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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Tensions, Oil Prices Escalate As Israel And Iran Strike Energy Sites; Democrats Believe Epstein Attorney May Have Perjured Himself; Trump Promises Israel Won't Repeat Strike On Key Iranian Gas Field; Patel Says Agents Who Worked Mar-a-Lago Case Were Fired for Ethics Violations. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired March 19, 2026 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: All right, thanks very much to my panel. Really appreciate you all being here today. Thanks to you at home for watching as well. We always really appreciate you too. And don't forget, you can now stream The Arena live.
You can catch up whatever you want in the CNN app. You just scan that QR code below on your screen. You can also catch up by listening to The Arenas podcast. You can follow the show on X and Instagram at The Arena CNN. But you can also stick around for "The Lead" with Jake Tapper, who is standing by.
Hi, Jake.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: That's a lot you got there. You got a podcast, you got a stream, you got a show.
HUNT: You have all these things.
TAPPER: I don't. You know, but I don't brag about it, I guess, is the difference.
HUNT: Well, not -- you know, that's not my fault. TAPPER: All right, Kasie, we'll look for more tomorrow in The Arena.
HUNT: Bye, Jake.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: American consumers are taking quite the hit from Trump's war with Iran. The Lead starts right now.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I thought it would be worse. Much worse, actually. I thought there was a chance it could be much worse. It's not bad and it's going to be over with pretty soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Our billionaire president insisting the economic pain you're feeling because of the war is only temporary and not a big deal. But when gas prices are up nearly a dollar in a month, is it temporary? Is it not a big deal? Gauge for yourself. An oil executive who was in key meetings today will be here in minutes on The Lead.
And the norm breaking Pearl Harbor remark that President Trump quipped in the Oval Office while sitting next to the Prime Minister from Japan. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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TAPPER: The rapper known as Afroman on The Lead. He was sued for defamation for a song he made that mocked the cops who raided his home but found nothing. We're going to talk to Afroman coming up.
Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. We begin with breaking news in our world lead. A major global escalation in the war in Iran. Attacks on energy infrastructure are causing global oil prices, not to mention tensions, to surge even higher.
Much of this escalation started last night when the Israeli military attacked Iran's South Parse natural gas field. It's the world's largest. It's also partially owned by Qatar, a U.S. ally. In response, Iran attacked major energy facilities in neighboring Gulf States, starting with Qatar's Ras Laffan natural gas processing facility, causing extensive damage. Then in Abu Dhabi in the UAE earlier today, gas operations at crucial energy sites were temporarily suspended after missile debris fell on the facilities.
Saudi Arabia also intercepted drones. And Arab and Islamic nations are affirming their right to self-defense, calling on Iran to halt their attacks. Today an Iranian missile struck an Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, according to three Israeli sources.
Late last night on Truth Social, President Trump claimed he did not know that Israel was going to strike Iran's South Pars Field, the first one I mentioned. And the president also said Israel would not do it again. But then he warned that if Iran kept attacking Qatar, the U.S. would massively blow up the South Pars field.
Today in the Oval Office, the president again distanced himself from the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, specifically over Israel's strike on Iran's gas fields.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I told him don't do that. And he won't do that. We didn't discuss. You know, we do -- we're independent, we get along great, it's coordinated, but on occasion he'll do something and if I don't like it and -- so we're not doing that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Well, that clears things up. An Israeli source told CNN that Israel had carried out the attack in coordination with the U.S. contradicting whatever the president just said there. A U.S. source also told CNN that the U.S. was aware of the strike. This afternoon, Netanyahu said that Israel acted alone in the strike. Either way, this escalation has sent oil prices surging to $110 per barrel.
Of course, global oil was already in crisis due to Iran effectively shutting down the key Strait of Hormuz, attacking and threatening to attack any ships, any oil tankers that pass through there. And with these latest attacks on actual oil facilities, oil production itself could now be impacted. This morning, several European nations and Japan issued a joint statement saying that they are ready to ensure safe passage through the State of Hormuz. What that means, they did not detail.
