WITH CNN'S CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND AUTHOR OF "ON

ALL FRONTS," CLARISSA WARD.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHED ATTACKS LAST WEEK

AGAINST IRANIAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN SYRIA.

YOU KNOW SYRIA WELL.

IRAN SAID THEY'RE NOT COMING TO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE ON THE

NUCLEAR ARMS TREATY.

>> TRYING TO PUT HUMPTY DUMPTY TOGETHER AGAIN ON THE NUCLEAR

ARMS DEAL WITH IRAN WILL BE DIFFICULT.

I SPENT TIME IN IRAN.

THIS IS A COUNTRY THAT'S ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED AND

DEEPLY IMBITTERED.

THERE'S NO TRUST FOR THE U.S.

THERE HAD BEEN A DEAL BEFORE, THE U.S. DROPPED IT.

HOW DO YOU PERSUADE PEOPLE TO ENTER INTO THAT TRUST AGAIN.

SIMULTANEOUSLY, IF YOU'RE THE BIKES, HOW DO YOU SEND A STRONG

MESSAGE TO IRAN THAT THE SHENANIGANS IN THE REGION WITH

MILITIAS TARGETING U.S.

INSTALLATIONS IN IRAQ, KILLING PEOPLE WORKING WITH THE U.S.,

THAT THAT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, EXTEND

YOUR HAND TO SAY WE WANT VERY MUCH TO TRY TO MAKE THIS DEAL

WORK AGAIN, HOW CAN WE GET YOU TO TRUST US AGAIN?

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE OPPOSING AND

DUELING NARRATIVES AND IDEOLOGIES AND MOTIVATIONS, YOU

REALIZE BOTH SIDES HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM IN TERMS

OF TRYING TO PUT THIS THING BACK TOGETHER, AND THE ONLY THING I

CAN SAY FROM THE SYRIAN PERSPECTIVE IS I JUST REALLY

HOPE THAT THE PLIGHT TO HAVE THE SYRIAN PEOPLE -- THE PLIGHT OF

THE SYRIAN PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.

WHILE IT'S NOT CENTER STAGE, IT'S VERY MUCH PART OF THE

BACKDROP OF EVERYTHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN TO RE-CREATE THE

IRAN DEAL.

I JUST HOPE AFTER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEAD AND TEN YEARS

OF BRUTAL CIVIL WAR AND AMERICA NOT PLAYING A SUPER PRODUCTIVE

ROLE, THAT PERHAPS WE CAN TRY, ALSO, TO DO SOMETHING TO

MITIGATE THE SUFFERING OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE.

>> Stephen: WELL, CLARISSA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING

HERE.

HER BOOK, "ON ALL FRONTS," IS AVAILABLE NOW.

CLARISSA WARD, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

♪♪♪