Policy, donald trump has ratcheted up policy, donald trump has ratcheted up the rhetoric on iran, calling the Nuclear Agreement with tehran the worst deal ever negotiated. He has expanded us Sanctions On Iran after it tested a missile injanuary. My guest is iranian academic mohammad marandi, from tehran, who supports the leadership in iran. What is the iranians are posture the response to criticism from trump over its Missile Testing and Izzy Ran Fuelling Terror and conflicts in the middle east . Mohammad marandi, welcome to hardtalk. What does the iranian leadership think of President Trump . Thank you for having me. I think that they are still watching with great interest. At the moment the iranians have not made many comments about what is going on in the United States. In many ways they feel that trump perhaps is not so bad for iran, in the sense that he is not doing a good job so far with regards to the international community, he has problems with the eu, the head of the European Council has called him a threat to the eu, with the mexican president , the australian prime minister, he has problems with china and the list goes on. So he is not a person the iranians believe will have an easy time building some sort of coalition against iran, but at the same time because of the deep divisions at home in the United States many in iran believe that it will be difficult for him to cause a great deal of trouble in the region, but it is still too early to say and we do not know him well. Its not too early to say that he has increased Sanctions On Iran after youve tested a missile injanuary, in breach of a United Nations resolution. That surely marks a deterioration in relations between you . Well, the missile test was not in breach of the un resolution. It was a conventional missile and it was a conventional missile and it was a conventional missile and it was a test and that has nothing to do with either thejoint comprehensive plan of action, which is the agreement between iran and the nuclear programme, and it has nothing to do with the resolution that was passed. Sorry, can i interrupted, because thats not what the American Ambassador to the United Nations said. She said that iran was believed to have tested a Ballistic Missile that is more than enough to be able to deliver a Nuclear Weapons and she added that was something the world should be alarmed about. Well, off cause thats what The Americans would say. But its a conventional missile. The testis but its a conventional missile. The test is a routine test. All countries that have Missile Programmes test their missiles every now and then. It was nothing exceptional, but The Americans were looking for an excuse. After all, the reason why iran has developed a Missile Defence programme is because of the constant threat that the us has been making over the decades, or options on the table is something we have seen from obama, from bush and from clinton before him. It is obvious that the iranians would develop defence capabilities and the reason why the United States has never attacked iran is because it has powerful capabilities. What i would like to add that obama too has violated the agreement before trump, the new sanctions. After the signing of the agreement the United States expanded the sanctions regime. He passed this restriction laws, mr obama, he signed the law. We are talking about trump, if you dont mind. Lets stick with. What saying is what trump has done is not new. The fact is, what is new is there is concern that it marks a step upwards. Mark fitzpatrick, the former Us State Department official, extremely intimately involved with this issue and process behind the nuclear deal, it was signed in 2015 whitby six world powers, he said in the middle of feathery, i think it is clear the nuclear deal is in jeopardy. Iran will be testing more missiles and so forth and within a year the deal will be under very severe pressure. Could that deal unravel . No, if it unravels it has to do with the us. I think the gentleman is trying to point his finger at the iranians, where in fa ct finger at the iranians, where in fact it is the United States that is escalating the situation. According to the iaa, iran has abided by its side of the agreement and has fully compliant with its side of the bargain. Whereas the United States hasnt. In fact, according to the agreement, the United States is not supposed to prohibit banks and other Financial Institutions from working with iran. Yet the united dates continues to do so even until today. That is in violation of the agreement. Not all the sanctions we re agreement. Not all the sanctions were lifted at the result of the 2015 agreement, as you know, so they still pertain in some respects. Looking at it in a different way, President Trump has of course criticised the nuclear deal with iran, but he has also said that in the middle east you need to focus on so called Islamic State fighters in syria. That effectively puts The Americans on the same side as you, because youre fighting, you say, Islamic State fighters on the side of president Bashar Al Assad in syria. To actually you are in the same camp. That remains to be seen. The United States has a history of supporting countries that supported isis. We know from wikileaks that the United States new from the clinton e mails that saudi arabia and qatar were finding isis in 2014. We know from the Defence Intelligence agent e off 2012 that the United States back then you that the United States back then you that the dominant force in syria were the extremists and turkey, saudi arabia and qatar were supporting them. According to general flynn, who did an interview back then, the United States took a wilful decision to support these countries. So the us has