Putin providing 'DIRECT' military aid to Iran: Report

K. PAN. IF YOU ENCOUNTER SOMEONE LIKE. THIS, DIAL 911. >> 34 PAST THE HOUR. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYING THERE ARE. NO TALKS WITH IRAN OR ANY. CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKS. THIS COMES AS THE "WALL STREET. JOURNAL" REPORTS THAT IRAN'S. MOUNTING AGGRESS IN THE STRAIT. IS PUSHING THE BUTTONS OF THE. U.S. MILITARY. FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR DAN. HOFFMAN, FORMER C.I.A. CHIEF OF. STATION. GOOD TO SEE YOU. THIS MONTH ALONE, UAE REPORTS. SEVEN SHIPS HAVE BEEN TARGETED.

THAT'S HIGHER THAN ZERO. AT ONE POINT DURING THIS. CONFLICT THAT WOULD SIMPLY HAVE. NOT BEEN ACCEPTABLE. WHAT IS YOUR READ AS TO WHY? >> IRAN IS TRYING TO DRIVE UP. THE COST FOR THE UNITED STATES. AND OUR ALLIES BY DISRUPTING. TRADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. AND THEY FEEL LIKE IF THEY CAN. IMPOSE SIGNIFICANT COSTS ON US, THAT THEY CAN WITH STAND THE. COSTS WE'RE IMPOSING ON THEM. THROUGH THE BLOCKADE. IRAN HAS CONTINUED TO TAKE. DEMANDS.

NO NEGOTIATIONS ARE GOING ON. IRAN IS DEMANDING THAT WE REMOVE. THE BLOCKADE, WE RELEASE THEIR. FROZEN FUNDS, ELIMINATE. SANCTIONS AND STOP CONDUCTING. MILITARY ACTIVITY IN THE REGION. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ISN'T. GOING TO DO THAT. I THINK WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS. DOING IS ASKING HIS INTELLIGENCE. COMMUNITY WHETHER WE ARE PUSHING. IRAN TO THE BREAKING POINT WITH. OUR ECONOMIC PRESSURE OR WHETHER. WE ARE LOOKING AT A LONG-TERM. ECONOMIC WAR OF ATTRITION.

>> Bill: SO THEN WE GO TO OTHERS. IN THE REGION. OTHERS IN THE REGION INCLUDE. VLADIMIR PUTIN. INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR. JACK KEANE'S GROUP SAYS RUSSIA. HAS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE DIRECT. MILITARY SUPPORT TO IRAN THROUGH. WEAPONS AND WEAPONS COMPONENTS. TRANSFERS. THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE. CASPSPIAN SEA IN TERMS OF. RESUPPLY. HOW DO YOU VIEW THAT? WHAT ABOUT THE TARGETING ABILITY. OF IRAN'S MILITARY? THEY HAVE PROVEN TO BE ACTUALLY. QUITE ACCURATE, MORE SO THAN A.

LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD THINK. WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM OTHER. THAN PUTIN? >> YEAH, SO RUSSIA STRONGLY. ALIGNED WITH CHINA AND NORTH. KOREA AND IRAN. RUSSIA'S CURRENCY IS. INTELLIGENCE. THEY SUPPLY IRAN WITH SATELLITE. INTELLIGENCE DERIVED FROM HUMAN. SOURCES AS WELL. SO THAT IRAN CAN MORE. EFFECTIVELY TARGET OUR BASES IN. THE REGION. VLADIMIR PUTIN WANTS THE UNITED. STATES TO BE TIED UP IN THE. MIDDLE EAST AND HE WANTS THE OIL.

PRICES TO CONTINUE TO GO UP. THAT HELPS RUSSIA WITH THE. EXTENT TO WHICH THEY EXPORT OIL. THEY WILL EARN MORE MONEY TO BE. ABLE TO CONDUCT THEIR WAR, THEIR. WAR ON UKRAINE. >> Bill: IT SEEMS TO BE ALL. INTERCONNECTED. PUTIN WOULD HAVE GREAT INCENTIVE. TO KEEP THE UNITED STATES. INVOLVED IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. AND IRAN FOR SOMETIME. FURTHER EAST, THIS MAY HAVE. SURPRISED A LOT OF PEOPLE.

THE HEADLINE. PRESIDENT TRUMP PUSHES FOR KIM. JONG UNTO HAVE A MEETING THIS. YEAR. I WAS WATCHING THE REUTERS WIRE. HIS SISTER SAYS THAT THE TRUMP. AND KIM RELATIONSHIP IS TRULY. EXCELLENT. WHAT IS YOUR READ ON THIS? WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE TO TALK. ABOUT? ISN'T NORTH KOREA HELPING IRAN. AS WELL DURING THIS CONFLICT? >> NORTH KOREA HAS BEEN AN ALLY. OF IRAN FOR A LONG TIME.

PROVIDING IRAN WITH MILITARY. TECHNOLOGY AND MISSILE. TECHNOLOGY. ALSO PROVIDING RUSSIA WITH. ARTILLERY AND PLANNING TO SEND. 50,000 TROOPS TO AUGMENT. RUSSIA'S ONGOING ATTACKS ON. UKRAINE. I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. NOT TO CONFLATE WHATEVER. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP THE. PRESIDENT HAS WITH KIM JONG. UNWITH THE FACT THAT NORTH KOREA. IS AN ALLY OF CHINA, RUSSIA AND. IRAN AND INTERESTS ARE. ANTITHETICAL TO OURS IN THE.

REGION AND CAREFUL ABOUT RISKING. ANY APPEARANCE OF PLACATING KIM. SO WE CAN GET TO THE NEGOTIATING. TABLE. I THINK KIM IS PERFECTLY HAPPY. TO SIT DOWN WITH THE PRESIDENT. OF THE UNITED STATES AND BE. PERCEIVED AS A LEADER IN THE. WORLD WHO CAN GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH. PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT AS WE SAW IN. 2018, THOSE MIGHT RESULT IN. SUMMITS BUT THEY MIGHT NOT. RESULT IN REAL AGREEMENTS, WHICH. WOULD SERVE OUR NATIONAL. SECURITY. THAT'S WHERE THE CHALLENGE IS.

THAT'S WHERE THE PRESIDENT NEEDS. TO BE ASKING DIRECT LERE C.I.A. RATCLIFFE WHETHER NORTH KOREA IS. INTERESTED IN MAKING A DEAL. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THEY ARE. INCREASING THEIR NUCLEAR ARSENAL. AND BALLISTIC MISSILE ARSENAL. AND THREATENING SOUTH KOREA AS. WELL AS THE UNITED STATES. >> Bill: THIRD WEEK IN SEPTEMBER. PRESIDENT XI EXPECTED AT THE. WHITE HOUSE. SEE WHETHER OR NOT CHAIRMAN KI.