US and British forces launching another major attack on Iranian back militias had multiple targets across Yemen. They're aim stopping Houthi rebels attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The White House insists the strategy is working, but so far retaliatory air strikes have failed to stop the Hoothies, and it comes amid escalating tensions.

US and British forces launching another major attack on Iranian back militias had multiple targets across Yemen. They're aim stopping Houthi rebels attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The White House insists the strategy is working, but so far retaliatory air strikes have failed to stop the Hoothies, and it comes amid escalating tensions.

In the region.

In the region.

US troops at Alasad Air Base in Iraq came under attack over the weekend. Iranian back militias fed seventeen ballistic missiles and rockets. Most were intercepted, but the Pentagon says at least two US personnels suffered traumatic brain injuries.

US troops at Alasad Air Base in Iraq came under attack over the weekend. Iranian back militias fed seventeen ballistic missiles and rockets. Most were intercepted, but the Pentagon says at least two US personnels suffered traumatic brain injuries.

I like the two back to back sentences. The administration insists their deterrence is working, the Houthis continue to attack. Those two things do not fit together. It became clear to me. I was just thinking about it before we played these clips. The reason the I could call it the Obama Biden crowd because I think it goes clear back to the not acting on the Red Line in Syria. But if you make it clear to people that you're not going to punch them in the mouth, then the whole don't don't doesn't work. The only way don't doesn't work. It does work is if you've made it clear to people that you mean business, you're going to punch them in the mouth. Then dont can work. But it doesn't work if you've made it clear that you're not willing to do that.

I like the two back to back sentences. The administration insists their deterrence is working, the Houthis continue to attack. Those two things do not fit together. It became clear to me. I was just thinking about it before we played these clips. The reason the I could call it the Obama Biden crowd because I think it goes clear back to the not acting on the Red Line in Syria. But if you make it clear to people that you're not going to punch them in the mouth, then the whole don't don't doesn't work. The only way don't doesn't work. It does work is if you've made it clear to people that you mean business, you're going to punch them in the mouth. Then dont can work. But it doesn't work if you've made it clear that you're not willing to do that.

Right, I agree one hundred percent. I think now might be a great time to usher in. Mike Clions, military analyst from CNN. Mike, it's always enlightening.

Right, I agree one hundred percent. I think now might be a great time to usher in. Mike Clions, military analyst from CNN. Mike, it's always enlightening.

How are you taking one of you guys? Good to be back?

How are you taking one of you guys? Good to be back?

Thank you. I think it would be fairly safe to say that practically the entire mission of an intelligence operation is to figure out what your opponent is actually going to do, what they're actually thinking. And it's our opinion that the United States is absolutely telegraphing the fact that what we're actually going to do is practically nothing.

Thank you. I think it would be fairly safe to say that practically the entire mission of an intelligence operation is to figure out what your opponent is actually going to do, what they're actually thinking. And it's our opinion that the United States is absolutely telegraphing the fact that what we're actually going to do is practically nothing.

Yeah, it's difficult to see where this administration goes. They whip saw back and forth, beature these air strikes and to Yemen and thinking they're going to stop the hooties and actually deter them and make statements like you just said, and then actually having that as a result. And my favorite, my favorite is when they sit there and say, well, the Uranians are not involved with this. Uranians don't want any escalation. But the Iranians fingerprints are all over this. They're the ones directing these attacks, they're the ones that's provided the information, they're the ones that have given them all supply. So I don't buy that one either. I don't buy that the Uranians don't want to escalate it. I just think they're confident that we're not going to do anything. On top of that, to your point, it's you know, we've gotten away from the Teddy Roosevelt speaks softly and carry a big stick. Instead, we have hysteronics and we try to proclaim all kinds of things with regard to what we're going to do, and then and then you know it just can't can't follow through.

Yeah, it's difficult to see where this administration goes. They whip saw back and forth, beature these air strikes and to Yemen and thinking they're going to stop the hooties and actually deter them and make statements like you just said, and then actually having that as a result. And my favorite, my favorite is when they sit there and say, well, the Uranians are not involved with this. Uranians don't want any escalation. But the Iranians fingerprints are all over this. They're the ones directing these attacks, they're the ones that's provided the information, they're the ones that have given them all supply. So I don't buy that one either. I don't buy that the Uranians don't want to escalate it. I just think they're confident that we're not going to do anything. On top of that, to your point, it's you know, we've gotten away from the Teddy Roosevelt speaks softly and carry a big stick. Instead, we have hysteronics and we try to proclaim all kinds of things with regard to what we're going to do, and then and then you know it just can't can't follow through.

