US may stay in Iran for YEARS, retired general warns

>> Brian: THE U.S. IS COMPLETING. NINTH STRAIGHT NIGHT OF STRIKES. AGAINST IRAN HITTING BACK IT THE. TER TERROR REGIME FOR KILLING. TROOPS AND ATTACKS ON FRIDAY. ANOTHER SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN. ACTION AFTER DOWNED IRANIAN. DRONE DETONATED IN IRAQ. RETIRED AIR FORCE BRIGADIER. GENERAL ROBERT SPALDING JOINS US. NOW SERVED ON THE NATIONAL. SECURITY COUNCIL DURING. PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST TERM. GENERAL, ARE YOU PLEASED THE.

PRESIDENT HAS PUT ASIDE THE MOU. AND IS PUNISHING THEM AGAIN? >> WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY I WAS. PLEASED BUT IT CERTAINLY IS NOT. SURPRISING TO SEE. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS. SURPRISED THAT THE IRANIANS. AREN'T GOING TO FOLLOW THEIR. AGREEMENT. AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING. THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO. CONTINUE AS A RESULT. >> Brian: WHAT DO YOU THINK. WE'RE DOING NOW IN TERMS OF. FOCUSING? INSTEAD OF MAXIMIZING DAMAGES. THERE IS STRATEGY THERE SOME SAY. THE STRATEGY IS MILITARILY. OPENING UP THE STRAIT AND TAKING. CONTROL. DODO YOU SEE THAT?

>> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THEY ARE TRYING TO. CREATE A PATHWAY SO THAT WE CAN. CONTROL THE STRAIT. I THINK THAT THEY ARE REDUCING. THE DISTANCE THAT ARMS FROM IRAN. CAN TRAVEL, TO SHIPPING. AND SO IN DOING THAT. I THINK WE ARE SETTING UP FOR. SOMETHING LIKE OPERATION. SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN WATCH. WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG. TIME THAT WE'RE GO TO KEEP THE. STRAIT OPEN. >> Brian: WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU. HAVE ABOUT OUR GULF STATES? THEY ARE TARGETING JORDAN, OUR.

BASES IN JORDAN. AND THEY ARE TARGETING OUR BASES. PRIMARILY IN KUWAIT AND BAHRAIN. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? >> WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE. CAREFUL BECAUSE THE CHINESE. COULD STILL BE SENDING WEAPONS. IN THAT ALLOW THEM TO GET TO. THOSE RANGES. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REDUCE. THEIR ABILITY TO STRIKE THAT. FAR. BUT, YEAH. IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THIS. CONTINUES. >> Brian: SO IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT. THEY ARE ABLE TO DO, ACCORDING. TO THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL,". IRAN SHIPPED 70 MILLION PAYROLLS.

OF OIL $6 BILLION BETWEEN JUNE. AND JULY. WHEN WE TEMPORARILY LIFTED THAT. BLOCKADE. DOES SHOW YOU THEY HAVE TO SHOW. US A LOT MORE BEFORE WE LIFT. ANYTHING NEXT TIME? >> WELL, YOU GOT IMAGINE THAT. MOST OF THAT MONEY, THEY ARE. GOING TO TRY USE FOR WEAPONS. SO, YEAH. IT IS CREATING THE THREAT THAT. WE ARE TRYING TO REDUCE. EVERY TIME WE OPEN UP FOR THEM. TO SELL OIL, WE CAN EXPECT THAT. THEY'RE GOING TO USE IT TO DO. THINGS THAT ARE AGAINST OUR.

INTEREST. >> Brian: HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU. EXPECT THIS TO GO ON AND DO YOU. THINK MUNITIONS SHOULD BE A. LIMITATION AT THIS POINT? WHAT DO YOU HEAR? >> NO, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, THE PENTAGON HAS DONE A GREAT. JOB OF RESTOCKING THE MUNITIONS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN ISSUE AT. ALL. BUT I DO EXPECT THAT WE'RE GOING. TO BE THERE A LONG TIME. OPERATION NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN. WATCH WENT ON FOR ALMOST 20. YEARS, I THINK. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE. SOMETHING SIMILAR. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO STAY. THERE THOSE GUYS AREN'T GOING TO. CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR.

WE HAVE TO ADAPT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE. GOING TO HAVE TO GET THE GULF. STATES. THOSE THAT RELY ON THE OIL. COMING FROM THE GULF STATES TO. HELP PAY FOR THIS. >> Brian: SO, CURRENTLY, WE HAVE. A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE GOING. NINE STRAIGHT DAYS, HITTING THEM. HARD, THEY ARE HITTING US BACK, NOW, AT WHAT POINT DO YOU. REENGAGE WITH TALKS AND WHO. WOULD YOU WANT TO BE DEALING. WITH? PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK IT. DOES ANY GOOD TO DEAL WITH. ANYTHING EXCEPT THE IRGC. THEY SEEM TO HAVE THE ULTIMATE. SAY ON EVERYTHING ANYWAY.

>> WELL, BUT THE IRGC THOUGH, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY IS THEY. ARE DECENTRALIZED FOR. DECISION-MAKING AND SO, SAY YOU. MAKE A DEAL WITH THE IRGC, CAN. YOU REALLY TRUST WHAT THEY'RE. GOING TO DO? THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT YOU CAN'T. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO. KEEP THE PRESSURE ON AND, LIKE I. SAID, WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE A. WHILE. THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY ANY TIME. SOON, IN MY OPINION. >> Brian: WITH THE STRAIT, I. THINK IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER. IF WE CAN GET THAT STRAIT OPEN. AND A LOT MORE OF A STRANGLEHOLD. ON IRAN.

LASTLY, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK. THAT WILL TAKE? >> I DON'T THINK THAT PART OF. THE OPERATION WILL TAKE MUCH. LONGER. I THINK THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. OF, YOU KNOW, GATHERING. INTELLIGENCE PRIOR TO THESE. STRIKES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY. NEEDED TO GO AFTER. I THINK NOW WE'RE GOING TO SET. UP THE CONDITIONS FOR US TO. CONTROL THE STRAIT. OF COURSE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE. TO GO BACK IN AND TAKE OUT. TARGETS AS THEY CONTINUE TO POP. UP. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS INTENSE. AS IT HAS BEEN FOR T.