Economic pressure on Iran is adequate for now, US Special Forces veteran says

T. BRINGING VIOLENCE AGAINST DRUG. CARTELS AND DESIGNATED TERRORIST. ORGANIZATIONS. >> Brian: WE DON'T TALK ABOUT. IT A LOT BUT THEY ARE MAKING. GREAT PROGRESS THERE. BUT FOR NOW THEY'RE REAL FIGHT. IS IRAN. GENERAL JACK KEANE THINKS THE. MULLAHS ARE ITCHING FOR MORE. >> THEY HAVE CONTINUOUSLY BECOME. MORE AGGRESSIVE IN TERMS OF. FREQUENCY OF ATTACKS. GOING ALL THE WAY BACK FOUR. MONTHS NOW. AS WE GET CLOSER TO MIDTERMS, THEY THINK THE LESS LIKELIHOOD. THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD EVER. REACT VERY CONSEQUENTIALLY IN.

TERMS OF MILITARY OPERATIONS. >> Brian: AS A GENERAL WOULD. TELL YOU, HE RON ALWAYS. MISCALCULATES WHEN IT COMES TO. TRUMP. THE MULLAHS HAVE NO LEVERAGE SO. THEY ARE BETTING THE MIDTERMS. WILL BUY THEM THE TIME THEY. NEED. >> IS THAT IRAN'S OBJECTIVE TO. DRAG OUT THIS WAR TO MAYBE WAIT. UNTIL MR. TRUMP IS OUT OF. OFFICE? >> LOOK, WE HAVE TO ATTAIN. DETERRENCE SO THE ENEMY NEVER. DARES TO ATTACK US, SO WE CAN. LIVE WITH SECURITY. ONE WAY IS TO PROLOLONG THE WAR. UNTIL WE GET TO THE NEXT TERM OF.

THE PRESIDENCY AND CAUSE. ATTRITION SO THAT IF ANY ONE. ELSE WANTS TO ATTACK IRAN, THEY. WILL KNOW THERE IS A COST. >> Brian: OUR FORCES AREN'T. WAITING AROUND FOR AN ELECTION. CENTCOM JUST UNLEASHED. TASK FORCE FALCON STRIKE, THE. FIFIRST EVER MULTI-DOMAIN ONE WY. STRIKE DRONE FORCE OPERATING IN. BOTH SKY AND THE WATER. THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON. ENTERING THE THEATER FROM THE. PACIFIC. SHE IS RELIEVING THE USS LINCOLN. THAT HAS BEEN SAILING IN THE. MIDEAST SINCE JANUARY. THEY NEED A BREAK.

THEY'VE BEEN HOLDING THE. BLOCKADE STRONG AND SO FAR THE. WALL OF STEEL AS THE PRESIDENT. CALLED IT 200 HAS TURNED AROUND. 55 BOATS. A FEW DAYS BACK ONE OF THE NAVY. HELICOPTERS SENT TWO HELLFIRE. MISSILES INTO A PANAMA FLAGGED. TANKER. SCARY STUFF BUT THEY GOT THE. MESSAGE. NOTHING FLOWS IN OR OUT OF THE. STRAIT UNLESS WE SAY SO. ANTI-TRUMP HAS ALL THE TOOLS TO. MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS. LISTENING. >> YOU ARE SEEING A PRESIDENT OF. THE UNITED STATES AT THE HEIGHT. OF HIS AUTHORITY WITH A LOT OF.

TOOLS, DIPLOMATIC, MILITARY AND. ECONOMIC. WHAT I THINK IS REALLY GOING ON. FROM THE INSIDE IS THAT WE ARE. USING THOSE TOOLS VERY. SELECTIVELY, VERY STRATEGICALLY. TO GET THE OUTCOME THAT THE. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NEEDS TO GET FOR THE BENEFIT OF. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> Brian: THAT WAS J.D. VANCE. A FEW HOURS AGO WITH A GREAT. WILL CAIN. JIM HANSEN FORMER U.S. ARMY. SPECIAL FORCES AND PRESIDENT OF. WORLD STRAT. DO YOU AGREE WITH GENERAL JACK. KEANE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE. KINETIC ACTION BEFORE THE.

