agree with and you don't trust them before he said no i don't trust the iranians as far as i could throw the what do you mean iranians at work i've no idea what the iranians said i wasn't privy to that to that conversation but i'm sure he explained the situation to the iranians and we'll have to wait and see what the outcome of that is we know that this government since twenty ten the tories of obviously taking a tougher stance than gordon brown or attorney blair on tax avoidance and tax dodging. what did you what was your reaction to the fact that. tax dodging ceased to be going on industrial scale well i think the thing that you've got to remember here is the enormous hypocrisy on the part of the labor party because in the wash up to the general election they forced through changes that would have created eight point six billion pounds for the u.k. treasury and they simply didn't want to want to pursue them so i think that i'm not going to accept any criticism from the labor party. over the paradise papers you know worried that there is a maze her husband is involved has been is in eff

i think we need to counter the iranians sending arms to syria let's say or to terrorists. they need to be countered. i think we need to commit the united states to a long time in the middle east in a big way and we need to work with our friends from the emirates and saudi arabia and jordan and others to say this -- and egypt for that matter. this is what probably is a doable end state that we're probably going to have to see the end, and it may be 20, 30 years from now, but we have to start now. >> that's very interesting. ambassador? >> well, i think when we look at iran and terrorism, i think we're making that phrase where starting off making a mistake because the iranian -- >> we were saying the two big issues. >> no. what i'm saying is we all too often focus on iran, the world's greatest sponsor of terrorism and fail to see the much broader ambition and action that iran is doing on the ground. terrorism is one part of it. one of the challenges i think we face is that we are, we meaning especially the united states, are misaligned in this challenge. iran is tactically fl

the world war two to try to equate fascism and communism which i believe is a false equation i think the iranians. i think. we have to remember that the soviet union was was born not only in internal struggle but it was from the moment of its creation it was attacked by drama can't understate it wasn't this is left out of a lot of western history books that in one thousand nine hundred eighteen the western powers and japan. most european countries the united states they invaded the nost and soviet union in the middle of the civil war to try to strangle the lead in the cradle integrated and i mean we're talking if one little incident you know just in the past few years been recognized by the british press the guardian and others churchill was a military commander of the british expeditionary force he used chemical weapons on russian pounds and that attack from outside helped solidify the support of the russian people with the threats with the reds the bolsheviks and help there was a siege mentality there was a paranoia that there in the soviet union but with good reason but perhaps like a question

as a citizen, i want to stop iranian expansionism, sectarian expansionism but i don't want war with theuld like to see saudi arabians more inspired for change, such as the arab spring. it is not a conspiracy as many saudi people suggest. young people in a egypt, in syria, they want better regimes, they want a say in their government. unfortunately, i see my country countering such aspirations. that could drive iran and isis and radicalism away from the region by placing those factors of change which are still happening in yemen, in syria. in yemen, saudi arabia can play a role in bringing all yemenis together to find a power—sharing formula and that will end the war. but that is not happening. i wonder if you believe whether mohammed bin salman is seriously contemplating warwith iran? i hope not. we have to wonder what kind of exchange is having with the american administration and the americans giving promises they cannot fulfil. are the americans behind this drum of war that has been sounded by us, the saudis? it's not clear yet. i don't think the americans will fight on our behalf bu

i. by german iranian artists yet i gotta say the exhibition luther fifteen seventeen depicts life as it would have been during martin luther's time and like other works it's about as close as you'll get to travelling back in time. imposing full of history and attention to detail written barragan by its visitors to take a trip back in time to the reformation and experience the lives of monks beggars merchants journeymen and prince electors. to be precise in the year fifteen seventeen and the birth of the reformation a three hundred sixty degree panorama shows thirty years in the life of the man who got the ball rolling martin luther. and this is where it all began luthor is said to have nailed his ninety five theses to the door of the castle church triggering the intense conflict between the catholic church german princes and scholars. this site has a special meaning for artist yet bigger a c.z. . this then. we are standing on the very spot about ten years ago while i stood in front of the gate after visiting friends and suddenly wondered how a man mailing a few scraps of paper on the do