Well, you said on TV the other day and then you tweeted it what a what really hitting back would look like with the sustained air campaign.

Well, you said on TV the other day and then you tweeted it what a what really hitting back would look like with the sustained air campaign.

Explain that to it, right, right, So we've got to tell the who he's okay, we're going to end we're going to be at war with you now, and the fact that we're shooting each other for different reasons. I think you know the hoho. Thies want well with us. They want to punch up, they want to punch up for their weight, and we keep saying, oh no, no, we just want to open up the shipping lanes. But we have to sit there and say, now, okay, we need a thirty day air campaign twenty four to seven twenty, you know, two thousand sorties a day, continuous bombing, continuous mission, similar to what we did in Desert Storm. It would be a tremendous investment for us to do this. But this is going to not stop until you stop, and it's we're not going to be tit for tat. We're not going to only fire these rockets at you when you fire one at us. And I think that's what we should do that we should do it for a certain period of time, have a specific metric that says you're going to stop fighting at us, and it should last for a while, as opposed to saying, okay, this is it. Now is the last one we're going to fire, so don't fire anything more of us. So a formal air campaign up puts a lot of American airmen and Navy pilots and harms way. But I think that's the only way you're going to get them to stop the philosophy.

Explain that to it, right, right, So we've got to tell the who he's okay, we're going to end we're going to be at war with you now, and the fact that we're shooting each other for different reasons. I think you know the hoho. Thies want well with us. They want to punch up, they want to punch up for their weight, and we keep saying, oh no, no, we just want to open up the shipping lanes. But we have to sit there and say, now, okay, we need a thirty day air campaign twenty four to seven twenty, you know, two thousand sorties a day, continuous bombing, continuous mission, similar to what we did in Desert Storm. It would be a tremendous investment for us to do this. But this is going to not stop until you stop, and it's we're not going to be tit for tat. We're not going to only fire these rockets at you when you fire one at us. And I think that's what we should do that we should do it for a certain period of time, have a specific metric that says you're going to stop fighting at us, and it should last for a while, as opposed to saying, okay, this is it. Now is the last one we're going to fire, so don't fire anything more of us. So a formal air campaign up puts a lot of American airmen and Navy pilots and harms way. But I think that's the only way you're going to get them to stop the philosophy.

The answer to that would be they're going to be in harm's way eventually. Anyway, we're trying to preclude the greater harm and not to get too far afield into psychology and diplomacy. But it strikes me that in the same way that the Twitter left has a wildly outsized influence and domestic policy as if that's the American people, I think the diplomatic intelligentsia un crowd has an outsized effect on the Biden administration's foreign policy. They are so interested in courting the approval of these people as opposed to fixing their eyes on a successful execution of the goals of the United States and the needs of the US that I just I think that the foreign policies perverse in that way.

The answer to that would be they're going to be in harm's way eventually. Anyway, we're trying to preclude the greater harm and not to get too far afield into psychology and diplomacy. But it strikes me that in the same way that the Twitter left has a wildly outsized influence and domestic policy as if that's the American people, I think the diplomatic intelligentsia un crowd has an outsized effect on the Biden administration's foreign policy. They are so interested in courting the approval of these people as opposed to fixing their eyes on a successful execution of the goals of the United States and the needs of the US that I just I think that the foreign policies perverse in that way.

Right, it's a globalist mentality that exists on a one level, but it's also wishing the world the way they want it to be, as supposed to the way it is real politique. And I think that is the main reason that the main change that will come to an administration if it happens, and the Obama administration and the Biden industry, we should think that this is a world but the Iranians will eventually come to the table and be part of the international community, and all lot will go with that. This is not going to happen, and they're doing everything they can in order to try to give the Iranians every way out to do that. I just think we've run out of time for a long time about that.

Right, it's a globalist mentality that exists on a one level, but it's also wishing the world the way they want it to be, as supposed to the way it is real politique. And I think that is the main reason that the main change that will come to an administration if it happens, and the Obama administration and the Biden industry, we should think that this is a world but the Iranians will eventually come to the table and be part of the international community, and all lot will go with that. This is not going to happen, and they're doing everything they can in order to try to give the Iranians every way out to do that. I just think we've run out of time for a long time about that.

