This is Iran's 'LAST CHANCE,' expert warns

D. AND WHAT SHOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? FORMER U.S. NAVY LIEUTENANT. COMMANDER TOM SAUER JOINS US NOW. TO REACT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THIS MORNING. SO, FIRST OFF, HOW CLOSE ARE WE. TO A DEAL? [LAUGHTER]. >> HEY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. BACK, CHARLIE. LOOK, I THINK WHAT IT REALLY. COMES DOWN TO IS THERE IS, I. UNDERSTAND, SOME CONCERN THAT. IRAN IS TRYING TO PLAY LUCY WITH. THE FOOTBALL HERE BECAUSE THEIR. OBJECTIVE IS TO DRAG THIS OUT AS. LONG AS THEY CAN INTO THE. MIDTERMS. WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS. THE9 FACT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP.

COULD INFLICT TREMENDOUS DAMAGE. ON IRAN IF HE DECIDES TO. BUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT HE. WOULD RATHER NOT IF HE COULD --. IF WE COULD HAVE A DEAL. I HAJJ THIS IS IRAN'S LAST. CHANCE -- I IMAGINE. AND ALSO THIS BROUGHT UP A MUCH. BIGGER TOPIC AND ISSUE OF. CONCERN, IS THIS CAMPAIGN WHICH. IS, YOU KNOW, ON A HAIR TRIGGER. ALERT MORE OR LESS, YOU KNOW, WOULD SPEND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT. OF MUNITIONS. AND A LARGER QUESTION HAS COME. UP, WELL, DOES AMERICA HAVE THE. HUE IN ADDITIONS THEY NEED TO DO.

THIS AND IS MEET ALL THEIR OTHER. POTENTIAL CONTINGENCY. OBLIGATIONS. AND THE REAL ISSUE, IN MY. OPINION, IS THAT WE HAVE THE. STOCKPILES, BUT THE OTHER ISSUE. IS DO WE HAVE THE CASSIDY TO. REPLENISH THOSE STOCKPILES. AND THERE ARE, THERE'S A TON OF. EFFORT THAT'S BEING DONE TO. REINDUSTRIALIZE AND OUR, YOU. KNOW, WITH OUR MUNITIONS GROWTH. UNDER SECRETARY HEGSETH, DEPUTYTY SECRETARY STEVE --. DEPUTY SECRETARY. ASK WE'RE ALREADY.

REINDUSTRIALIZING, ALREADY. ANNOUNCED $3 BILLION IN LOANS. FOR CRITICAL SUPPLY CHAINS SO. THAT WE CAN PRODUCE THE KNEW IN. ADDITIONS FOR BOTH THE MILITARY. JETS, ROCKETS, BOMBS, TORPEDOES. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, IT'S THIS. MASSIVE SUPPLY CHAIN. AND THAT'S THE REAL ISSUE WHY WE. HAVEN'T NECESSARILY BOMBED THEM. QUITE YET. WE'RE HOLDING BACK, BECAUSE WE. WANT TO BE ABLE TO REPLENISH ALL. OF THAT. A COLUMBIA CLASS SUBMARINE HAS. 16,000 DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS IN. THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN. SO THAT'S REALLY BIGGER.

QUESTION. -- THE BIGGER. QUESTION. AND AS WE REINDUSTRIALIZE, IT'S. TYING INTO YOUR EARLIER STORY. AND THE NEXT STORY HERE. BUT REALLY PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS. THE CAPACITY TO INFLICT. TREMENDOUS DAMAGE, BUT IF HE CAN. HAVE PEACE, HE'D PREFER TO HAVE. PEACE. CHARLIE: YEAH. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS KIND. OF INTERESTING ABOUT THE WAY. IRAN IS TRYING TO PLAYAY THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS THAT THERE. ARE A LOT OF EFFORTS WITHIN THE. ADMINISTRATION AND AMONG A LOT. OF THEIR NEIGHBORS TO FIGURE OUT. WAYS TO CIRCUMVENT THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ SO THAT IRAN CAN NO.

LONGER PLAY THESE GAMES GOING. INTO THE FUTURE. IF IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU. FORESEE E HAPPENING SUCCESSFULL? >> IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING. I MEAN, ALREADY WE'RE SEEING OIL. AND GAS PIPELINES ARE BYPASSING. THE STRAIT COMPLETELY. IRAQ'S DOING IT, SAUDI, THE. OTHER GCC COUNTRIES ARE DOING. THAT TO REALLY TAKE AWAY THE. ONLY CARD THAT THEY HAVE TO. PLAY, YOU KNOW, WHICH ISIS THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. AND ALSO THROUGH OUR RAMPED-UP. PRODUCTION, IF YOU REMEMBER JUST. A MONTH OR TWO AGO, WE HAD OIL.

TANKERS WHO WERE ACROSS THE. ATLANTIC. THEY JUST IS DID A U-TURN AND. HEADED STRAIGHT TO TEXAS BECAUSE. AMERICA IS THE LARGEST OIL AND. GAS PRODUCER, LNG, NATURAL GAS, YOU NAME IT. AND RIGHT NOW -- AND THAT'S PART. OF THE REASON WHY YOU'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, GAS PRICES AT THE. PUMP. YEAH, THEY'VE RISEN, BUT NOT BY. NEARLY AS MUCH AS THEY COULD. HAVE IS UNDER DIFFERENT. CIRCUMSTANCES. CHARLIE: YES, INDEED. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER TOM.