Expert urges STRIKES on Iran as underground nuke threat grows

>> Shannon: WE'LL DO A DEEP DIVE. INTO THAT. THANK YOU. >> DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IRAN HAS. MOVED NUCLEAR CENTRIFUGES INTO. PICK AXE MOUNTAIN? WHEN YOU SAY WE AREN'T DONE YET? WHAT IS LEFT TO FINISH? >> President Trump: I THINK THEY. MAY HAVE. WE DON'T HAVE IT ON RECORD. WE FOLLOW THE MATERIAL. THAT'S WHERE THE ACTION IS. WE'LL BE HITTING THAT AREA VERY. -- PROBABLY PRETTY SOON. NOT A THING THEY CAN DO ABOUT. IT. NORMALLY I WOULDN'T SAY THAT. IF I THOUGHT THEY COULD DO.

SOMETHING ABOUT IT I WOULD NEVER. SAY THAT. BUT WE'LL BE HITTING THAT AREA. PRETTY SOON. AND VERY HEAVILY. >> Bill: THIS HAS COME UP A LOT. LATELY. EXPLAIN WHY. ON THE MAP OVERHERE WHAT WHAT IS. HAPPENING IN THE LAST 48 HOURS. ALL THE MARKS HERE, ALL THESE. ARE PERSIAN GULF AREAS WHERE THE. IRANIAN MILITARY HAS USED DRONES. OR MISSILES TO GO AHEAD AND. THREATEN SOME OF THE SHIPPING. LANES THERE. YOU CAN SEE THIS HERE WITHIN THE. LAST WEEK YOU HAVE CLOSE TO A. DOZEN DIFFERENT VESSELS TAR.

GUESTED AND SOME OF THEM STRUCK. IN SOME CASES THEY HAD TO BE. ABANDONED. THE CHOKE HOLD IN THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ. COME BACK TO THE BIG MAP AND. MOVE FROM HERE TO OVER THE RED. SEA. ANOTHER CHOKE POINT NOW THE. HOUTHI REBELS ARE THREATENING. THEY CONTROL THIS PART OF THE. RED SEA. THEY ARE THREATENING VESSELS AS. WELL. IRANIANS GIVE THE HOUTHIS. SUPPORT. IN THE LAST TWO DAYS WE THINK AT. LEAST SIX OF THESE OCEAN VESSELS. HERE IN THE RED SEA HAVE TURNED. AROUND AND GONE UP TO THE SUEZ.

CANAL. IS T THIS A GROWING ISSUE? IT COULD BE. SOMETHING WE'RE WATCHING. SWING ON OVER HERE. SHOW YOU A LITTLE ABOUT PICK AXE. MOUNTAIN AND THE REASON WHY IT'S. SO SIGNIFICANT. DUE SOUTH OF IRAN. AN AREA OF THE COUNTRY THAT HAS. NOT BEEN HIT THAT MUCH DURING. THE CURRENT CAMPAIGN. WHAT'S IN PICK AXE MOUNTAIN? A NUCLEAR FACILITY A MILE AWAY.

FROM -- THIS IS WHAT IS. HAPPENING IN PICK AXE, UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TUNNEL. COMPLEX NEAR THIS SITE. WHY BE CONCERNED? THE ISRAELIS JUST THIS WEEK SAID. THIS MIGHT BE THE AREA WHERE THE. IRANIANS ARE STORING OR HAVE. MOVED THEIR CENTRIFUGES. WHAT COULD YOU DO WITH THAT? YOU COULD USE THOSE CENTRIFUGES. TO REBUILDLD YOUR NUCLEAR PROGR. THAT'S THE WORRY. WHY IT'S DIFFICULT TO HIT. THAT'S A MOUNTAIN 5,000 FEET.

HIGH AND 300 TO 450 FEET. UNDERGROUND IS WHERE THE. CENTRIFUGES MAY BE LOCATED. WHAT DO YOU DO? DO YOU HIT IT? CACAN YOU BE SUCCESSFUL? TOUGH MOUNTAIN BUILT OF GRANITE. A FORMER SPECIAL REP FOR IRAN. AND SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR TO. MIKE POMPEO. GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. DO YOU HIT IT AND HOW DO YOU. KNOW IF THE E HIT IS SUCCESSFUL? >> THE PRESIDENT DOES HAVE TO.

HIT IT. IRAN HAS LEARNED OVER THE. EARLIER STRIKES ON THE NUCLEAR. FACILITIES THAT ANYTHING ABOVE. GROUND IS AT RISK OF BEING. DESTROYED. SO IRAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THINKING. MANY STEPS AHEAD ABOUT PUTTING A. NUCLEAR FACILITY SO DEEP THAT NO. BOMBS COULD PENETRATE IT. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU. HAVE TO GET TO THE VERY BOTTOM. TO NEUTER THIS FACILITY. THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF ABOVE. GROUND THAT YOU CAN HIT AND. STILL ACCOMPLISH YOUR OBJECTIVE. OF DENYING IRAN THE ABILITY TO.

PUT ITS NUCLEAR FACILITY. UNDERGROUND. >> Shannon: SOMETHING FROM. SENATOR JACK REED, A VETERAN. HIMSELF AND BIG VOICE IN THE. OPERATION FROM THE OTHER OF THE. AISLE. HERE IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. >> ACADEMICALLY AS YOUOU LOOK. ACROSS THE HISTORY. AIR POWER HAS LIMITS AND WE HAVE. TO BE MINDFUL OF THOSE. I THINK WHERE AMERICA'S AREA OF. EXCLUSIVITY IS WHEN WE BRING THE.

