Withdrawal agreement. Also on the programme the Us Federal Reserve cuts Interest Rates for the second time in a decade. Climate campaigner, Greta Thunburg, comes to washington with a message for lawmakers the time to act is now. I dont want you to listen to me, i want you to listen to the scientists. And i want you to unite behind the science. And then i want you to take real action. Hello and welcome im Michelle Fleury in washington, and Christian Fraser is in london. Donald trump has promised a coordinated response to the weekend attack on two saudi oilfacilities. The us secretary of state, mike pompeo, arrived in riyadhjust a couple of hours ago, to present the saudis with intelligence the white house says will prove the missiles were launched from southern iran. The saudis have evidence of their own. This afternoon, they have been displaying the wreckage of iranian drones and cruise missiles which were recovered from the site. President trump has announced on twitter that he has instructed the treasury secretary, steve mnuchin, to substantially increase sanctions on iran. The iranians have confirmed today that an official note was sent, via the swiss on monday, denying they were behind the latest attacks and warning of immediate retaliation if america strikes. The Saudi DefenceMinistry Spokesman said they were working to establish the exact launch point but iran was behind it. This attack did not originate from yemen despite irans best efforts to make it appear so. Their collaboration with their proxy in the region to create this false narrative is clear. Secondly, the attack was launched from the north and was unquestionably sponsored by iran. We are joined now by Global Affairs journalist elise labott and Azadeh Moaveni from the International Crisis group. Might hunt they arrived in saudi arabia, what is hoping to achieve with this trip . Mike pompeo. Arabia, what is hoping to achieve with this trip . Mike pompeo. He is there to coordinate the response from saudi arabia. From what i have heard, the us is looking for the goldilocks response, not too tough so as goldilocks response, not too tough so as not to escalate and have an epic war with so as not to escalate and have an epic warwith iran, so as not to escalate and have an epic war with iran, but at the same time, the us feels it has to respond. The us are saying this was an attack against the world oil supply. As much as iran is trying to send a message to saudi arabia and split it from the uae, is also trying to send the message to the us and President Trump that if they are going to crack down on the reigning economy, the iranians can put the us economy, the iranians can put the us economyjust as much in a election year. I do not anticipate massive strikes, i think the us will beef up saudi capabilities in the region, may be sent more trips. Possibly some other defence case abilities, missile defence, i dont think it will be a massive strike by the us. The reaction is going to include substantial sanctions according to Donald Trumps tweets today, is there anything left to sanction . There is not a great deal less to sanction, the iranian economy is undera sanction, the iranian economy is under a stranglehold, an all out oil embargo. I think all that is left to do as embargo. I think all that is left to doasl embargo. I think all that is left to do as i symbolically, i think the sanctions are very symbolic. They wont be without economically because i think that iran has is then all the economic pressure it can take. But i think i cast the shadow over the potential for some de escalation could have come at the Un General Assembly. I think there we re Un General Assembly. I think there were hopes that there could be some potential there for a de escalations, i think the iranians had signalled they were ready for a meeting, sanction relief. But at the point at which both sides had recognised a dangerous moment i could have stepped back, at at the intention to sanction more certainly undermines the chances of that. We have had just some comment from donald trump, saying that his decision not to strike iran previously is a sign of strength. He is talking about the occasion where they brought down a us drowning was no military response, if he keeps talking tough about being locked and loaded, that he comes across as weak. And we do have from the iranian side from president rouhani at that saudi arabia could be attacked again . I think the variants are testing the us and saudi arabia, iio are testing the us and saudi arabia, no doubt. This is the second time, la st no doubt. This is the second time, last year, when iran backed militias in iraq where hitting the us consulate in basra, i interviewed mike pompeo at the time and he said they were going as of the source, they were going as of the source, the us did nothing then, it did nothing injune, the us did nothing then, it did nothing in june, even the us did nothing then, it did nothing injune, even though i understand the attack was that there is by President Trump, they were ready to go, but he pulled back. I think the iranians will continue to mmp think the iranians will continue to ramp up, continue to test, are not sure to what end, clearly they some sanction relief from the us, but im not necessarily sure this is the way to do it, but they will not stop. I think the us knows they will have to respond at some point, at least to say to iran, cut it out. We have heard that the message from