otherwise right the fact is iran is paying the price of supporting the palestinian rights if i were to advise the iranian government i would say let the arabs resolve their own thing iran can. never do right by arabs they think that saudis don't know the minute iran is cut down to side israel is not going to turn they are not going to allow us out so now i'm going to come back to that point and lurch as they head to members of half middle east and the interest of what the israel side of the bring in father moment is all but rami when i see this when you hear the kind of what when you hear sitting in lebanon perhaps when you hear the iranian say the saudis are interfering and sponsoring terrorist groups abroad and the saudis are saying the iranians are sponsoring terrorism to meddle in the countries from the central lebanon which as you said earlier has been interfered with by many other powers in the region how do people on you know ordinary lebanese people and other people in the quote unquote arab street view these two regional powers both accusing each other of meddling in sovereign nations while the

iranian revolutionary guard corps can decide who the british foreign secretary is everyone's waiting for their response over the. sentencing of a british subject in iran because of something boris johnson said you know i think the iranian are very wise and they are very we'll calculated people they are not actually rushing their decision and i believe they will use the probe i see and i wouldn't be surprised if they released this british citizen in order to try to avoid a problem with the british government but that doesn't mean that the british government will be a friend of iran so it could be after very least they could join the american if they have a plan. or a road map to bombay i think the british will be in board with they will join any american adventure or against his this is for sure i don't believe that any british government will take any decision which contradicts the american plans or american wars they joined the american in afghanistan the join the american war in iraq and the british second biggest also and the biggest troops after the american to iraq and afghanistan so i wouldn't be surprised if the british government did the see if there is a problem or a problem or a war against

doing hezbollah well i'm iranian i live in canada better than uranium and i know what's going on in iraq on iranian government and their revolutionary guard thirteen has well law and eighty and then so there is prison terrorism in the in the area also be stopped. very well if i don't think this region both country its what it once they are superpowers in middle east but the thing is we have russia we have china now we have united states and even it's not in the benefit of that they need kin them in saudi arabia on i understand that they can then wants to have the power around himself by the at the same time it's only the proxy war. in his interest and i don't think there are going to be a. long lasting board between two countries and that's how cool heads prevail for now there thanks for your insight how to share as i was a day iran analyst and director for the international center for human rights really appreciate you coming on our team this morning thank you sir if i will more next on the significant shift happening right now within saudi arabia plenty of reforms taking place there cr

my point was that i disagree with the iranian view that training journalists was a crime, not that ias a crime, not that i wanted to lend any credence to iranian allegations that she had been engaged in such activity. i accept that my remarks could have been clearer in that respect, and i am glad to provide this clarification. but plenty of mps am glad to provide this clarification. but plenty of mp5 on all sides were critical. how clarification. but plenty of mps on all sides were critical. how about the foreign secretary himself shows a bit of personal responsibility and admits that a job like this, where your words hold gravity and your actions have consequences, it is simply not the job for him? his carelessness in the case of nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe past week is unfor the bubble. does the foreign secretary realise that his words have a serious impact? there is not a single age old that would not be able to tell the foreign secretary how to do hisjob, and the honest truth is that i fear that if he cannot show some contrition today, then the honest truth is you shouldn't be in h

with the but with a victory because of the surgical operation that was done was supported by i have a iranian by liberating by would really liberating iraq and basically defeating in iraq and now we have a major victory in syria so how much the sooty can do about this not very much they already put a big fight for it and basically they didn't know what did not win the fight so basically all they can do is just. maybe go to lebanon they tried to do medal. of lebanon and they were not successful either i think the point for the cod is to make a compromise and well you know we would be really nice it's a war in the air and yeah thank you thank you for four of them absolutely i'm glad you mentioned yemen delegate we're rapidly want to i'm going to ask all three of you what about the future of assad because if you look at some of the communication coming out i guess for from sochi there is going to be political reform what does it mean to you because i'm sure it means something else to the americans go ahead adele. yeah it's an interesting point actually future of us that . historically countries

