Trump DOUBLES DOWN on support for Netanyahu as Iran tensions loom over Israeli election

>> John: ISRAELIS ARE HEADED TO. THE POLLLLS TOMORROW AMID RISIN. REGIONAL TENSIONS. MEANWHILE, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS. WEIGHING IN, URGING VOTERS TO. RE-ELECT PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN. NETANYAHU AS THE CONFLICT WITH. IRAN CONTINUES. OUR CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT. TREY YINGST IS LIVE IN TEL AVIV. >> Reporter: IT'S A SENSITIVE. TIME IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS THE. REGION BRACES FOR THE.

POSSIBILITY OF WAR, AND ISRAELIS. HEAD TO THE POLLS. OVERNIGHT REPORTS INDICATED. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN. NETANYAHU PLANNED TO RESUME. STRIKES AGAINST IRAN BEFORE THE. ELECTIONS HERE. ISRAELI MEDIA DESCRIBED A. DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ISRAELI. LEADER AND HIS CHIEF OF STAFF. ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF RESUMING. STRIKES AGAINST IRAN DURING THIS. TIME PERIOD. THE REPORT SWEPT ACROSS ISRAEL. AND WERE EVENTUALLY CALLED FALSE. BY THE ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER. NETANYAHU'S MAIN CHALLENGER SAID. THIS OVERNIGHT AT A RARALLY IN L.

AVIV. >> TRANSLATOR: IN JUST TWO DAYS. WE WILL HEAD TO THE MOST FATEFUL. ELECTIONS IN OUR HISTORY, ELECTIONS CONCERNING ISRAEL'S. SECURITY AND THE CONTINUED. EXISTENCE OF THE ISRAELI STORY. AS WE KNOW IT. ON TUESDAY, THE CITIZENS OF. ISRAEL WILL DECIDE WHAT THE. ISRAELI STORY WILL BE FROM THIS. POINT FORWARD. >> Reporter: THE OUTCOME OF THE. ELECTION WON'T AFFECT THE. ABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES TO. RESUME OPERATIONS AGAINST IRAN.

IF ORDERED. PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD FOX NEWS. SUNDAY HE IS CONSIDERING HIS. NENEXT STEPS IN THE CONFLICT WI. IRAN AND WHETHER OR NOT TO. RESUME THOSE STRIKES. IT IS UNCLEAR HOW NEW U.S. STRIKES WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM. WHAT WAS CONDUCTED DURING. OPERATION EPIC FURY. IRANIANS MAINTAIN THEY ARE READY. FOR WHAT THEY CALL A FOURTH WAR. >> THE FIRST IS NEGOTIATIONS. STILL, BECAUSE IRANIANS ARE. STILL I GUESS DOING SOME TALKING. WITH US. BUT IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THAT. BELIEVES THAT EVEN IF IRAN GAVE. ALL THE OBJECTIVES THE PRESIDENT.

HAS PUT FORWARD, DOES ANYBODY. BELIEVE THEY WOULD COMPLY WITH. THAT? >> Reporter: REPORTS INDICATE. THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL ARE. MAPPING OUT PLANS TO RESUME. MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS AGAINST. IRAN, POSSIBLY AFTER THE MID. TERM ELECTIONS IN THE UNITED. STATES. JOHN? >> John: WE'LL SEE WHICH WAY. THIS ONE GOES. TREY, THANK YOU. SANDRA? >> Sandra: LET'S BRING IN. RETIRED AIR FORCE E GENERAL. WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS TELL YOU. ABOUT IRAN'S POSSIBLE NEXT MOVE. HERE IN THIS CONFLICT?

>> SANDRA, WE ARE SEEING A LOT. OF TALK ABOUT THREATS AGAINST. U.S. PERSONNEL, NOT GENERAL. THREATS, BUT SPECIFIC CREDIBLE. AND MAYBE IMMINENT THREATS. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IS ALL. ABOUT IRAN TRYING TO SET THE. STAGE TO DETER THE UNITED STATES. FROM RE-ENGAGING IN ACTIVE. COMBAT OPERATIONS. THEY'RE GETTING DECIMATED BY THE. CURRENT STRATEGIES, ECONOMIC. STRANGULATION, BUT THEY CLEARLY. PREFER THAT TO RENEWED MILITARY. STRIKES BY THE UNITED STATES AND. ISRAEL.

AND THEY'RE POSTURING TO DETER. US SO WE DON'T RENEW THOSE. STRIKES AFTER THE MID TERMS. >> Sandra: SO WHAT DOES THAT. TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO. ACT KPHUL -- ACTUALLYLY FOLLOW. THROUGH ON THESE THREATS? >> IT'S INCUMBENT TO MAKE SURE. WE ARE PROTECTED AGAINST THOSE. THREATS. BY DOING SO, IT GIVES THE. PRESIDENT MORE OPTIONS. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS HE'S.

