US turns up HEAT on Iran

. I FEEL CONFIDENT WE'RE. ACCOMPLISHING BOTH GOALS. >> Lydia: JOINING ME IS FORMER. CIA STATION CHIEF DAN HOFMAN. DAN, GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS. MORNING. START OFF TALKING ABOUT OIL, IF. WE CAN. THE U.S. AND IRAN ARE OFFERING. COMPETING ACCOUNTS OF WHO. CONTROLS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT. IS WHERE MOST OF THE OIL IS. FLOWING. TRUMP IS STATING IN A TRUTH. SOCIAL POST ON WEDNESDAY THIS, "THE U.S.A. HAS TOTAL CONTROL.

OVER THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, I. THINK WE WILL KEEP IT," BUT. MEANWHILE, THIS FROM THE FORMER. IRGC INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION. CHIEF. HE SAYS THIS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IS UNDER MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL. OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC AND OUR. COUNTRY CONTINUES ON ITS PATH. AND COMPLETE SECURITY. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF CONFLICTING. ACCOUNTS OVER THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ? >> Dan: WELL, LOOK, THAT IS KIND. OF THE WAR OF WORD SAYS, BUT I.

THINK ON THE GROUND WE SEE IRAN. DISRUPTED TRADE. THERE ARE DEBATES HOW MANY. BARRELS ARE FLOWING THROUGH THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. REPORTS FROM OUR SECRETARY OF. ENERGY, SHIPS ARE TURNING OFF. TRANSPONDERS TO GET OWL OF THE. STRAIT OF HORMUZ. WE CAN TELL FROM GAS PRICES, SOME GLOBAL TRADE IN OIL HAS. BEEN DISRUPTED AND THAT IMPACTS.

THE PRICE. LARGER QUESTION FOR TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION IS TO DEAL WITH. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE AND GET A. BETTER DEAL THAN JCPOA, FROM. WHICH THE FIRST TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION WITHDREW. DEALING WITHING BALLISTIC. MISSILES AND PROXY TERRORISTS. IF IRAN DOES NOT NEGOTIATE IN. GOOD FAITH, WE WILL RESORT TO. MOST LIKELY FUTURE KINETIC. STRIKES. >> Lydia: A LOT OF GOALS HAVE.

BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH IRAN'S. MILITARY AND NAVAL ASSETS BEING. DEGRADED. I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE. STRATEGY. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE WOULD GO. IN HIS WORDS, LOW KEY ON IRAN. PREPARING TO EXERT ECONOMIC. PRESSURE ON IRAN AT THE MOMENT. INSTEAD OF MILITARY PRESSURE. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT? HOW MUCH RUNWAY DO WE HAVE LEFT. ISOLATING IRAN ECONOMICALLY, HOW. MUCH LONGER WILL THAT WORK UNTIL. THEY HAVE TO RESORT TO OTHER.

MILITARY MEANS? >> Dan: YEAH, I THINK WE'RE. ALMOST IN A WAR OF ECONOMIC. ATTRITION. IRAN WANT TO EXACT A PRICE ON. THE WORLD ECONOMY AND WE HAVE. EFFECTIVELY BLOCKADED IRAN AND. REALLY REEKED HAFOR ON IRAN'S. ECONOMY, THEIR CURRENCY IS IN. FREE FALL. THAT DOES ACCOUNT FOR AMOUNT OF. MONEY THEY CAN SPEND ON THEIR. BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM, WHICH. HAS BEEN LARGELY DESTROYED. THERE ARE ENOUGH MISSILES SPREAD.

THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO CAUSE. HARM TO OUR BASES IN THE REGION. I THINK THAT IS WHAT THE TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO THINK. ABOUT, DO WE NEED TO GO BACK AND. CONTINUE TO LAUNCH STRIKES? AS EFFECTIVE AS OUR STRIKES. WERE, WE DID NOT INDUCE IRAN TO. NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. THAT SORT OF AGREEMENT DOES NOT. LOOK LIKE IT WILL HAPPEN. I'M SURE THE PRESIDENT IS. PULSING HIS INTELLIGENCE. COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW IRAN. WOULD RESPOND TO VARIOUS POLICY.

OPTIONS WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL. AND PERHAPS IN COMING WEEKS AND. DATES, WE WILL TURN UP THE HEAT. ON IRAN'S ECONOMY. >> Lydia: OUR FINAL FEW SECONDS, SECRETARY HEGSETH, D DEFENSE. SECRETARY OF WAR, HE SAYS THAT. THE U.S. CAN BASICALLY. INDEFINITELY KEEP IRAN ISOLATED. WITH BLOCKADES BY SWAPPING IN. AND OUT VESSELS.

I COME BACK TO THIS QUESTION, FOR HOW LONG, DAN? YOU SAID TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REVISIT. AND EVALUATE THEIR WEAPONS, WHAT. WOULD YOU LOOK TO MAKE A. DETERMINATION OR IF YOU WERE. ADVISING THE TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION, NOW IS THE TIME. TO GO BACK TO MILITARY STRIKES? >> Dan: I THINK, LOOK, ISRAELI. MODEL HAS BEEN TO WHAT THEY LIKE. TO CALL MOW THE LAWN. WHEN PROXY TERRORIST LIKE HAMAS. OR HEZBOLLAH BUILD OUT THEIR.

WEAPONS CAPACITY, ISRAEL WILL. DESTROY THOSE, COGNIZANT MONTHS. OR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD THEY WILL. HAVE TO REPEAT THE PROCESS. WE. HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE. GETTING OUT OF THIS AND COST OF. FUTURE ENGAGEMENT IN THE MIDDLE. EAST IF WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN. PRESENCE THERE, THERE IS ZERO. SUM GAME, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO. BE PRESENT IN OTHER CONFLICT.

AREAS AROUND THE WORLD. THAT IS SOMETHING TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION HAS TO EXAMINE, LEVEL OF COMMITMENT WE APPLY TO. MIDDLE EAST AND WHAT WE GET OUT. OF IT. >> Lydia: A LOT ON THE BOA.