'The APPETIZER before the MAIN COURSE': Retired brigadier general on escalated strikes on Iran

>> Jesse: FOX NEWS ALERT. TRUMP BURNING BRIDGES BUT WE ARE. KEY IRANIAN BRIDGES. NOW THEY ARE CLOSED OFF. WE ALSO SMOKED A MAJOR RAILWAY. STATION CUTTING OFF THEIR. MILITARY FROM RESUPPLY LINES. THAT IS NOT ALL. FIGHTER JETS, DRONES, WARSHIPS.

LIT UP AIR DEFENSE SITES AND. MILITARY AIRPORTS. AND WE KNOCKED OUT A. SURVEILLANCE TOWER NEAR THE GULF. OF OLD. OF OMAN. THEY USE IT TO COORDINATE THEIR. ATTACKS ON INNOCENT SHIPS.

SLAPPING AROUND THE AYATOLLAH. FOR SEVEN STRAIGHT DAYS BUT. SPACE 25 HAS FIGHT LEFT IN THEM. IRAN HAS SOME FIGHT LEFT IN. THEM. AXIOS REPORTING THAT IRAN. LAUNCHING BASES IN SAUDI ARABIA. HERE COMES THE BIG SQUEEZE. AIR STRIKES COMBINED WITH A. NAVAL BLOCKADE IS STRANGLING. THEIR ECONOMY. AND ONCE WE STEP UP ATTACKS ON. BRIDGES AND RAILS IN THE NORTH,

WE'LL HAVE A LAND BLOCKADE. THE GOAL IS TO TAKE THEIR OIL. REVENUE DOWN TO ZERO. ALL OF THESE CHESS MOVES ARE. SETTING THE TABLE FOR A MASSIVE. OFFENSIVE. WHEN THE TRUMP WAS IN THE. SITUATION ROOM THIS WEEK, HE WAS. HANDED A NEW MENU OF OPTIONS, LIKE W WIPING. ALREADY SEEING THE PIECES MOVE. TRUMP TOLD ISRAEL TO CLEAR THE.

RUNWAY. WE ARE SENDING IN DOZENS OF. REFUELING PLANES TO KEEP OUR. BOMBERS IN THE AIR. YOU DON'T MOVE THAT MUCH. HARDWARE UNLESS YOU ARE PLANNING. TO USE IT. YOU WE HAVE 2,000 MARINES. TRAINED IN WATER LANDINGS. THE 11TH MARINE EXPERT IN CHARI. UNIT. TRUMP HASN'T PULLED THE TRIGGER. A GROUND ASSAULT WOULD BE A. SERIOUS ESCALATION, BUT THE. MULLAHS CANNOT CONTROL THE. STRAIT. >> ISOLATING THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ WAS ALWAYS PART. OF THE PLAN.

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO COME IN. AND BE ABLE TO REINFORCE. LOGISTICALLY AND BEGIN TO. RECOVER THE CAPABILITIES THAT. WERE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. FOR IRAN, THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IS A STRATEGIC ASSET. THEY WANT TO FIGHT US FOR IT AND. WE'VE GOT TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM. THEM AND PREVENT THEM FROM EVER. GETTING IT BACK UNDER THEIR. CONTROL AGAIN. >> Jesse: A FORMER DEPUTY. UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN. AFFAIRS AND SENIOR DEFENSE.

ATTACH A IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE LATEST CONTOURS OF ATTACKS, HOW DO YOU SEE IT. >> I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE. LAST COUPLE OF NIGHTS AS A. LITTLE BIT OF AN APPETIZER FOR. THE MAIN COURSE OF EXPANDED. MILITARY OPERATIONS NEXT WEEK. THE REGIME HAS CLEARLY EXCEEDED. THE PATIENCE THRESHOLD AND THE. GOODWILL OF THE PRESIDENT OF. UNITED STATES AND HE'S NOW GOING. TO EXECUTE STARTING NEXT WEEK. SOME OF THESE LARGER SCALE. STRATEGIC STRIKES TO BEND THE. WILL OF THE REGIME TO OUR.

STRATEGIC INTERESTS. >> Jesse: HOW LONG DO YOU. THINK THAT WILL TAKE BECAUSE. THESE STRIKES SEEM TO BE DOING A. LOT OF DAMAGE ALREADY ESPECIALLY. KNOCKING OUT THESE RAILWAYS AND. BRIDGES. >> THERE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL. OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGES TO WHAT. WE'VE BEEN SEEING THE LAST. COUPLE OF NIGHTS. NUMBER ONE IS IT DOES INDEED CUT. THEIR SUPPLY LINES AND ISOLATE. THEIR FORCES IN THE AREA IN OR. AROUND THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. THAT MEANS IT'S LESS LIKELY THEY.

CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES AND LESS. LIKELY THEY CAN PROJECT POWER IN. THE REGION AND NUMBER TWO IT. PREPARES THE BATTLEFIELD SO IF. THE PRESIDENT SO CHOOSES TO. IMPLEMENT A GROUND INVASION IN. THAT AREA IT'D BE EASIER, SAFER, AND MORE EFFECTIVE AND ALL OF. THOSE THINGS ARE STEMMING FROM. THESE TYPE OF OPERATIONAL. TARGETS THAT HAVE BEEN STRUCK IN. THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. >> Jesse: WHAT WOULD A GROUND. ASSAULT LOOK LIKE? CAPTURE ISLANDS? STRATEGIC TERRITORY ON THE. COASTLINE? TELL ABOUT THAT.

>> JESSE, THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. FOR THIS SPECIFIC AROUND THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ, THE U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND HAS NO DOUBT. MAPPED OUT THE AREA THAT IS BOTH. SIGNIFICANT AND WHAT WE'D NEED. TO DO TO TAKE OUT TERRAIN TO. BEST PROTECT OUR FORCES IN. SHIPPING AND THERE IS THE. WILD CARD OF WHAT WE ARE GOING. TO DO ON CARGILE IN THE TO THE. NORTH AND WHETHER THAT IS. STRIKES TO PERMANENTLY DISABLE. AND ILLUMINATE IRAN'S ENERGY.

RESOURCES. TO ALLOW US TO KEEP OUR ENERGY. RESOURCES, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND. IS GIVEN THE PRESENT DIDN'T. OPTIONS AND THE AREA AROUND THE. STRAIT IS ON THE TABLE. >> Jesse: THE PRESIDENT TOLD. TREY YINGST THAT IF YOU CAN PUSH. THE ENEMY FAR BACK IN A FROM. KHARG, HE CONSIDERED THAT. OPERATION. ONCE YOU DO CAPTURE KHARARG, WHT. DOES THAT GIVE OVER THE ENEMY?

>> 90% OF IRAN'S OIL EXPORTS GO. THROUGH THAT SINGLE ISLAND. IF WE EITHER DESTROY IT, THERE. IS NO CHANCE TO REBUILD AND IT. STRANGLES THEIR ECONOMY AND IF. WE TAKE IT, WE KEEP THOSE. RESOURCES OURSELVES, THERE IS. RISK AT CAPTURING THAT ISLAND. BECAUSE THE ENERGY IS GOING TO. DO THEIR BEST TO DEFEND IT. BUT IF WE DECIDE TO DO IT. ULTIMATELY IT TAKES 90% OF. EXPORT REVENUE OFF THE TABLE FOR. IRAN AND IT DOES INDEED STRANGLE. THE REGIME.

>> Jesse: WOULDN'T THAT BRING. THEM TO THEIR KNEES? THEY'D HAVE TO SIGN OVER. EVERYTHING AT THAT POINT. DO YOU THINK IT'S WORTH THE. RISK? >> JESSE, AT THIS POINT WE'VE. GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO. FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE. STRATEGIC CALCULUS. THAT IS HIT THE REGIME IN THE. AREAS THEY VALUE THE MOST. THE SOURCES OF THEIR STRENGTH. I THINK THE NEXUS OF THAT STARTS. WITH KHARG ISLAND. WITH NO ABILITY TO FUND THE. REGIME, THEY'D HAVE TO. CAPITULATE. OTHERWISE THERE'S NO WAY FORWARD.

FOR THEM. >> Jesse: WHAT YOU CONSIDER. ADDITIONAL DECAPITATION STRIKES? TO SOME OF THE REGIME. LEADERSHIP? >> JESSE, I THINK EVERY STRIKE. WE TAKE HERE ON OUT SHOULD BE. MAPPED TO HOW DO WE ACHIEVE OUR. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES. BY THAT MILITARY ACTIVITY. SOME OF THOSE WOULD BE FURTHER. REREGIME LEADERSHIP STRIKES. SOME OF THOSE WOULD BE TO. ELIMINATE INTERNAL SECURITY. HUBS. SOME OF THOSE WOULD BE ENERGY, POWER, KEY NODES OF. INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOGISTICS.

MAYBE EVEN THAT IS A TIME TO. UNLEASH THE KURDS AND PROVIDE. THEM AIR COVER. ALL THAT WOULD PUT PRESSURE ON. THE REGIME. >> Jesse: THE PRESIDENT TELLS. LIKE HE SETTING THE TABLE FOR.