You also tweeted out the large number of different sorts of little I don't know what you want to call them, points of conflict around the Middle East to exist. There's there's like a dozen.

You also tweeted out the large number of different sorts of little I don't know what you want to call them, points of conflict around the Middle East to exist. There's there's like a dozen.

Yeah, it's an amazing we think about it. If you just take inventory about who's shooting at home in the Middle East, and they're all mostly trending up. We saw the Iranians. Now let's go back to Iran. Iran is an authoritative government that now as I see it, is more focused on internal problems. The fact that we had isis to attack. We saw Isis attack them in Kerman a couple of weeks ago. They're starting to have I think internal issues with separatist organizations, which is why they decide to attack into Pakistan, into the Blue Cheese and those organizations that want to see the overthrown of of the Iranian government, and now they are attacking into Syria to attack ISIS units in there, and then they're attacking into Iraq and US forces are seeing the side effects of that, but they're also attacking the Kurds there. The Iranian government I think is now sending a message within the Middle East about they've got to show within their country that they're going to stand up the threats that they have, and they're starting to see the fact that terrorism has now come home to roost in Iran is a big change, and I think that's why they're going to see them escalate with a lot of these attacks outside of Iran by Iranian forces, not the proxies.

Yeah, it's an amazing we think about it. If you just take inventory about who's shooting at home in the Middle East, and they're all mostly trending up. We saw the Iranians. Now let's go back to Iran. Iran is an authoritative government that now as I see it, is more focused on internal problems. The fact that we had isis to attack. We saw Isis attack them in Kerman a couple of weeks ago. They're starting to have I think internal issues with separatist organizations, which is why they decide to attack into Pakistan, into the Blue Cheese and those organizations that want to see the overthrown of of the Iranian government, and now they are attacking into Syria to attack ISIS units in there, and then they're attacking into Iraq and US forces are seeing the side effects of that, but they're also attacking the Kurds there. The Iranian government I think is now sending a message within the Middle East about they've got to show within their country that they're going to stand up the threats that they have, and they're starting to see the fact that terrorism has now come home to roost in Iran is a big change, and I think that's why they're going to see them escalate with a lot of these attacks outside of Iran by Iranian forces, not the proxies.

Let's turn our gaze to Israel for a moment at least, it seems that the trading of ordinance with Hesbala is absolutely on the brink of erupting into an all at war. Does it seem that way to.

Let's turn our gaze to Israel for a moment at least, it seems that the trading of ordinance with Hesbala is absolutely on the brink of erupting into an all at war. Does it seem that way to.

You, Yeah, that's the biggest concern in that. The only thing holding that back is two things. I think the population there does not want a war, and it's classic example of Hesbolah runs the country as a kind of an outside organization and the Iranians, I think are putting a little bit of the brakes on them as well, because if they gave them the green light, I think that they would go and I think that would open up a second front. You know, this is two countries, Israel, is An Ali, the United States, Hesbela Gaza or the Housis Hamas, all of these other Iranian proxy organizations, they're all under existential threats right now. And I think that's the calculus that the Iranians are making. And I think that for right now, they don't want to see hes Blah destroyed because I think they're watching Hamas be destroyed in place in the southern part of Israel.

You, Yeah, that's the biggest concern in that. The only thing holding that back is two things. I think the population there does not want a war, and it's classic example of Hesbolah runs the country as a kind of an outside organization and the Iranians, I think are putting a little bit of the brakes on them as well, because if they gave them the green light, I think that they would go and I think that would open up a second front. You know, this is two countries, Israel, is An Ali, the United States, Hesbela Gaza or the Housis Hamas, all of these other Iranian proxy organizations, they're all under existential threats right now. And I think that's the calculus that the Iranians are making. And I think that for right now, they don't want to see hes Blah destroyed because I think they're watching Hamas be destroyed in place in the southern part of Israel.

Well, with Israel losing was it twenty one or twenty four guys in one day, man opening up another front, that'd be something.

Well, with Israel losing was it twenty one or twenty four guys in one day, man opening up another front, that'd be something.

Well, they have those units that they had brought up. That's why they brot up three hundred thousand recalls back in October, and they since some home already, but they're in it for an existential fight, so I don't think they're going to stop. It's starting to hurt their economy. This is where no allies that they have right now is really hurting them if the world will change, if the Saudis or some other Middle Eastern country the sides to come to the support of Israel, and I think that's when the world changes. But we just don't see that in site.

Well, they have those units that they had brought up. That's why they brot up three hundred thousand recalls back in October, and they since some home already, but they're in it for an existential fight, so I don't think they're going to stop. It's starting to hurt their economy. This is where no allies that they have right now is really hurting them if the world will change, if the Saudis or some other Middle Eastern country the sides to come to the support of Israel, and I think that's when the world changes. But we just don't see that in site.

Interesting. Yeah, from what I've understood, the Israeli the IDF are a little discouraged at the extent to which they have destroyed Hamas, because Hamas is pretty good at melting into the landscape and the tunnels and the rest and surviving it. So it's just unquestionable that this is going to be a long slog, and you know, the fatigue both of Israel and its people and the international community is going to be balanced against more and more hostages turning up dead and more and more attacks from Hamas and Hesbel. I just I think this. I think we need to settle in for the long haul.

Interesting. Yeah, from what I've understood, the Israeli the IDF are a little discouraged at the extent to which they have destroyed Hamas, because Hamas is pretty good at melting into the landscape and the tunnels and the rest and surviving it. So it's just unquestionable that this is going to be a long slog, and you know, the fatigue both of Israel and its people and the international community is going to be balanced against more and more hostages turning up dead and more and more attacks from Hamas and Hesbel. I just I think this. I think we need to settle in for the long haul.

Yeah, I don't see any and in sight, in fact, I think is double trending up. I think it's the Israeli government is not going to stop. And at this point now until they get more hostages back, there'll be no cease fire, there'll be nothing. They're just going to continue to just raise the ground down there.

Yeah, I don't see any and in sight, in fact, I think is double trending up. I think it's the Israeli government is not going to stop. And at this point now until they get more hostages back, there'll be no cease fire, there'll be nothing. They're just going to continue to just raise the ground down there.

So the we mentioned this. Yesterday, the Open Intelligence Defense crowd was reporting that there's some people in defense in the Pentagon or wherever that are really unhappy with the administration not letting them just do what they got to do to stop the houthis do you hear any any of that kind of chatter.

So the we mentioned this. Yesterday, the Open Intelligence Defense crowd was reporting that there's some people in defense in the Pentagon or wherever that are really unhappy with the administration not letting them just do what they got to do to stop the houthis do you hear any any of that kind of chatter.

Well, I know they've been given many courses of action because back to one of those courses of action has been an air campaign and has been a much more detailed, in a better operation. We know where the who, the supply chains are, we know where the logistics are. The other thing that just going to go with this though, is we're going to have to resupply. If we keep launching Tomahawk missiles in their direction, we're going to start running out ourselves. And now you think about from strategic perspective, if you know, if all these destroyers that we're sending there and firing all these Tomahawk missiles were kind of not keeping our powder dry for something that could potentially happen in the Far East. So it's got to be part of an overall campaign that the administration thinks it's going to be over very quickly. But I think from what the people I talked in the Pentagon, and the people that I know there are always looking over the horizon to make sure that we're ready to go for really, what's going to be the next bigger conflict.

Well, I know they've been given many courses of action because back to one of those courses of action has been an air campaign and has been a much more detailed, in a better operation. We know where the who, the supply chains are, we know where the logistics are. The other thing that just going to go with this though, is we're going to have to resupply. If we keep launching Tomahawk missiles in their direction, we're going to start running out ourselves. And now you think about from strategic perspective, if you know, if all these destroyers that we're sending there and firing all these Tomahawk missiles were kind of not keeping our powder dry for something that could potentially happen in the Far East. So it's got to be part of an overall campaign that the administration thinks it's going to be over very quickly. But I think from what the people I talked in the Pentagon, and the people that I know there are always looking over the horizon to make sure that we're ready to go for really, what's going to be the next bigger conflict.

Military analyst Mike Liones a CNN. Mike, great to talk to you, Thanks for the time.

Military analyst Mike Liones a CNN. Mike, great to talk to you, Thanks for the time.

Thanks guys, thanks for habbing me.

Thanks guys, thanks for habbing me.

Armstrong and Getty

Armstrong and Getty