BREAKING: Kuwait CONFRONTS incoming Iranian missiles, drones

>> Martha: THIS IS THE LATEST, IRAN IS NOW WARNING THE U.K., THEY HAVE A BRAND NEW. PRIME MINISTER AND THEY'VE GIVEN. US A LITTLE BIT OF BACKUP HERE. BUT NOW IRAN SAYS THAT THEY. SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWING -- THEY. SHOULD NOT ALLOW U.S. BOMBERS TO. USE THE U.K. BASES AND THAT IS. COMING FROM THE IRANIAN MEDIA. THAT ANDY BURNHAM REPORTEDLY. CONTINUING A POLICY TO LET THE. U.S. USE THE BASES FOR DEFENSIVE. STRIKES.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN VERY. UNHAPPY WITH THE BACKUP THAT. WE'VE SEEN FROM EUROPE. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THEY USE. OIL FROM THE STREET AND ENERGY. FROM THE STREET IN SUCH MASSIVE. QUANTITIES BUT THEY ARE HAPPY TO. SIT BACK AND LET THE. UNITED STATES TAKE CARE OF THIS. ISSUE. MEANWHILE, LIVE LOOK AT OIL. PRICES. THAT IS NOT GOOD. GETTING CLOSE TO 90. $100 PER BARREL EARLIER BUT IT. HAS BACKED OFF A LITTLE BIT. AFTER THE ATTACKS ON THE OIL. TANKERS IN THE RED SEA BY IRAN. BACKED HOUTHIS SO THEY ARE. FIRING UP THE HOUTHI ARM OF THE.

PROXIES OF IRAN IN A RATHER. SIGNIFICANT WAY LATELY AS WELL. SO MIKE BAKER IS HERE WITH ME. LIVE AND FIRST TO CHIEF. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT. STEVE HARRIGAN AS THE WIRES ARE. CROSSING NOW THAT THE KUWAITI. ARMY SAYS AIR DEFENSES ARE. CURRENTLY INTERCEPTING IRANIAN. HOSTILE DRONE THREATS, STEVE. >> THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE SEEN. FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS AND IRAN.

CONTINUING TO ATTACK IN THE. REGION WHERE THERE ARE U.S. BASES AND SECOND AGO KUWAIT. SAYING IT'S ACTIVATED ITS AIR. DEFENSES, EARLIER IN THE DAY. THEY WERE HIT AND ATTACKED BY. DRONES FROM IRAN. NO CASUALTIES IN THOSE ATTACKS. BUT DEFINITELY SOME DAMAGE DONE. SO IRAN CONTINUES TO REACH OUT, TO LASH OUT AGAINST ITS. NEIGHBORS IN THE REGION. MEANTIME THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD. IS NOW THREATENING THE UNITED. KINGDOM BASICALLY SAYING BECAUSE. YOU HAVE ALLOWED THE U.S. TO USE. YOUR AIR BASES TO LAUNCH B-1.

BOMBER MISSIONS AGAINST IRAN, YOUR BASE IS NOW OUR LEGITIMATE. MILITARY TARGETS FOR IRAN. THE U.K. RESPONDED QUICKLY. SAYING THE U.K. STANDS READY, 247 TO DEFEND ITSELF. AS FAR AS THAT B-1 BOMBER GOES, THIS IS REALLY A GAME CHANGER. CARRYING 75,000 POUNDS OF. CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS. THEY ARE HUGE AND THEY DON'T. NEED STEALTH FEATURES IF YOU DO. CONTROL THE SKY WHICH IS A CASE. IN MUCH OF IRAN. IT CAN BE REFUELED IN THE AIR. AND HIT MULTIPLE TARGETS ON THE. SAME MISSION.

A POTENT WEAPON NOW BEING USED. IN THE REGION. IT COMES AS OIL HAS NOW TOPPED. $100 PER BARREL. THIS COMES AFTER HOUTHI. TERRORIST REBELS IN YEMEN. MANAGED TO ATTACK AND STRIKE TWO. SAUDI TANKERS IN THE RED SEA. BY DOING SO THEY HAVE CAUSED THE. PRICE OF OIL TO SPIKE AND ALSO. POTENTIALLY RAISED A SECOND. FRONT IN THIS WAR. MARTHA, BACK TO YOU. >> Martha: THANK YOU. STEVE HARRIGAN IN TEL AVIV AND. AS PROMISED MIKE BAKER JOINS ME. HERE FORMER CIA COVID OPERATIONS.

OFFICER AND HOST OF THE DAILY. BRIEF PODCAST. WHERE DO YOU THINK -- THANK YOU. FOR BEING HERE FIRST OF ALL. WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS IS. GOING? >> IT'S NOT GOING TO END ANY. TIME SOON. I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT IN. SAYING THAT. IT'S -- THE PROBLEM IS THE. IRANIAN REGIME HAS ESSENTIALLY. COME TO A POINT THAT THEY'VE. BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOR DECADES. WHICH IS AN EXISTENTIAL CONFLICT. WITH THE U.S. AND THE LEADERSHIP. BELIEVES THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE. RIGHT NOW SO THEY PUSHED ALL.

THEIR CHIPS IN. I KNOW THAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS. SAYING THEY ARE DESPERATE TO. MAKE A DEAL. THEY KEEP TALKING TO US ABOUT. WANTING TO MAKE A DEAL BUT WE, MEANING THE U.S., AREN'T READY. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THE REGIME. IS SAYING THE SAME THING ABOUT. THE U.S. SO THE IRANIAN REGIME. IS SAYING THE U.S. IS DESPERATE. TO MAKE A DEAL BUT WE ARE NOT. READY SO THAT KIND OF TELLS YOU, THERE IS NO OFF RAMP JUST YET. AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVERY. TIME WE ENGAGE IN ANOTHER. STRIKE, WE GET THE SAME -- IT'S.

