Trump VOWS to strike Iran ‘VERY HARD’

. PRESIDENT TRUMP WARNING THE. IRANIAN REGIME THAT IT WILL HIT. THEM VERY HARD IF DOESN'T COME. TO THE TABLE AND STRIKE A DEAL. TO END THE WAR. TRUMP SAYS THOSE STRIKES COULD. HAPPEN SOON THIS -- AS SOON AS. THIS WEEKEND. AND TRUMP'S RENEWED THREAT COMES. AS IRAN HAS LAUNCHED A NEW WAVE. OF ATTACKS AGAINST U.S. MILITARY. BASES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE U.S. MILITARY IN RESPONSE. MAINTAINING THAT NAVAL BROCK. DECADE AGAINST -- BLOCKADE. AGAINST IRANIAN SHIPS.

MEANWHILE, IRAN HAS THREATENED. TO ATTACK U.S. AND ISRAELI. ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE9 IF THE. U.S. LAUNCHES THAT NEXT ROUND OF. STRIKES. AND THIS MORNING THE U.S. EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM SAYS U.S. CITIZENS IN THE REGION SHOULD. CONSIDER LEAVING. ALEX HOGAN IS IN BRIDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY, WITH MORE. ALEX. >> Reporter: HI, BRYAN. SO THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THAT NEW. ROUND OF STRIKES COULD TAKE. PLACE ON IRAN AS EARLY AS THIS. WEEKEND AND THAT IT WOULD LAST. AT LEAST SEVERAL DAYS.

THE PRESIDENT IS HERE IN NEW. JERSEY AT HIS GOLF CLUB THIS. WEEKEND. YESTERDAY HE WAS AT CAMP DAVID. WHERE HE HELD THE FIRST EVER. TELEVISED CABINET MEETING THERE. POINTING TO A RENEWAL ON HEAVY. STRIKES SIGNALING THAT THERE IS. NO OFFRAMP TO THIS CONFLICT YET. >> -- FIVE MONTH, YOU KNOW, I. KNOW PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE --. [INAUDIBLE]. MUCH BIGGER JOB, MUCH MORE. IMPORTANT JOB THAT WE ORIGINALLY. ANTICIPATED. SO WE'RE THERE FOR FIVE MONTHS. AND IF YOU LOOK AT VIETNAM, THEY.

WERE THERE FOR 20 YEARS. IF YOU LOOK AT AFGHANISTAN, THEY. WERE THIS FOR MANY YEARS. >> Reporter: DEMOCRATS ARGUE. THE LONGER THIS GOES ON, THE. LIST OF IRANIAN THREATS ONLY. CONTINUES TO GROW. >> REMEMBER HE SAID HELP IS ON. THE WAY? GETTING RID OF THEIR PROXIES, THE HOUTHIS ARE STILL SHOOTING. IN FACT, THEY'RE MORE ENGAGED. THAN EVER. WE HAVE A YOUNGER, ANGRIER ATEAL. LA 2.0 IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTRY. NOW, PERMANENTLY ENDING ANY PATH. TOWARDS THE NUCLEAR WEAPON.

>> Reporter: NEW EFFORTS TO. THE END THE CONFLICT BETWEEN. ISRAEL AND A HAMAS, PRESIDENT. TRUMP SAYS THE U.S. AND ISRAEL. ARE ALIGNED ON PLANS. UNDER THIS AGREEMENT HAMAS WOULD. TURN OVER WEAPONS, AND ISRAEL. WOULD WITHDRAW FROM GAZA. SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO. ADDRESSED THIS DISARMAMENT DEAL. >> ON HAMAS, IT'S ANOTHER BIG. STEP AS WELL. IT'S SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE. THOUGHT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. >> Reporter: MEANTIME, NEW. CONCERN IN THE MIDDLE EAST. TODAY9 WITH THE U.S. EMBASSY IN.

