Jack Keane: This is a NECESSITY

>> Brian: HERE WE GO. PRESIDENT TRUMP REPORTEDLY. RECEIVING A BRIEFING FROM THE. TOP U.S. COMMANDER IN THE MIDDLE. EAST REGARDING POTENTIAL. MILITARY OPTIONS FOR IRAN. JACQUI HEINRICH IS AT THE WHITE. HOUSE RIGHT NOW WITH THE LATEST. EXPWROIK, A VERY IMPORTANT. BRIEFING. >> YEAH. NO KIDDING, BRIAN. TOP U.S. COMMANDER IN THE MIDDLE. EAST MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT. ALONGSIDE WAR SECRETARY PETE. HEGSETH AND CHAIRMAN OF THE. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF DAN CAINE.

IT COMES AFTER THE VICE. PRESIDENT HELD A SIMILAR MEETING. ON WEDNESDAY FOLLOWING WARNINGS. TO REGIONAL ALLIES THAT THE U.S. COULD CONTINUE STRIKES RIGHT. AFTER THE MIDTERMS. THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL". REPORTS ADMIRAL BRAD COOPER, QUOTE: RARELY BRIEFS TRUMP IN. PERSON. SO THE MEETING COULD SIGNAL THAT. THE U.S. IS MOVING CLOSER TO. SIGNIFICANT MILITARY OPERATIONS. HE MET WITH THE PRESIDENT IN. JULY, WHEN THE TWO HUDDLED WITH. HEGSETH AND KAINE ON AIR FORCE. ONE IN DELAWARE. LAST WEEK THE PRESIDENT SAID OF. HIS OPTIONS, QUOTE, WE MAY DO. ANOTHER LITTLE OPERATION EPIC.

FURY AND WEDNESDAY SAID THIS. >> ARE YOU PLANNING ADDITIONAL. STRIKES AGAINST IRAN AFTER THE. ELECTION? >> I CAN'T TELL THAT YOU. I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT ANYTHING. IS POSSIBLE. >> REACHCHED OUT TO POWERFUL HAD. HARDLINERS IN A BID TO PEACE. TALKS AND STAVE OFF STRIKES. ACCORDING TO LETTER CLOSE AM MY. OF THE AYATOLLAH WHO THIS SPRING. ENCOURAGED A GROUND ITS. INVESTIGATION LET IRAN TAKE.

AMERICAN SOLDIERS HOSTAGE AND. CHARGE A BILLION DOLLARS APIECE. FOR THEM. THE VICE PRESIDENT TOLD JESSE. WATTERS YESTERDAY IF YOU ARE. WORRIED ABOUT ANOTHER FOREVER. WAR, DONALD TRUMP IS NOT GOING. TO LET THIS BE FOREVER WAR. IRAN HAS IN TURN THREATENED. RETALIATORY STRIKES ON U.S. ASSETS IN THE REGION AND GULF. TARGETS IF THESE STRIKES RESUME. BY THE U.S., BRIAN? >> Brian: THANK YOU SO MUCH, JACQUI, FOR SETTING THE TABLE. FOR US. BRING IN FOX NEWS SENIOR. STRATEGIC ANALYST AND RETIRED. FOUR STAR GENERAL JACK KEANE. HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT MEETING.

YESTERDAY AND FOR THE BEST CAN. YOU TELL THE AUDIENCE WITHOUT. GIVING AWAY THE PLANS? WHWHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS COMPAREDO. WHERE THEY WERE IN FEBRUARY WHEN. THIS WHOLE THING STARTED? >> YEAH, CERTAINLY, WELL, WE. HAVE BEEN IN A CEASEFIRE ON AND. OFF AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SINCE APRIL. THE 7TH, WHEN WE WENT TO THAT. CEASEFIRE, TO GO INTO. NEGOTIATIONS TO OPEN UP THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. AND, OBVIOUSLY, THAT DIPLOMACY. HAS NOT WORKED. WE GOT HUGE ECONOMIC PRESSURE. WITH THE BLOCKADE AND ALSO WITH. ISOLATING IRAN AND SHUTTING THEM.

DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. BUT YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO SHUT. THEM DOWN COMPLETELY SEVEN. COUNTRIES THAT BORDER IRAN AND. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS 25 OFFICIAL. BORDER SITES. THERE'S THE CASPIAN SAY. AND THEY WILL JUST DIG THEIR. HEELS IN. ONE THING HAVE YOU GOT DO WITH. THIS REGIME ALL THEY WANT TO DO. IS SURVIVE. MAKING A DEAL WITH THEM, I THINK. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TRIED AND. TRIED AND TRIED CONCLUSION IS.