been supporting these extremists indirectly and has also allowed to Extensive Oil trade with over 10,000 tankers with isis. Sorry to interrupt you. The turks have Com Pletely Interrupt you. The turks have completely and vehemently denied that that is the case and of course the saudis have also said they may have backed anti aside forces in the early days of the civil war, but in no way did they wilfully go about trying to create what we now called daesh or Islamic State. Anti assad. Daesh or Islamic State. Antiassad. I basically referring to Defence Intelligence agency documents, which is the most important pentagon in Military Intelligence 0rganisation Important Pentagon In military Intelligence Organisation and i am making reference to Hillary Clintons e mails. So this is not coming from the iran. The tankers are something that the russians took photos of before they began bombing them. The americans never bombed them. The americans never bombed them until the russians began to do that. I would also like to point out that. I would also like to point out that an that. I would also like to point out Thatan Iranian that. I would also like to point out that an iranian reporter, or at least an american lebanese reporter working for press tv, was murdered on the Turkish Border when she reported that turkey was using aid trucks, linked to the un, to send in weapons and people into syria. Turkey threatened to and she was murdered the next day. Of course you are very opposed to the turkish government, because of course its a sunny government, because of course its a sunny macro one. Government, because of course its a sunny macro one. That is the whole point of iran. Sunni. Wherever you have a sunni power, be it turkey or saudi arabia, you will take the other side. Another example, yemen. In 2014 the shia, houthis, you backing them and the Saudi Led Coalition backing of course the forces of the internationally recognised government, we have this civil war where the iranians are arming the Houthi Rebels with weapons, ammunition and training them. So you are fuelling conflict too. Well, i think thats an extraordinary, dangerous accusation. The government in afghanistan is a sunni government. The majority of the country is sunni. Afghanistan has good relations with iran but poor relations with pakistan. In iraq, when isis was about to take irbil, kurdish iraqi territory, the kurds there are predominantly sunnl the kurds there are predominantly sunni. It was iran that saved them from isis and no one else. In syria, the minority christians, along with the minority christians, along with the sufis and sunnis, were being attacked by isis. So i find it extraordinary that anyone could make such an accusation. I do not believe this groups represent sunnis islam. You were criticising the turks and i was just giving you the counterpoint. The turkish from Foreign Minister says iraq and syria is trying to create a shia. I did ask you about yemen. Thats not true i was giving you documents that are american documents. Photos that are american documents. Photos that were shown by the russian government. But in the case of yemen, what happened was that the sole candidate was imposed on the country in an election. He was supposed to be the transitional president for two years. After two yea rs president for two years. After two years he refused to set aside stepaside. Ultimately Opposition Groups went to the capital and ask the houthis not to take the capital. This is well documented. But they felt they had to take the capital. He resigned and fled the city. Ultimately he fled the country. After two years of slaughter, where the saudis bombed villages, towns, hospitals, funerals, schools, weddings. This is collateral damage. I will ask you my question again. But on thing, yes of course there have been terrible civilian deaths and they have been criticised internationally fire and wide. But they dont target civilians, they are targeting the Houthi Rebels who sometimes are in civilian areas. Could you just answer this point, that whatever the background to this, and you mentioned the current president of an internationally recognised president , but the fact is iran is supporting the Houthi Rebels. Why are you doing that . You are prolonging a terrible conflict in this country. The iranians are supporting the people who are being massacred and who have been under siege and the United States and western countries, including the british government, has been giving the Sunnis Weapons and Cluster Bombs the Sunnis Weapons and Cluster Bombs the slaughter innocent civilians and the slaughter innocent civilians and the target have nothing to do with military targets. The siege is preventing food from getting in. The americans have created starvation alongside the saudis. Almost 20 Million People. In ethiopia once upona time Million People. In ethiopia Once Upon A Time when people were dying because of the drought, in the world there was noise being made. Here they are intentionally making people starve. Western governments. But you are also complicit. The iranians are also party to this conflict. The main port in yemen, it which is in the hands of the Houthi Rebels, where we are not seeing enough aid going through and you are right 21 or 25 Million People in yemen, the total copulation is 25 million, are in dire need of food aid and theres now a in dire need of food aid and theres nowafamine in dire need of food aid and theres now a famine alert that is being sounded. But you are also involved in this conflict, so you must share some of this blame. Of course not. The country is surrounded. These people are being massacred and they use aromas and excuse in order to justify this massacre. History will show what 0bama