BREAKING: US strikes THREE Iranian oil tankers

MOLLY: FOX NEWS ALERT, CENTCOM. SAYS THE HAS STRUCK THREE. IRANIAN OIL TANKERS AFTER IRAN. LAUNCHED BALLISTIC MISSILES. TOWARD TWO U.S. NAVY WARSHIPS. THIS AS PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS. FOR NEW ENERGY ROUTES TO REDUCE. THE WORLD'S DEPENDENCE ON THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. ALEX HOGAN IS AT THE WHITE HOUSE. WITH MORE. ALEX. >> Reporter: HI, MOLLY. NEW ESCALATION TODAY, AS YOU. MENTIONED, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND.

JUST IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES. ANNOUNCED THEY DID, IN FACT, FIRE UPON THESE NEW IRANIAN. CRUDE OIL TANKERS AFTER THE IRGC. FIRED AT TWO NAVY WARSHIPS. AND A U.S. OFFICIAL TELLING FOX. IN REACTION TO ALL OF THIS, QUOTE, THE IRGC CAN'T BUILD MORE. TANKERS, AND THE TANKERRERS ARE. THE HEART OF -- TANKERS ARE THE. HEART OF THEIR ECONOMY. IT PUTS THEM IN A TOUGHER. DECISION. ALL OF THIS ESCALATION COMES AS. WE HEARD THE VICE PRESIDENT SAY. HE DOES NOT SEE THIS CONFLICT AS. A WAR. HE WOULDN'T CALL IT THAT.

PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHEN HE WAS. ASKED ABOUT THIS, HE SAID. THIS --. >> CALL IT A MILITARY CONFLICT. BECAUSE IT'S SMALL POTATOES FOR. US. IT'S NOT A BIG THING. >> Reporter: SWIFT BACKLASH, CHUCK SCHUMER WRITING ONLINE, QUOTE, TELL THAT TO THE FAMILIES. OF THE 18 TROOPS WE'VE LOST AND. THE HUNDREDS OF WOUNDED SERVICE. MEMBERS AND AMERICANS SUFFERING. EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM RECORD. HIGH PRICES. AHEAD OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND, DIESEL HITTING A RECORD $5.85 A. GALLON ON FRIDAY WITH AAA.

PREDICTING TRAVELERS WILL FACE. THE HIGHESEST PRICES EVER ON THE. HOLIDAY WEEKEND. TRUMP YESTERDAY ARGUED THE NEW. PIPELINES IN TRANSPORTATION. ROUTES ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. COULD REDUCE THE WORLD'S. RELICENSE ON THE STRAIT OF HOUR. STRAIT OF HORMUZ -- RELIANCE. >> A LOT OF ALTERNATIVES ARE. BEING MADE. THE HORMUZ STRAIT IS NOT WHAT IT. USED TO BE. IRAN IS GOING TO END UP IF THEY. DON'T GET SMART, REALLY SMART --. WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ABLE TO. DO THAT -- BUT THEY'RE GOING TO. END UP WITH A HORMUZ STRAIT. THAT'S NOT VERY NECESSARY.

ANYMORE. >> Reporter: AND ENERGY. EXPERTS DEBATE WHETHER THAT. COULD REPLACE THE MASSIVE. VOLUMES IN THE STRAIT OR THE. TIMELINE OF HOW LONG THIS COULD. TAKE. MEANTIME, PRESIDENT TRUMP DURING. THOSE COMMENTS YESTERDAY ALSO. TOLD REPORTERS THAT U.S. SPECIAL. ENVOYS STEVE WITKOFF AND JARED. IS KUSHNER WOULD ATTEMPT TO. BROKER -- JARED KUSHNER WOULD. ATTEMPT TO BROKER A PEACE. ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN ROUSE --. RUSSIA AND UKRAINE. PRESIDENT TRUMP THIS WEEKEND IS. AT ONE OF HIS PROPERTIES, HIS. GOLF COURSE IN BEDMINSTER, NEW.