would say, trying to take proxy iranians with groups is not necessarily -- i mean, the iranians have a working withice of groups like hezbollah. and this is a dangerous -- i they're expert in how they do that. i think in yemen and also in syria, it's been shown that they maintain levels of direct and indirect influence that has far outmatched the sunni arab's states to do the same. a problem into be every regional conflict, i think, going forward. >> jamal, michael huffman would like to know a little bit more about the background, did that-wise, and how shape mohammed bin salman's world view? where does he get his advice? >> i was surprised to learn yesterday, from a friend of an americanaches in university, that he advised mohammed bin salman. so that was good news for me, he does reach out to proper advisors. but the same friend said to me, he doesn'tme angry, listen to my advice. [laughter] >> and he has the best advice, when it comes to development and changing the face of saudi arabia. dollars onllions of those consultants. so he has no problem with advisors. benefit from o

with with the with a victory because of the surgical operation that was done was supported by i have a iranian by liberating really liberating iraq and basically defeating in iraq and now we have a major victory in syria so how much this would be can do about this not very much they already are of lebanon and they were not successful either i think the point for the cod is to make a compromise and well you know we would be really nice if they war in the end and yeah. thank you for four of them absolutely i'm glad you mentioned yemen delegate were rapidly want to i'm going to ask all three of you what about the future of assad because if you look at some of the communication coming out i guess for from sochi there is going to be political reform what does it mean to you because i'm sure it means something else to the americans go ahead adele. yeah it's an interesting point actually the future of us that. historically countries who want to play a regional mini superpower they never interested in destabilizing enabled because that is the blazes then have refuses coming to their own problems etc b

mean there is obviously a lot of discussions about this and i think that the iranians on the one hand obviously rejected those claims at the same time hizbullah is there are there are signs of relations with the has that's between hezbollah and gays. but i think we should not forget that the reason why they attacked we are has more to do with the saudi air strikes in yemen rather than with its connections for example to to you ron so obviously the whole idea of wars on the one hand or a power play in the region between iran and saudi arabia plays a role here as well all right middle east analyst. by joining us tonight from the german city of dusseldorf thank you very much we appreciate your insights tonight. my pleasure. or staying in the region saudi authorities have questioned more than two hundred people in a high profile anti corruption probe involving princes billionaire businessmen and cabinet ministers together they're accused of embezzling at least a hundred billion dollars over the past few decades some are reportedly being detained in the luxury ritz carlton hotel in th

azerbaijan's also meeting mr putin and iranian officials in a three way summit between the neighboring countries. more on this from side to come on a deck whose i mean radian the british journalist for the guardian newspaper in london welcome to d w how significant is this meeting between president putin and his iranian counterpart. i mean it's president putin fareed visit to iran since president rouhani was elected to office in two thousand and thirteen so iran and russia have an important ally and in the region as you mentioned syria is very important because both of them are very stange supporters of bashar al assad's regime in syria but also important for iran is the nuclear deal it's very not just last month president truman washington he said defied iran's compliance with the deal making it difficult for iran but the other side of this agreement russia included china germany france and england now the u.k. all of them are saying that they want to preserve the deal and continue so for iran you know in the face of trams opposition is important to maintain a good relationship with russia it's helping get financially and also regionally with

now, i was pleased that secretary tillerson was in saudi arabia and promoting greater saudi/iraq relationships to try to bolster iraq, try to limit the iranian influence in iraq. i think that's a good step. but what is needed here is for the united states to continue to push the government there, to develop the opportunity to bring the kurds and the sunnis into the government to be able to work with them in a unified iraq. that's ultimately what you want. not going to be easy. you know, we have been through a lot. the kurds, look, the kurds have -- you know, we have supported the kurds. the kurds have fought some great battles on behalf of the united states. they have sacrificed a lot. but so have others. and the time has come now where they have to make a fundamental decision. do they want to be part of a country like iraq or are they going to continue to kind of try to go off on their own? this is not, you know, this is going to be a challenge, but i worry that if the iraqis keep going after the kurds, that we'll have another civil war on our hands in that region, and we sure as hell don't need that. >> isn't iran -- i read reports that ge

