SHOCK REPORT: Iran could be getting Chinese missile launchers

. SANDRA, BACK TO YOU. >> Sandra: STEVE HARRIGAN IN. TEL AVIV FOR US. THANK YOU. >> Bill: A CONCERNING STORY. HERE, IRAN COULD BE GETTING A. MAJOR PACKAGE FROM CHINA, WITH. THE REGIME REPORTEDLY SET TO. RECEIVE CHINESE SHOULDER LAUNCH. MISSILE SYSTEMS. CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY. CORRESPONDENT JENNIFER GRIFFIN. REPORTS LIVE IN D.C. FOR US THIS. AFTERNOON. WHAT ARE WE HEARING ON THIS? >> PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE'D BE. SURPRISED IF REPORTING THAT IRAN. IS SET TO RECEIVE 400 CHINESE. MADE SHOULDER FIRED AIR DEFENSE.

MISSILE LAUNCHERS IS TRUE. THE REPORTED 60 TO $70 MILLION. PURCHASE EXCLUSIVELY REPORTED BY. REUTERS WOULD MARK THE FIRST. DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT IRAN WAS. RECEIVING HELP TO REBUILD ITS. SHORT RANGE AIR DEFENSES AFTER. THE U.S. AND ISRAEL TOOK OUT ITS. AIR DEFENSES AS PART OF EPIC. FURY. CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY IS. DENYING THE REPORT AND. PRESIDENT TRUMP QUESTIONED. WHETHER IT IS TRUE BASED ON PAST. CONVERSATIONS HE HAS HAD WITH. PRESIDENT XI WHO IS SLATED TO. VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE ON.

SEPTEMBER 24TH. >> THAT WOULD BE SURPRISING. I BELIEVE THINGS LIKE THAT. HAPPEN BUT THAT WOULD BE. SURPRISING. HE TOLD ME STRONGLY HE WOULDN'T. PARTAKE. HE KNOWS I WOULD BE QUITE. DISAPPOINTED. >> THE RELEVANT REPORTS ARE. INCONSISTENT WITH THE FACTS AND. COMPLETELY GROUNDLESS. >> CHINA BUYS ROUGHLY 90% OF. IRAN'S EXPORTED CRUDE OIL. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE EXPORTS GO. TO SMALL PRIVATELY OWNED. REFINERIES LOCATED ALONG CHINA'S.

EAST COAST. THE U.S. TREASURY CALLS THEM. TEAPOT REFINERIES DUE TO THEIR. SIZE. THEY ARE MORE WILLING THAN THE. LARGE STATE OWNED COMPANY TO. RISK EVADING SANCTIONS. IRAN USES THE REVENUE FROM. CHINESE OIL EXPORTS TO FINANCE. ITS MILITARY AND BUILD WEAPONS. >> IRAN IS DIRECTLY IN CHINA'S. SPHERE OF INFLUENCE. THEY GET A LOT OF THEIR OIL AT A. DISCOUNTED PRICE THAT THEY CAN'T. GET ON THE OPEN MARKET.

IT ILLUSTRATES HOW IMPORTANT. IRAN IS TO CHINA. >> UNLIKE CHINA'S GIANT STATE. OWNED REFINERIES, THESE TWO. TEAPOT REFINERIES OPERATE ON. MORE THINNER PROFIT MARGINS, HAVE FEWER INTERNATIONAL. FINANCIAL TIES AND ARE MORE. WILLING TO TAKE SANCTIONED. RISKS. CHINA HAS AN INTEREST IN KEEPING. IRAN'S OIL FLOWING. RIGHT NOW THE U.S. MILITARY IS. BLOCKING ANY SHIPS TRYING TO. REACH AN IRANIAN PORT, INCLUDING. CHINESE OIL TANKERS. >> Sandra: JENNIFER GRIFFIN. LIVE IN WASHINGTON FOR US THIS. AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. >> Sandra: LET'S BRING IN. RETIRED AIR FORCE BRIGADIER.

GENERAL JOHN TEICHERT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING. US HERE TODAY. GOING BACK TO STEVE'S REPORTING, FIVE DAYS OF CALM NOW APPEARS TO. BE LONG GONE. WHERE ARE THINGS GOING HERE? >> I APPRECIATE THAT WE HAD TO. STRIKE BACK BECAUSE IRAN TRIED. TO KILL AMERICANS IN JORDAN A. COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO. BUT I DON'T THINK MORE STRIKES. ON THE SAME TYPES OF TARGETS ARE. GOING TO CHANGE THE STRATEGIC. CALCULUS OF THE REGIME. ALL IT'S GOING TO DO IS DEPLETE. WEAPONS STOCKPILES AND NOT.

ACHIEVE OUR STRATEGIC. OBJECTIVES. I THINK THE PRESIDENT AND HIS. ADVISORS NEED TO TAKE A STEP. BACK AND USE FEWER WEAPONS. AGAINST MORE SIGNIFICANT TARGETS. LIKE REGIME TARGETS OR ECONOMIC. TARGETS, TO ACTUALLY START. MOVING THE NEEDLE AND HELP US. ACHIEVE OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE. >> Sandra: THE. "WALL STREET JOURNAL" IN A TWO. WEEK PLAN FOR IRAN SAYS THIS, THE U.S. COMMANDER WITH A TWO. WEEK PLAN TO ESCALATE STRIKES IN. IRAN, HE COULD GREEN LIGHT. COOPERS, AND THAT'S A REFERENCE. TO ADMIRAL COOPER, HEAD OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND. HE COULD GREEN LIGHT COOPER'S.