JERSEY. MOLLY IN. MOLLY: ALEX HOGAN, THANK YOU. VERY MUCH, BRINGING US. UP-TO-DATE ON ALL OF THINGS. HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON. FOR MINNESOTA TO -- FOR MORE ON. THE CENTCOM STRIKE, LET'S BRING. IN RETIRED U.S. ARMY BATTALION. COMMANDER LIEUTENANT COLONEL. DARIN GAUB. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US YOUR. TIME ON THIS SATURDAY MORNING. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT AMERICA. IS SPEND SENDING -- SENDING WITH. THE APPROXIMATE TIMTY OF THESE. STRIKES? -- PROXIMITY?

WHAT SHOULD IRAN KNOW IN THIS. MOMENT? >> FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU ATTEMPT. TO STRIKE OUR NAVY SHIPS, OF. COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO RETURN. THE FAVOR AND TAKE OUT SOMETHING. THAT NOT ONLY IS AN IRANIAN. PROPERTY, BUT THOSE THINGS THAT. ARE MOST DESTRUCTIVE TO THEIR. ECONOMY AT THE SAME TIME. WITHOUT OIL YOU DON'T HAVE AN. IRANIAN ECONOMY IN THE FIRST. PLACE. SO WE'RE JUST TELLING THEM, YOU. KNOW, DON'T MESS WITH US, ESSENTIALLY, IS ALL THAT WE'RE. SAYING. MOLLY: THE PRESIDENT ALSO. POSTING VERY RECENTLY THAT HE. LIKES THE POSITION WHERE WE ARE. RIGHT NOW MUCH MORE WITH ALMOST. TOTAL CONTROL OF THE HORMUZ.

STRAIT AND THEIR ECONOMY, MEANING IRAN'S ECONOMY, IN TOTAL. COLLAPSE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A. BETTER POSITION NOW THAN WE. WERE, SAY, A MONTH AGO? THERE'S SORT OF THIS RENEWED. BACK AND FORTH GOING ON BETWEEN. IRAN AND THE U.S. AS FAR AS. STRIKES ARE CONCERNED. WE HAD A MONTHLONG LULL, BUT DO. YOU THINK AMERICA'S IN A BETTER. POSITION THAN WE WERE ONE MONTH. AGO? >> I THINK, ULTIMATELY, WE ARE. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS. BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHARGE OF THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. AND WHAT GOES THROUGH THERE IS. THE THINGS THAT WE ALLOW TO GO. THROUGH THERE. IF WE WANT TO STOP IT, WE CAN.

COMBINE THAT WITH THE FACT THAT, YES, WE ARE BYBYPASSING THE STRT. WITH PIPELINES ACROSS SAUDI. ARABIA. OMAN'S MAKING THEIR OWN PIPELINE. AND, BY THE WAY, WE JUST SIGNED. THIS MASSIVE OIL DEAL WITH. VENEZUELA WHICH WILL BE. EFFECTIVE AT SOME POINT WHEN. IT'S READY TO BE, WHEN THE OIL. IS READY TO BE PUMPED THIS LARGE. VOLUMES OUT OF THAT COUNTRY AS. WELL. SO I THINK TRUMP IS RIGHT WHEN. IT COMES TO SAYING THE STRAIT. ITSELF WILL BECOME LESS RELEVANT. OVER TIME. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT. STILL IMPORTANT.

THERE'S A POINT OF LEVERAGE TO. IRAN AND IT'S STILL IMPORTANT AS. A CHOKEPOINT FOR WORLD ENERGY. SUPPLIES. JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REPLACE. THE VOLUME AND SPEED THAT IT. MOVES THROUGH THERE NOW. THIS IS ECONOMIC WARFARE. IT DOES TAKE TIME. IT'S NOT FLASHY, BUT IT CAN BE. VERY EFFECTIVE. AND A MONTH LATER I THINK WE'RE. CLOSER TO SEEING THAT TIPPING. POINT, I GUESS, THAT TRUMP IS. LOOKING FOR. CONDITIONS ARRIVE THAT COULD. ACTUALLY GET THE PEOPLE OF IRAN. TO STAND UP FOR THEIR OWN. FREEDOM AND AGAINST THEIR OWN.