now, i was pleased that secretary tillerson was in saudi arabia and promoting greater saudi/iraq relationships to try to bolster iraq, try to limit the iranian influence in iraq. i think that's a good step. but what is needed here is for the united states to continue to push the government there, to develop the opportunity to bring the kurds and the sunnis into the government to be able to work with them in a unified iraq. that's ultimately what you want. not going to be easy. you know, we have been through a lot. the kurds, look, the kurds have -- you know, we have supported the kurds. the kurds have fought some great battles on behalf of the united states. they have sacrificed a lot. but so have others. and the time has come now where they have to make a fundamental decision. do they want to be part of a country like iraq or are they going to continue to kind of try to go off on their own? this is not, you know, this is going to be a challenge, but i worry that if the iraqis keep going after the kurds, that we'll have another civil war on our hands in that region, and we sure as hell don't need that. >> isn't iran -- i read reports that ge

question about ambitions displayed and well documented on the part of the iranian leadership when it comes to creating this arc of influence i think. the iranian have influence in lebanon that's very obvious they actually supported hezbollah they supported them during during the invasion of and created hezbollah but in the end hezbollah is the lebanese and it will remain eleven years and that the and every and that. maintain their relationship and i don't think that's going to change anytime soon ok we have to leave it there in beirut many thanks. a south african delegation is in zimbabwe to mediate a way out of the political crisis there the army seized power on weapons state and placed the president robert mugabe under house arrest it was angered by the sacking of the vice president last week has more now from the zimbabwean capital harare. meeting members from the army officials and the mugabe family officials on speaking so all the theories about how the scenarios could play out it's all just speculation nothing has been confirmed one source is saying that the catholic church is helping to mediate the political crisis an

doubt moment i fear that we may see the iranians taking the first steps towards restarting the nuclear program which will only further ratchet up tensions and further increase the risk of war thus the big danger here this is not just about killing the nuclear deal this is automatically putting the united states on a path towards a military confrontation in the region well like you wrote when obama was trying to make a deal with iran he had a choice of nuclear iran a war since trump now wants to cancel the deal does that mean he wants war. if he counsels a nuclear deal he will likely end up only facing two options war or accepting a nuclear iran since it's clear he doesn't want to have a nuclear iran one has to ask oneself is he doing it because he wants to drive things towards a war but from a security standpoint with us involved in iraq and afghanistan want to war with iran be a disaster for those two complains and how's it going to be better for american security situation it will be a disaster for the united states it will be a d

terrible mass but there is logic —— i know it is a dirty war, a terrible mess but there is logic behind it as well which is trying to block the progress of the iraniansnd behalf of the west to contain any middle eastern power is befuddling. not much different from when they played a colonial role. we've fallen into this mindset when there is trouble in these countries, what can we do? we must send a western diplomat! as if we were some kind of moral arbiter. if the crown prince looks at what it has done in yemen, where you could say it is his background and he could intervene, it hasn't been an unqualified success. it could be a quagmire. could lebanon be a quagmire as well? it is highly possible. this is because people feel there is something that needs to happen. i think the best case scenario is that it turns into dubai, mandated royal family emirate. but there's too much water under the bridge in terms of radicalisation and sectarianism, so to get to a dubai situation, there is a lot that needs to happen and it could get messy. 0k. wednesday was a very long day in downing street. the prime minister theresa may wanted to be rid of priti patel, a c

john sweeney has been talking to other women who have been imprisoned by the iranian regime. iwhen she travelled in march 2016. this man's wife is incarcerated inside one of the worst prisons on earth. nice to meet you. this woman knows what it's like, because she has spent time there, twice. what was it like? it was not easy to go there when you had not done anything wrong. i was put in solitary confinement for a few weeks. i was arrested twice. both of the times, i spent the whole time in solitary confinement. was the hardest thing about being in solitary confinement? the most difficult thing is, you are left alone there for days and for some prisoners for months, by yourself. the most striking thing is how to spend the time. richard ratcliffe‘s wife, nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, was visiting her mum and dad in iran with their little girl, gabriella, when they were seized by revolutionary guards last year. she is serving five years for allegedly trying to topple the regime. then the clown prince of british politics put his foot in it. if we look at what nazanin zaghari—ratcliff

