Mark Halperin

How are we going to get this back open?

Now, the president publicly is suggesting not a problem here.

Here's the president traveling domestically.

in the Midwest on Wednesday, giving his update on where he thinks the Strait of Hormuz stands.

This is S3, please.

Not in good shape.

I just respect the president.

His own advisors will tell you they've got to deal with the submarines of the Iranians, the drones of the Iranians.

There's apparently weaponry on the coast along the strait that is threatening.

All this stuff has to be taken out.

And the clock is ticking.

This isn't a project that can take for a long time, maybe as little as two weeks.

The Iranians have threatened to take oil to $200 a barrel by keeping the strait closed.

There are people in the administration who say, yeah, that's what's going to happen.

It is going to go to 200 and have a cataclysmic effect on the world economy.

So this is, if you believe Newt Gingrich, if you believe my sources, there are two things that are true.

This mission is vital.

Open up the strait to ships.

And this mission's tough.

Some of my sources say they're not going to be American ships leading through the strait, but rather clearing out the threat and air cover, which is safer than putting the ships in the water.