the us that at some point iran must cut it out, but given the current rate and temperature, is that feasible . dont think its a mystery what is going on, i dont think iran is testing anything. I dont think its a matter of the usa and cut it out. The situation we are in now is that iran has been waiting for a year for the europeans to offer some meaningful sanction relief to compensate iran for what it is suffering from the usa pulling out of the nuclear deal. The europeans have been unable to deliver. I think therefore iran sees no diplomatic pathway out of its current predicament. Therefore, it has chosen a dangerous rout of trying to escalate, does the disrupt, to be able to manoeuvre itself is out of this precarious situation it has been plunged into out of american policy. It has destabilise the whole region. It has no end game we are at the point that the us and iran are at the brink of war suddenly, it doesnt seem to be a way out of it. I think doesnt seem to be a way out of it. Ithink iran doesnt seem to be a way out of it. I think iran is acknowledged if the scenario continues, it will be a lose lose for everyone, specifically, us affiliated countries who are vulnerable like saudi arabia. I dont think its a matter of testing and acting antagonistically for no reason. Iran isa antagonistically for no reason. Iran is a nation of 80 million people, it is a nation of 80 million people, it is suffering severe sanctions causing food and medicine shortages. I think if there is no definitive pathway, iran is trying to find some way of command the attention of at least europe, if not washington. The americans have signalled the route has to be some sort of collision. Former defence secretary here, liam fox, saying that he considered the nuclear deal dead as a dodo. You have the british are moving closer to the us for always reasons at the moment, does that mean there is no way back for the nuclear deal . As they said, there will be some kind of deal. I would say that the maximum Pressure Campaign is working because that is why iran keeps acting out and keeps trying to get itself out of his predicament by non diplomatic means. I think what mike pompeo should be doing right iiow mike pompeo should be doing right now is going to the europeans, trying to expand a coalition, try to get them on board for perhaps a correlation of trying to stop iranians seizing international tankers. Coalition. But right now we dont have many friends, we are a bit of a vac because President Trump has really antagonised the europeans of the jc poa. I think at point my if there is not going to be a hot war that even the iranians dont want, they will need to be some deal. I think the sanctions got iran to the table the first time, i think it will eventually be what gets into the table again. Guess thank you for joining the table again. Guess thank you forjoining us. Mike pompeo arrives in riyadh as the most senior figure in the us Foreign Policy team. But the president has been relatively quick in replacing john bolton who he fired last week. The new man in is Robert Obrien, who becomes Donald TrumpsFourth National security advisor. Mr obrien served as a major in the us army reserve. President bush appointed him, in 2005, to serve as a representative to the Un General Assembly, where, in fact, he worked withjohn bolton. But more recently he has been serving as a Hostage Negotiator at the state department. In that capacity, he has been negotiating with the iranians to try and secure the release of american prisoners. Standing alongside his pick President Trump gave some detail about his selection he did a tremendousjob on hostage negotiation, really tremendous, light, unparallel. We have had tremendous success light, unparallel. We have had tremendous success in that regard, but how many people. Through hostage negotiation, i got to know him very well myself, but also, a lot of people that i respect rated him as the absolute number one choice. We couldnt let you go, elise, without asking you a question about this pic. People are describing this as a new drama pic compared to hisjohn boateng. Clearly, robert brown has been working directly with mike pompey were shot pompeo who has the aim of poweras pompey were shot pompeo who has the aim of power as secretary of state. I think youll take this Henry Kissinger will where he was secretary of state but also to facto National Security advisor. I think Robert Obrien certain did a lot for President Trump in terms of working oii President Trump in terms of working on hostage negotiation, he was not able to get a sub rocky release from his criminal activities in sweden but he has been working very hard. But if you look back to Robert Obrien, who is quite hawkish, some people think along the lines ofjohn touting himself. Ifound people think along the lines ofjohn touting himself. I found that he said while President Trump was running for office in 2016 suggest that he is ready to have some of the issues, asjohn that he is ready to have some of the issues, as john boateng that he is ready to have some of the issues, asjohn boateng was. Whether he is going to feel as indulgent as john bolton did, to undermine policy, to fit his objectives probably not. But i dont think we are looking at someone who doesnt have any conservative, traditional republican Foreign Policy ideas that mike pompeo does but President Trump does not. So perhaps more conservative and hawkish than we think. Thank you for