Iran THREATENS 'economic warfare' as tensions with US ESCALATE

>> John: IRAN WARNING THE. UNITED STATES OF ARIZONA. WARFARE. -- OF ECONOMIC WARFARE. >> IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR. WEAPON. [APPLAUSE]. AND THEY HAVE BEEN PUNISHED.

GREATLY, AS YOU KNOW. WE'VE REALLY TAKEN IT TO THEM. I WANT TO COMPLIMENT OUR. MILITARY, THE JOB THEY DO IS. UNBELIEVABLE. THE BLOCKADE HAS BEEN SO. POWERFUL, SO EFFECTIVE. >> John: JOINING US NOW IS. RETIRED TWO STAR MARINE CORPS. GENERAL ARNOLD PUNARO. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU. WITH US. CENTCOM RELEASED THIS VIDEO OVER. THE WEEKEND OF IT SINKING ONE. TANKER AND DISABLING TWO OTHERS. CENTCOM REALLY CAME TO PLAY ON.

THESE SHIPS AND BRAD COOPER SAID. LET THE MESSAGE TO THE IRGC BE. CLEAR IF YOU SHOOT AT TWO OF OUR. SHIPS WE'LL NOT HESITATE TO. DEFEND AMERICAN FORCES, DESTROY. IRAN'S LIMITED AND EXPOSED OIL. FLEET TRADE IRAN TRIED TO FIRE. ON SOME U.S. WARSHIPS WHICH WAS. A BAD IDEA. >> WE ARE IN THE SEVENTH MONTH. OF A WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A. SIX WEEK OPERATION. FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS I. WOULD HAVE ARGUED WE ARE IN A.

MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC. STALEMATE. NOW WE ARE BACKSLIDING INTO THE. ESCALATORY PHASE. LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH. OUR PROXIES. THE HOUTHIS AND THE SAUDIS ARE. GETTING READY TO START THAT WAR. AGAIN. HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL ARE MIXING. IT UP ON THE SOUTHERN LEBANESE. BORDER. IRAN AND NOW OMAN ARE SAYING. THEY ARE GOING TO ANNOUNCE AN. EXCLUSION ZONE WHICH SHOULD BE. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. IRAN IS STILL CONSTRAINING THE. FREE FLOW OF COMMERCE IN THE. STRAITS OF HORMUZ, LIKE YOU. SAID. WE HAD TO ATTACK THREE SHADOW. TANKERS.

IRAN DIDN'T FIRE MISSILES BACK. AT US. THE TIT-FOR-TAT AND GOING BACK. AND FORTH HAS ESCALATED. YOU THINK THEY WOULD GET THE. MESSAGE WITH THE KIND OF. CAPABILITY THAT WE HAVE AND THE. PRESIDENT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. NO NUCLEAR WEAPON. BUT THEY STILL HAVE CAPABILITY. AND THEY ARE STILL DOING THINGS. THAT SHOULD BE TOTALLY. UNACCEPTABLE. >> John: A A STEEP LEARNING. CURVE FOR THEM TO BE SURE. AISHA YOU SAID THE HOUTHIS. ATTACKED SAUDI ARABIA. OVER 70 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN. THE SAUDIS SAID THEY ARE GOING.

TO RETALIATE AS EARLY AS. TONIGHT. LET'S DIG INTO THAT FOR A. SECOND. WHY THE HOUTHIS ARE DOING THIS. SEEMS TO ME LIKE IRAN WANTS TO. BACK SAUDI ARABIA INTO A VERY. VULNERABLE POSITION TO WHERE. THEY BACKCHANNEL TO THE. AMERICANS, HEY, STOP ATTACKING. IRAN. WE DON'T WANT THIS TO ESCALATE. IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING? >> I THINK YOU NAILED IT THAT'S. WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO. WORK. IT'S NOT IN SAUDI'S INTEREST OR. ANY OF THE OTHER ALLIES AND. PARTNERS WE HAVE IN THE GULF TO.

PLAY KISSY FACE WITH IRAN. IRAN IS ATTACKING THEM WITH. MISSILES. HEZBOLLAH AND THE HOUTHIS WOULD. NOT BE DOING THIS WITHOUT IRAN. BACKING THEM UP, THEIR PROXIES. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO WORK. BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A. NEGATIVE, NOT A POSITIVE FOR THE. PROBLEM IS WE ARE IN ANOTHER. ESCALATORY PHASE WHERE THERE ARE. NO NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON. OUR NEGOTIATORS ARE IN RUSSIA SO. THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT A WAR. THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR 12. YEARS NONOW WITH NO END IN SIGH.

>> John: LET ME GO BACK TO. WHAT YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO ABOUT. THIS EXCLUSION ZONE THAT IRAN. ANNOUNCED OVER THE WEEKEND. LISTEN TO WHAT THE HEAD OF THE. SUPREME NATIONAL SECURITY. COUNCIL SAID. >> IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS. WE WILL ANNOUNCE A RESTRICTED. EXCLUSION ZONE OUTSIDE THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IT WILL BEGIN FROM THE LINE OF. THE U.S. NAVAL BLOCKADE, EXTEND. TOWARD THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, AND. FROM THIS SIDE CONTINUE INTO THE. PERSIAN GULF. WHAT IS THIS AREA. WE WILL DECLARE IT A PROHIBITED.

ZONE MEANING ANY SHIP THAT. ENTERS THIS AREA WITH THE. INTENTION OF PASSING THROUGH THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND IS. IDENTIFIED WILL BE PLACED ON OUR. SANCTIONS LIST. >> John: I AM SURE THAT. STRIKES FEAR INTO THE HEART OF. NATIONS DOING BUSINESS WITH THE. UAE. KUWAIT, IRAQ AND OTHERS. ARE THEY BEREFT OF IDEAS? WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH AN. EXCLUSION ZONE AND PUT PEOPLE ON. OUR SANCTIONS LIST? >> AS WE HAVE SAID MANY TIMES. COME IF YOU SAID AND WE. FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION IS A. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF OUR.

NATIONAL SECURITY, WE SHOULD. NEVER COMPROMISE, WE SHOULD. NEVER FUDGE ON THAT WHETHER IT'S. THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, SOUTH. CHINA SEA, THAT'S RIGHT, THEY. ARE OUT OF IDEAS. THEIR MILITARY HAS BEEN. DECIMATED, THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM. HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY SET BACK. BUT THE REPUBLICAN GUARDS WHICH. IS THE CENTER OF GRAVITY, THEY. DON'T GET IT IT HASN'T GOTTEN. THROUGH TO THEM. THERE IS ONE MORE STRAIT THEY. COULD TARGET AND THAT'S WHAT'S. WORRISOME FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. OUT THERE BECAUSE WE ARE DOING. SUCH A GOOD JOB IN THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ. THERE'S THE OTHER STRAIT IN THE. RED SEA OF CONCERN.

ESPECIALLY AHEAD OF THE MIDTERM. ELECTIONS, GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE. TURNING POINT USA APPEARS. STRONGER THAN EVER AS WE. APPROACH A YEAR SINCE THE. ASSASSINATION OF ITS FOUNDER. CHARLIE KIRK. TURNING POINT USA CONTRIBUTOR. MORGAN MICHAEL BROWN SHARING HOW. SHE IS CONTINUING HIS MISSION,