CONSIDERING IS TO WEIGH RISKS, COST AND BENEFITS ABOUT RENEWED. KINETIC OPERATIONS. HE IS FAR MORE LIKELY TO RENEW. THOSE OPERATIONS IF HE KNOWS WE. HAVE PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF. THOSE THREATS BY A VARIETY OF. MEANS, INCLUDING ACTIVE AND. PASSIVE DEFENSES. AND I WANT TO STRESS, WE ALWAYS. RESERVE THE RIGHT TO. SELF-DEFEND. IF WE SEE AN IMMINENT THREAT. BREWING WE SHOULD PREEMPTIVELY.

STRIKE TO PROTECT OUR PERSONNEL. >> Sandra: AND OUR OPTIONS. CONSIDERING G THESE GROWING. THREATS, HERE'S PRESIDENT TRUMP. SATURDAY ON THAT. >> WE MADE DO ANOTHER LITTLE. EPIC FURY OR THEY'LL AGREE. IF THEY'RE SMART, THEY'LL JUST. SAY, LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. BUT, YOU KNOW, I DOUBT THEHEY'L. DO THAT BECAUSE PERHAPS THEY'RE. NOT SMART. WE DID A NUMBER ON THEM. >> Sandra: SEEMS LIKE AN OPEN, PUBLIC NEGOTIATION THE PRESIDENT. IS CARRYING ON WITH HERE.

>> IT IS TRUE, SANDRA. ALL OF THESE OPTIONS ARE ON THE. TABLE. LIKE GENERAL KEANE SAID, WE. SHOULDN'T EXPECT A DIPLOMATIC. SOLUTION. BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO LEVY THAT. ECONOMIC PRESSURE AGAINST IRAN. AND THEY FIRMLY BELIEVE WE HAVE. MILITARY OPTIONS ON THE TABLE, THEN MAYBE IT BRINGS THEM TO THE. POINT WHERE THEY EITHER. CAPITULATE OR FACE CRUMBLING. BECAUSE OF RENEWED MILITARY. KINETIC ACTIVITY AGAINST THEM. >> Sandra: SPEAKING OF GENERAL.

KEANE, HERE'S MORE FROM HIM IN. RESPONSE TO ALL OF THIS. LISTEN. >> WHAT WE HAVE BEEN USED TO IS. IRAN ATTACKING, WITH MILITARY. MEANS, AT U.S. BASES IN THE. REGION AS WEWELL AS OUR ALLIES. WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT. HERE IS TERRORIST TYPE. ACTIVITIES. IRGC TARGETS, THEY PUT A PLAN IN. PLACE AND THEN THEY USE LOCALS. TO CARRY OUT THE PLAN. USUALLY A CRIMINAL ELEMENT. AND THAT IS HOW I THINK WE'RE. ABLE TO DETECT IT BECAUSE WE'RE. ABLE TO PICK UP THE. COMMUNICATION THAT'S TAKEN PLACE.

THERE. SO THE THREAT IS REAL. WE'VE ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS UP. >> Sandra: THE PRESIDENT LAYS. OUT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE IN. RESPONSE TO WHAT WE ARE SEEING. AS THESE DETAILED THREATS COME. IN. HERE'S THE IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER. RESPONDING TO THE U.S. ABOUT. THOSE POTENTIAL STRIKES. THIS IS IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER. RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN TALK OF. A NEW WAR, BUT I AM ALREADY. THINKING ABOUT THE POST WAR. PERIOD, WHETHER THERE IS WAR OR. NOT OUR POLICIES REMAIN THE. SAME. IF THEY WANT TO TRY AGAIN, THEY. KNOW THEY WILL ACHIEVE NO.

DIFFERENT OUTCOME FROM THOSE OF. THE PAST. HOW SHOULD THAT BE INTERPRETED? >> SANDRA, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD. SIGNAL TO ME AND IT SHOULD BE. FOR THE UNITED STATES THAT WHEN. IRAN MAKES THREATS ABOUT THINGS. THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT DO, THAT. IT MEANS THEY'RE FEARFUL OF. THOSE ACTIVITIES. THAT SHOULD WEIGH IN TO THE. PRESIDENT'S DECISION AFTER THE. MID TERMS ABOUT, AGAIN, STRANGLING THEM LIKE WE HAVE AND. THEN CARRYING THROUGH ON SOME OF. THESE THREATS IRAN IS TRYING TO.

STOP US FROM DOING BECAUSE THEY. KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE. DRASTICALLY HARMFUL TO THEIR. REGIME INTERESTS, AND MAYBE EVEN. SURVIVAL IF WE RENEWED SOME. LEVEL OF STRATEGIC KINETIC.