Jack Keane: Iran is in PERIL

AVIV. MARTHA MACCALLUM IS HERE IN. STUDIO WITH ANALYSIS. WE WELCOME NOW GENERAL JACK. KEANE ON THE WARS OF THE WORLD. JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP FROM. OVERSEAS. LET'S START WITH YOU, GENERAL. THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. MEETINGS WITH THE LEADERS FROM. THE GULF STATES LATER TODAY. DO YOU EXPECT THE BALL TO BE. MOVED ON THE WAR WITH IRAN AT. THESE MEETINGS IN NEW YORK? >> CERTAINLY OPPORTUNITY FOR. THAT. FOR OUR AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND. OBVIOUSLY THE FOCUS OF THE U.N.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING HERE. WITH THE HEADS OF STATES COMING. OR THEIR PRIME MINISTERS, THE. FOCUS IS ON WHAT THEY HAVE TO. SAY PUBLICLY. THE INTANGIBLE BENEFIT IS THAT. ALL OF THESE COUNTRIES ARE HERE. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE. PRESIDENT TO HAVE A GROUP OF. LEADERS ON DISCUSSION ON A. FOCUSED SUBJECT. THE SECRETARY OF STATE DOING THE. SAME THING. SECRETARY OF TREASURY, SECRETARY. OF COMMERCE, ALL THOSE THINGS. ARE GOING ON. A HUGE BENEFIT THAT COMES FROM. THIS ASSEMBLY THAT TAKES PLACE. ONCE A YEAR AS A NIGHTMARE IN.

NEW YORK FOR TRAFFIC TO SAY THE. LEAST. BUT YES, THIS MEETING. THE OPPORTUNITY IS THIS. ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS IN. THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, THE GULF. STATES HAVE COME TO THE. PRESIDENT WHEN THEY BELIEVED. THAT HE WAS GETTING CLOSE TO. RETURNING TO MAJOR COMBAT. OPERATIONS AND TOLD HIM THEY DID. NOT WANT HIM TO DO IT. THE REASON THEY DIDN'T WANT HIM. TO DO IT WAS LARGELY CONCERNING. THE FACT THAT PART OF IRAN'S. RETALIATION WOULD BE NOT JUST ON.

U.S. BASES, SOME OF WHICH ARE IN. THEIR COUNTRIES, BUT ON THEIR. OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE. I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY. FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP TO SAY WHILE. HE IS WORKING VERY HARD AND. EMPOWERING ADMIRAL COOPER AND. THE SUCCESS OF THE BLOCKADE AND. WHAT SECRETARY BESSENT IS DOING. IS EXTRAORDINARY WITH COME. PREHENCEIVE SANCTIONS ON IRAN. IRAN IS IN ECONOMIC PER ILL BUT. THEIR LEADERSHIP WANTS TO.

OUTLAST US. A TEST OF WILLS. THEY THINK THEY WILL. GIVEN THAT REALITY AND THEIR. UNWILLINGNESS TO MAKE ANY DEAL. THAT WOULD BE -- MEET THE. OBJECTIVES OF PRESIDENT TRUMP. WE KNOW FULL WELL THEY LIKELY. WOULDN'T COMPLY WITH IT ANYWAY, THE PRESIDENT HAS ANOTHER. OPTION, TO ADD TO THE ECONOMIC. SANCTIONS AND THE BLOCKADE. THAT IS MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS. I THINK THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY. TO DISCUSS THAT WITH THEM AND.

WHAT HIS EXPECTATIONS SHOULD BE. FROM THEM. THEY ARE OUR ALLIES IN THE. REGION, BILL. WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING FOR THEM. SINCE POST WORLD WAR II. UNOFFICIAL NUCLEAR UMBRELLA. ANY TIME LACK OF STABILITY IN. THE REGION. RADICAL ISLAMIST, ISIS, YOU NAME. IT, THE AMERICANS HAVE COME TO. STABILIZE THE REGION AND IRAN. HAS KILLED US FROM 1983. AMERICAN BLOOD TO ANYTHING. THEY'VE DONE TO THEM.