ELECTION BECAUSE THE IRANIANS. ARE GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE. AGGRESSIVE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO. UNDERSTAND OUR ELECTION CYCLE AS. WELL AS WE DO? >> I AM LOATHE TO DISAGREE WITH. JACK KEANE BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT. THERE'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR. ESCALATION OF KINETIC ACTIVITY. FROM OUR SIDE. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE IS GOING. LOW KEY. HE IS GOING WITH ECONOMIC AND. DIPLOMATIC AND SQUEEZING THEM SO. THEY HAVE NO DIMES TO RUB. TOGETHER TO FEED THEIR PEOPLE OR. TO OPERATE THEIR COUNTRY.

WHAT HE HAS DONE IN THE STRAIT. OF HORMUZ IS WE'VE GOT OIL. FLOWING OUT, 8-9 MILLION BARRELS. DOWN FROM TOO, BUT STILL NOTHING. FLOWING OUT FROM IRAN. THEY USED TO SEND OUT TWO AND A. HALF TO 3 MILLION BARRELS A DAY. EVERY DAY THEY DON'T GET TO DO. THAT, THEIR ECONOMY GETS. STRANGLED. SO WE HAVE IT GOING IN OUR. DIRECTION AND I THINK THAT IS. GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO KEEP. THINGS GOING OUR WAY UNTIL AT. LEAST THE MIDTERMS. >> Brian: BUT IF THEY STARTT.

AMPING UP ATTACKS ON OUR SHIPS, ON OUR BASES, THAT WILL CAUSE A. RESPONSE BECAUSE THEY THINK WE. DON'T WANT THE CONFLICT AS WE. GET CLOSER TO NOVEMBER. >> 100%. AND IF THEY DO THAT I THINK WE. WILL RESPOND. THERE'S NO QUESTION THEY'RE. I DON'T THINK THEY ARE GOING TO. GO THAT HARD. I THINK IT'S GOING TO SLOW DOWN. FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE BUT. WE WILL SEE. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SET UP EITHER. WAY. DEPARTMENT OF WAR IS READY TO. SQUASH ANYBODY WHO POPS THEIR. HEAD UP ANYWHERE IN THEATER.

SO WHETHER IT'S THE HOUTHIS OR. JUST IRAN ATTACKING IN THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ, WE ARE READY. FOR THAT. SO IF THAT HAPPENS, WE WILL TAKE. THEM DOWN. >> Brian: THE MAIN REASON. THERE HASN'T BEEN THAT MASSIVE. ATTACK ISN'T BECAUSE THE. PRESIDENT IS LOSING HIS NERVE, IT'S BECAUSE THE GULF STATES. HAVE CALLED HIM UP AND THEY SAY. WEWE ARE WORRIED ABOUT OUR. DESALINIZATION PLANTS, WE ARE. WORRIED ABOUT OUR ENERGY. FACILITIES. THE HOUTHIS AIMED OVER THERE. AGAIN.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS. DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT WAS. RIGHT TO LISTEN TO THEM? >> I THINK HE IS LISTENING TO. THEM. I DON'T THINK THEY GET TO BE THE. DECIDERS. PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL MAKE THE. DECISIONS BASED ON THE STRATEGIC. INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES. AND THE REASON HE CAN DO THAT IS. THINGS ARE GOING WELL. THEY ARE GOING OUR DIRECTION. THE STRANGLEHOLD IS WORKING AND. IF I HAD TO BET RIGHT NOW, I. WOULD SAY THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC. OF IRAN IS UNLIKELY TO SURVIVE. THE FULL TERM OF THE TRUMP.

