TIGHTENING NOOSE: Iran proxies target another CRITICAL waterway

HEIGHTENED ALERT. MARTHA, BACK TO YOU. >> Martha: STEVE, THANK YOU VERY. MUCH, STEVE HARRIGAN IN TEL AVIV. AND ADDING TO THE PRESSURE, TEHERAN IS PUTTING ON THE STRAIT. OF HORMUZ, IRAN BACKED HOUTHIS. ARE NOW TARGETING THE OTHER. MAJOR CRUCIAL WATERWAY, THE. STRAIT THAT YOU SEE ON THE. SCREEN RIGHT NOW. ANOTHER NARROW EXTREMELY. IMPORTANT OPENING THROUGH WHICH. ABOUT 20% OF -- I THINK IT'S. ABOUT EIGHT TO 12 ACTUALLY. PERCENT OF ENERGY FLOWS THROUGH.

THAT STRAIT BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT. THE BIG PART OF THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ COMBINED WITH THIS, THIS. FORCES TRAFFIC ALL THE WAY. AROUND AFRICA, IN SOME CASES, ALTHOUGH THE SUEZ CANAL IS. USEFUL TO SAUDI ARABIA AS WELL. IN THIS SCENARIO BUT THINGS ARE. TIGHTENING UP. RETIRED VICE ADMIRAL, FORMER. COMMANDER OF THE U.S.'S FIFTH. FLEET IN BAHRAIN WILL JOIN US IN. A MOMENT BUT FIRST SECURITY. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS JENNIFER. GRIFFIN WHO JOINS ME FROM.

WASHINGTON. HI, JENNIFER. >> A NEW FRONT IN THE MIDDLE. EAST COULD COMPLICATE U.S. EFFORTS AND SEND OIL PRICES EVEN. HIGHER. IRAN'S PROXY IN YEMEN, THE. HOUTHIS, SAY THAT THEY HAVE. CLOSED THE STRAIT TO SAUDI. SHIPPING. THEY FIRED AT TWO SAUDI OIL. TANKERS YESTERDAY HITTING ONE. AND POTENTIALLY FORCING SHIPS TO. TAKE THE LONG AND EXPENSIVE. ROUTE THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL,

ANOTHER DISRUPTION TO THE FLOW. OF OIL. >> ARMED FORCES CARRIED OUT A. SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION. TARGETING TWO SAUDI OIL TANKERS. THAT HAD VIOLATED THE BLOCKADE. DECISION ISSUED BY THE ARMED. FORCES IN THE RED SEA. >> IN ORDER NOT TO EXPAND THE. CONFLICT TO A NEW FRONT ALLIED. FORCES HAVE DECIDED IF THE. HOUTHIS STRIKE, THEN IRAN WILL. PAY THE PRICE AND BE HIT IN. RESPONSE. IRAN RECENTLY FLEW IRGC. COMMANDERS, IRANIAN COMMANDERS, MILITARY ADVISERS, AND MISSILE. AND DRONE-RELATED EQUIPMENT INTO.

YEMEN TO BOLSTER THE HOUTHIS'. ABILITY TO THREATEN SHIPS IN THE. RED SEA AS ANOTHER COMMERCIAL. POINT, AND THOSE NATIONS IN THE. GULF WHO ARE ALLOWING THE U.S. TO USE THEIR BASES. TRUMP'S 2025 ROUGH RIDER BOMBING. CAMPAIGN HIT OVER 1,000 TARGETS. IN YEMEN AND SIGNIFICANTLY. DE.