THIS IS A 'HOT WAR': Houthis HAMMER new targets

RESCUED HIM. INCREDIBLE STORY. >> CERTAINLY WE WERE EXPECTING. SOME KIND OF ESCALATION FROM. IRAN AND ITS PROXIES PRIOR TO. THE MID-TERMS. IT LOOKS THIS IS WHAT THEY. SELECTED TO DO. A BIT OF A COALITION WORKING. AGAINST THE HOUTHIS HERE. I THINK WE HAVE TO STRENGTHEN IT. AND STEP UP THE GAME A LITTLE. BIT. >> Bill: JACK KEANE WITH US JUST. THIS WEEK NOW. OVER TO THE BOARD I'LL SHOW YOU. WHAT IS HAPPENING AND A QUICKLY.

DEVELOPING HOT WAR BETWEEN SAUDI. ARABIA AND YEMEN TO THE SOUTH. WE FOCUSED A LOT ON THE STRAIT. OF HORMUZ, RIGHTFULLY SO OVER. THE PAST SIX MONTHS OR SO. AND THE CHOKE POINT ON THE RED. SEA. WE TALK ABOUT THE HOT WAR THE. HOUTHIS ARE HITTING TARGETS. INSIDE SAUDI ARABIA WITH. BALLISTIC MISSILES. IT HIT THAT AIRPORT IN WEEK IN. RIYADH AND SEVERAL PEOPLE KILLED.

THERE. OVERNIGHT THEY HIT HERE IN SAUDI. ARABIA AND TARGETED THE OIL. HEADQUARTERS AND THE EXECUTIVES. THAT WORK FOR THE COUNTRY. IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE. WORLD. THE HOUTHIS THAT WAS THEIR. TARGET LAST NIGHT. ONE MORE THING IF YOU FOCUS ON. YEMEN IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE. COUNTRY, THIS IS THAT SHORELINE. WHERE THE HOUTHIS HAVE CONTROL. THAT'S WHY THERE IS SO MUCH.

CONCERN. YOU HAVE TWO CHOKE POINTS SAME. PART OF THE WORLD TRYING TO GET. OIL TO THE MARKET. THAT'S WHERE OUR FOCUS IS RIGHT. NOW AND I WILL BRING IN RETIRED. LIEUTENANT GENERAL KAREN GIBSON, FORMER U.S. CENTCOM INTELLIGENCE. DIRECTOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WILL THE UNITED STATES GET. INVOLVED AND SUPPORT THE SAUDIS. RIGHT NOW IN A MORE FORCEFUL WAY. AGAINST THE HOUTHIS? >> WELL, OF COURSE, BILL, THAT. WILL BE A DECISION BY THE. PRESIDENT. HE HAS A LOT TO WEIGH. I THINK SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS.

AGAINST GETTING INVOLVED, ONE IT. OPENS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FRONT. FOR THE UNITED STATES. IT REQUIRES RESOURCES. NOT JUST SHIPS BUT A LOT OF. AIRCRAFT AND INTELLIGENCE AND. THAT COULD PULL FROM THE ASSETS. THAT ARE EITHER DEDICATED STRAIT. OF HORMUZ OR ASSETS USED FOR. OTHER THINGS IN THE. INDO-PACIFIC. A RESOURCE DRAIN THERE. A SECOND REASON SOME WOULD. QUESTION THE EFFICACY OF AIR. STRIKES ALONE TO COMPEL THE. HOUTHIS TO DO ANYTHING.

THEY'VE BEEN AT WAR WITH THE. SAUDIS SINCE 2022. IT WILL REQUIRE GROUND FORCES TO. DISLODGE THEM. A THIRD REASON, THE HOUTHIS AS. THEY HAVE TARGETED VESSELS GOING. THROUGH THE RED SEA THEY ONLY. TARGET SAUDI VESSELS. IF IT OPENS UP THEY'LL GO AFTER.

MORE VESSELS AND IT COULD BECOME. ANOTHER KEY CHOKE POINT MUCH. LIKE THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. THOSE ARE SOME ARGUMENTS AGAINST. GETTING INVOLVED. >> Bill: YOU WOULD AGREE WITH. WHAT GENERAL KEANE SAID. THIS IS A BATTLE THAT THE. IRANIANS HAVE CHOSEN TO FIGHT. FOR NOW. "WALL STREET JOURNAL." IRAN FOR. THE FILING NUCLEAR SITES AND. RALLYING PEOPLE FOR A RETURN TO. FIGHTING IS THE STORY IN THE. "WALL STREET JOURNAL" NOW. YOU WERE JUST IN THE UNITED ARAB. EMIRATES. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON THAT TRIP?

>> WELL, SO IT WAS A GREAT TRIP. THANK YOU FOR ASKING. THERE WAS A BROAD CONSENSUS THAT. THE ECONOMICS OF WARFARE HAVE. REALLY SHIFTED. IF YOU LOOK ON THE ATTACK SIDE. OF THE EQUATION MUCH CHEAPER AND. EASIER FOR ELEMENTS LIKE THE. HOUTHIS TO CONDUCT LONG-RANGE. PRECISION STRIKES AGAINST NATION. STATES. ON YOUR MAP WHERE YOU CIRCLED. RIYADH IN THE CENTER OF THE. COUNTRY, THE OIL FACILITY AND.

THE RED SEASIDE THEY HAVE HIT. TREMENDOUS GREW GRAPHIC REACH. FOR A NON-STATE ACTOR. CHEAP AND EASY TO DO. GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE ALL THE. TIME FOR NATIONS LIKE SAUDI. ARABIA AND EMIRATES AND OTHERS. CHEAP AND EASY TO STRIKE AND. EXPENSIVE TO DEFEND. WE HAVE TO CHANGE -- WE'RE ON. THE WRONG SIDE OF THAT EQUATION. THERE WAS A CONSENSUS OF THE.

REGIONAL SECURITY CONFERENCE IN. ABU DHABI. >> Bill: DO YOU THINK THESE. PERSIAN GULF COUNTRIES, SAUDI. ARABIA, UAE, QATAR, IRAQ, JORDAN, ARE THEY BETTER EQUIPPED. TO FIGHT A WAR NOW THAN THEY. WERE TWO YEARS AGO? >> I THINK THEY ARE BETTER. EQUIPPED BUT THE PROBLEM IS AS I. ALLUDED TO WITH THE EQUATION. THEIR ENEMIES HAVE MADE GREATER.

ADVANCES. >> Bill: MEANING IRAN. >> OR THE HOUTHIS IN PARTICULAR. THEY CAN PRODUCE A LOT OF THIS. STUFF. OF COURSE THEY GET GREAT. ASSISTANCE FROM IRAN, FUNDING, ADVANCED WEAPONS, INTELLIGENCE, ADVISORS AND POTENTIALLY IT'S. BEEN REPORTED GETTING SOME. COMPONENTS FROM CHINA. I HAVEN'T PERSONALLY SEEN THAT. EVIDENCE. YES, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO GO. AGAINST A CRITICAL. INFRASTRUCTURE DESPITE THE. ADVANCES IN AIR DEFENSE ACROSS. THE GULF STATES. >> Bil.