DAVID: THE IRAN PROXY ATTACKS ON U.S. FORCES NOW UP TO 108 AS THEY KEEP ESCALATING. WE KEEP ASKING, WHAT CAN WE DO TO STOP THIS? LET'S ASK FORMER USS COLE COMMANDER KIRK LIPPOLD. COMMANDER, HAPPY NEW YEAR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THERE'S AN OLD SAYING IN JOURNALISM, FOLLOW THE MONEY. WELL, IT ALL SEEMS TO LEAD BACK TO IRAN, DOESN'T IT? >> HAPPY NEW YEAR, DAVID. YES, IT E REALLY DUDS COME DOWN TO THE MONEY. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE FIRST THING THAT THE U.S. SHOULD CONSIDER IS YOU HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING THAT, JEEZ, WE SHOULD GO FROM THESE ATTACKS ON OUR FORCES DIRECTLY TO KINETIC, IN OTHER WORDS, WE SHOULD BE ATTACKING. THE REALITY IS WE COULD GO AND AND START DOING PRE-JOINT YCPOA -- JCP IF OA A, OR IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT, WE COULD PUT SANCTIONS ON IRAN. WE COULD BEGIN TO INSPECT THEY'RE TYPE. BUT IN ACTUAL FEW, YOU FOLLOW SANCTIONS, YOU GET TO THE MONEY. THE MONEY IS WHAT IRAN NEEDS TO CON THIS WAR. DAVID: AND WE'VE PRUNE THAT. WE HAD THE MAXIMUM PRESSURE CAMPAIGN OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WHERE WE IMPOSED THESE ZAPSES, AND FOR SOME -- SANCTIONS, AND FOR SOME REASON THIS ADMINISTRATION TOOK THOSE SANCTIONS OFF. WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT OUR TROOPS AT RISKER -- ARE RISK. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TURN OFF THE PIG GOT THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OPENED FOR THE IRANIANS. >> IT'S ALSO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. THEY'RE SO DESPERATE FOR THAT NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WHICH AT THIS POINT, LET'S BE REALISTIC, IT IS DEAD. THE ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES BY THE IRANIANS AND THE AYATOLLAHS HAVE CLEARLY PROVEN THAT THEY ARE AFTER A WEAPON, THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE IT. IT IS GOING TO BE A SHE THE -- DESTABILIZER NOT JUST FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, BUT THE WORLD. SO WE NEED TO TAKE POSITIVE STEPS TO DO THE SNAPBACK SANCTIONS AND CONTINUE TO STRANGLE IRAN AS A QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT A OUR ALLIES BOTH IN THE FAR EAST AND IN EUROPE GET ONBOARD WITH IT BECAUSE THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AT THIS POINT THE WORLD IS ENTERING, AND ESPECIALLY THE UNITED STATES, A PERIOD OF STRATEGIC DANGER BETWEEN RUSSIA, CHINA AND IRANIAN ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESTABILIZING THE WORLD. DAVID: WELL, COMMANDER, WHAT DO WE DO IF IRAN DOES GET A NUKE? >> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT AT THAT POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND WE DESTROY THAT CAPABILITY. I'M I'M SURE THAT RIGHT NOW THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF ARE VERY DILIGENTLY WORKING TRYING TO FIGURE OUT CAN A STRIKE BE DONE, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER WE MAY HAVE A SAY IN THAT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THE COUNTRY THAT IS THREATENED THE MOTE BY THOSE -- MOST BY THOSE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS ISRAEL. AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF ISRAEL GIVES IRAN THE OPPORTUNITY, DISARM, STAND DOWN OR THEY WOULD MAKE IRAN CEASE TO EXIST. DAVID: COMMANDER, YOU HAVE SOME EBBS EXPERIENCE WITH ATTACKS OP U.S. SHIPS YOURSELF AS COMMAND E OF THE USS COLE. HAVE THEY STOPPED NOW IN THE RED SEA? BECAUSE THERE IS MORE COMMERCE. WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, BUT HAS THE TASK FORCE BEEN SUCCESSFUL? >> THE TASK FORCE HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND WHILE MARITIME TRAFFIC HAS PICKED UP, YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF NATIONS IS HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO COME UNDER ANY KIND OF U.S. OR COORDINATED CONTROL. THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THEIR SHIPS FIRST. SO IT'S A VERY DISJOINTED EFFORT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, SECRETARY AUSTIN NEED TO EXERCISE LEADERSHIP IN THAT AREA TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE CAN KEEP THOSE SHIPPING SAFE. DAVID: WELL, THANK YOU FOR EXERCISING LEADERSHIP AS COMMAND OF THE USS NAVY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN. COMMANDER LIP OLD, THANK