TOTAL OF THE DIP LOW MATE I CAN. AND INFORMATION AND PAIR IT WITH. THE MILITARY AND A LOT OF THAT. WORK GOING ON. >> THE ANSWER. WOULD IT REQUIRE TROOPS ON THE. GROUND IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE. THIS DEAL WAS DONE? >> I THINK PICK AXE CAN BE DONE. IN TERMS OF RENDERING IT. INOPERABLE, DOES THAT MEAN. FOREVER? PROBABLY NOT. BUT THERE IS A LOT YOU CAN DO TO. SET BACK THE PROGRAM AND. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SET BAQIR. RAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM. ENORMOUSLY.

OUR MILITARY HAS ACHIEVED. ENORMOUS GAINS AGAINST IRAN'S. NUCLEAR PROGRAM BUT THEY HAVE. BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS FIGHT. FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS AND THEY. HAVE A PERFECT HISTORY OF HIDING. THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM. PICK AXE IS CENTRAL TO THEIR. STRATEGY. NOT SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT CAN. IGNORE. YOU CAN DO A LOT TO SET BACK. THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM AT PICK. AXE. >> Bill: SAUDI ARABIA CUT A DEAL.

WITH THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TO. BUILD NUCLEAR FACILITIES FOR. CIVILIAN PURPOSES. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT FITS TO. THIS. THE PRESIDENT HAS A CHOICE TO. MAKE. DO YOU NEGOTIATE THIS 10-DAY. PAUSE AS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT. BY SOME GULF ALLIES OR DO YOU GO. ALL IN? OPTION ONE OR TWO? >> YOU HAVE A LOT OF GULF. COUNTRIES VERY NERVOUS ABOUT. IRAN COUNTER ATTACKING AND. TAKING OUT ENERGY FACILITIES. ACROSS THE GULF. IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN YOU COULD. SEE A VERY SHARP ELEVATION IN.

ENERGY AND GAS PRICES. YOU HAVE A LOT OF VERY NERVOUS. GULF ALLIES ABOUT IRAN STRIKING. BACK. THEY'VE ALREADY SHOWN A. WILLINGNESS AND CAPABILITY TO. HIT ENERGY FACILITIES AROUND THE. GULF BUT THEY HAVE HELD BACK A. LOT. SO I THINK OUR ALLIES ARE VERY. NERVOUS AND WHY THEY ARE TRYING. TO NEGOTIATE SOME SORT OF. DIPLOMATIC PATH. SECRETARY RUBIO TALKED ABOUT THE. DOOR TO DIPLOMACY IS OPEN. THAT'S EXACTLY THE RIGHT. POSITION WHILE THE PRESIDENT. ANSWERS EVERY IRANIAN MILITARY.

PROVOCATION WITH A RESPONSE ON. OUR SIDE. I THINK THE LONG-TERM PATH IS A. DUAL STRATEGY OF ANSWERING IRAN. MILITARILY WHILE RUNNING THE. ECONOMIC BLOCKADE. THE NAVAL BLOCKADE HE IS DOING. THE IRANIAN ECONOMY IS VERY. FRAGILE. THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT TO START. THE MAXIMUM ECONOMIC PRESSURE. CAMPAIGN IN HIS FIRST. ADMINISTRATION. HE HAS 2 1/2 YEARS LEFT TO LET. THIS RUN AND I THINK BECAUSE. IRAN IS THIS VERY FRAGILE. MARXIST ECONOMY, IT'S ITS.

WEAKNESS AND VULNERABILITY AND. YOU HAVE TO FOCUS ON THAT WHILE. ALSO A ANSWERING THEM MILITARIL. WHEN THEY HIT SHIPS. >> Shannon: SINCE WE HAVE YOU. TAP INTO YOUR EXPERTISE WITH. CHINA. THE NEW MODEL OUT A.I. MODEL AND. WE WANT TO PUT UP SOME OF THE. SPECS ON IT. THEY HAVE MAYBE LEAPFROGGED OUR. MODELS THAT JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. WERE LEADING AND GETS INTO THE. CONVERSATION ABOUT REGULATION. AND THEY SEEM UNWILLING TO DO. IT. WE DON'T WANT TO FALL BEHIND. CHINA. >> IT IS A HUGELY COMPLICATED.

QUESTION IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE. DEAL WITH THE CHINA THREAT? THERE IS NOW AN A.I. ARMS RACE. CHINA DOESN'T VIEW A.I. AS A. TECHNOLOGY. THEY VIEW IT NO DIFFERENTLY THAN. THEY DO THEIR MILITARY. THEY KNOW WHOEVER WINS THE A.I. ARMS RACE IS LIKELY TO BE THE. DOMINANT POWER ECONOMICALLY, MILITARILY AND TECHNOLOGY. CHINA DOES NOT PLAY BY THE SAME. RULES. CHINA SUBSIDIZES THEIR COMPANIES. AND GIVE THEM VERY STRONG. FINANCING. THEY BACK A LOT OF THESE. COMPANIES WITH INDUSTRIAL.

POLICY. THE UNITED STATES DOESN'T DO. THAT. EVEN SO WE STILL ALWAYS OUT. COMPETE CHINA. BUT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL. ABOUT THIS A.I. ARMS RACE. WE CANNOT ALLOW CHINA A TO WIN. >> Bill: WHAT IS DISTINCT ABOUT. THIS. MY UNDERSTANDING IT IS OPEN. SOURCE AND GIVING IT TO EVERY. CHINESE COMPANY. IT'S GETTING GOOGLE FOR FREE. >> HAVING MICROSOFT OUTLOOK. YOU DON'T BUY THE PRODUCT, YOU. GET THE CODE AND YOU PUT THAT IN. YOUR SYSTEM AND CHINA WOULD BE. GIVING THAT AWAY.

ONCE THE CHINESE PUT THEIR. TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR SYSTEM, THEY. ARE IN IT FOR GOOD. >> Bill: T.