Iran's strategy EXPLAINED as Houthis sieze island

G. TALKING ABOUT OUR WEAPONS. SYSTEMS. THE PRESIDENT WARNING COMES AS. WE LEARN IRAN IS REPORTEDLY. PRODUCING BALLISTIC MISSILES. AGAIN. THE U.S. OFFICIALS TELL "THE. WALL STREET JOURNAL" TEHRAN IS. ASSEMBLING STOCKPILED COMPONENTS. INTO WEAPONS IN UNDERGROUND. FACILITIES. AT THE SAME TIME, ANTHROPIC SAYS. THE HOUTHI TERROR GROUP WHICH IS. BACKED BY IRAN USED ITS A. A.I. TO BUILD BALLISTIC MISSILES AND.

TARGET STRATEGIC POINTS. CONTROLLING THE RED SEA. HERE NOW IS RETIRED VICE ADD NIL. AND NAVY SEAL ROBERT HARWARD WHO. SERVED ON GEORGE BUSH'S NATIONAL. SECURITY COIN -- COUNCIL. ROBERT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR. JOINING US THIS MORNING. HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THIS NEWS. OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS THAT. IRAN-BACKED HOUTHIS USED. ANTHROPIC'S A.I. TO BASICALLY. TAKE CONTROL OF STRATEGIC POINTS. AROUND THE RED SEA?

>> WELL, I THINK IT WAS AN. ENABLER BUT NOT THE KEY ELEMENT. OF THEIR CENTRAL OR THEIR PLAN. LOOK, THEY'RE IN A REMOTE AREA. THAT'S HOSTILE, AND WHEN THEY. SUCCESSFULLY TOOK THE PORT THAT. HAD BEEN CONTROLLED BY THE. SAUDI-BACKED AND. INTERNATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED. GOVERNMENT OF YEMEN, THAT WAS A. REAL PROBLEM. AND THEN TO MOVE DOWN THE PORT. TO TAKE THE CHOKEHOLDS ON THE. BABEL MANDEB -- BOB EL MANDEB.

ESPECIALLY ON AN ON ISLAND IN. THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA, THAT WAS. A TO REAL PROBLEM. THAT'S GOING THE TAKE CAPACITY. SO AS YOU NOTED IN YOUR REPORT, CAPACITY FOR ALL THE ENTITIES BE. IT THE HOUTHIS, BE IT THE. IRANIANS AND THE U.S., IS A. METRIC THAT WILL BE WATCHED AND. EMPHASIZED THROUGHOUT THIS. CONFLICT. AND DON'T DOUBT THE U.S., OUR.

INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY TO BUILD, CREATE WEAPONS, SURPASS EITHER. OF THOSE TWO ENTITIES ESPECIALLY. WHEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO. STRIKE THEM REPEATEDLY, DEGRADING NOT ONLY THEIR. STOCKPILES, BUT THEIR ABILITY TO. PRODUCE OR RECEIVE THOSE FROM. ALLIES WHO ARE ASSISTING THEM. AND THAT'S THE U.S. STRATEGY AT. THE MOMENT. CHARLIE: AND, OF COURSE, ALL OF. THIS COMES AT THE SAME TIME. THERE WAS THE ATTACK OUT OF IRAQ. THAT DESTROYED THE SAUDIS'. EAST-WEST PIPELINE OR AT LEAST.

THREATENED TO DESTROY THE. EAST-WEST PIPELINE. WE'VE SPENT SO MUCH TIME TALKING. ABOUT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, WHERE IS THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, IS. THE NEW CHOKEHOLD THAT WE'RE. GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON IN TERMS. OF PRODUCING ENOUGH OIL TO KEEP. THE WORLD MARKS GOING, IS IT. GOING TO SHIFT -- MARKETS GOING. IS IT GOING TO SHIFT TO THE RED. SEA, OR ARE WE STILL GOING TO. HAVE TO -- IS THAT FOCUS STILL. GOING TO BE ON THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ? >> BOTH ARE CRITICAL ENABLERS.

BOTH YOU NEED AT THE END OF THE. DAY TO GET THE WORLD ECONOMY OR. KEEP THE WORLD ECONOMY MOVING. AND THIS IS WHAT IRAN, ITS. SURROGATES AND THE IRANIAN. REVOLUTION HAVE BEEN DOING FOR. DECADES. THEY GO AFTER EVERYTHING. THEY DON'T WANT ABOUT THE FRONT. CONFRONTATION COMING AT US. DIRECT BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEIR. GOING -- THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE. THAT. BUT THEY GO AFTER OIL PIPELINES, REFINERIES, CYBER ACTIVITY, ANYTHING THEY CAN DO TO DEGRADE. OR UNDERMINE US, OUR ALLIES, BE.

IT OUR ARAB PARTNERS9 AND THE. WEST AS PART OF THEIR STRATEGY. AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR. DECADES. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS MADE A. COMMITMENT TO DEAL WITH THE. ISLAMIC REVOLUTION NOT JUST. THEM, BUT THEIR SURROGATES AS. WELL. AND WHILE YOU'RE SEEING THE. HOUTHI HAVE SOME TEMPORARY. SUCCESS AT THE MOMENT, YOU'RE. WATCHING WHAT'S HAPPENING TO. HEZBOLLAH IN YEMEN. THEY'RE BEING DECIMATED. IN FACT, THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT. HAS REACHED OUT TO ISRAEL TO. HELP DISARM HEZBOLLAH.

SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THIS IS ALL. GOING. IT'S GOING TO BE A FIGHT OF. WILLS, A FIGHT OF CAPACITY. CHARLIE: RIGHT. >> BUT AS LONG AS WE'RE. COMMITTED TO THIS, WE CAN HIT. THE OBJECTIVES AT THE END THAT. WE NEED AND WANT. CHARLIE: AND THERE WILL BE PAIN. UP UNTIL THEY FIGURE OUT A WAY. TO RESOLVE A.