US, Iran weigh wider war after latest strikes HEIGHTEN tension

>> Sandra: TOP OF THE NEW. HOUR. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS GETTING READY. FOR A SPEECH IN GEORGIA AFTER. ISSUING A NEW THREAT TO IRAN. THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF WARNING. THE REGIME THAT ANY SHIP HIT IN. THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL BE MET. WITH A STRIKE ON AN IRANIAN. BRIDGE OR POWER PLANANT. POTENTIALLY INSIDE THE CAPITAL. CITY. THIS IS A BRAND NEW HOUR OF. "AMERICA REPORTS.". 2:00 ON THE EAST COAST BRET I.

AM SANDRA SMITH IN NEW YORK AND. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE, GILLIAN. >> Gillian: THANKS FOR HAVING. ME. I AM GILLIAN TURNER IN FOR JOHN. THIS NEW WARNING FOLLOWS 11. STRAIGHT NIGHTS OF U.S. STRIKES. TARGETING IRAN'S O OPS CENTERS, AIRCRAFT HANGARS, DRONE. FACILITIES, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS. ALSO VOWING TO STRIKE PICKAXE. MOUNTAIN. IT IS BELIEVED THE REGIME HAS. MOVED ITS NUCLEAR CENTRIFUGES. BELOW GROUND THERE. >> Sandra: OUR CHIEF. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT. STEVE HARRIGAN IS LIVE IN. TEL AVIV. HE'S GOT THE VERY LATEST.

HELLO, STEVE. >> SANDRA, OVERNIGHT U.S. FORCES. LAUNCHED ATTACKS FOR ABOUT. 75 MINUTES, HITTING IRANIAN. MILITARY POSITIONS INCLUDING A. DRONE STORAGE FACILITY. PRESIDENT TRUMP WARNED TODAY. THAT THE TARGETS MAY SOON BE. EXPANDED DEPENDING ON IRAN'S. BEHAVIOR. THE PRESIDENT POSTING FROM THIS. POINT FORWARD ANY TIME THE. ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN SHOOTS. AT A SHIP IN THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ WHETHER IT IS. BY MISSILE, ROCKET, DRONE OR ANY. OTHER DEVICE OR WEAPON, UNITED STATES WILL BOMB AND.

DESTROY ONE BRIDGE OR POWER. PLANT INCLUDING THOSE LOCATED. NEXT TO OR IN THE CAPITAL CITY. OF TEHRAN. THE RESPONSE FROM IRAN TO THIS. POST WAS IMMEDIATE AND DEFIANT. THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT SAYING. IT'S ALL OR NONE. IF IRAN IS NOT ALLOWED TO SELL. ITS OIL, NO ONE IN THE REGION. WILL BE ALLOWED D TO SELL OIL. SANDRA, BACK TO YOU. >> Sandra: STEVE HARRIGAN, THANK YOU. LET'S BRING IN RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN. TEICHART. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

GIVE US YOUR THOUGHT ON THE. PRESIDENT'S STRATEGY WITH THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. >> I AM ENCOURAGED BECAUSE THE. ONLY LANGUAGE THE REGIME IN. TEHRAN UNDERSTANDS AND RESPECTS. IS STRENGTH CAPABILITY, WILL AND. RESOLVE AND I THINK STARTING TO. STRIKE AT TARGETS AT THE HEART. OF THE REGIME. POWER PLANTS, ENERGY SITES, BRIDGES OR OTHTHER TRANSPORTATIN. FACILITIES IS THE RIGHT ANSWER. BUT I WOULD GO ONE STEP FURTHER. AND I WOULD GIVE THEM A DOWN. PAYMENT STRIKE ON KHARG ISLAND.

BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR THAT THE. REGIME WOULD BE STRANGLED IF WE. ULTIMATELY EITHER TOOK OR. DESTROYED KHARG ISLAND. IT WOULD HELP US REGAIN THE. INITIATIVE ANDND PROVE TO THE. IRANIAN REGIME THAT WE ARE. SERIOUS AND WE WILL NOT STOP. SHORT OF ACHIEVING OUR FULL. RANGE OF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES. >> Sandra: "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" SAYS. IRAN IS SHOWING ITS BALLISTIC. MISSILES ARE STILL A FORCE TO. RECKON WITH. IT READS "TEHRAN R RECONSTITUTES. SOME OF ITS WEAPONS PROGRAMS. AFTER THE U.S. AND ISRAEL TRIED. TO DESTROY THEM IN THE EARLY.

