GOOD EVENING, I'M JOHN YANG.

THE SECOND WEEK OF THE ISRAEL-IRAN WAR BEGAN WITH A FRESH ROUND OF ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES ON MISSILE SITES AND A NUCLEAR FACILITY IN IRAN AND IRANIAN COUNTER STRIKES AND DRONES INTO RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF ISRAEL.

AS B2 BOMBERS ARE PURPORTEDLY BEING REPOSITIONED, THERE IS A NEW WARNING TO THE U.S.. IRANIAN BACKED HOUTHI REBELS IN YEMEN SAID THEY WOULD ATTACK U.S.

VESSELS IN THE RED SEA IF PRESIDENT TRUMP JOINS ISRAEL'S MILITARY CAMPAIGN.

AFTER HIS TALKS WITH EUROPEAN OFFICIALS WERE INCONCLUSIVE, IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER SAID THERE WOULD BE NO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES AS LONG AS ISRAELI ATTACKS CONTINUE.

>> WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN IN THIS AGGRESSION FROM THE BEGINNING.

THEY DENY, THEY KEEP SAYING THEY ARE NOT INVOLVING, BUT WE HAVE MANY INDICATIONS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED FROM DAY ONE.

JOHN: AS ISRAEL BROADENS ITS TARGETS IN IRAN, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYS REGIME CHANGE IS NOT AN EXPLICIT GOAL, BUT COULD BE A RESULT.

AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES.

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU SEEMS TO BE SAYING THAT THE ISRAELI ATTACKS HAVE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IRANIANS WHO OPPOSE THE REGIME TO RISE UP.

HOW LIKELY IS THAT?

>> THAT AT LEAST AT THE MOMENT SEEMS TO BE QUITE UNLIKELY, MOSTLY BECAUSE FIRST THIS IS A FOREIGN INVASION.

IT WAS AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK AT A TIME WHEN IRAN WAS IN THE MIDST OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES.

FROM THE CITIZENRY, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE ANGRY AT THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC, OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY, BUT TO RESPOND BY AN UPRISING WHERE BOMBS ARE LANDING IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS ACROSS CITIES, THAT SEEMS TO BE A TALL ORDER TO WANT IN THIS MOMENT.

IT IS NOT TAKEN PLACE AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL.

INSTEAD THERE IS A RALLYING AROUND THE FLAG EFFECT.

JOHN: YOU HAD A RECENT ESSAY AND WROTE THE IRANIAN STATE IS STRUCTURED FOR SURVIVAL.

EXPLAIN THAT.

>> THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC CAME ABOUT THROUGH A REVOLUTION, AND ON THE HEELS OF IT IRAQ INVADES IRAN IN 1980 WITH THE FULL BACKING OF THE WEST AT THAT POINT.

IRAN LEARNED IN ITS INFANCY THAT TO WIN THESE KINDS OF WARS OF ASSAULTS TO THE HOMELAND, IT IS THROUGH PERSEVERANCE AND DOING A WAR OF ATTRITION.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THAT, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC BUILT INSTITUTIONS IN ORDER TO ENSURE IRAN'S SOVEREIGNTY AGAINST THOSE WHO DO NOT SEE EYE TO EYE WITH IT.

JOHN: IT IS REPORTED THE SUPREME LEADER HAS NAMED SUCCESSORS NOT ONLY TO THE MILITARY LEADERS WHO MAY BE KILLED, BUT CANDIDATES TO SUCCEED HIMSELF IF HE IS KILLED.

IN THE SAME ESSAY YOU WROTE THE DEATHS OF INFLUENTIAL LEADERS WOULD RENEW THE SYSTEM.

>> FIRST OF ALL, IRAN HAS WITNESSED ISRAEL'S ASSASSINATION OF LEADERS, HAS BELOW, OF -- HEZBOLLAH, OF THE SYRIAN ARMY, AND ITS OWN MILITARY APPARATUS.

IT HAS CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR THE VARIOUS LEADERS THAT MAY BE KILLED.

MORE IMPORTANT, THIS IS A COUNTRY THAT HAS HAD INSTITUTIONS FOR MANY GENERATIONS.

IRAN IS NOT IRAQ.

IT HAS INSTITUTIONS THAT SPAN GENERATIONS THAT WILL WITHSTAND AERIAL BOMBARDMENTS.

JOHN: PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE'S PUT OFF A DECISION WHETHER TO JOIN THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN FOR TWO WEEKS.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT IRAN WOULD START OR RESTART NEGOTIATIONS UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, MUCH LESS GIVE UP THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM?

>> IRAN HAS LEARNED AGAIN FROM THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE REGION, SADDAM HUSSEIN GAVE UP HIS WEAPONS, HE WAS INVADED.

GADHAFI GAVE UP HIS WEAPONS, HE WAS OVERTHROWN.

IN THAT INSTANCE, IRAN IN THIS SITUATION IS NOT GOING TO GIVE UP ALL OF ITS ENRICHMENT, NOR DEMILITARIZED.

IT IS GOING TO NOW WANT TO MAINTAIN MILITARY DETERMINEDS WITH ISRAEL -- DETERRENTS WITH ISRAEL IN THE BATTLEFIELD.

JOHN: WHAT WOULD BE THE EFFECTS BOTH IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM IF THE UNITED STATES WERE TO JOIN THIS MILITARY CAMPAIGN?

>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IRAN IS 4.5 TIMES THE SIZE OF GERMANY.

IT IS A VAST COUNTRY.

IT WILL MAKE THE INVASION OF IRAQ LOOK LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK IN MANY WAYS.

IT HAS A POPULATION OF 92 MILLION, WHICH ALSO MEANS WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT NOT ONLY HOW BIG THE COUNTRY IS, BUT ALSO THE TYPE OF HUMAN CAPITAL THAT IT HAS AT ITS DISPOSAL.

THE OTHER POINT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT IRAN IS A STATE THAT HAS BUILT MILITIAS THROUGHOUT THE REGION TO BLEED AND CREATE CHAOS FOR AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ.

THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IRAQ WAS SUCH A DIFFICULT WAR FOR THE AMERICANS BECAUSE OF THE ROLE IRANIAN MILITIAS PALYED -- PLAYED.

THESE FORCES HAVE BEEN WEAKENED, BUT IRAN HAS THE CAPABILITY TO FOMENT THEMA GAIN NARGES BAJOGHI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU