'VERY HARD TIME': Trump says Iran is in CHAOS

[0:00] U.S. force is cracking down, [0:01] conducting a maritime interdiction [0:03] more than 2,000 miles from the [0:05] strait of Hormuz, boarding a [0:07] sanctioned tanker ship, [0:08] transporting oil from Iran in the [0:10] Indian Ocean. [0:11] This coming as President Trump has [0:12] a new warning for Iran over the [0:15] strait. [0:16] Welcome to a brand new hour of [0:17] America's Newsroom. [0:18] I'm Dana Perino. [0:19] Bill Hemmer is off today. [0:20] It's great to have you. [0:20] Got the other bill. [0:21] Yes, the other bill in my life. [0:24] Good to see you as always. [0:25] I'm Bill Malugin. [0:26] President Trump tells Fox right [0:27] now there's just no rush to make [0:29] a deal with Iran as the ceasefire [0:31] remains in place while the U.S. [0:32] continues to enforce a naval [0:34] blockade, disrupting illicit [0:35] networks, providing material [0:37] support to Iran wherever they [0:39] operate. [0:40] The point of this is the economic [0:42] leverage that we maintain over [0:44] Iran now. [0:45] While there's a ceasefire with [0:46] respect to the military and [0:48] kinetic strikes, Operation [0:49] Economic Fury continues. [0:52] And the crux of that is this [0:53] naval blockade. [0:54] So the president, the cards are in [0:56] his hands. [0:57] The United States maintains [0:58] control over the situation. [1:01] He has all of the leverage. [1:02] But right now, the blockade [1:03] continues to be massively [1:05] effective and inflicting maximum [1:07] leverage and economic pressure on [1:09] the regime right now. [1:11] And Lucas Tomlinson has some new [1:12] information from the White House. [1:13] He is joining us live on the [1:14] North Lawn. [1:15] Lucas, good morning to you. [1:17] Good morning, Bill. [1:17] President Trump issuing new [1:19] orders, the U.S. [1:20] military to destroy any Iranian [1:22] boats caught laying mines in the [1:24] strait of Hormuz, saying he will [1:26] blow up the ceasefire if they do. [1:28] The president also posting on [1:30] true social moments ago. [1:32] Another post about Iran's [1:33] leadership, saying, quote, Iran is [1:34] having a very hard time figuring [1:36] out who their leader is. [1:37] They just don't know. [1:39] The infighting between the [1:40] hardliners who have been losing [1:41] badly on the battlefield and the [1:43] moderates who are not very [1:44] moderate at all, but gaining [1:45] respect is crazy. [1:47] We have total control over the [1:48] strait of Hormuz. [1:49] No ship can enter or leave without [1:51] the approval of the United States [1:53] Navy. [1:53] It is sealed up tight until such [1:55] time as Iran is able to make a [1:57] deal. [1:58] Thank you for your attention to [1:59] this matter. [2:00] Now, overnight, as you mentioned, [2:01] Bill, U.S. forces bordering a [2:02] third Iranian ship, with the [2:04] military is calling a right of [2:05] visit boarding of a sanctioned, [2:07] stateless vessel called the [2:08] Majestic 10, transporting oil [2:10] from Iran in the Indian Ocean. [2:13] Pentagon says it will continue [2:14] global maritime enforcement like [2:15] this to disrupt illicit networks [2:17] and interdict vessels providing [2:19] material support to Iran [2:20] wherever they operate. [2:21] Yesterday, Iran seized two ships [2:24] in the strait of Hormuz after U.S. [2:26] forces seized two of Iran's [2:27] ships in an apparent tit for tat. [2:30] Iran says the strait remains [2:31] closed unless the blockade is [2:33] lifted. [2:33] According to Central Command, U.S. [2:35] forces have directed 31 vessels [2:37] to turn around or turn to port as [2:39] part of the U.S. blockade [2:40] against Iran. [2:41] Here's more from Caroline Levitt on [2:42] the negotiations with Iran. [2:44] With Martha yesterday. [2:46] We're waiting to hear back from [2:48] the Iranian regime. [2:49] The fact that they cannot send a [2:51] unified message yet, which is why [2:53] the president decided to extend [2:54] the ceasefire, just shows how [2:56] effective Operation Epic Fury [2:58] truly was, because there's a lot [3:00] of internal division over there. [3:01] The president understands that, [3:03] and so we await their response. [3:04] The president, the cards are in [3:05] his hands. [3:07] The United States maintains [3:08] control over the situation. [3:10] He has all of the leverage. [3:12] Right now, there are no plans for [3:14] Vice President J.D. Vance to lead [3:16] a delegation to Islamabad to resume [3:18] negotiations with Iran, who says [3:20] they won't show up to Islamabad to [3:22] talk with the U.S. side unless the [3:24] blockade is lifted. [3:25] In the next few days, a third U.S. [3:27] aircraft carrier strike group will [3:28] be on station in the Middle East. [3:30] That's the USS George H.W. Bush [3:32] strike group. [3:33] Bill. [3:33] All right. [3:34] We'll see if we end up getting that [3:35] second round of talks. [3:36] Lucas Tomlinson live at the White [3:37] House. [3:38] Lucas, thanks. [3:39] More on this with Brent Sadler. [3:40] He's a Heritage Foundation senior [3:42] fellow and former U.S. [3:43] Navy captain. [3:43] I want to have you listen to [3:45] somebody you probably know very [3:47] well, Kenneth Brathwaite. [3:49] He was on last hour. [3:50] He's a former secretary of the [3:51] Navy. [3:53] The power of America from the sea [3:56] to the shore is being [3:57] demonstrated today. [3:59] We do have the ability to seize [4:01] the straits. [4:02] We do have the ability, as the [4:04] president indicated, to wipe out [4:05] the fast boats. [4:07] We have three carrier strike groups. [4:08] We have two amphibious readiness [4:10] groups, assorted other fleet [4:13] assets that are there. [4:14] Again, this is the greatest [4:15] concentration of naval forces that [4:18] we've seen in a long time. [4:19] And Brent, as you add the U.S. [4:22] George H.W. [4:23] Bush, that's a lot of naval power [4:26] there that can help figure out a [4:27] way to get this to the next stage. [4:29] Your thoughts this morning. [4:31] Well, yes, that's a lot of afloat [4:33] diplomacy that's headed towards [4:35] Iran, and they need to take note. [4:37] I think it's important to kind of [4:38] also build on what President Trump [4:40] said in his truth posting just [4:42] recently, and that is any Iranian [4:44] forces laying mines will be [4:46] attacked. [4:47] I don't think that necessarily [4:48] invalidates the wider ceasefire. [4:51] It also should be expanded or [4:52] considered to go after any of these [4:54] small boats that are trying to seize [4:55] or attack shipping going through the [4:57] straits, like the capture of two MSC [4:59] vessels, arguably in Iran's [5:03] designated shipping routes. [5:04] So an interesting way to treat [5:05] those that are following their [5:07] diktat. [5:08] But the U.S. Navy, the U.S. [5:10] military is definitely repositioned, [5:12] rearmed, and ready to restart [5:15] another campaign of strikes across [5:18] Iran if necessary. [5:19] But the blockade is having the [5:21] desired effect, pressure on [5:23] Tehran, but also pressure on its [5:25] benefactors like Beijing. [5:26] Speaking of that [5:28] blockade, President Trump had a [5:29] phone call with our colleague Martha [5:30] McCallum yesterday afternoon where [5:33] he talked about it. [5:34] If we could pull a line out from [5:35] that phone call, he said, quote, [5:37] the blockade scares them even more [5:39] than the bombing. [5:40] They've been bombed for years, but [5:42] the blockade, they hate. [5:44] The president says it's costing Iran [5:45] upwards of $500 a day to have that [5:47] blockade. [5:48] Do you think he's right with his [5:50] assessment there? [5:50] The Iranians are more afraid of [5:52] that blockade than military bombing? [5:55] Yes, and I think it has to do [5:57] with the calculation of groups like [5:58] the IRGC. [5:59] It's not about dollars or the bucks. [6:02] It's about power. [6:03] And if they're not able to [6:04] maintain their networks of, you [6:06] know, coercion and brutality in the [6:08] streets of Tehran, then they will [6:09] be out of power. [6:10] And so the blockade's taken away [6:12] their finances, their ability to [6:14] continue to arm and to keep the [6:16] muscle on the streets, so to speak. [6:18] But at the same time, it's [6:19] alienating them from their biggest [6:21] benefactors and allies like Beijing. [6:25] You know, it's easy to, you know, [6:26] when you listen to Caroline Lovett, [6:27] you can get a sense of where they're [6:29] coming from, looking at this. [6:31] Obviously, they're realistic and [6:32] they're saying, okay, these are the [6:35] things that are going well. [6:36] If you were to take a moment, [6:38] though, and say, is there anything [6:39] that concerns you right now? [6:41] If you were looking at this, [6:42] saying this very unpredictable [6:45] situation where you do not have [6:47] command and control in the [6:49] Iranian leadership, that seems to [6:51] me quite dangerous because you [6:52] don't know who's making [6:52] decisions. [6:54] Well, actually, I think it's by [6:56] design that they're starting to [6:58] fracture because the only way you [6:59] get to a better place with Iran is [7:02] giving an opportunity for the regime [7:04] to change its nature, to one, to [7:05] live in peace with its neighbors, [7:07] to include Israel, not threaten [7:08] American citizens. [7:09] And so they're going to fracture. [7:11] They're going to have to have a [7:13] messy period where they're going [7:14] to change by themselves, hopefully, [7:17] the Iranian people being the voice [7:18] that matters most. [7:20] And the blockade that's being [7:21] enforced right now is making that [7:23] focus inward in Iran. [7:25] And again, not knowing who's in [7:27] charge, I think this should have [7:28] been anticipated. [7:29] And it's part of the byproducts of [7:31] applying the pressure, economic, [7:34] as well as the military, the epic [7:35] fury and the economic fury that's [7:37] being brought to bear on them. [7:39] So we'll go through this. [7:40] The Iranian regime that comes out [7:42] of this is hopefully one that is [7:43] acceptable to American [7:45] interests and not threatening [7:46] American lives. [7:48] Brent Sadler, we appreciate [7:49] you being on to kick off our [7:50] second hour here on America's [7:51] newsroom. [7:52] Thank you. [7:52] Thank you. [7:53] Thank you. [7:53] Be sure to like and subscribe [7:57] for all the Fox News latest on [7:59] YouTube and catch full shows [8:01] streaming now on Fox One.