massacre. History will show what obama and western governments have donein obama and western governments have done in yemen. These are Crimes Against Humanity and will never be forgiven. They are surrounded by the saudis. They are surrounded by The Americans. How can the iranians. You know that weapons are being smuggled. I will tell you what the ambassador to the United Nations of yemen said. He said houthi me troubles have launched Lustig Missiles in an industry that matter. He said Houthi Rebels. Ballistic missile. He says the kind of missiles used were many fractured ina run. Of missiles used were many fractured in a run. And that is according to a United Nations committee of experts on yemen. A un committee of experts. Cheering really . Yes. Really . Are you talking about the same United Nations that puts saudi arabia on a blacklist and removed it in four days. Budgie byrne was forced to admit his shame. When you say that run cannot get equipment. Ban ki moon. Run cannot get equipment. Banki moon. This person is not presented live off the iranians it will. He works in the saudis. The reason they have failed to take the capital of yemen is not because of some sectoral group. It is because they have failed against the will of they have failed against the will of the yemeni people. And the many people are being sacrificed and murdered because western countries are on the side of the saudis, because of their money, because of their alliance with the saudi regime. The saudis are, by the way, just like in syria. I entered your question that gentleman has. M is not that gentleman. A Committee Said that these missiles are being used in yemen. I said that there are up used in yemen. I said that there are up to the sources, western diplomat saying this. I dont know where the missiles come from, but i can say that whatever weapons being used by the yemeni army against the saudis is incomparable to the weapons that the saudis have been using with the help of your government, with the help of your government, with the help of your government, with the help of the United States, and with the help of the french government. And bare the help of the french government. And b are Crimes Against Humanity. Forcing people into hunger is unjustifiable. Unjustifiable nobody is. And the Mainstream Media sizes criminals we are talking about it right now. The fact is you are backing one side in a Terrible Civil War where the people are suffering in the manny beat you have described, and i am putting it to you that your country, you support the leadership, and they are party to this conflict. Manner. They are therefore complicit. You have talked a lot about saudi arabia. It is very apparent that there is this animosity between a run and saudi arabia to the extent that now we see washington. No it is between washington. No it is between washington and the United States arrive in the United States. The United States is now trying to. The United So Bates has supported. The United So Bates has supported. The United So Bates has supported. The United States is now trying to attract key allies, it stays, egypt, jordan, who has a peace treaty with jordan. Surely you must be some kind of isolation now in your region. Fear. Of course not. These family oil rich dictatorships have always been on the side of the United States. They have always been an ally of the Apartheid Regime of israel. The fact on the ground is, though, contrary to what saying, the people in yemen have been able to push back the saudi onslaught because they do not accept saudi and germany. The people in a run have been supporting the victims, whether it is in gaza, it yemen. The destruction in gaza are also suspect is theirfault. Destruction in gaza are also suspect is their fault. Destruction in gaza are also suspect is theirfault. Saudi oil hegemony. They then invaded iraq and afghanistan. What The Americans are doing this region is a repetition of what they did in the 1980s in afghanistan, but on a greater scale. We have that message. That you think that this is not fuelling conflicts, you are not fuelling conflict. That this is not fuelling conflicts, you are not fuelling conflictm wasnt for a run, there would be black flags in damascus today. And if syria had fallen, iraq was on the verge of falling. A run stopped al qaeda or isil from taking verge of falling. A run stopped al qaeda or isilfrom taking it. It verge of falling. A run stopped al qaeda or isil from taking it. It was a run that prevented this. Iran. Contrary to the western narrative, a figure reported to have been to syria know that the people of syria do not prefer the so called moderates that the un Vice President said did not exist. They do not like those so called moderates over the three government. At a run spends about 1 billion a year supporting the shah al assad in syria. You spend so bit like 800 million supporting has bhilai and other non , and various other interventions. Wouldnt that money be better spent on developing a run . You have 30 unemployment. Iran. You have 30 unemployment. Iran. You should look your own people and deliver to their needs. You should look your own people and deliver to their needslj you should look your own people and deliver to their needs. I dont have much money iran spends on syria all other non , but if iran had not supported syria and the people 11 on, we would not have a syria today, and we would not have a 11 on. And will probably not have an iraq. But what about your own people . Will then how people would have to be fighting isis inside iran. If these countries had fallen, we would have two fight isis inside a run. So it is not only our responsibility to resist the irresponsible behaviour of western countries by Funding Extremists and allowing