Dana Perino: Iran has a high threshold for pain

. >> HOW CAN YOU NOT BE? LET'S DO IT, BILL. >> Bill: RIGHT ON, SEE YOU THEN. >> IF ANYBODY CAN PULL THIS OFF. ITS SECRETARY BESSENT BASED ON. WHAT HE HAS DONE IN THE PAST. SINCE THE WAR BEGAN HERE. THIS PLAN IS SO COMPREHENSIVE I. THINK IT HAS A CHANCE OF WORKING. WITH HIM AND THE TASK FORCE HE. HAS GOING. TALKING ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN. EVERYBODY WHO DOES BUSINESS WITH. THEM. >> Dana: U.S. RAMPING UP. ECONOMIC PRESSURE CAMPAIGN. AGAINST IRAN.

ADMINISTRATION DOWN PLAYING THE. POSSIBILITY OF RENEWED MILITARY. ACTION. FORMER DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE. FOR U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND JOINS. US. WHAT IS THIS IDEA? CAN ECONOMIC PRESSURE A I LOAN. DO THE JOB? >> I WOULD SAY FIRST IT IS NOT. GOING TO BE ECONOMIC PRESSURE. ALONE. WE'LL STILL SUSTAIN I IMAGINE A. CREDIBLE MILITARY PRESENCE IN. THE GULF. THAT PROVIDES SOME IMPORTANT. ADVANTAGES. ONE, THEY ARE ASSISTING IN. SECURING COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC. THROUGH THE STRAIT.

INCREASING NUMBER OF VESSELS. COMING THROUGH THAT SOUTHERN. CHANNEL. TWO, THEY ARE ALSO THERE TO. PROTECT U.S. FACILITIES AND. BASES IN THE REGION. U.S. NATIONAL INTERESTS AND SOME. OF OUR ALLIES. AND THEY ARE THERE AS A. DETERRENT TO ANY KIND OF KINETIC. STRIKES THAT IRAN MIGHT PERFORM. IT IS NOT STRICTLY ECONOMIC BUT. TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THESE. SANCTIONS AND THIS ECONOMIC. WARFARE THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED, I. THINK IT IS CERTAINLY GOING TO. CONTINUE TO DEGRADE THE IRANIAN.

ECONOMY. MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM. TO OPERATE. I THINK I WOULD POINT OUT TWO. THINGS. ONE, IT IS GOING TO TAKE TIME. WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE TACTICAL. PATIENCE. ECONOMIC LEVERS ALWAYS TAKE. LONGER TO ACHIEVE AN EFFECT THAN. CERTAIN OTHER LEVERS. IF WE LOOK AT WHO THIS IS MOST. LIKELY TO AFFECT THE PRINCIPAL. PARTNERS OF IRAN. TURKEY, PAKISTAN, IRAQ, OMAN,

EMIRATES. THEY SAID THEY'LL END TRADE AND. FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH. IRAN. THAT'S IMPORTANT. THEY PROVIDE A L LARGE NUMBER O. IMPORTS TO IRAN AND HAVE. PROVIDED CRITICAL FINANCIAL. SERVICES. BUT THE OTHER KEY COUNTRY, THE. MOST IMPORTANT LYNCH PIN IS. CHINA. AND WITH THE TRADE SUMMIT COMING. UP NEXT MONTH BETWEEN PRESIDENT. TRUMP AND PRESIDENT XI, I THINK. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW MUCH. PRESSURE THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION. IS GOING TO BE WILLING TO APPLY. AGAINST THE NATION OF CHINA.

WITHOUT COMING DOWN REALLY HARD. ON CHINA, I DON'T THINK THE. ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ARE GOING TO. ACHIEVE THE COERCIVE EFFECT. MAYBE GOING AFTER INDIVIDUAL. CHINESE COMPANIES AS OPPOSED TO. A LARGE SCALE SANCTIONS ON. CHINA. >> Dana: IRAN IS SEEKING TO. INVEST IN ALTERNATIVE ROUTES AND. DESTINATIONS TO ALLEVIATE THE.

ECONOMIC PRESSURE. TO YOUR POINT BLOOMBERG ASKS. TRUMP RISK BLOWBACK TRYING TO. CHOKE IRAN'S ECONOMY. IN THE MEANTIME WE ALSO KNOW. THAT THE IRANIANS HAVE THIS. THRESHOLD FOR PAIN AT THE REGIME. LEVEL THAT IS HIGHER THAN MOST. OF US WOULD BE ABLE TO WITH. STAND. BUT THE PEOPLE OF IRAN ARE. REALLY SUFFERING. AT SOME POINT PERHAPS THAT TIPS. OVER? >> WELL, ALL THREE OF THOSE I. THINK ARE VERY VALID, DANA. ONE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF. FINDING ALTERNATE ROUTES.

THEY DO HAVE SEVEN OTHER. COUNTRIES THAT THEY BORDER. THAT'S PART OF WHAT OUR ECONOMIC. SANCTIONS WOULD GO AGAINST. AND THEY HAVE THAT NORTH COAST. ON THE CASPIAN SEA BY WHICH THEY. CAN GET TO RUSSIA AND SOME OF. THE CENTRAL ASIAN STATES. THEY ARE MASTERFUL AT SANCTIONS. EVASION. HAVE DONE IT FOR DECADES. THAT WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE. IN TERMS OF THE THRESHOLD FOR. PAIN, YES, THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED. A HIGH WILLINGNESS TO ABSORB. BOTH MILITARY SHOCKS AND.

ECONOMIC SHOCKS. AS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE THE. PEOPLE IN CHARGE, YOU KNOW, ARE. VERY HARD LINE IDEOLOGICAL AND. THE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF THEIR. CITIZENS IS NOT A PRIORITY. SO THOSE ARE ALL VALID. ARGUMENTS. IT IS PART OF WHY WE'LL NEED TO. HAVE PATIENCE FOR A PRETTY. LONG-TERM ECONOM.