EVEN IF YOU GOT A DEAL WHAT DO. WE KNOW? WE KNOW THEY WILL NEVER FLY WITH. IT. WHAT'S THE SENSE OF IT? THEN WE GIVE THEM MONEY TO. RECOVER. I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS NEVER. TAKEN THE MILITARY OPTION OFF. THE TABLE. AND OBVIOUSLY IS HE LOOKING AT. LIKELY THE DETAILS OF WHAT THAT. REALLY IS FOR ME TO IT'S OF. NECESSITY. BECAUSE HERE'S THE ISSUE. AS LONG AS THIS REGIME IS IN. POWER, THE IRANIAN THREAT WILL. NEVER GO AWAY.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED. STATES DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING. ABOUT IT THEY PASSED HIS. PREDECESSORS PASSED THAT PROBLEM. TO HIM IT WAS DRAMATIC POST. OCTOBER THE 7TH FOR SURE. HE DIDN'T WANT TO PASS THAT ON. TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND I DON'T. THINK IS HE GOING. TO SAY I THINK THE PATH WE ARE. ON IS TIGHT ECONOMIC SQUEEZE. THAT WE'RE DOING. AND WHAT IS BESSENT THE. SECRETARY IS DOING IS EXQUIT SIS. BUT OBVIOUSLY I DON'T THINK IT. WILL FORCE THIS REGIME TO. COLLAPSE ECONOMICALLY THE. COUNTRY MAY FAIL BUT THE REGIME.

IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE FOR ITS. CLASP IS MILITARY PRAISES. OBVIOUSLY, BRIAN, WE GOT ALL THE. ASSETS WE NEED TO DO THAT, STRENGTHENED OUR DEFENSE OF OUR. ALLIES, PARTNERS IN THE REGION, THEIR OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD SOMETHING CLOSE. TO 300 PERCENT. WE HAVE MORE OFFENSIVE. CAPABILITY THAN WE HAVE WHEN WE. BEGAN THE WAR TO DO THIS, AND I. THINK WE CAN REALISTICALLY SET. THE CONDITIONS FOR THE REGIME TO.

COLLAPSE WITH THE COMBINATION OF. MILITARY AND ECONOMIC PRESSURE. >> Brian: SO THE PLAN IS THERE. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT UKRAINE. UKRAINE IS PAUSING AT OUR. REQUEST STRIKES ON RUSSIAN. REFINERIES AFTER PRESSURE FROM. THE U.S., RIGHT? MEANWHILE MELANIA HAS ANNOUNCED. THAT SHE GOT A BRIEF TRUIST. THAT'S HOLDING IN THE KHERSON. REGION AND NOW WE HEAR THAT BUSS. ARE GETTING PEOPLE OUT STARVING. TO DEATH' WOMEN AND CHILDREN. HAVE BEEN SAVED. SHE HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLE WITH. THIS WHEN IT COMES TO UKRAINE, IT SEEMS TO BE IMBALANCE HERE. UKRAINE SAYS I WANT TO HIT THE.

REFINERIES BUT ALL RUSSIA IS. DOING IS HITTING THE POWER. SYSTEMS ON UKRAINE. WHY WOULD WE DO THIS TO OUR. ALLY? >> YEAH, WELL, CERTAINLY APPLAUD. THE EFFORT TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF. ALEISUREY AND THAT'S A GOOD. THING. TYPICALLY 24-HOUR PERIOD THIS IS. WHAT HE DID IN THE LAST 24. HOURS.

JITED POWERED DRONE HIT A. COMMUTER TRAIN, GOING TO WORKMEN. WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED. HE HIT APARTMENT BUILDINGS, AND. WHO WAS KILLED THERE? MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN KILLED. THERE AND WOUNDED. HE IS ATTACKING DURING THE DAY. NOW BECAUSE HE WANTS TO KILL AS. MANY AS HE CAN. THIS IS PUTIN, THE WAR CRIMINAL. ATTACKING CIVILIANS WITH NO. MILITARY TARGETS IS INDEED A WAR. CRIME. DON'T LET THE GOOD THICK THAT'S. AHAPPENING IN OLESHKY TO THOSE.

PEOPLE THERE, THANK GOD, CAMOUFLAGE WHAT PUTIN REALLY. HAVE AND WHAT IS HE REALLY ABOUT. HERE. I DO NOT AGREE WITH SHUTTING. DOWN UKRAINE'S ATTACKS ON OIL. CAPABILITIES AS LONG AS PUTIN IS. CONTINUING TO ATTACK CIVILIANS. HE KNOW HE IS HE CAN'T DEFEAT. UKRAINE'S ARMY. UKRAINE'S ARMY HAS STOPPED HIM. COLD. THAT'S THE TRUTH OF IT. HE CAN'T DEFEAT IT THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, OR FIVE YEARS FROM. NOW. WHAT IS HE DOING? HE IS TRYING TO KILL THE. UKRAINIAN PEOPLE TO DEFEAT THE.

UKRAINIAN PEOPLE TO PUT PRESSURE. ON ZELENSKYY TO MAKE. CONCESSIONS. AND GOD BLESS THE UKRAINIAN. PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE. STEADFAST. THEY DON'T WANT RUSSIA IN THEIR. TERRITORY AND THEY ARE WILLING. TO DIE TO PREVENTED THAT FROM. HAPPENING. >> THAT'S THE BIGGEST. MISCONCEPTION THAT ZELENSKYY. WANTS TO KEEP FIGHTING. NO, IS HE REFLECTING THE. UKRAINIAN'S PEOPLELE WILLINGNESS. TO FIGHT. WHY WOULD THEY GIVE UP LAND THAT. THEY CAN'T EARN ON THE GROUND. GENERAL JACK KEA.