ISRAEL WARNING ANY AMERICANS. THINKING OF TRAVELING TO THE. REGION THEY SHOULD RECONSIDER. THOSE PLANS, AND ANY AMERICANS. IN THE REGION, THEY SHOULD. EITHER BE CONSIDERING LEAVING OR. BE PREPARED TO LEAVE IF THERE IS. NEW ESCALATION. BRYAN? BRYAN: ALEX HOGAN LIVE IN. BRIDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY, THANK. YOU. RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE BRIGADIER. GENERAL JOHN TYKE EFFORT JOINS. ME NOW -- JOHN TYKE ART. WE WANT ABOUT TO START, OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE PRESIDENT.

TRUMP REPORTEDLY ORDERING. STRIKES THAT COULD START AS. EARLY AS THIS WEEKEND, AND THESE. STRIKES COULD BE THE HARSHEST. YET. THERE'S TWO STREAMS OF THOUGHT. HERE, GENERAL. THERE'S THE ONE OPTION WHERE YOU. COULD GO BIG. THAT IS GO FOR MAYBE TWO WEEKS. AND ATTACK MISSILE SITES IN IRAN. ONCE AND FOR ALL, POTENTIALLY. PUSHING THEM TO SURRENDER. THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION THOUGH. THAT CBS IS REPORTING, THAT HE. COULD GO AFTER POWER. INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN. WHICH WAY DO YOU THINK THE. PRESIDENT SHOULD GO HERE?

>> BRYAN, THE FIRST OPTION THAT. YOU DESCRIBED IS ESSENTIALLY. MORE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS. AND IT'S DEPLETED THEIR WEAPONS. STOCKPILES -- OUR WEAPONS. STOCKPILES. IT HASN'T CHANGED THE REGIME'S. CALCULUS AND HASN'T ALLOWED US. TO ACHIEVE OUR STRATEGIC. OBJECTIVES. THE PRESIDENT'S INSTINCT FOR THE. LAST FIVE MONTHS HAS BEEN TO. STRIKE AT THESE MORE STRATEGIC. SITES, POWER PLANTS, LOGISTICS. AND TRANSPORTATION NODES. AND THAT WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY. STRIKE AT THE HEART OF THE.

REREGIME. IT WOULD ERODE THEIR SOURCES OF. STRENGTH AND POWER. IT WOULD HIT. THE THINGS THEY VALUE MOST, AND. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE. PRESIDENT CHOOSES THE LATTER. OPTION TO ULTIMATELY CHANGE THE. REGIME OR THE CALCULUS OF THE. REGIME. BRYAN: SO IF YOU TALK ABOUT. ATTACKING ENERGY STRUCTURE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BOMBING. POWER PLANTS AND REFINERIES. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFECTING. CIVILIAN LIFE IN IRAN. HOW DO YOU DO THAT WITHOUT. LOSING ANY SORT OF GOODWILL IN. IRAN AND PERHAPS CAUSING A. CIVILIAN CATASTROPHE IN IRAN?

>> BRYAN, I'M NOT SUGGESTING. THAT YOU BOMB THOSE SITES. WHOLESALE, THAT STRATEGIC. PLANNERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAP. EVERY TARGET AND EVERY SITE TO. THE REGIME. AND I KEEP GOING BACK TO KHARG. ISLAND. 90% OF THE REGIME'S FINANCING. COMES THROUGH THAT ONE SINGLE. ISLAND. YOU COULD NEUTER THE REGIME AND. STRANGLE THE REGIME, GIVING THEM. NO RESOURCES BY HITTING THAT ONE. ISLAND. AND, AGAIN, YOU'RE VERY. STRATEGIC IN YOUR SELECTION OF.

TARGETING. YOU DON'T HIT IT ALL, YOU HIT. THOSE THINGS THAT VALUE MOST TO. THE REGIME. BRYAN: THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN. HESITANT ABOUT PUTTING GROUND. TOO MUCHS ON THE GROUND HERE. IN -- TROOPS ON THE GROUND HERE. IN IRAN. AND FOR GOOD REASON. OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU PUT TROOPS ON. KHARG ISLAND WHICH IS THE OIL. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR IRAN, CRITICS. SAY YOU PUT THEM REALLY JUST SO. CLOSE TO IRAN BEING ABLE TO. STRIKE AND CAUSE MAJOR. CASUALTIES. DO YOU THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT. NEEDS TO PUT TROOPS IN KHARG.