doing double duty, your lease elise. The uk and the eu should not pretend to be negotiating a brexit deal if no new proposals are on the table, said Michel Barnier today. The eu chief negotiator said it is not enough for the uk side to keep defining what it doesnt like. The British Government says its continuing to talk to eu leaders, and it would seem there are papers being shown at some of these meetings, but number 10 says is not going to publish these in advance for fear they will be rubbished by the commission. And in any case, the uk Prime Minister accepts there are still holes in the plan. In strasbourg, meps voted in favour of a brexit extension today, if it is requested. But the Parliament Says it will block any future trade talks unless and until the uk honours its commitments under the withdrawal agreement. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of luxembourg has denied that he tried to embarrass or ambush Boris Johnson at their meeting on monday. Our europe editor, katya adler, has the details. I am sad about this perception from people to think that i want to humiliate. I have too much respect for the uk, too much respect for the uk citizens and for Boris Johnson to think that i prepared this as a trickjust to have five minutes of popularity. Really . There has been quite some outrage in the uk after Prime Minister bettel following a meeting on monday here in luxembourg with borisjohnson, decided to hold a press conference. Mrjohnson, he holds the future. Loudly criticising the Brexit Process in front of anti brexit protestors after the Prime Minister had left the building. You vehemently deny accusations this was a planned ambush, a planned humiliation. No but you are a very experienced politician. You must have realised how it would look to have an empty podium where the uk Prime Minister should have stood, but borisjohnson wasnt there in order to answer the very emotional criticisms that you had about the Brexit Process. You must have realised how that was going to go down. Do you regret it now looking back on it . No, because it was agreed to have this press statement together. So keen was mr bettel show me why he was unable to meet Boris Johnsons request to hold their press conference indoors to avoid the noise outside of the anti brexit demonstrators that he took me on a personal tour of his Prime Ministerial offices. I have no room for 120 journalists. So, to pickjust five or ten and to say that we organise just with them, i think was a problem. Yesterday we even had the United States ambassador to the uk in that argument saying that your treatment of Boris Johnson was evidence of why the uk is right to leave the eu. I am a friend of the united kingdom, so the fact that some people have been hurt makes me sad. Lets look at the deal. You did sit here with borisjohnson, who also sat withjean claude juncker, the president of the european commission, who described the meeting today as friendly and in parts positive. Was that your feeling as well despite the anger outside, inside was it a constructive conversation with the Prime Minister . It was a perfectly friendly, constructive discussions that we had inside but i am waiting for concrete proposals. Time is ticking. He told me what could be plans, ideas, but i cant decide on ideas. It is going to be, i need legally binding texts. Are you actually going to be able to find a deal by mid october . When i have concrete proposals, i can tell you. I would hope that we are able to have this deal and to have a future relations directly decided, and in a few weeks we are able to say we did it. That one rumbles on. Yesterday i had found the french lexicon the four brexit, we were talking about the keywords that had been translated into french. I have been doing some further research and we have a problem, because it turns out that the french thought that yellowhammer, the document on preparedness, was in fact a yellow push hammer,. Until it was pointed out to all the radio stations in france, that they have got it wrong. In fairness to many of my french friends, its how many english people thought about it as well, they did think it was a hammer until it was pointed out it was a bird. But im not sure that they thought it was Timmy Mallett but im not sure that they thought it was Timmy Mallett i think there we re it was Timmy Mallett i think there were plans across whitehall to call all of these plans shot after birds because the treasure had project king for sharon but then had a hole blown in it by other departments. Ill keep digging. You keep digging and ill Start Talking about the Federal Reserve. Under pressure from wall street and the white house, Americas Central Bank the fed hasjust announced it is cutting Interest Rates for the second time this year. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate which affects many loans for households and businesses by 25 basis points to a range of 1. 75 to 2 . We are expecting to hear shortly the man the president calls the enemy the fed chair, Jerome Powell will start his press conference shortly. We will keep an eye on that. Hes in a tough spot, michelle. Because at the europeans are putting the foot to the metal, quantitative easing, negative Interest Rates over here. Wall street saying that he must respond to this. If you are Jerome Powell, is not a comfortable place to be right now. You look at the European Central bank, they are cutting, that is putting pressure on him, wa