Is the Houthis’ involvement in the Iran war an extension of its conflict with Saudi Arabia?

E. IN. MADELEINE RIVERA, THANK YOU. U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND SAYS IT IS. ABABLE ANOTHER TANKER YESTERDAY. AFTER IT REPORTEDLY TRIED TO RUN. THE U.S. BLOCKADE. U.S. FORCES TOOK A BREAK FROM. STRIKING IRAN ITSELF LAST NIGHT. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY TWO. WEEKS. STEVE HARRIGAN LIVE FROM TEL. AVIV WITH THE LATEST. >> FOR 1 13 NIGHTS IN A ROW, U.. FORCES TARGET MILITARY POSITIONS. INSIDE IRAN LAST NIGHT QUIET THE.

FIRST TIME IN THE LAST TWO. WEEKS. HE TALKED ABOUT CONSIDERATION OF. A POSSIBLE MASSIVE ATTACK ON. IRAN TO THE PRESIDENT MADE SURE. TO SAY ALL OPTIONS FOR THE U.S. STILL ON THE TABLE. >> SHOULD WE EXPECT MAJOR. STRIKES? >> WE ARE TALKING TO THEM RIGHT. NOW, I THINK THEY ARE GETTING. MORE AND MORE SERIOUS AS THE. DAYS GO BY, OR MAY BE AN OBVIOUS. REASON WE ARE TALKING TO THEM. RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE TWO WAYS I CONSIDER.

THAT THIS MURDER RATE THE THE. OTHER IS PROBABLY THE EASIER WAY. DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WE. COULD TAKE UP TO A HIGHER LEVEL. WE ARE LOCKED AND LOADED AND. READY TO GO. >> THINGS NOT COMPLETELY QUIET, MILITARY ACTIVITY ON THE GOLF, EMERGENT SHIP TRIED TO RUN THE. BLOCKADE OF IRAN'S NAVAL COURTS, 14 TIMES AND DISABLED BY THE. U.S. MILITARY.

>> STEVE HARRIGAN FROM TEL AVIV, THANK YOU. THE WORKER IN THE MIDDLE EAST. EXPANDING, HUMANS IRAN BACKED. WHO THESE REBELS TRADING MISSILE. ATTACKS AND AIRSTRIKES WITH. REGIONAL RIVAL SAUDI ARABIA. THEY ARE BLOCKING SAUDI OIL FROM. LEADING THE RED SEA IN THE U.S. AND RAN BATTLE OVER THE TRAIT OF. HORMUZ. DAN HOFFMAN, CIA STATION CHIEF. IN THE MIDDLE EAST, FOX NEWS.

CONTRIBUTOR. WHY ARE THE HOUTHIS ALWAYS. JUMPING INTO THIS BATTLE? >> IS A LONG-RUNNING WAR BETWEEN. THE HOUTHIS AND SAUDI ARABIA, THEY FOUGHT A WAR IN 2015 THAT. LASTED OFF AND ON, SEVEN YEARS. BEFORE HOSTILITIES ENDED IN. DIVORCE, VIEWERS REMEMBER THE. UNITED STATES TOOK THE FIGHT TO. THE HOUTHIS LAST YEAR FOR A. COUPLE OF MONTHS AND FOUND THERE.

FACILITIES, DRONES AND MISSILES. AND ARSENALS AS LAUNCH SITES AS. WELL BUT IN THIS CASE WHAT I IRN. IS TRYING TO DO IS USE PROXY. TERRORISTS TO DRIVE UP THE COST. TO THE UNITED STATES PROLONGING. THE WAR. IRAN IS DOING THIS AS PART OF. THEIR OVERALL STRATEGY WHICH IS. INVOLVING SAUDI ARABIA WITH. MISSILES AND OTHER GOLF ALLIES. AS WELL. >> THE PRESIDENT AT THE DINNER. LAST NIGHT WAS SAYING IRANIANS.

ARE STILL CONSIDERING SOME KIND. OF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. DOES WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. >> GOOD LUCK TO MAKE A DEAL. I'LL THINK THEY ARE READY THINK. IT'S TIME AM WILLING TO LISTEN. THE CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR. WEAPON. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE WASHINGTON. D.C. OR OUR CITIES FOR ISRAEL OR. THE MIDDLE EAST DESTROYED WITH. THE NUCLEAR WEAPON BECAUSE I. KNOW POWER OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, I. SEE IT. WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET IT.

HAPPEN SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT WE. WILL NOT LET THEM HAVE A NUCLEAR. WEAPON. [APPLAUSE]. >> ARE ANALYSTS WHO SAY IRAN WAS. NOT REALLY TRYING TO GET A. NUCLEAR WEAPON, WHAT IS YOUR. VIEW? >> FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT THE. PRESIDENT SAYS, PRESIDENT TRUMP. MADE IT CLEAR IS A DIPLOMATIC. OFFER AND IF IRAN WOULD LIKE TO.

