Iran 'PLUNGING' into deeper CRISIS as US deploys 'one-two punch'

ABOUT 3:30 IN THE MORNING. THANK YOU MIKE. >>> DANA: TENSION RISING AGAIN. IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IRAN SAYS IT'S PLANNING NEW. RESTRICTIONS NEAR THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ. SECRETARY OF SUPREME NATIONAL. SECURITY COUNCIL DESCRIBES WHAT. IT WOULD INVOLVE. >> Voice of Interpreter: IN. THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS WE. WOULD ANNOUNCE RESTRICTIVE. EXCLUSION ZONE OUTSIDE THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. WE WILL DECLARE IT A. PROHIBITIVE ZONE MEANING ANY. SHIP THAT ENTERS THIS AREA WITH.

INTENTION OF PASSING THROUGH. THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND IS. IDENTIFIED WILL BE PLACED ON. OUR SANCTIONS LIST. >> BILL: JOINING US NOW REBECCA. HINRICH SENIOR FELLOW AT HUDSON. INSTITUTE. I LIKE THIS WALTER JONES. HEADLINE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD. SUMMATION SAYING IRAN'S OIL. DOLLARS ARE DRYING UP AND. PLUNGING IT DEEPER INTO CRISIS. THE U.S. BLOCKADE DWINDLING. SUPPLIES ALREADY ON THE WATER. ARE SQUEEZING TEHERAN'S MOST. IMPORTANT EXPORT EARNER. AND IS THAT LEADING TO THE. IRANIANS SAYING OKAY THEY ARE. GOING TO TRY THIS EXCLUSION.

ZONE? >> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE. SAYING DANA. AND THEY ARE REALLY TRYING. THAT IS WAR OF MESSAGING. IRANIANS ARE TRYING TO PROJECT. THAT THEY HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE. AND THEY CAN INFLICT THIS KIND. OF PAIN AGAINST THE UNITED. STATES. BUT THESE WERE MARKS ABOUT THIS. RESTRICTED ZONE. COME ON THE HEELS OF SENT COM. HEAD-- COOPER ANNOUNCING FOR. EVERY TWO SHIPS THAT THE. IRANIANS FIRE UPON, THAT IS OUR. SHIPS, AMERICAN SHIPS, THANKFULLY THEY ARE NOT. HITTING. BUT THEY ARE FIRING AT THEM. FOR EVERY TWO THEY FIRE UPON.

THE UNITED STATES IS GOING TO. HIT THREE OF THEIR TANKERS. AND WE JUST DID THAT A COUPLE. OF DAYS AGO DESTROYING THREE OF. THEIR SHADOW FLEET TANKERS IN. PORT. SO UNITED STATES STILL HAS A. MENU OF OPTIONS THAT WE CAN. STILL USE TO SQUEEZE THE. IRANIANS AND TRY TO COMPLICATE. THEIR CALCULATIONS AS THEY LASH. OUT AGAINST THE UNITED STATES. >> DANA: TREASURY SECRETARY. TALKED SATURDAY MORE ABOUT HIS. EFFORTS TO TRY TO SQUEEZE THEM. ECONOMICALLY.

>> THE BLOCKADE IS WORKING LIKE. NOTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN. EVERYONE IS SAYING. CONVERSATIONS DON'T WORK. I CAN TELL YOU BLOCKADE AND. SANCTIONS ARE ONE OF THE MOST. POWERFUL ONE-TWO PUNCHES IN THE. HISTORY OF ECONOMIC ISOLATION. >> AND REBECCA, I WAS THINKING. THAT THE REGIME SUHR IS VIEVED. A LOT OF THE MILITARY ATTACKS. AND THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE. ECONOMICS CONDITIONS OF THEIR. OWN PEOPLE. BUT WHEN THE ECONOMIC. CONDITIONS STARTS TO HURT THEM, MAYBE THAT'S WHEN YOU START TO. GET SOME CHANGES?

>> YEAH, I MEAN THE IDEA HERE. DANA IS TO GET PEOPLE INSIDE. IRAN TO REPLACE THE PEOPLE IN. THE REGIME THAT ARE BEING. OBSTINATE AND CONTINUE FIRING. UPON AMERICAN SHIPS. NOT SO MUCH CHANGING MINDS OF. PEOPLE IN POWER. IT'S GETTING PEOPLE IN THE. REGIME TO OVERTHROW THOSE WHO. ARE CREATING THE PROBLEM. AND AS PRESIDENT TRUMP. CONTINUES TO POINT OUT, IF YOU. DRY UP THE IRGC'S ABILITY TO. FUND THEIR OPERATIONS, THEY. CAN'T PAY THEIR SOLDIERS. THEY CAN'T PAY THEIR PROXIES.

THROUGHOUT THE REGION. AND YOU HAVE THE IRANIAN PEOPLE. OF COURSE HURTING INCREDIBLEY. AND AS YOU POINT OUT DANA. RIGHTFULLY. THE REGIME DOESN'T CARE ABOUT. THEM. BUT THEY DO GET FRUSTRATED AND. THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN THE. IMPETUS IN THE PAST TO HAVE THE. PEOPLE COME OUT AND PRESSURE. THE REGIME FOR CHANGE. SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE. GOING FOR. LAST POINT BESSENT ALSO MADE. THE CRITICAL POINT ONLY ABOUT 3. MILLION BARRELS OF IRANIAN OIL. ARE AT SEA OUTSIDE THE. BLOCKADE. AND IF THEY SELL THAT TO CHINA, THAT'S ALL CHINA HAS AS A.

PRODUCT. CHINA CAN'T BUY ANYMORE IRANIAN. OIL BECAUSE THE BLOCKADE IS IN. FACT WORKING. >> DANA: WATCHING THAT OVER THE. WEEKEND REMINDED ME OF PLAYING. BATTLESHIP WITH MY DAD AND HE. WOULD SMOKE ME WOW YOU JUST. SUNK MY BATTLESHIP. THERE'S ONE OTHER THING I. WANTED TO BRING UP TO YOU. SPECIAL ENVOY STEVE WITCOFF AND. JARED KUSHNER TELLING RUSSIA. AND UKRAINE. THEY SAID ON X AT PRESIDENT. TRUMP'S DIRECTION UNITED STATES. NEGOTIATORS VISITED BOTH MOSCOW. AND KIEV IN ORDER TO FACILITATE. ADDITIONAL DIALOGUE TO END THE.

RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR. SUBSTANTIVE PROGRESS WAS MADE. INCLUDING MOVEMENT ON. SCHEDULING ADDITIONAL. TRILATERAL TALKS. BUT DO YOU GET THE SENSE EITHER. OF THESE LEADERS IS PREPARED TO. GIVE UP THE FIGHT? >> NO, THE UKRAINIANS HAVE. BATTLEFIELD MOMENTUM AND. THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO AT. THIS POINT TO PUSH THE RUSSIANS. OUT APART FROM UNITED STATES. DOING MORE TO HELP UKRAINIANS. THE RUSSIANS WITHHELD FROM. FIRING ON KIEV WHEN KUSHNER WAS. INSIDE.

THE SECOND THEY LEFT THEY FIRED. UPON INFRASTRUCTURE KILLING AT. LEAST TWO PEOPLE. THE PROBLEM IS THE RUSSIANS. THEY WILL NOT END THIS WAR. UNLESS GREATER PRESHER IS. PLACED ON THE RUSSIANS. >> DANA: MAYBE YOU HAVE TO SEND. IN SCOTT BESSENT SEEMS.