OPTION OF TEN TO 14 DAYS OF. INTENSIVE AIR STRIKES INTENDED. TO IRAN'S MISSILE CAPABILITY. DESPITE WARNINGS THAT THE U.S. IS RUNNING LOW ON AIR DEFENSE. MUNITIONS OR HE COULD OPT FOR A. MORE LIMITED MILITARY STRIKE IN. THE HOPES DIPLOMACY COULD BE. PURSUED. IT SEEMS WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE. IN THIS CONFLICT WHEN YOU HAVE. SOMEBODY SUGGESTING AN OPTION. THAT INCLUDES MORE DIPLOMACY AND. HOPE FOR IT, SHOULD WE HAVE HOPE.

THAT THAT COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN. OR DOES THIS NEED TO BE A MORE. SPECIFIC AND AMPED UP MILITARY. STRIKE? >> WE HAVE NOW SEEN SEVERAL. CYCLES OF IRAN INDICATING BAD. FAITH WORDS AND BAD FAITH. ACTIONS. I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN TRUST. THEM TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON ANY. DEAL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW. THROUGH ON THE PREVIOUS DEAL'S. I ALSO THINK ADMIRAL COOPER GETS. IT WRONG A LITTLE BIT WHICH IS. THAT WE DON'T NEED TO STRIKE. MORE MILITARY TARGETS BECAUSE. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO DRIVE THE. THREAT TO ZERO.

YOU NEED TO STRIKE AT THE HEART. OF THE REGIME, THE THINGS THAT. KEEP THEM IN POWER, THEIR. SOURCES OF STRENGTH, THE THINGS. THEY VALUE MOST I KEEP GOING. BACK TO KHARG ISLAND BECAUSE YOU. STRANGLED THE REGIME'S RESOURCES. IF YOU STRIKE AT KHARG ISLAND. AND I DON'T THINK MORE MILITARY. TARGETS ARE THE ANSWER. I DON'T THINK DIPLOMACY IS THE. ANSWER. I THINK CHANGING THE STRATEGIC. CALCULUS BY STRIKING OUT THINGS. THEY VALUE MOST IS THE THING WE. CAN DO TO BEST ACHIEVE OUR. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES. >> GETTING THE TEMPERATURE OF. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, U.S. ADULTS. ASKED BETWEEN JULY 23RD AND.

JULY 27TH, IN RECENT DAYS ON. NEGOTIATING A PERMANENT. CEASEFIRE WITH IRAN, WHEN ASKED. IF IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE U.S. TO DO SO, 70% OF RESPONDENTS. SAID IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. JUST 21% SAID SOMEWHAT OR 7%. SAID NOT AT ALL. THAT IS WHERE WE ARE SEEING. THINGS ACCORDING TO THE LATEST. ASSOCIATED PRESS. HERE'S TOM COTTON ON. PRESIDENT TRUMP STRIKING IRAN. EARLIER TODAY ON FOX. >> THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT TO. STRIKE BACK AGAINST IRAN.

I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO. HIT THEM HARD. WE NEED TO KEEP THE EMBARGO IN. PLACE WHICH IS DEVASTATING THEIR. ECONOMY. WE NEED TO KEEP THE STRAIT OPEN. TO KEEP COSTS DOWN FOR. AMERICANS. BUT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SKEPTICAL. THAT WE WILL FIND ANYONE IN IRAN. THAT WANTS A DEAL AND HAS THE. POWER TO MAKE A DEAL. >> Sandra: TIE THAT TOGETHER. WITH THE RECENT POLLING. ARE WE GETTING THIS RIGHT? >> I APPRECIATE SENATOR COTTON. REINFORCED THE IMPORTANCE OF.

THAT BLOCKADE. THAT CUTS OFF ABOUT $6 BILLION A. MONTH THAT WOULD OTHERWISE FLOW. INTO THE POCKETS OF THE REGIME. SO THEY COULD RECONSTITUTE. MILITARILY. I DO APPRECIATE THAT AMERICANS. WOULD LOVE A DEAL BUT IRAN IS. NOT INCLINED TO GIVE A DEAL, ESPECIALLY NOT IN THE TYPES OF. TARGETING THAT THEY HAVE. UNDERSTOOD IN THE LAST SEVERAL. MONTHS, WHICH IS WHY I THINK. WE'VE GOT TO TAKE A STEP BACK. AND I HOPE THE PRESIDENT AND. PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL DID. THIS IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS A. COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND. REASSESSED WHAT ARE OUR. OBJECTIVES, HOW ARE WE GOING TO.

ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES. I AGREE WITH SENATOR COTTON THAT. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MORE. AND MORE STRATEGIC TARGETING. THAN J.