Saudi Arabia issues NEW WARNING to Houthis after citizens injured in attack

ELECTION. A LOT ON THEIR MINDS. >> Bill: MEANWHILE FROM OVERSEAS. SAUDI ARABIA WARNING IT WILL. RESPOND FIRMLY TO YEMEN'S HOUTHI. REBELS AFTER THE IRANIAN BACK. GROUP FIRED A MISSILE AND DRONE. ATTACK ON THE KINGDOM. STEVE HARRIGAN PICKS UP THE. HEADLINES LIVE TODAY IN TEL AVIV. AGAIN, STEVE, HELLO. >> THESE ATTACKS FROM THE. IRANIAN-BACKED HOUTHI FIGHTERS. KEEP COMING INTO SAUDI ARABIA.

DAY AFTER DAY. WARNINGS GOING OUT IN MULTIPLE. CITIES ACROSS SAUDI ARABIA. INCLUDING MECCA. OFFICIALS ARE MONITORING THE. SITUATION AND TALKING TO ALL. SIDES INVOLVED. HERE IS THE VICE PRESIDENT. >> WE'VE BEEN IN CONSTANT. CONTACT WITH THE SAUDIS AND. OTHERS AFFECTED IN THE REGION. IT IS SOMETHING THE UNITED. STATES ADMINISTRATION IS VERY. MUCH ON TOP OF. WE'VE ALSO BEEN ENGAGED IN. DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE. HOUTHIS THEMSELVES. SO WE ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE WE ARE. ON TOP OF THE SITUATION.

>> THESE HOUTHIS FIGHTERS OFTEN. USING MOBILE WEAPONS HAVE BEEN. MAKING GAINS AT A QUICK RATE ALL. ALONG THE RED SEA COAST FIGHTING. AGAINST YEMEN GOVERNMENT FORCES. THEY HAVE BEEN ATTACKING SAUDI. ARABIA NOW ALMOST ON A DAILY. BASIS. ONE REAL CONCERN IS SOME OF THE. TERRITORY THEY ARE TAKING IS. RIGHT NEAR THE BAB EL-MANDELO. STRAIT ONE OF THE BUSIEST PORTS. IN THE WORLD AND WATERWAYS. 12% OF THE WORLD'S OIL FLOWS. THROUGH THERE. THE GAINS THE HOUTHI FIGHTERS.

ARE MAKING COULD HAVE A REAL. IMPACT ON OIL PRICES. BACK TO YOU. >> Bill: GOOD WORK THERE, TEL. AVIV. >> Dana: LET'S BRING IF REBECCA. HEINRICH, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE. HUDSON INSTITUTE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS. CONTINUALLY SURPRISING IS THE. KIND OF PUNCH THAT THE HOUTHIS. CAN PACK. IS THAT BASED ON THEIR IRANIAN. SUPPORT SOLELY? >> IT IS ACTUALLY, DANA. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN. THEY HAVE LEARNED FROM IRANIAN. TRAINING AND SUPPORT OVER THE. YEARS HOW TO BE ESSENTIALLY.

THESE EFFECTIVE ISLAMIST PIRATES. IN THE REGION. BUT THEY WERE REALLY HELD BACK. ON A LEASH BY THE IRANIANS AT. THE BEGINNING OF THE CONFLICT. WHILE THE UNITED STATES REALLY. TOOK ON THE IRANIANS AND NOW. BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES IS. REALLY SQUEEZING IRAN SO. EFFECTIVELY ECONOMICALLY, THAT. THE IRANIANS ARE LASHING OUT VIA. THE HOUTHIS. SO THEY ARE OPENING UP THIS NEXT. FRONT TO TRY TO CLOSE THIS OTHER. ENERGY CHOKE POINT BECAUSE THE. UNITED STATES IS SUCCESSFULLY. GETTING OIL THROUGH THESE OTHER.

CHANNELS. SO IT IS FRUSTRATING THE. IRANIANS AND WHY THEY ARE GOING. THIS DIRECTION. >> Dana: THE HOUTHIS BLEW UP THE. SAUDI PIPELINE. THE SAUDIS SAID PRESIDENT TRUMP. HELP US. I THINK WE'RE GOOD AT THE. MOMENT. WHAT I JUST READ IN THE "NEW. YORK TIMES" IS FORMER DIPLOMAT. SAUDI IS SAYING WE HAVE TO GO TO. DIPLOMACY AND WORK OUT SOME SORT. OF DEAL WITH THE HOUTHIS. IS THAT POSSIBLE? >> IT'S NOT GOING TO BE. POSSIBLE. THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING.

AT THE SAME TIME PRESIDENT TRUMP. HAS THIS RHETORIC THAT'S CHILLY. TOWARD THE SAUDIS PUBLICLY YOU. SEE NEWS REPORTS THAT ADMIRAL. COOPER IS LEANING ON CLOSELY TO. THE SAUDIS MILITARILY MEETING. WITH THE CROWN PRINCE TO GIVE. THE SAUDIS CONFIDENCE WHAT THEY. CAN DO MILITARILY. IT IS NOT THE CASE THAT THE. UNITED STATES BACKS AWAY FROM. THE SAUDIS THAT THE SAUDIS WILL. STEP IN AND GET COURAGE AND. MILITARILY HANDLE THE PROBLEMS. THEMSELVES. WHEN THE UNITED STATES LEANS IN.

AND HELPS THE SAUDIS THEY HAVE. MORE CONFIDENCE. TH.