JUST IN: China reportedly helped Iran in deadly attack on US forces

GRIFF: STUNNING NEW REPORTING. THAT CHINA MAY HAVE AIDED IN. IRAN'S ATTACK THAT KILLED THREE. U.S. TROOPS EARLIER THIS SUMMER. IRAN RECEIVED SATELLITE IMAGES. OF AN AIR BASE IN JORDAN FROM. CHINESE ENTITIES BEFORE CARRYING. OUT THE DEADLY ATTACK. THE REPORT RAISING THE TENSIONS. BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA AHEAD. OF A HIGH STAKES SUMMIT BETWEEN. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND XI JINPING. IN WASHINGTON LATER THIS MONTH.

BRENT SADLER SERVED AS CHINA. BRANCH OF NAVY STAFF AT THE. PENTAGON, AND HE JOINS US NOW. BRENT, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS. REPORTING? HOW SURPRISED ARE YOU, AND WHAT. CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? >> WELL, GOOD MORNING AND THANKS. FOR HAVING ME ON, GRIFF. A, IT'S NOT VERY SURPRISING THAT. THE CHINESE ARE PROVIDING. INTELLIGENCE TO ONE OF THEIR. PARTNERS IN CRIME, IN THIS CASE. THE IRANIAN REGIME IN TEHRAN. BUT THE TIMING IS ACTUALLY. PROBABLY A LITTLE NOT VERY.

ADVANTAGEOUS FOR XI JINPING WITH. THE HIGH STAKES SUMMIT COMING UP. LATER THIS MONTH ON THE 24TH. GRIFF: SO LET'S GO BACK TO JULY. I MEAN, THIS WAS A TRAGIC DAY AT. THE AIR BASE WHERE WE KEEP. PLANES AND TROOPS IN JORDAN. THE MISSILES HIT AND KILLED. THREE OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS, AND I WANT TO READ THEIR NAMES. BECAUSE IN CONFLICTS LIKE THIS, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO. JUST THAT. YOU'VE GOT FIRST LIEUTENANT. FINN, PRIVATE GONZALEZ AND.

SERGEANT --. [INAUDIBLE]. HOW MANY MORE OF THESE TRAGEDIES. CAN WE HAVECHINA IS GOING TO AID. IRAN IN THE SATELLITE IMAGERY? >> WELL, THIS GETS TO THE OTHER. PART OF YOUR QUESTION AND THAT. IS, WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT. AND AND THAT IS RAISING UP. STAKES FOR THE CHINESE DOING. THIS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY. UNDERSTAND THAT WE SEE THEM. DOING THIS. AND I THINK THAT'S A CLEAR. MESSAGE THAT PERHAPS OUR. SECURITY AND NATIONAL SECURITY. ADVISERS AS WELL AS INTELLIGENCE.

LEADERS CAN ACTUALLY TRANSMIT. VERY DISCREETLY TO BEIJING. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THERE WILL. BE A CONSEQUENCE. THERE'S AN ECONOMIC COST, OF. COURSE, ALWAYS ON THE TABLE, BUT. THERE ARE OTHER MORE DIRECT. MEASURES BEYOND JUST SIMPLY. IMPACTING TRADE. BUT CERTAINLY, LESS THAN. OUTRIGHT CONFLICT OR KINETIC. ATTACKS. GRIFF: YOU'RE A NAVY CAPTAIN. THE OTHER PART OF THIS REPORTING. IS THAT CHINESE SATELLITES MAY. BE ASSISTING IRAN TO TRACK OUR. WARSHIPS. HOW CONCERNED DOES THAT MAKE.

YOU? >> WELL, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE NOT. A SURPRISE, BUT SOMETHING THAT. SHOULD BE WATCHED AND, HOPEFULLY, WILL BE REPORTED MORE. IN THE OPEN BECAUSE THE CHINESE. ARE LEARNING AS WELL AS WE ARE, AND IT'S A RACE AS TO WHO'S TO. GOING TO GET THE BOAST MEN. FIT -- MOST BENEFIT OUT OF THESE. CONFLICTS IN A SLOWDOWN THAT. COULD BE COMING VERY SOON IN. EAST ASIA. OF COURSE, THE CHINESE HAVE A. MISSILE SYSTEM BASED ON. SATELLITE TRACKING TO ATTACK OUR. AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND WARSHIPS. WAY OUT IN THE PHILIPPINES SEA.

SHOULD THERE BE A FIGHT OVER THE. FATE OF TAIWAN. SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO. LEARN AND PRACTICE EVERYTHING. THEY CAN THROUGH THEIR PROXY, THE IRANIANS, AND EVEN BY. EXTENSION, THE HOUTHIS. THERE CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A LOT. OF EXPERIENCE. THE U.S. NAVY'S BEEN DEFINITELY. GETTING A LOT OF EXPERIENCE ON. HOW TO DEFEAT DRONES, CRUISE. MISSILES AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY. PERHAPS, CHINESE-DEVELOPED AND. DESIGNED BALLISTIC ANTI-SHIP. MISSILES. GARY: LAST QUESTION, ABOUT 30. SECONDS HERE. IF YOU COULD PUT YOUR ADVISER. HAT ON, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD THIS.

HIGH STAKES SUMMIT ON SEPTEMBER. 24TH, JUST A FEW WEEKS FROM NOW, WITH XI JINPING. WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THE. PRESIDENT TO DO IN THIS. SITUATION AND HOW HE ADDRESSES. THIS? >> WELL, STRAIGHT TALK IS ALWAYS. THE CLEAREST AND BEST THING WITH. THE CHINESE AND MAKING VERY. CLEAR AND EXPLICITLY WHAT U.S. INTERESTS ARE AND NOT SHARE WITH. THEM ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT. WOULD BE THE CONSEQUENCES, BUT. MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO THEM THAT. THERE WILL BE A FULL RANGE OF. ITEMS THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED ON. THE U.S. SIDE. CLEAR AND EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND.

DEFINITE COSTS FOR THEIR. BEHAVIOR THE LAST YEAR. SINCE THE NOVEMBER SUMMIT AND BY. ALL ACCOUNTS THE CHINESE HAVE. NOT LIVED UP TO THE PROMISES. MADE. GRIFF: NO, THEY HAVE NOT. RETIRED NAVY CAPTAIN BRENT.