GROUNDHOG DAY. WE GET THE SAME RESPONSE FROM. THE IRANIAN REGIME AND AT THE. END OF THE DAY, UNLESS THIS. REGIME GOES AND NOBODY WANTS TO. SAY REGIME CHANGE SO WE'VE. DEFINED THE MISSION AS THEY WILL. NEVER GET A NUCLEAR WEAPON BUT. THAT IS KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE. ROAD WHICH EVERY ADMINISTRATION. HAS DONE SO EVERY TIME YOU SAY. THAT AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. THEM, YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE JUST. PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG SAYING. THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION CAN DEAL. WITH THIS SO I THINK WE HAVE TO. DEFINE THE MISSION AS IF WE WANT.

PEACE AND STABILITY AND. LONG TERM OPPORTUNITY FOR THE. PEOPLE OF IRAN AND THE ENTIRE. REGION AND THE U.S. NATIONAL. SECURITY INTEREST, THE REGIME. HAS TO GO BUT THEY HATE TO SAY. THAT. >> Martha: I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE. SAYING THIS BECAUSE IT'S THE. ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. THE MOST OBVIOUS ELEMENT OF ALL. OF THIS IS THAT IF YOU DON'T GET. RID OF THIS LEADERSHIP WHICH NOW. REALLY LOOKS A LOT MORE LIKE A. MILITARY LEADERSHIP THAN. ANYTHING ELSE, THE IRGC SEEMS TO. BE REALLY RUNNING THE SHOW AND. NOW THEY DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO.

THE AYATOLLAH ANY MORE IT. APPEARS BECAUSE THE AYATOLLAH IS. QUIET AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN HIM. >> HE HAS MADE NO APPEARANCE. >> WE HAVE NOT SEEN HIM SINCE. THE FEBRUARY STRIKES BUT THAT. DOES FEEL LIKE THE REALITY. YOU NEED A CATALYST SHIFT. EITHER IT'S A MASSIVE ATTACK. THAT CHANGES THE DYNAMIC BUT. YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN THAT WE. SEE THIS BACK AND FORTH. WE NEED A MASSIVE SHIFT IN. MILITARY STRUCTURE AND STRENGTH.

OR REMOVING ANOTHER LAYER. WE HAVE ONE AND TWO. >> YOU CAN KEEP REMOVING LAYERS. THEY HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. SINCE 1979. THEY HAVE BEEN CHANTING DEATH TO. AMERICA SINCE. THEY HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT. THIS AND WHAT THIS COULD LOOK. LIKE SO YOU CAN TAKE OUT ANOTHER. LAYER OF. IT'S LIKE TAKING OUT LEADERSHIP. IN A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION LIKE. HAMAS OR HEZBOLLAH WHICH ARE. FINANCED AND TRAINED BY IRAN. THEY HAVE A LIMITLESS POOL OF. TALENT. >> ATTACKING THEM INSPIRE SOME. OF THE YOUNGER MEMBERS SO THEY. WANT TO MOVE UP. >> YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT WHEN.

YOU SAY IT'S A MILITARY. LEADERSHIP. BY ALL CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT. NOW. LOOKING AT THE IRGC WHO HAS. HARDENED THEIR LEADERSHIP. POSITION CLIMBING TO THE TOP AND. THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT. THEY HAVE THEIR FINGERS IN. EVERYTHING BUT --. >> Martha: EVERY BUSINESS, THEY HAVE OWNERSHIP IN OIL, THEY. HAVE THEIR HANDS IN EVERY BIT OF. THE BUSINESS AND THEY DON'T CARE. ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF IRAN AT ALL. >> WHEN YOU SLAUGHTER THOUSANDS. AND THOUSANDS OF YOUR OWN. CITIZENS IT TELLS YOU WHERE THEY. SIT SO BASICALLY RUBBER. STAMPING, IF HE'S ALIVE, HE'S.

BASICALLY BEING PRESENTED WITH. OKAY THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING. TO DO NEXT. >> Martha: WITH YOUR INTEL. BACKGROUND, IS HE ALIVE IS HE IN. ANOTHER COUNTRY? SOME INDICATION OF THAT EARLIER. THIS WEEK. >> ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE WAS. SAYING WE BELIEVE HE MAY HAVE. FLED OR THEY'VE MOVED HIM OUT OF. THE COUNTRY. THE INTELLIGENCE IS VERY. IMPERFECT. UNFORTUNATELY IT'S LIKE OUR BOMB. DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OF THE OTHER. NUCLEAR FACILITIES. HOW MUCH DID WE DO? WHAT DID WE DO? IT'S STILL HARD TO FIGURE THAT. OUT. INTEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HEAVY. LIFT FOR IRAN. WE'VE ALWAYS RELIED HEAVILY --.

[SIMULTANEOUS TALKING]. THE GULF PARTNERS, YOU TALKED. EARLIER ABOUT THIS IDEA THAT. NOBODY IS HELPING. WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT. BECAUSE THE GULF STATES HAVE. BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN THEIR OWN. WAYS. THEY JUST DON'T WANT IT. PUBLICIZED. >> Martha: IT FEELS LIKE. THAT'S THE TICKET TO THE GAME. CHANGE SHIFT. REALLY FORCEFUL ENTRY BY THE. GULF STATES TO MAKE IT VERY. CLEAR TO IRAN THAT THEY ARE THE. MAN OUT. >> AND THEY MAY.