>> Julie: A FOX NEWS ALERT
IRAN SEIZING CONTROL OF A
BRITISH OIL TANKER IN THE
STRAIT OF HORMUZ.
THIS THE LATEST IN A SERIES
OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE
REVOLUTIONARY GUARD
TARGETING TANKERS.
LET'S BRING THE ANCHOR OF
"SPECIAL REPORT" BRET BAIER.
WHAT ARE REHEARING REGARDING
U.K. SHIP.
>> JULIE, GOOD AFTERNOON,
THIS U.K. OIL TANKER, THE
COMPANY PUT OUT A NOTICE
THAT IT LOST CONTACT WITH
THIS VESSEL SOME TIME TODAY.
WE ARE BEING TOLD THROUGH
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND THE
IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD
THAT IT SEIZED THIS VESSEL
WITH IRANIAN SHIPS, SMALL
CRAFTS AND A HELICOPTER.
THERE ARE 23 PEOPLE ON
BOARD.
THE REASON THIS IS
SIGNIFICANT IS OBVIOUSLY
BECAUSE CONTINUED
ESCALATION.
THERE YOU SEE THE COMPANY'S
STATEMENT ABOUT THIS DURING
THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
TRANSIT.
THIS IS AN ESCALATION.
YOU HAD WILL UEA VESSEL AND
OIL TANKER TAKEN CONTROL OF
BY THE IRANIAN VESSELS IN
THAT AREA.
YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD THE -- NOT
SHOOT DOWN BUT BRING DOWN OF
A IRANIAN DRONE THAT THE
PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED
YESTERDAY.
>> Julie: RIGHT.
>> Bret: THIS IS HIGH
TENSION IN THAT REGION.
>> Julie: HAD SURE IS.
YOU JUST MENTIONED THE
STATEMENT FROM THE U.K.
COMPANY AND WE HAVE IT.
LET'S PUT IT BACK ON THE
SCREEN.
WE LITERALLY JUST GOT.
THIS WE DIDN'T READ IT
THOUGH.
U.K. VESSEL WAS APPROACHED
BY UNIDENTIFIED SMALL CRAFT
AND HELICOPTER DURING
TRANSSIFT STRAIT OF HORMUZ
WHILE THE VESSEL WAS
INTERNATIONAL WATERS.
WE ARE PRESENTLY UNABLE TO
CONTACT THE VESSEL WHICH IS
HEADING NORTH TOWARD IRAN 23
SEA FARERS ON BOARD.
NO INJURIES AND THEIR
SEVERITY IS OF PRIMARY
CONCERN TO BOTH OWNERS AND
MANAGERS.
YOU JUST MENTIONED AND YOU
BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT THE
PRESIDENT YESTERDAY
DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT THE
UNITED STATES BASICALLY HA
DRONE THAT WAS SHOT DOWN.
IRAN DENIED THAT CLAIM AND
THEN TODAY THE DEPUTY
FOREIGN MINISTER OF IRAN
SAID THAT IN FACT, IT'S
POSSIBLE THAT THE UNITED
STATES SHOT DOWN ITS OWN
DRONE.
THIS SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT
THAT?
>> Bret: NO.
THE PENTAGON IS CONFIRMING
THAT THEY WROUGHT DOWN AN
IRANIAN DRONE.
AND IT WASN'T SHOT DOWN.
IT WAS BROUGHT DOWN WITH
THIS KIND OF NEW DEVICE THAT
JAMS THE.
>> Julie: ELECTRICAL.
>> Bret: DIFFUSES IT AND
BRINGS IT DOWN.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE JUST
MOMENTS AGO SAID IT WENT
DOWN.
FOREIGN MINISTERS ZARIF
DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT IT OR
BLUE-EYED IT.
I CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR HIS
STATEMENTS YOU HAD THIS BACK
AND FORTH BUT MORE
IMPORTANTLY BACK AND FORTH
IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.
NOW THE U.S. MILITARY
THROUGH THE NAVY IS GOING TO
BE MOVING ASSETS AND HAS
ASSETS IN THE REGION
ACCORDING TO HEAD OF CENTCOM
ESSENTIALLY ESCORTING
VARIOUS VESSELS AND THERE
YOU HAVE THE POSSIBILITY, AT
LEAST, OF SOMETHING, YOU
KNOW, TICKING OFF AND
CREATING A MILITARY
INCIDENTS.
THIS IS HIGH TENSION.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FOR
ALL THE BACK AND FORTH WE
HEAR ABOUT IN WASHINGTON AND
WHO SAID WHAT?
THIS IS THE NEWS THAT REALLY
MATTERS DAY TO DAY THAT
POTENTIALLY COULD LEAD TO A
BIG INCIDENT.
