JUST IN: Iran announces plan for 'exclusion zone' in Strait of Hormuz

>> Ashley: IRAN ANNOUNCING PLAN. FOR EXCLUSION ZONE NEAR STRAIT. OF HORMUZ AS U.S. STRIKES THREE. TEHRAN OIL TANKERS IN RESPONSE. TO ATTACKS ON U.S. WAR SHIPS. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS THEY. ARE READY TO SQUEEZE THE REGIME. ON ALL FRONT SAYS. >> WE'RE PUTTING MAXIMUM. ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON IRAN AND. ISOLATED THEM, SAME TIME THEY. ARE TRYING TO WAGE ECONOMIC.

TERRORISM AGAINST THE REST OF. THE WORLD BY TRYING TO IMPEDE. THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. U.S. NAVY IS ENSURING THIS FLOW. COMES OUT. WE WISH IRAN WOULD STOP DOING. WHAT THEY ARE DOING, WE ARE. DEGRADING THEIR CAPACITY TO DO. TO. >>. >> Ashley: JOINING ME IS ALEX. GRAY, THANKS FOR HOPPING ON TO. TALK ABOUT THIS. TALK ABOUT THE EKSZ EXCLUSION. ZONE AARON SAYS THEY WILL.

IMPLEMENT. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL END. FOR IRAN? I FEEL LIKE TO ME THIS IS NOT A. VERY GOOD IDEA FOR THEM. ESPECIALLY SINCE THEIR ECONOMY. IS STRUGGLING SO BADLY AS IT IS. >> WELL, I THINK IT IS A. TERRIBLE IDEA FOR IRAN AND GOING. TO END POORLY AND WE ARE SEEING. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOT GOING TO. TOLERATE IRAN BEHAVING IN THIS. ROGUE REGIME MANNER THAT SO MANY. AMERICAN PRESIDENTS BEFORE HIM. HAVE PUT UP WITH.

THE U.S. NAVY AS SECRETARY. WRIGHT SAID IS OPERATING IN. CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER RESTRICTING. IRAN'S ABILITY TO EXPORT OIL AND. EVADE SANCTIONS THEY TRIED TO. EVADE FOR DECADES. ENORMOUS PRESSURE U.S. NAVY. BLOCKADE AND DEPARTMENT OF. TREASURY UNDER SECRETARY SCOTT. BESSENT TO GO AFTER BANKS AND. COUNTER PARTIES ENABLING IRAN.

WILL BEAR FRUIT. IT HAS DESTROYED IRAN'S CURRENCY. AND IMPEDING IRAN ABILITY TO. EXPORT AND REACH THE WORLD'S. ECONOMY. THESE THINGS WILL COME TOGETHER. TO DRIVE IRAN TO THE NEGOTIATING. TABLE OR TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT. CONCESSIONS, IT IS JUST A MATTER. OF TIME. >> Ashley: ADMINISTRATION AND. SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE. ADMINISTRATION SAID THERE MAY. NOT BE A NUCLEAR DEAL, THAT IS. SOMETHING WE'VE HEARD. PRESSURE THE U.S. AND OTHER.

COUNTRIES ARE PUTTING ON IRAN IS. IMMENSE. IS IT SAFE TO SAY THIS PRESSURE. IS WORKING AND WE COULD SEE THIS. ARE WA END? >> WELL, THE WAR IS GOING TO. END, NO QUESTION AND PRESIDENT. TRUMP HAS BEEN CLEAR FROM THE. BEGINNING ANYONE WHO KNOWS HIM. OR WORKED FOR HIM, WATCHED HIS. RHETORIC KNOWS HE'S A MAN OF. PEACE AND THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO. HAVE A STABILITY PROSPEROUS. MIDDLE EAST THAT WILL HELP.

AMERICA BE PROSPEROUS. THAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S GOAL. HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE THAT WITH. IRANIAN REGIME THAT IS EXTREMIST. AND PUSHING A RADICAL AGENDA AND. VIOLENCE FOR 47 YEARS. THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS WHAT. THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE TO PUT IN. PLACE THIS ENORMOUSLY EFFECTIVE. U.S. NAVY BLOCKADE AFTER. ENJOYING THEIR AIR FORCE AND. NAVY AND THEIR LEADERSHIP AND. DESTROYING THE NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

LAST YEAR AND PUTTING IN PLACE. THIS ECONOMIC SANCTION PACKAGE. THAT IS MOST IMPRESSIVE EVER PUT. IN PLACE, ALL THAT IS GOING TO. FORCE THE IRANIANS TO MAKE VERY. TOUGH DECISIONS AND I THINK. ULTIMATELY IF WE HAVE POLITICAL. WILL IN THE UNITED STATES TO. FOLLOW THES DIRECTION, WE WILL. SEE IRAN NO LONGER ABLE TO SERVE. AS THE LOCUST OF TERROR AND. MAYHEM IN THIS REGION. >> Ashley: I HAVE TO GET TO.

THIS, SWITCH TO UKRAINE AND. RUSSIA, U.S. ENVOY UPDATING. THEIR PUSH TO END THE WAR IN. UKRAINE AFTER MEETING WITH. PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY IN. KYIV AND PUTIN IN MOSCOW. LISTEN TO THIS. >> WE WENT THROUGH IDEAS AND. TRIED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT. ELEMENTS BE THAT ARE NEEDED FOR. DURABLE PEACE WE HAVE SPOKEN. ABOUT AND WHAT CAN RUSSIA GAIN. FROM IT, WHAT CAN UKRAINE GAIN. FROM IT?

>> MY JOB AND JARED'S JOB TO. BRING PARTIES TOGETHER, KREET. GOOD COMMUNICATION CHANNEL AND. HOPEFULLY WE BEGAN THAT PROCESS. >> Ashley: ALEX, YOUR RESPONSE, THIS MEANS LIKE PROGRESS. >> IT IS A GOOD SIGN AND. ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE WAY. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE. SOMETHING HE DOES NOT GET ENOUGH. CREDIT FOR. HE'S WITHIN ENABLING UKRAINE. THROUGH INTELLIGENCE SHARING AND.

ENABLING THE ARMAMENT TRAS FER. WE'VE GIVEN UKRAINE AND THE. THINGS WE'VE DONE TO STRENGTHEN. UKRAINE, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN. ABLE TO ALLOW UKRAINE TO PROJECT. POWER AND EVEN THE PLAYING. FIELD. THE U.S. HAS DONE A GREAT DEAL. TO LET UKRAINE, EVEN THAT --. ALLOW RUSH TO FEEL PRESSURE AND. BECAUSE RUSSIA FEELS PRESSURE,

THEY HAVE MORE INCENTIVE TO MEET. AT SOME SORT OF HALFWAY POINT. WHAT YOU SEE WITH STEVE WITKOFF. AND JARED KUSHNER, SEEING. POSSIBILITY OF U.S.-BROKERED END. OF THIS CONFLICT ON TERMS THAT. SERVE U.S. INTEREST AND INTERE.