his words are being used by the iranians, and it is important he stand up for her, that i stand alongsideand as far as the iranians authorities are concerned, they do not recognise dual citizenship, so she entered iran probably on her iranians passport, and she is being charged as an iranians citizen, so i don't see how british diplomatic protection could be extended to an iranians citizen who is being tried. i think that this avenue, to me, based on what i understand, is a nonstarter, and it is just understand, is a nonstarter, and it isjust a understand, is a nonstarter, and it is just a matter of voicing some sympathetic consideration is, and nothing really more than that. ok, so what would be your advice to the foreign secretary, then, in trying to bring mrs zaghari—ratcliffe home? well, i think that, obviously, to bring mrs zaghari—ratcliffe home? well, ithink that, obviously, the foreign secretary's visit to iran, the forthcoming visit, his discussions in private with the iranians foreign minister, whom i have to say that i believe has been sympathetic to the cause of nazanin, is go

i fear that we may see the iranians taking the first steps towards restarting the new program which will only further ratchet up tensions and further increased risk of the war just a big danger here this is not just about killing the deal this is automatically putting the united states on it was a military confrontation reaching. its . you know the million remediating improve your memory of the u.s. president wraps up his five nation tour of asia offering to mediate an international disputes and promote seeing u.s. ons exports also this hour the french government pushes for tougher laws in sexual consent tougher man is acquitted of raping an eleven year old girl and a landmark deal between moscow and flemish forces helped bring dozens of russian speaking children safely home from syria after that parents joined islamic state and.

i am not sure they can. by the way, this is michael gove. he is going on television and saying that criticism of the foreign secretary is helping the iranians.ence. i see two people more interested in theirjobs than the national interest and the welfare of british citizens and it makes me very sad. the, the church saying let kids choose their gender. being given to nearly 5000 schools, this guidance? it seems to be a very progressive move by the church of england, who perhaps want to be seen to be on the front foot of history. often we see that they have defied all sorts of battles about women priests, what the view is on same—sex marriages. clearly, this is a zeitgeist issue that they have decided they will own and they are saying that children should be allowed to express their gender in a climate that black sphere, where they can experiment creatively and go through all of the changes that young children who wish to identify and another gender are making trips to clinics, and they have jumped on this and seen it as a topic that they can be seen to be helped. it is massively controversial, the subject. people have strong views. this is rea

mean there is obviously a lot of discussions about this and i think that the iranians on the one hand obviously rejected those claims at the same time hizbullah is there are there are signs of relations between has been it's between hezbollah and the east. but i think we should not forget that the reason these attacks we are has more to do with the saudi air strikes in yemen rather than with its connections for example to it to you ron so obviously the whole idea of proxy wars on the one hand or a power play in the region between iran saudi arabia plays a role here as well all right middle east analyst at non tabatha by joining us tonight from the german city of dusseldorf thank you very much we appreciate your insights tonight. my pleasure when l. to one of those countries mentioned that's called up in this proxy conflict yemen the united nations says seven million yemenis could face starvation and death if to date is not allowed into the country of that devastating morning comes after the saudi led coalition which is backing the government tightened its air land and sea blockad

i fear that we may see the iranians taking the first steps towards restarting the nuclear program which will only further ratchet up tensions and further increase the risk of the war that's the big danger here this is not just about killing the deal this is automatically putting the united states on a course of a. bone . to it because it. could fall. seventeen the bolsheviks led by bloody milena and seized power and set out to build the most equitable society on of the fall on the other countries followed russia's example but so far the recipe for universal happiness remains of use if people are still searching to this day. you could be. a lot of were shown it by did we were shown to treat. can we even remember. the events of a century ago and if so why is that we went out in search of people who view russia's nine hundred seventeen revolution as a global event. first of all we went to visit a leftwing ideologist and famous french philosopher. so i was full surprised maybe it's not a surprise you know that your books focused on russia. difficult for you to. the left you idiot but kiko p