HE HAS TO LOOK THEM IN THE EYE. AND TELL THEM IT'S TIME FOR YOU. TO MAN UP HERE. YOU'VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO DO. TWO THINGS. TAKE CASUALTIES AND ALSO TAKE. SOME DESTRUCTION AS A RESULT OF. THEIR TARGETING. OUR ANALYSIS IS THE VAST. MAJORITY OF ALL OF THEIR OIL AND. GAS INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE. PROTECTED IN IRAN ATTACKS. THE SACRIFICES HERE AND NOW FOR. THEM TO MAKE. I THINK THAT KIND OF INFLUENCE. ON THE GULF STATES IS WHAT THE.

PRESIDENT NEEDS. WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER WITH. THEM. THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE IS OUT. THERE FOR THE TAKING. ONCE WE RID THE REGION OF IRAN, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ABRAHAM. ACCORDS AND NORMALCY IN THE. REGION IS STILL THERE. IT IS NOT AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL, IT IS REAL. AND ACHIEVABLE. AND THE GULF STATES ARE PART OF. THAT STORY TO BE SURE. SOME OF THEM HAVE ALREADY. NORMALIZED WITH ISRAEL. THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA HAS. NOT.

THAT I BELIEVE IS THE. OPPORTUNITY HERE. >> Jacqui: GOOD TO SEE YOU. THE DECISION THEY ARE WEIGHING. IS A WEIGHTY ONE WHEN IRAN IS. THREATENING TO USE NEW TYPES OF. WEAPONS AND HIT NEW TARGETS IF. THERE IS ANOTHER ROUND OF. ATTACKS. THE SECOND PIECE OF THIS IS HOW. CHINA MIGHT PLAY A ROLE. THERE WAS PIECE IN THE "WALL. STREET JOURNAL." WHAT DOES TRUMP. WANT FROM XI. START WITH NO MORE HELP FOR IRAN. TO TARGET AND KILL AMERICANS. HOW LIKELY IS THAT TO HAPPEN?

>> WELL, I THINK THE SUMMIT WILL. DISCUSS A LOT OF ISSUES. CERTAINLY. THE ECONOMIC ISSUES, THE. SECURITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL. ISSUES DEALING WITH CHINA AND. PRESIDENT XI. AND CERTAINLY LISTEN, THE WAR IN. IRAN IS OVERHANGING THIS WHOLE. MEETING THAT IS TAKING PLACE. BECAUSE THE ENTIRE WORLD IS. IMPACTED BY IT. SO EVERYBODY CERTAINLY WILL BE.

PAYING ATTENTION TO PRESIDENT. TRUMP'S SPEECH. BUT IN THE PRIVATE MEETINGS WITH. PRESIDENT XI, I THINK HE HAS TO. TRULY TELL HIM THAT HE CAN NO. LONGER CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IRAN. TO THE DEGREE THAT HE IS DOING. AS TO HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE. WORLD ECONOMY, ETC. AND WHAT IS CHINA DOING IN. SUPPORT? AFTER THE 12-DAY WAR IRAN WANTED. TO ACCELERATE BALLISTIC MISSILE. DEVELOPMENT. CHINA PROVIDED THEM SOLID FUEL.

TO DO THAT TO SUPPORT THE MOBILE. LAUNCHERS, WHAT THEY PREFERRED. AS OPPOSED TO LIQUID FUEL AND. PERMANENT LAUNCH SYSTEM. THAT WAS AN ADDED BENEFIT. THEY PROVIDED COMPONENTS TO. THAT. THIS BECAME SO ALARMING G TO. ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES. WHEN THEY GRAFT OUT THE AMOUNT. OF BALLISTIC MISSILES THEY WERE. PRODUCING EVERY SINGLE MONTH ON. AN ACCELERATED BASIS, POST. 12-DAY WAR LAST YEAR. AS A RESULT OF THAT, IT WAS.

ALARMING AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE. MAJOR REASONS WHY ISRAEL AND THE. UNITED STATES COMBINED TO GO TO. WAR. AND CHINA'S SUPPORT FOR THAT WAS. CERTAINLY VERY INFLUENTIAL IN. MAKING THAT DECISION. IT IS TIME TO TELL CHINA TO STOP. AND STOP PROVIDING INTELLIGENCE. TO THE IRANIANS, WHICH IS. ASSISTING THEM IN ATTACKING U.S. BASES WITH SOME DEGREE OF. SPECIFICITY AND RUSSIA IS DOING. THAT AS WELL. >> Jacqui: A LOT.