>> Julie: THIS IS ALSO
FRUSTRATING FOR THE UNITED
STATES THE PRESIDENT HAS HE
SAID TIME AND TIME AGAIN HE
NEEDS EUROPEAN ALLIES TO
JUMP IN AND ACTUALLY ASSIST
IN TRYING TO SECURE THIS
SHIPPING CHANNEL WHERE THIS
IS ALL TAKING PLACE.
WE JUST, IN FACT, GOT SOME
SOUND FROM THE UNITED STATES
SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE
POMPEO ON ALL OF THIS.
LET'S PLAY THAT AND THEN WE
WILL REACT.
>> IN THE END, PRESIDENT
TRUMP WILL MAKE THE DECISION
ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED.
HE HAS MADE CLEAR WE'RE
PREPARED TO CONDUCT
NEGOTIATIONS WITH NO
PRECONDITIONS, THE IRANIANS
CONTINUE TO SAY WELL THEY
WILL TALK IF AND ONLY IF THE
UNITED STATES DOES
SOMETHING.
WE NEED THEM TO COME TO THE
TABLE IT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO
RESOLVE THESE CHALLENGES.
>> Julie: WHO IS GOING TO
COME TO THE TABLE FIRST?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK THE IRANIANS DON'T
HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS,
JULIE.
THEY ARE IN AN ECONOMIC
PINCH.
AND IRAN WANTS THE WORLD TO
BELIEVE THAT IT'S DANGEROUS
OR POSSIBLY RISKY TO GO
THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
AND THEREBY OIL GOES UP.
IF THEY GO OVER THE LINE AND
PUSH IT TOO FAR, THERE WILL
BE U.S. MILITARY RESPONSE
DIRECTLY.
AND THAT CHANGES THE DYNAMIC
100 PERCENT.
SO, IT IS A GAME OF CHICKEN
THAT IRAN IS PLAYING
CURRENTLY.
AND WE WILL SEE HOWEVER THIS
GOES, THE RESPONSE BY THE
ADMINISTRATION WILL BE
INTERESTING.
AND THE BRITS WILL WEIGH, IN
OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE IT'S A
U.K.-FLAGGED VESSEL THAT IS
NOW IN IRANIAN CONTROL AS OF
THIS AFTERNOON.
>> Julie: I MEAN, LET'S TALK
ABOUT HOW SERIOUS IT WOULD
BE FOR THE FAILURE TO SECURE
SUPPORT FOR THE MARITIME
INITIATIVE.
NOT ONLY WOULD THAT BE A BIG
BLOW TO THE EFFORTS MADE BY
THE UNITED STATES, IT WOULD
BE A BLOW TO ITS SUNNI
MUSLIM ALLY SAUDI ARABIA,
THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO
ISOLATE SHIA THIS THING IS
ESCALATING BY THE DAY.
WHO IS GOING TO TAKE THE YOU
WERE HAND.
OBVIOUSLY THE UNITED STATES
WANTS TO TAMPER THINGS DOWN
BUT WITHOUT OUR ALLIES, CAN
WE DO IT?
>> Bret: YEAH.
I THINK THEY ARE HOPING THAT
THE ALLIES WILL BE ON THE
U.S. SIDE.
THEY ARE INCREASING
SANCTIONS.
JUST YESTERDAY MORE
SANCTIONS ON TWO IRANIANS
WHO DIRECTLY HAVE BEEN
HELPING IRANIAN MILITIAS
INSIDE IRAQ.
THERE IS A LONG HISTORY
HERE.
AND THE EUROPEANS HAVE TO
MAKE A DECISION WHETHER THEY
ARE GOING TO STAND WITH THE
U.S.
IT'S BEEN TENSE.
THOSE RELATIONSHIPS,
OBVIOUSLY.
BUT I THINK THIS EVENT TODAY
MAY CHANGE THE DYNAMIC A
LITTLE BIT IN EUROPE.
>> Julie: YEAH.
AND NOW WITH THAT BASE THAT
HAD JUST BEEN REOPENED SINCE
1990, RIGHT, IN SAUDI
ARABIA.
IT'S JUST SHOWING THE UNITED
STATES IS CERTAINLY PUTTING
UP A FIGHT HERE.
I'M HOPING THEY GET SOME
HELP.
>> Bret: THEY MAY.
AND OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE
SAYING THAT IF YOU CONTINUE
TO TEST US, WE WILL DO
SOMETHING.
THE ISSUE HERE IS YOU DON'T
WANT IT TO GO OUT YOU HAVE
CONTROL.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO
TAMPER BACK WITH SANCTIONS
AND SMALL ACTIONS.
BUT, IF THESE BOATS ATTACK,
SOMETHING TELLS ME THERE
WILL BE A FORCEFUL RESPONSE.
>> Julie: ALL RIGHT.
BRET BAIER, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.