DICTATORS. MOLLY: GREAT POINT ABOUT THE. DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS. UNDERWAY. AND ON THAT POINT TO ECONOMIC. WARFARE, TREASURY SECRETARY. SCOTT BESSENT ON THURSDAY. WELCOMED THE EUROPEAN YAHOO! UNION'S DECISION TO JOIN --. EUROPEAN UNION'S DECISION TO. JOIN OPERATION ECONOMIC OUTCAST. IT TAKES BIGGER AND BIGGER HITS. ALONG THE WAY, IRAN DOES. THERE ARE STILL SOME COUNTRIES. THAT ARE HELPING IRAN, WE KNOW. THAT, BUT DO YOU THINK THIS WILL. MAKE A MAJOR IMPACT, TO HAVE THE. EUROPEANS ON THE SAME TEAM IN.

THIS ECONOMIC PART OF THE. PUZZLE? >> WELL, IT'LL CERTAINLY HAVE AN. IMPACT AS WE WATCH THAT DEVELOP. ALSO. BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST IMPACT. WILL BE THE CONTINUED LIFELINE. THAT CHINA SUPPLIES IRAN RIGHT. NOW AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT EVER. GETS AFFECTED THROW THE ECONOMIC. WARFARE, THROUGH THE SANCTIONS. AND THINGS LIKE THAT. CERTAINLY, HAVING THE EUROPEANS. ALIGNED WITH US FINALLY ON THIS. ASPECT OF THIS CONFLICT, IT'LL. CERTAINLY HELP SPEED UP THE. PROCESS TO A POINT. BUT WHAT I'M WATCHING VERY.

CLOSELY IS HOW IRAN'S, ESSENTIALLY THEIR BOSSES AND. THEIR ECONOMIC LIFELINES IN. RUSSIA AND CHINA REACT AND. WHETHER OR NOT THEY CHANGE. COURSE IN ANY WAY EITHER. MOLLY: AS WE TALK ABOUT KEEPING. AN EYE ON IRAN AND WHAT THEY'RE. DOING, THEY HAVE ONCE AGAIN. LAUNCHED ATTACKS ON THEIR NEARBY. NEIGHBORS, ALLY, JORDAN, BAHRAIN, KUWAIT ALL FACING. RENEWED ATTACKS. AND THE HOUTHIS IN YEMEN ALSO. TAKING STRIKES REPORTEDLY TOWARD.

SAUDI ARABIA. SAUDI ARABIA YET TO CONFIRM THE. MOST RECENT MILITARY STRIKES. THAT THE HOUTHIS ARE CLAIMING. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE EFFORTS. STILL UNDERWAY FOR IRAN TO SHOW. THAT THEY STILL IS SOME -- STILL. HAVE SOME ELEMENT OF MILITARY. CAPABILITY. >> THAT'S THE KEY, THEY WANT TO. SHOW THAT THEY HAVE SOME. CAPABILITY. WHAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING IS THE. LARGE BARRAGES THAT WERE PART OF. THE CONFLICT AT THE END OF. FEBRUARY INTO MARCH BECAUSE THEY. SIMPLY CAN'T DO THAT. AND THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL SO TO. SURVIVE. AND TO SURVIVE, THEY HAVE TO BE. ABLE TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE ABLE.

TO DO THE EVEN A LITTLE BIT. AND SO THAT'S ALL THEY'RE DOING. IS LAUNCHING THINGS HERE AND. THERE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW OR AT. LEAST TRY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT. THEY HAVE MILITARY CAPABILITIES. TO THREATEN IF NEIGHBORHOODS. AROUND THEM. -- THE. NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND THEM. WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN REALITY IS. SHOWING, ONE, THEY'RE WEAK IF. THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY AFFECT THOSE. DECISIONS AND, TWO, THEY'RE. ISOLATING THEMSELVES EVEN MORE. BY MAKING, BASICALLY ENTNTRENCHG. THOSE ENEMIES AGAINST IRAN. AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT NATIONS THAT. COULD HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT ALLIES. TO THEM, THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT.

IN FAVOR OF IRAN EVEN THOUGH. THEY'VE NEVER REALLY LIKED THEM. IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO TO CALCULATE A GAMBLE ON. BEHALF OF IRAN, I DON'T THINK. IT'LL WORK OUT BECAUSE ALL IT'S. DOING IS ISOLATING THEM EVEN. MORE BECAUSE IT'S NOT HAVING AN. EFFECT ON OUR DECISIONS OR THOSE. NATIONS EITHER BECAUSE THEY'RE. NOT ASKING US TO LEAVE. MOLLY: LIEUTENANT COLONE.