TAKE IT. I THINK THAT'S WHY THE PRESIDENT. TELEGRAPHED OUR CAPABILITY IF. NOT INTENTION OF LAUNCHING. ADDITIONAL MASSIVE DRUGS ON IRAN. BUT WE HAVE NOT FOLLOW THROUGH. COLONEL THAT I SEE ANY EVIDENCE, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY THAT IRAN IS. WILLING TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD. FAITH, THIS MADE THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ THE CENTER OF GRAVITY FOR. THE WAR AND NOT INTERESTED IN. NEGOTIATING WITH HER NUCLEAR. PROGRAM OR BALLISTIC MISSILE AND. DRONE ARSENALS AS WELL AS.

SUPPORT TO PROXY TERRORISTS AND. THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CHALLENGE. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FACES. GOING FORWARD. >> THE NEW YORK TIMES PUT. TOGETHER THESE BASED ON AN. AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE THAT. SUGGESTS IF ANYTHING IRAN IS. MORE EAGER NOW TO PURSUE A. NUCLEAR WEAPON IN THE HEADLINE. IRAN'S NUCLEAR IS MORE OPEN TO. PURSUING A NUCLEAR WEAPON U.S. INTEL SAYS AND AMERICAN. OFFICIALS LONG ASSERTED IRAN. WANTED TO BE CAPABLE, AYATOLLAH.

WAS GENUINE THE INTELLIGENCE. AGENCIES BELIEVE THE MEANING AND. THE GOVERNMENT THAT EMERGED. AFTETER THE UNITED STATES AND. ISRAEL KILLED IRAN'S PREVIOUS. LEADERS HAVE AMBITIONS TO. DEVELOP ADVANCED NUCLEAR. WEAPONRY. IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN BOMBING. NUCLEAR SITES AND PREVENTING. THAT SEEMS TO BE A WORTHWHILE.

ENDEAVOR. >> I THINK IT HAS BEEN A. WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR. IRAN DEVELOPED A NUCLEAR WARHEAD. THAT COULD DEVELOP AN ENRICHED. URANIUM, HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM. ROUGHLY 2000 POUNDS OF IT. DEEP UNDER THE GROUND. YOU DON'T DO THAT UNLESS YOU. WANT TO PURSUE A NUCLEAR. PROGRAM, A WEAPONS PROGRAM, NOT. FOR CIVILIAN USE, THEY DIDN'T. NEED IT FOR THAT AND THAT WAS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S. CONCERN AND WIDELY DEPLOYED. MILITARY FORCES TO THE REGION.

WITH AN EYE TOWARD INDUCING IRAN. TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH AND. GET A BETTER DEAL THAN JCPOA AND. IRAN REFUSED TO DO THAT AND. INSIDE OF THE MILITARY STRIKES. WITH LEVELED ON IRAN THEY STILL. HAVE NOT COME TO THE NEGOTIATING. TABLE SO YOU ARE RIGHT, IF IRAN. DOESN'T NEGOTIATE, WE WILL BE. FACED WITH THE OPTION OF. CONTINUING MILITARY STRIKES. UNDERSTANDING THEY MAY NOT. RESULT IN NEGOTIATIONS AND GOOD. FAITH ON IRAN'S PART OR.

CONTINUING TO TEAR DOWN AS. LAUNCH STRIKIKES ON IRAN'S. BALLISTIC MISSILES AND DRONES. AND SETTING THEM BACK BECAUSE. IRAN DOESN'T WANT TO COME TO THE. NEGOTIATING TABLE THAT WILL BE. THE CHOICE GOING FORWARD. >> BACK TO THE HOUTHIS FOR A. SECOND BECAUSE WE HAVE A FEW. LEFT BUT ESSENTIALLY THEY ARE. DOING IRAN'S BIDDING TRYING TO. MESS UP THE MIDDLE EAST AS MUCH. AS THEY CAN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT. IRAN IS TELLING THEM TO DO.

>> THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF A. PROXY TERRORISTS, IRAN'S. PARTNERS AND WHY THEY LAUNCHED. ATTACKS ON ISRAEL AFTER ISRAEL. TOOK THE FIGHT TO HAMAS WHEN. HAMAS LAUNCHED THE BRUTAL. BARRACKS ATTACK ON ISRAELI. CIVILIANS OCTOBER 7 YEARS AGO. AND IRAN KNOWS THE GET STRATEGIC. DEPTH OUT OF USING THE HOUTHIS. TO LAUNCH STRIKES ON IRAN'S OWN. ENEM.