PRESIDENCY. SO HE HAS CREATED THE CONDITIONS. FOR THE COLLAPSE OF THAT REGIME. AND A CHANCE FOR THE IRANIAN. PEOPLE TO PUT IN A BETTER. GOVERNMENT. HE WILL LISTEN TO EVERYONE ELSE. BUT IN THE END IF HE NEEDS TO. SQUASH THEM, HE WILL DO THAT. IF HE NEEDS TO SQUEEZE THEM. ECONOMICALLY AND DIPLOMATICALLY. HE WOULD MUCH RATHER DO THAT. >> Brian: WOULD YOU EVEN HAVE. TALKS IF THEY REAPPROACH? WOULD YOU EVEN TALK TO THEM, BEING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SUCH. LIARS?

>> I THINK WE HAVE ESTABLISHED. THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS HAD. ABOUT ENOUGH OF THEIR B.S. AS. FAR AS THE INABILITY TO. NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. HE KNOWS THEY ARE NOT GOING TO. DO ANYTHING THAT MAKES A DEAL. THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH POSSIBLE. SO WE MAY TALK WITH THEM JUST. BECAUSE IT'S BETTER THAN NOT. TALKING. YOU FIND OUT YOU MAY GAIN. INTELLIGENCE, SEE WHAT THEY ARE. TRYING TO PUSH FOR, BUT I DON'T. THINK HE SEES A SOLID NEGOTIATED. SOLUTION. I THINK IN THE END HE WILL PUSH.

THEM ECONOMICALLY AND HE WILL. WAIT FOR THE REGIME TO COLLAPSE. OF ITS OWN INTERNAL STRESS. AND I THINK THAT HAS BEEN WHERE. WE'VE BEEN WINNING THIS WAR. >> Brian: I JUST HAVE A PRETTY. GOOD SOURCE THAT SAYS THEY HAVE. A PLAN. IT WILL MAKE EPIC FURY ONE LOOK. SMALL COMPARED TO AN EPIC FURY. TWO AND IT WILL BE SO STRONG. THAT MAYBE THEY WILL HAVE. TROUBLE GETTING ANY SHOTS OFF AT. ANY OF THOSE GULF STATES. I JUST WANT TO GET YOU ON THIS. NEWS. THE RUSSIANS ARE DESPERATE AND. THEY ARE CHANGING TACTICS. THEY ARE GOING FOR MERCHANT.

SHIPS FULL OF GRAIN THAT ARE. LEAVING THE PORTS OVER IN. UKRAINE AND THEY HAVE NOW GOT. NORTH KOREA TO GIVE 50,000. TROOPS AND SENT THEM INTO. UKRAINE OR INTO THE THEATER, INTO THE FRONT LINES. IF YOU ARE UKRAINE, HOW DO YOU. HANDLE THAT? >> THAT'S S UNFORTUNATE, THIS SE. THIS TURNING INTO, YOU KNOW, A. MULTI-NATION DEBACLE. RUSSIA HAS BEEN LOSING SLOWLY. FOR A LONG TIME. THE PROBLEM IS THEY ARE MASSIVE.

AND CAN AFFORD TO LOSE SLOWLY. NOW THEY HAVE CONNED KIM JONG UN. INTO BRINGING WHOEVER HE C CAN. INTERPLAY AND I DON'T THINK. THAT'S A GOOD SIGN BECAUSE WE. DON'T WANT HIM DOING ANYTHING. OUTSIDE HIS OWN BORDERS SO IT'S. A DOUBLE WHAMMY OF BAD NEWS. UKRAINE NEEDS A BIT OF HELP. I THINK THE EUROPEANS ARE. RAMPING UP WHAT THEY CAN AND WE. MAY PROVIDE SOME BUT WE WILL NO. LONGER BE THE ONES BANKROLLING. THAT WAR. >> Brian: THEY FOUGHT LIKE. WARRIORS, THEY REALLY HAVE.

SHOWED EVERYBODY IN EUROPE HOW. TO FIGHT. THEY ARE THE BEST ARMY IN EUROPE. AND I THINK THEY'VE BEEN JUST. FIGHTING HEROICALLY AND I KNOW. WE DON'T HAVE AN ENDLESS AMOUNT. IN O.