played a long game. we are 250 years old and it's 2500 years old. it's willing to invest in the long term to veget the united states to the entire region. and it is empowering these groups, some of which operate under iran's mandate, even if they share that strategic goal of getting the americans out. but, you know, today it looks like the americans have responded extensively, you know , with 85 strikes. but the iranians, the iranian militias have been doing this for a very long time with a great cost to american life, to american allies. and the question is today, who's stronger in the region, america and its allies, or iran and its allies? and i think that is unclear. >>an now, let's talk about this briefly -- the defining access of the region until fairly

recently was this sort of sony, shia, saudi arabia wrong conflict. and it's sort of getting worse and worse. and you saw yemen is the sight of it between the different proxies fighting. s somewhat remarkably, a kind of chinese struck deal between the two that really did lower the tensions between those two. and it was that access of conflict that mao was recognizing that was creating a lot of these new alliances, the ideas that the gulf states recognizing israel. we have a shared enemy in iran, and iran incursion, encroachment. how did the last several months change this all? >> well, i think, i mean, it's interesting the chinese brokered deal between iran and saudi arabia resulted in ambassadors being exchanged, am embassies being opened, and much more relations -- >> restoration of previous relations -- >> obviously, i think most saudi arabia and iran recognize the interest to have relations, and all of this is gonna be at odds.

>> competitors. >> yes, competitors, the two most powerful nations outside of israel and the east. but i think the last few months have obviously shown that iran is -- iran's power and influence is much greater than what most americans would have thought before. and, you know, it is -- hamas is not controlled by iran, obviously. it funds some of its budget, and the rest of the budget comes from qatar. and certainly it gives weapons and arms to hamas and it is genuinely very supportive of hamas. >> was it always that way during the syrian war, on opposite sides? and there is the sunni in iran and she, it's a very complicated issue and a mosque, much less complicated with hezbollah which are directly controlled by iran. in many ways -- >> and, robin,

you make this point that i want to come back to, just about that killing of american marines recently, which is a horrible tragedy, conclusion of that 82 war, which there is a lot of interesting historical resonance, i think, now. and i want to get to your reporting here. hooman majd, and robin wright, stay with me. we have much more to talk about after this break. feeling sluggish or weighed down? could be a sign that your digestive system isn't at its best. but a little metamucil everyday can help. metamucil's psyllium fiber gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down...

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control of the iranian revolutionary guard corps. or the group was supported, they were making it on their own, and the question for u.s. intelligence about how that would calibrate today's actions. >> look, i mean, obviously we all know that these are well funded, funded by iran, trained and equipped by iran, specifically, the quds force. but, you know, we've heard senior officials and the president himself, you know, in recent weeks saying from the podium, you know, the risk of miscalculation here is incredibly high. and that is a calculation that the administration has been making themselves in thinking about how to respond to these attacks that we've seen in iraq and syria and then again after the 22 incident, it's the calculation that it's important to that response was, figuring out the extent to which the leadership in iran was potentially involved in, you

know, directly involved in some of these attacks. that calculation has become so important for intelligence officials, given that president biden and his administration have been so forthright in their comments about not wanting to take this war. >> robin, i want to read for you tonight in the iraqi army spokesperson. of course, these strikes happening again in syria and iraq, directed at these groups that are associated with iran, backed by iran. iraqis are saying, this is a violation of iraqi sovereignty and undermining of the efforts of the iraqi government, a threat that will drag iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences. the consequences of which will be disastrous, security and stability in iraq and the region . having written a report about the strange sort of -- and the u.s. military and essentially iranian proxy forces inside iraq, how do you read that? >> well, i think we've gotten to the point that the iraqis are getting to ask the u.s.'s

lead and that's really at the end of the day iran's game plan . they're forcing marines to go. the israeli occupied lebanon for 18 years, with their tails between the legs, unilaterally -- and that's what's happening with u.s. forces now in iraq and syria. iran and its allies want to make the united states so unpopular and so threatened that they eventually pull out. you know, they're trying to take a strong stance but remember, we only have 900 troops -- 1200 in iraq. and they are vulnerable. look to what extent we have to go in, bombers from the united states to try to protect them and send a message to government. so, the danger is that we may win in the short term, kind of message playing out. but we may find that down the road, we are kind of forced to withdraw because the rockies and their cooperation with us. >> yes, and this question about

public opinion in the region, obviously, it goes back to the aftermath of the october 7th attack and this is stained israeli offensive in gaza. and also the public opinion and iraq after tonight's strike, hooman, where you could accomplish a certain end militarily, but there may be repercussions from that respect. >> oh, sure. we don't know what the repercussions will be. first of all, we don't know what -- where iran will be forced, obliged to have some sort of reaction beyond just words. we don't know how many other kinds of people, civilians have been killed. we don't even know -- we don't know for a few days what the next steps are going to be. >> all right, hooman majd, erin banco, robin wright, thank you all. that is all in for this week. alex wagner tonight starts right now. good evening, alex. >> with evening, my friend. we're gonna continue on with this breaking news. have a good weekend. u.s. officials confirmed that the u.s.