them to grow for the sake of the people of syria and iraq. Inside iran. But also for the sake of the iranians people. If we had not prevented the spread of this disease, then we right now today would not have security, either. How well with this plague is the background of the president ial elections due this may in this may in macro, this may in iran. What is your view on this . I dont know. I dont know what is go to happen in the election. I dont think it is going to have any major change with regards to the original policy in iran or in regard to irans ongoing choices. Whoever is the next president in iran will abide by the agreement. Many people in iran think it is not a good deal and many figures a good deal. Many people begin disarming between. But it is something that the iranians agree to. But what is interesting is whether or not present rye hunt is re elected, which i think will depend on the economy more than anything else, at least we have elections in iraq. At least we do not know who is going to be elected. Your good allies in the region, we never well who going to be in charge in the coming months or years. This in other digital regimes. President hassan rouhani. But you have had the same leader, The Supreme Have had the same leader, the Supreme Leader. You have seen ayatolla h Supreme Leader. You have seen Ayatollah Khamenei re elected. He is now in his mid to late 70s. That does not sound very democratic, does it . The constraints on a democratically elected president. The leader, he is elected by a council which is itself elected. And that council can remove the leader whenever. That that council can remove the leader whenever. That council is elected by the people. That is democratic. How long have you been in power . You have had to Supreme Leader is. The state of democracy in the rest of the world, like the United States, is not done well. I think now is not the time to start attacking a run. No, iwas the time to start attacking a run. No, i was saying that since the revolution in 1979, you have had only two leaders. And that is not look particularly democrat. The final word is yours. That is fine. The council that alexa leader can remove him. If they think hes a good job, he remains. Elected leader. Thank you forjoining us on hardtalk. Hello there. The week started with some mild weather. Next, it is going to bring some of us some wild weather. Some very wet and windy weather on the way for many areas as we go through the next couple of days. The first bout of strong winds courtesy of this area of low pressure passing at the moment to the north of the british isles. Very strong winds, 70 or 80 mph wind gusts across the far north of scotland, 0rkney, and shetland. Meanwhile, this Weather Front sinking its way slowly southwards, bringing some heavy bursts of rain and some pretty strong and gusty winds here as well. But the windiest of the weather for wednesday morning will be across the north of scotland, easily seeing wind gusts of 70, maybe 80 mph. Cold here with some wintry showers. Not a bad start to the day for northern ireland, the far north of england, but then we get into this band of rain. There will be some heavy bursts of rain here and there, as well as some fairly strong and gusty winds. And then to the south of the rain band, we are still in the very mild air, temperatures of about ten or 11 degrees, some quite misty and murky conditions here and there as well. As we go on through the day, our band of rain, which has been sinking southwards, will begin to drift northwards, but not before a lot of rain has piled up across parts of wales. That could cause one or two issues. The winds easing down a little bit across the far north east, but whereas towards the south it will be mild again, 11, 12, maybe 14 degrees, it is going be quite a chilly feeling day in northern areas. Now, through wednesday night, our band of rain continues to move northwards and eastwards. The winds will start to pick up as well. And we usher in this deepening area of low pressure. This has been named by the met office as storm doris. And there is some potentially very destructive weather on the way for thursday. A met office amber be prepared warning for the strength of the wind. The strongest winds likely to be at cross parts of wales, northern england, perhaps down into the midlands, could see about 70 80mph wind gusts. That could cause one or two problems. But its notjust the wind. Further north across parts of scotland, maybe the southern uplands, maybe northern ireland, maybe northern england, particularly over high ground, could see some significant snowfall and as well as the wind and the snow, a lot of rain as well, perhaps enough to cause some localised flooding issues. So a pretty stormy day to come on thursday. Not great news if you have travel plans. It is worth staying in touch with the forecast. And it will be chilly, particularly in the north, but still some mild air holding on further south. But friday, thankfully, is a quieter day. Lighter winds, more in the way of dry weather, and those temperatures will range from five degrees in glasgow to ten in london. Hello, youre watching bbc news. Im adnan nawaz. Our top story why we could all be living longer. New Research ExaminesLife Expectancy in the coming decades and shows many of us could reach 100th birthday. Our other main stories this hour donald trump issues tougher guidelines on illegal immigration, telling officials to enforce existing laws more strictly. We have a Special Report on human trafficking, speaking to some of the victims forced into prostitution. Translation we were terrified. They would beat us up and not let us out. To be controlled by someone, to be used as i was is totally degrading. Im sally bundock