i think a lot of the spaces that could be filled could link up with iranian groups across the region in a contiguous way, and i think that would be another key concerned watch. >> john anderson would like to know, what percentage of the budget goes to stipends, allowances, royal family member members? do you have any idea? >> nobody knows. it is not public knowledge. it would be not be listed in any future budget, maybe the future, but i don't know. the only figure i know and i heard it from a prince who was the grandson of the king. they can do a calculation that he receives 130,000. month. his father will receive double that. his children will receive less of that. the girls will take half. you do your calculation if you know the number of royalties. this is firsthand from the prints. he asked him to comment on the major reason for the campaign at this time. is it to have a deeper, as this like the great convenient regime. >> i don't know his true motive but if we are suggesting he's doing that for him to bask his way to power, he doesn't need too. he is already on the throne. he do

different way i mean saudi arabia are clearly very very important to us and to the united states and to the region for stability and security in a way they're a counterweight against the iranians and so they're very very important i don't think that means we can't talk about things that are going wrong or if someone does something we don't think very clever really and i think what's happening in yemen is a terrible it's a sort of benighted country and i was fighting there in one thousand nine hundred seventy. you know and they have been sort of wars and things going on on and off ever since so it's unfortunate country in the as a perfect storm of things all going wrong at the moment but we both remember how the inquiry into the deals with saudi had to be shelved arguably over a threat from saudi arabia can really specially now tell you really we're in washington have such a good relationship say anything about the real i'd like to think the british foreign policy is not just driven by and if something is happening is wrong then i don't think we should do it so for example we didn't join the americans in the vietnam war because we thought it was wrong but americans are a hugely

think about the negative you don't think about nothing it's just nothing matters and i don't actually have any iranians here are. my mom and i don't have. that tape is from the powerful new lines documentary heroines children the film explores the opioid epidemic in the united states and what it's like for those at the center of the crisis the attics and their loved ones last year sixty four thousand people died of drug overdoses a majority of them from heroin benton all and other opioids. this week a white house commission is delivering recommendations to president trump the news comes one week after the president declared the crisis a public health emergency stopping short of calling it a national emergency had that declaration been made better all funding would have been allocated so how do you tackle the problem joining us to discuss this we have in new york where i am at fallen sanchez morello she's the executive director at the drug policy alliance in new jersey dr interested she's the medical director at the center for network therapy right here in our studio josh rushing he's host of our desire

makes him that this iranian influence should be diminished i have been able to speak to people here on the ground and they have told me that given how influential iran bag forces are this could be a difficult thing to do but it is also clear mr hariri made it clear that if it's not happening he might come back to this because he's very sick they should decision again so i guess this is the challenge that lebanon is now facing. professor history and international relations jamal wakim believe the saudis are using her really as a to put more pressure on iran. i believe got damaged a lot here received. the news probably. from mr foley was humiliated. we need to admit the. father of the how do you leave. a long time representative. in lebanon and it is a widespread believe in lebanon and how do you was forced to nation by a muslim southern man at a time when the crown prince of saudi arabia. is trying to increase the tension in iran especially in lebanon after they lost their influence in iraq. and syria. the international olympic committee has handed lifetime bans to four russians skeleto

our partners in the region to also be more aggressive but i think it's also a reflection of the frustration. that the saudis feel about iranian advances in the region particularly in syria and yemen also in iraq and i think that there is clearly a decision on the part of the crown prince mohammed bin so on to increase. the pressure and and sharpen the differences between saudi arabia and iran ok ambassador if you would stand by for just a moment we want to talk a little bit more about this proxy war another thundery that is called off in this proxy conflict is yemen the united nations says that seven million yemenis could face starvation and death if aid is not allowed into the country now that devastating morning comes after the saudi led coalition backing the government has tightened its air land and sea blockade around yemen after a missile was launched from yemen towards riyadh the u.n. says that if the blockade is not lifted yemen will things quote the largest famine that the world has seen for decades conditions for yemenis have been dire for months now they're even worse. the united nations says more than a third of th