ISLAND? AND WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE. CRITICS WHO SAY THAT WOULD PUT. OUR TROOPS TOO MUCH IN HARM'S. WAY? >> BRYAN, I AGREE THAT IT'S A. HIGH RISK OPTION WHICH IS WHY I. WANT THE PRESIDENT TO SELECT THE. OPTION WHERE WE USE THOSE. TARGETED STRATEGIC STRIKES TO. IMPACT THOSE THINGS THAT I. DESCRIBED EARLIER. AND I THINK UNTIL YOU GIVE THAT. TRY, AND I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE, SUCCESSFUL, THEN THERE'S NO WAY. THAT YOU SHOULD SELECT A HIGH. RISK OPTION WHICH IS PUTTING. TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN IRANIAN.

TERRITORY. BRYAN: BUT WHY DO YOU THINK YOU. CAN BOMB YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS? FOR THOSE THAT THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY KIND OF. EVIDENCE SO FAR THAT THIS REGIMT. EVEN KNOW WHO'S ENTIRELY IN. CHARGE HERE, AND THAT'S TO. CAUSING A TON OF ISSUES. BUT WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT AN. AIR CAMPAIGN HERE WOULD BE. ENOUGH FOR THIS REGIME TO. SURRENDER? BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS. TO BE, TO ME, THAT THE REGIME. BELIEVES THAT ESCALATION IS THE. ONLY WAY OUT, AND THE UNITED. STATES RIGHT NOW SEEMS TO. BELIEVE THAT ESCALATION THE IS.

THE ONLY WAY OUT WHICH IS A. SCARY PLACE TO BE. >> BRYON -- BRYAN, ALL OF THESE. THOUSANDS OF STRIKES LEADING UP. TO THIS POINT HAVE HIT A LOT OF. MILITARY TARGETS, BUT THE REGIME. DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE REGIME. STRIKING MILITARY TARGETS. IT CARES ABOUT ITS GRIP ON. POWER, ITS FINANCING, AND I. DON'T KNOW IF A STRATEGIC. BOMBING CAMPAIGN COULD. ELIMINATE9 THE REGIME, BUT IT. WOULD TAKE AWAY THE RESOURCES. THAT THE REGIME RELIES UPON TO.

SUPPRESS INTERNALLY AND TO. THREATEN EXTERNALLY. AND IF THAT MEANS THAT WE STRIKE. THOSE TYPES OF TARGETS AND GIVE. THEM KNOWN RESOURCES GOING. FORWARD EVEN IF THE REGIME. REMAINS, IT MEANS THEY DON'T. HAVE POTENTTY TO DO THINGS THAT. WOULD HARM US AND OUR INTERESTS. BRYAN: AND ARE YOU CONCERNED. ABOUT THE LACK OF MISSILE. DEFENSE INTERCEPTORS THAT WE. HAVE OR OUR SUPPLY DWINDLING? APPARENTLY, WE HAVE LESS THAN. HALF OF WHAT WE HAD BEFORE THIS. WAR BEGAN. >> BRYAN, THAT'S ALL THE MORE. REASON NOT TO GO WITH AN OPTION. THAT ALLOWS THIS WAR TO CONTINUE.

ON FOR ANOTHER SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT TO STRIKE AT THE HEART OF. THE REGIME. AND WHILE IN THE SHORT TERM THAT. MAY REQUIRE A LOT OF. INTERCEPTORS THAT WE ALREADY. HAVE IN THEATER, THEN WE END. THIS A LOT QUIRK THAN ALLOWING. THIS THING TO -- QUICKER THAN. ALLOWING THIS THING TO TRICKLE. ON. BRYAN: WE SHALL SE.