Iran remains DEFIANT: We will ALWAYS have ‘leverage’

HIS GOVERNMENT MAY OR MAY NOT. HOLD FOR THE FUTURE. >> Dana: A DIFFERENT SYSTEM OVER. THERE. WE'LL FOLLOW IT. THE U.S. IS PULLING PERSONNEL IN. SAUDI ARABIA AS HOUTHIS ESCALATE. THEIR DEADLY ATTACKS ON CIVILIAN. TARGETS THERE. THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS SAYING. IRANIAN SUPPORTED RUTH EAST HAVE. INCREASINGLY ENGAGED IN. HOSTILITIES AGAINST SAUDI ARABIA. INCLUDING ATTACKS ON CIVILIAN. APORTS ON OTHER CRITICAL. INFRASTRUCTURE RESULTING IN. CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND TRAVEL. DISRUPTIONS. THE REBELS ARE LAUNCHING DRONE.

AND MISSILE ATTACKS ACROSS THE. KINGDOM WITH ANOTHER TODAY. DIRECTED AT AN AIRPORT IN. EASTERN SAUDI. TWO PEOPLE KILLED AND EIGHT. OTHERS INJURED. THIS IS FUN TO WATCH. >> Bill: 21 PAST THE HOUR. THE U.S. AND ISRAEL SAID TO BE. PLANNING FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS. IN IRAN. NOT JUST YET BUT HERE IS WHAT. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTS. U.S. AND ISRAEL DRAW UP PLANS. FOR RENEWED STRIKES ON IRAN. AFTER ELECTIONS. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT WITH DAN. HOFFMAN FORMER C.I.A. STATION. CHIEF AND FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR.

GOOD DAY TO YOU. HERE IS IN THE FINANCIAL TIMES. WHAT IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER IS. WRITING RIGHT NOW. THE REALITY, HE SAYS, IS THAT. IRAN SIMPLY BY VIRTUE OF. GEOGRAPHY WILL ALWAYS HAVE. LEVERAGE OVER MARITIME TRAFFIC. THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. THERE IS A WAY FORWARD BUT ONLY. MATERIALIZE ONCE THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT HAS NO. MILITARY OPTIONS. THAT MUCH SHOULD BE EVIDENT. AFTER EIGHT MONTHS OF WAR.

HOW CAN YOU BEST ASSESS IRAN'S. MILITARY CAPACITY TODAY? >> I THINK FIRST IT'S JUST. IMPORTANT THE NOTE THAT WE'RE. STILL IN AN ECONOMIC WAR OF. ATTRITION HERE AND IT'S WORTH. NOTING THAT JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. IRAN PROPOSED A SEVEN DAY. CEASE-FIRE BUT WANTED SANCTIONS. RELIEF AND END TO THE BLOCKADE. AND SHOWS HOW MUCH OUR ECONOMIC. PRESSURE IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON. THEIR ECONOMY. WHETHER WE'VE REACHED A TIPPING. POINT WHERE THAT MIGHT INDUCE.

IRAN TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. IS A QUESTION OUR INTELLIGENCE. COMMUNITY HAS TO ANSWER. IRAN HAS RETAINED SOME. CAPABILITY TO DISRUPT TRAFFIC IN. THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ BUT IT IS. GETTING THROUGH THANKS TO THE. U.S. MILITARY. WE KNOW THAT THE AMOUNT OF OIL. TRANSITING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. NOW IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH. INSURANCE RATES ARE GOING TO BE. HIGHER BECAUSE THE RISK IS. HIGHER. THE HOUTHIS ARE TARGETING THE. SAUDI OIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE.

AIRPORT IN RIYADH. SO I THINK THAT WE'RE KIND OF ON. THE PRECIPICE HERE AS WE NOTED. IN SOME OF THE REPORTING OF. POTENTIAL KINETIC STRIKES AFTER. THE ISRAELI ELECTIONS. THE UNITED STATES WILL HAVE OUR. MILITARY ASSETS IN PLACE, THREE. AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND FIGHTER. JETS IN EARLY NOVEMBER. WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT EARLY. NOVEMBER FOR A REALLY KEY. DECISION POINT. >> Bill: LET ME COME TO THAT IN. A QUICK SECOND. REPORTING TODAY SUGGESTS THAT. THE OIL AT SEA THAT IRAN WAS.

SELLING IS NOW OUT. GIVE ME A QUICK ANSWER. IS IT YOUR EXPECTATION WE'RE. GOING BACK TO BATTLE? >> I THINK WE'LL WAIT TO SEE. JUST THE IMPACT OF WHETHER THIS. ECONOMIC PAIN THAT IRAN IS. SUFFERING WILL INDUCE THEM TO. NEGOTIATE. IF NOT, WE'VE GOT OUR MILITARY. STRIKES WARMED UP IN THE BULLPEN. READY TO GO IF WE NEED TO. >> Bill: UKRAINE. PUTIN SAYS HE WILL DO A. THREE-WAY SUMMIT. THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT THAT. YESTERDAY. GIVE THIS A LISTEN FIRST. >> President Trump: WE'RE. NEGOTIATING WITH RUSSIA TO STOP.

THE WAR WITH UKRAINE. AND WE HAVE BEEN PRETTY HAPPY. WITH RUSSIA THAT THEY HAVE NOT. GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH IRAN. I WOULD SAY THAT A VERY. IMPORTANT ELEMENT IS THE FACT. THAT RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE NOT. PARTICIPATED OR PARTICIPATED IN. A MUCH SMALLER WAY THAN THEY. COULD HAVE. >> Bill: OKAY. DAN, HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE. POSSIBILITY OF EITHER A. THREE-WAY SUMMIT OR INVOLVING. UKRAINE IN SOME CAPACITY AS. WELL.

? >> PUTIN AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO. RESTARTING WHAT HE CALLS. TECHNICAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE. UNITED STATES AND UKRAINE NEXT. MONTH, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT MEAN. I THINK THAT'S JUST RUSSIA. TRYING TO CREATE THE FALSE. IMPRESSION FOR US THAT THEY ARE. WILLING TO NEGOTIATE. PUTIN HAS GOTTEN SOMETHING OUT. OF THAT. HE HAS GOT THE FREEDOM NOW TO. SELL DIESEL AND MAKE A FEW. BILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT. WE'RE NOT IMPLEMENTING THE. LINDSAY GRAHAM SANCTIONS BILL. THAT WOULD HAVE IMPOSED MASSIVE. SANCTIONS ON RUSSIAN BANKS,

SHADOW FLEET AND FORCED CHINA TO. PAY 500% TARIFF ON IMPORTED OIL. AND GAS. THAT MIGHT HAVE GONE SOME WAYS. TOWARD BREAKING THE AXIS OF. DICTATORSHIPS ALL ACTING IN. CONCERT. SO IF PAST IS PROLOGUE PUTIN. WANTS TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION. HE IS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WHEN. HE IS NOT. HE WANTS TO DRIVE A WEDGE. BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND. UKRAINE AND INSURE THAT WE DON'T. SUPPORT UKRAINE FULLY SO HE CAN.

CARRY ON HIS RUTHLESS AND. BARBARIC WAR. >> Bill: NOVEMBER 4TH, THE DAY. AFTER THE MID-TERMS COULD BE AN. INTERESTING WORLD. A LO.