Strait of Hormuz remains paralyzed as war rages on

Vivid reporting from where this story is happening. Imtiaz Tyab, thank you very, very much. CBS News National Security Contributor Joe Zacks joins me now. He previously served as CIA deputy assistant director for counterterrorism. Always good to have you. Let me just run some statistics by you. 7,000 targets struck, 6,500 US combat flights, 100 or more Iranian vessels damaged or destroyed. That's the stats. Is that statistical analysis telling us everything we need to know about what this war is or isn't accomplishing? Well, thank you very much, Major. First of all, I have to compliment your correspondent in his previous segment. I thought he got it just absolutely right. The stats are impressive, and it tells a story of the US military being able to really inflict incredible damage on the Iranian military. So conventionally, we're doing exceptionally well. I think we're looking very hard right now at prosecuting the IRGC command-and-control targets, their personnel and their facilities, both with IRGC and the Basij. But I think what you're seeing here is that the Iranians really understand that their strategic sweet spot is twofold. Number one, the Strait of Hormuz, choking it off and really choking the world economy, in many ways. And that's going to get progressively worse over time, if left unchecked. And secondly, the constant threat, particularly against the GCC countries, their neighbors. Now, that could backfire on them, ultimately, when this conflict comes to an end. But in the meantime, it's very disruptive, and it's all aimed at trying to pressure the United States in particular in stopping this confrontation and arriving at some kind of agreement that is in the Iranian interest. I don't see that necessarily happening, but strategically, that's exactly what they're trying to do. And it is, in fact, an indication that they see themselves very much in an existential struggle. And Imtiaz said that, from the Iranian perspective, this is a battle for survival. That's right. Is that what it looks like to you? Do these tactics look like something consistent with a regime that is on its back heels considerably and is simply trying to survive? I think that's exactly right. That's what we're seeing right now. They've really been dealt devastating blows to their military. And, in many ways, it will have ripple effects on their economy. So this is all about survival.

And trying to create a pressure point on America's friends that is intolerable for them, with the hope that it becomes intolerable for the United States and Israel. That's a big risk, but it's the only one it seems like they've got left. Yeah, I think you have it exactly right, Major. And it's very disappointing, in fact, from a US perspective, to see close American allies in NATO and in Asia right now that are not necessarily rapidly agreeing to what President Trump has asked them to step up and do, which, ultimately, is in their interests, in many ways, more so than ours. They are affected, especially in Asia, by the Strait of Hormuz being choked off, both in terms of oil and in terms of fertilizer and other products that transit through the Strait. So the president's request makes a lot of sense. But strategically, to see this discord between the United States and some of its key allies at this particular moment has got to be very gratifying and satisfying to the Iranian regime. That's not a place, I would argue, that we want to be in.

Joe Zacks, always appreciate your perspective, sir. Thank you very much.