DAYS OF THE WAR. "HOW MUCH DO YOU READ INTO THIS? >> I DO THINK IT'S TRUE THAT. THREE AND A HALF MONTHS OR SO OF. A CEASE FIRE HAS ALLOWED IRAN TO. RECONSTITUTE AND THE CHALLENGE. FOR THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OR. THE WAR DEPARTMENT IS THAT YOU. CAN'T STRIKE AND DESTROY EVERY. ONE OF THE THREATS THAT IRAN. COULD POSE WHICH IS WHY A FOCUS. ON THE HEART OF THE REGIME, THE. THINGS THEY VALUE MOST AND THE. THINGS THAT MAKE THEM STRONGER.

OR PROVIDE THEM STRENGTH AND. POWER IS A BETTER PLAY FOR THE. USE OF OUR RESOURCES AND STRIKES. THAN TRYING TO TAKE OUT EVERY. SINGLE INDIVIDUAL DRONE OR. BALLISTIC MISSILES. >> Sandra: SENATOR TOM COTTON. WAS ON FOX NEWS AND HE SAYS THIS. ON WHY HE THINKS THE U U.S. NEES. TO CONTINUE TO STRIKE IRAN HARD. LISTEN. >> WE ARE RIGHT TO BE. RETALIATING FOR IRAN'S STRIKES. AGAINST SHIPPING IN THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ BUT BECAUSE. THESE FANATICS ARE NOT SERIOUS. ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS I THINK THE. TIME HAS COME TO FINISH OUR.

MILITARY OPERATIONS TO HIT THEM. MUCH HARARDER AS THE PRESIDENT. SAID, NOT JUST ALONG THE. SOUTHERN COAST NEXT TO THE. STRAIT BUT TO TAKE OUT MORE OF. THEIR MISSILE AND DRONE PROGRAMS. AND THE MANUFACTURING THAT BACKS. THOSE UP. >> Sandra: DO YOU AGREE? TIME TO HIT IRAN MUCH HARDER? >> I DO. I DON'T THINK RETALIATATING IS E. RIGHT ANSWER. IT'S TIME FOR THE UNITED STATES. OF AMERICA TO REGAIN THE. INITIATIVE WHICH MEANS THAT WE. ARE IN THE LEAD AND WE ARE. SHAPING THE SITUATION. I THINK A FOCUS ON STRATEGIC.

STRIKES LIKE CENTERS OF GRAVITY. IN THE REGIME OR INTERNAL. SECURITY HUBS ARE SOME OF THOSE. KEY NODES OF ENERGY AND POWER. MAYBE EVEN UNLEASHING THE KURDS. AND PROVIDING THEM AIR COVER ARE. THE THINGS THAT WILL GET THE. BEST ATTENTION OF THE REGIME. IT WILL UNDERMINE THEIR STRENGTH. AND POWER AND IT WILL BETTER. ALLOW US TO FINISH THE JOB. >> Sandra: GOT IT. SPEAKING OF STRATEGIC STRIKES, THIS WAS BRIAN HOOKS, FORMER. SPECIAL REP FOR IRAN SAYING WHY. HE THINKS PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TO.

HIT PICKAXE MOUNTAIN. >> IRAN HAS LEARNED THAT. ANYTHING ABOVE GROUND IS AT RISK. OF BEING DESTROYED. IRAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THINKING. MANY STEPS AHEAD ABOUT PUTTING A. NUCLEAR FACILITY SO DEEP THAT NO. BOMBS CAN PENETRATE IT. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE. TO GET TO THE VERY BOTTOM TO. NEUTER THIS FACICILITY. THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF ABOVE. GROUND YOU CAN HIT AND STILL.

ACCOMPLISH YOUR OBJECTIVE. >> Sandra: HOW ABOUT THAT? >> IF IRAN REALLY IS TRYING TO. RECREATE THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM. THAT WE EFFECTIVELY DESTROYED A. YEAR AGO IN OPERATION MIDNIGHT. HAMMER THEN THE PRESIDENT WILL. HAVE THAT INTELLIGENCE AND HE. NEEDS TWO OTHER PIECES OF. INTELLIGENCE AS WELL FOR THE. DETAILS ON THE STRUCTURE OF THAT. FACILITY SO WE KNOW WHERE TO. STRIKE TO DO THE MOST AMOUNT OF. DAMAGE AND NUMBER TWO TO CREATE. THE RIGHT CONDITIONS AND RIGHT. TYPE OF WEAPONS SO WE CAN.

ACHIEVE OUR OBJECTIVES THERE BUT. IT ALL STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING. WHAT IRAN IS DOING AT PICKAX. MOUNTAIN AND THEN USING OUR. EXQUISITE INTELLIGENCE TO STOP. IT IF IT'S A RISK TO U.