Iran may be preparing for a ‘protracted conflict’: Dan Hoffman

E. WANTS. >> Dana: PAUL MAURO, THANK YOU. >> Bill: U.S. FORCES ONCE. AGAIN TRADING FIRE WITH IRAN. LATE LAST NIGHT, AS THE BATTLE. OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS. HEATING UP. CENTCOM SAYS IT STRUCK MILITARY. TARGETS OVER THE WEEKEND ALL IN. RESPONONSE TO THE RECENT IRANIAN. ATTACKS ON AMERICAN. SERVICE MEMBERS. THE U.S. COMBATING IRAN'S NEW. EFFORT TO PLACE MINES IN THE.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ. THE REGIME RETALIATED EARLY THIS. MORNING WITH ATTEMPTS ON U.S. ALLIES IN JORDAN KUWAIT AND. BAHRAIN. FOR MORE ON THIS WE ARE JOINED. BY DAN HOFFMAN, THE FORMER CIA. CHIEF OF STATION AND A FOX NEWS. CONTRIBUTOR. AS ALWAYS GOOD MORNING TO YOU. IT SEEMS LIKE THINGS ARE. STARTING TO HEAT UP HERE IN THE. LAST 24 TO 48 HOURS. IRAN IS LAUNCHING MORE MISSILES, MORE DRONES, MOST OF WHICH ARE. BEING SWATTED DOWN BY AMERICAN. FORCES HERE TREASURY SECRETARY. SCOTT BESSON SAYS IRAN IS. LASHING OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE IN.

A CORNER. TAKE A LISTEN. >> THEY ARE PANICKED. THEY ARE RESORTING TO. CONNECTICUT THEY ARE GETTING. SQUEEZED ECONOMICALLY. COULD YOU IMAGINE THE COUNTRY. WITH THE MOST -- THEIR MOST. ENERGY RESOURCES IN THE WORLD. NOW HAS A -- NOW HAS FOUR HOUR. GAS LINES TO GO ALL NIGHT. BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE SUCH A. TERRIBLE JOB OF MANAGING THEIR. ECONOMY. >> DO YOU THINK HE'S RIGHT? IS IRAN PANICKING RIGHT NOW?

>> I THINK IRAN IS DEFEFINITELY. FEELING SOME ECONOMIC PAIN. THEIR ECONOMY IS IN FREE FALL, THEIR CURRENCY IS WORTHLESS IRAN. IS ALSO FROM THE BEGINNING TRIED. TO ENGAGE IN AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF. VIOLENCE WITH THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ AS THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY. THEY WANT TO STRIKE THE. UNITED STATES ANAND OUR ALLIES, DISRUPT THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND. TRY TO MAKE US PAY A PRICE FOR. CARRYING ON THE CONFLICT. I THINK WHAT IRAN IS BETTING ON. IS THE TALIBAN PLAYBOOK.

BET ON THE FACT THEY MAY HAVE. LONGER STAYING POWER THAN THE. UNITED STATES. WHAT THEY WANT LONG TERM IS TO. REDUCE OR ELIMINATE ALTOGETHER. UNITED STATES INFLUENCE IN THE. REGION AND EXERCISE SOME KIND OF. DOMINANCE OVER THEIR. SELF-DESIGNATED SPHERE OF. INFLUENCE OVER OUR GULF. PARTNERS. FROM THE UNITED STATES, FROM THE. BEGIGINNING, WE WANTED TO. NEGOTIATE A BETTER DEAL THAN THE. JCPOA, THAT WOULD BE OVER IRAN'S. BALLISTIC MISSILES THEIR NUCLEAR. PROGRAM, THEIR SUPPORT TO PROXY.

TERRORISTS IRAN IS RESISTING. THAT AND I THINK IT'S OVER TO. THE PRESIDENT TO ENGAGE WITH HIS. NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM, ESPECIALLY OUR INTELLIGENCE. COMMUNITY TO DETERMINE WHERE. ADDITIONAL PAIN POINTS MAY BE. BROUGHT TO IRAN TO INDUCE THEM. TO NEGOTIATE IF INDEED THERE IS. A POTENTIAL FOR THAT TO. IF NOT, WE ARE LOOKING AT MOWING. THE LAWN, AS THE ISRAELIS LIKE. TO SAY, GOING BACK AND STRIKING. IRAN'S WEAPONS -- WEAPONS OF. MASS DESTRUCTION REPEATEDLY. >> IT FELT LIKE FOR A LOT OF THE.

SUMMER, WE WERE IN AN ENDLESS. CYCLE OF BEING CLOSE TO A DEAL, THERE'S NO DEAL OR MAYBE WE WILL. HAVE A DEAL. IT SEEMS LIKE THE PRESIDENT HAS. LOST HIS PATIENCE PURE CURES. WHAT HE TOLD TREY YINGST IN A. CONVERSATION, I THINK IN. AGREEMENT WITH THEM ISN'T WORTH. THE PAPER IT'S WRITTEN ON. WE GAVE THEM A LOT OF CHANCES, A. LOT OF RADAR WAS HIT. THEY TRIED TO REBUILD THEIR. RADAR BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE. ANYTHING. WE WAITED UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST. BUILT AND THEN WE HIT IT. IT SEEMS LIKE THE DEAL MAKING IS. OVER, WE'RE GOING TO HIT THEM. MILITARILY WHERE WE NEED TO AND. WE WILL STRANGLE THEM.

ECONOMICALLY. I'VE GOT 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOUR. THOUGHTS? >> JUST THIS, IRAN IRGC HARD. LINE REGIME, THEY ARE NOT. INTERESTED IN CAPITULATING. THEY'VE GOT A PRACTICALLY. INFINITE THRESHOLD OF PAIN THEY. ARARE WILLING TO INFLICT AND. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO NEGOTIATE. IN GOOD FAITH. IT DOESN'T LEAVE US WITH A WHOLE. LOT OF OPTIONS GOING FORWARD IF. WE DON'T WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN. A PROTRACTED CONTRACT FOR MONTHS. OR YEARS AHEAD. >> Bill: WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT. THERE AS THE IRANIAN ECONOMY I.