TAKING CONTROL: Houthis SEIZE islands in Red Sea

>> John: TAKE A LOOK AT THESE. BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF A KEY. OIL PIPELINE IN SAUDI ARABIA. FOLLOWING AN ATTACK BY DRONES. THAT WERE APPARENTLY LAUNCHED. FROM IRAQ. MEANWHILE THE U.S. IS KEEPING A. CLOSE EYE ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE. WESTERN YEMEN AS IRAN BACKED. HOUTHI MILITIAS FIGHT TO EXTEND. CONTROL ALONG THE RED SEA, ADDING A NEW THREAT TO GLOBAL. SHIPPING. VICE PRESIDENT J.D. VANCE ON. THAT EARLIER TODAY.

>> WE'VE BEEN IN CONSTANT. CONTACT WITH THE EMIRATIS, THE. SAUDIS AND OTHERS AFFECTED. IT'S SOMETHING THE UNITED STATES. ADMINISTRATION IS VERY MUCH ON. TOP OF HERE WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED. IN DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE. HOUTHIS THEMSELVES. WE ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE WE ARE ON. TOP OF THE SITUATION. IT'S A VERY FLUID AND DYNAMIC. THING. >> John: RETIRED MARINE CORPS. COLONEL MIKE JERNIGAN JOINS US. THE HOUTHIS BECOMING A PROBLEM. AFTER BEING MOSTLY QUIET FOR THE. BETTER PART OF A YEAR.

NOW THREATENING SHIPPING IN THE. BUBBLE MANDEB STRAIT AND. ATTACKING SAUDI ARABIA. E BIN SALMAN REACHED OUT TO. TRUMP AND SAID CAN YOU ATTACK. THE HOUTHIS FOR US AND THE. PRESIDENT SAID NO WHICH IS. INTERESTING. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. BOTH THE YEMEN AND SAUDI ARABIAN. GOVERNMENTS HAVE A CHALLENGE. WITH THE HOUTHIS. THE HOUTHIS ARE THE TALIBAN OF. YEMEN. JUST LIKE THE TALIBAN WAS BEING. CONTROLLED AND USED BY OTHER. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE AL QAEDA FOR. THEIR OWN USES, THE IRANIANS ARE.

USING THE HOUTHIS TO EXTEND THIS. CONFLICT AND DO OTHER DAMAGE TO. THE ENEMIES OF IRAN. SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS NOW. SAUDI ARABIA IN PARTICULAR BUT. ALSO YEMEN THEY HAVE THE. CHALLENGE OF THE 1965 MUSICAL. "SOUND OF MUSIC.". WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE PROBLEM. OF MARIA? THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE. HOUTHIS. THEY'RE NOT A FRIEND TO THE. UNITED STATES. THE PRESIDENT IS WISE TO SAY YOU. HAVE AMERICAN F-15S, YOU HAVE A.

MILITARY, YOU HAVE THE ROYAL. SAUDI MARINE CORPS. YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF THE. HOUTHIS. >>>> John: WHY COULDN'T. SAUDI ARABIA DO IT ITSELF? HERE'S WHAT REUTERS SAID ABOUT. THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT TOLD. SAUDI ARABIA TO HANDLE SOME OF. ITS OWN BUSINESS TO A GREATER. DEGREE. TRUMP'S REPORTED REFUSAL TO. AGREE TO A SAUDI REQUEST TO. STRIKE THE HOUTHIS COMBINED WITH. MOUNTING ECONOMIC COSTS IS. REINFORCING OF YOU IN SOME GULF. CAPITALS THAT NEGOTIATIONS WITH. TEHRAN ARE NO LONGER A CHOICE. BUT A NECESSITY FOR. SELF-PRESERVATION FEAR THAT.

WOULD BE PLAYING RIGHT INTO IRAN. ON THE IRGC S. HANDS. >> YOU'RE RIGHT. AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS. THAT IT COULD BE THAT IT'S. DIVIDING THE GULF STATES FURTHER. FROM IRAN. IRAN HAS IRRITATED THEM SO MUCH. WITH SO MANY OF THEIR STRIKES. LIKE THIS RECENT ONE THAT WE. WERE LOOKING AT AND THE OIL. PIPELINE, THAT ALL THE GULF. STATES WILL STAND UP AND RESIST. IRAN SO IT COULD GO BOTH WAYS. >> John: THIS WAS AN. INTERESTING ARTICLE IN.

"THE NEW YORK TIMES" ABOUT HOW. THE CEASE FIRE BROKE DOWN IN. EARLY JULY. IT'S A LITTLE LONG BUT IT'S. INTERESTING. THE PRESIDENT OF IRAN IN EARLY. JULY OFF THE SUCCESSFUL. NEGOTIATION OF A PEACE AGREEMENT. WITH THE UNITED STATES, SUDDENLY. HE GOT STUNNING NEWS. IRANIAN FORCES HAD OPENED FIRE. ON THREE COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. OUTRAGED, MR. POZHARSKYI. INFORMED THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. OF THE POWERFUL ISLAMIC. REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS AND. CALLED THE ACTIONS RECKLESS AND. DEDEMANDED ANSWERS.

GENERAL TOLD THE PRESIDENT HE. HAD NEITHER AUTHORIZED NOR HAD. ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE OF THE STRIKE. THE NATION'S SUPREME NATIONAL. SECURITY COUNCIL WHICH PLAYS A. CRITICAL ROLE IN BOTH THE WAR. AND NEGOTIATIONS HAD ALSO BEEN. IN THE DARK HE SAID. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS A ROGUE. FACTION OF THE BESIEGED WHICH IS. SORT OF THE PARAMILITARY. DOMESTIC ENFORCERS THERE THAT. WENT AHEAD AND DID THIS, TRYING. TO DERAIL THE CEASE FIRE AND ANY. PEACE TALKS.

IT ALSO SEEMS AWFULLY CONVENIENT. THAT EVERYBODY IN THE CIVILIAN. AND MILITARY LEADERSHIP IS. GOING, IT WASN'T US. >> I THINK YOU HAVE CALLED IT. I THINK THERE'S A FRACTIONED. GOVERNMENT IN IRAN AND WHO IS. CONTROLLING IT? THE IRGC CLEARLY HAS THE LEVERS. OF POWER AND THEY ARE POINTING. BLAME AT EACH OTHER. IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THOSE, THAT ALL THAT ECONOMIC STUFF IS. STILL PILING UP SO THE. GOVERNMENT THAT NEEDS TO DO THIS. IS HAVING THE EFFECTS AND THE.

IRG THAT HAS THE POWER IS NOT. HAVING THE EFFECTS. INTERESTINGLY, THE PRESIDENT, THEIR SUPREME LEADER WHO HASN'T. BEEN SEEN, WHO HASN'T BEEN ON. TV, DIDN'T GO TO HIS FATHER'S. FUNERAL BECAUSE SUPPOSEDLY HE'S. HIDEOUS DISFIGURED. IF HE WAS HIDEOUSLY DISFIGURED. THEY WOULD BE USING THAT AS A. RALLYING CRY. I THINK HE'S DEAD. I THINK THEY ARE USING TRYING TO. HOLD ALL THE CONTROL THEY HAVE. OF ANYTHING THEY HAVE AND THEY. ARE DECEIVING THEIR PEOPLE AND.

GIVING FALSE MESSAGES TO THE. REST OF THE WORLD. >> John: THERE IS CERTAINLY A. LOT GOING ON IN IRAN THAT WE. DON'T HAVE CLEAR INSIGHT INT.