Today there was also a close call in the skies. A U.S. F35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what's believed to be Iranian fire, according to two sources. Luckily, the pilot is in stable condition after the plane landed safely, according to CENTCOM.
[17:05:00]
To give you some perspective, that aircraft itself costs upwards of $100 million. Today, the President confirmed a report that he may seek $200 billion in new Pentagon funding for this war.
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TRUMP: Well, we're asking for a lot of reasons beyond even what we're talking about in Iran. When -- this is a very volatile world, and the military equipment, the power of some of this weaponry is unthinkable. So we want to be sure, and it's a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy top.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Tippy top. I want to bring in a voice in the middle of these discussions, Mike Sommers. We've had him on before. He's the president of the American Petroleum Institute.
This morning, we should note, Vice President J.D. Vance joined the trade association's annual board meeting along with the Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, and the Interior Secretary, Doug Berman, and a bipartisan group of Congress and governors.
Mike, thanks so much for being with us. What was your biggest takeaway from the meeting with all these top government officials? And are you confident that the administration has a plan to tackle this energy crisis, especially if the war keeps dragging on for who knows how long?
MIKE SOMMERS, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: Well, what we're asking for was exactly what the vice president said, that their top priority is to get the Strait of Hormuz open as quickly as possible. And our focus, of course, was also on the president's agenda. The president has focused on energy independence, and they put policies in place to advance American energy independence at this time. So our focus has been on the agenda to advance oil and gas and energy dominance in this country. And their focus has to be on getting the strait open.
That's the only way that we're going to provide relief to consumers over time.
TAPPER: Can I just ask a point on that? When we talk about how the U.S. is now a net energy exporter, I think people out there don't necessarily understand that doesn't necessarily mean that the United States gets all that petroleum, right?
SOMMERS: That's exactly right.
TAPPER: I mean, these are private companies. They sell it wherever they want to sell it. It doesn't mean we don't have to worry about we get it, where we get it from. Because, you know, Exxon or whatever could be selling it all to, theoretically, you know, Malaysia.
SOMMERS: Well, you got it partially right. Here's the -- here's the truth.
TAPPER: OK.
SOMMERS: American refineries, about 40 percent of American refineries refine crude oil that we don't produce in the United States. Why is that? Because the United States hasn't built a refinery since 1977. Oil markets in 1977 were much different than they are today. So 40 percent of that refinery kit refines heavier quality crude than it's found here in the United States.
That's why it's so important. There are some commentators that have been saying that we should put an oil export ban in place, we should keep it all.
TAPPER: Right.
SOMMERS: But if you do that, there will be no place for that WTI, that sweeter crude that we find in the United States for it to go. Because we're importing a lot of our oil primarily from Canada, not from the Middle East. Only about 8 percent comes from the Middle East. But that crude that we're getting primarily from Canada is built for the refineries that we have here in the U.S.
TAPPER: Yes. My only point is that when we talk about how the U.S. is a net oil exporter, it doesn't mean, like, we don't have to worry about this.
SOMMERS: That is exactly right.
TAPPER: Because it's a -- it's a commercial market.
SOMMERS: Oil set on the global level.
TAPPER: Right. This is no longer, we should note, just about oil being held up in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a serious enough problem. It is now oil fields, gas fields are being attacked, not just by Iran, but by the United States, or rather by United States' partner in this war, Israel. Oil fields being attacked. That could impact oil production. Is that something that the oil industry is prepared for?
SOMMERS: Well, we're very concerned about it, and the president was right to raise concerns about it yesterday because the concern is right now, of course, the Strait of Hormuz is closed.
TAPPER: Right.
SOMMERS: But the infrastructure --
TAPPER: And just -- and just -- and just to remind people, 60 to 100 ships full of oil normally go through that every day, and now it's zero ships.
SOMMERS: That's right.
TAPPER: Yes.
SOMMERS: So that oil is not getting to market right now, or a portion of that oil is not getting to market. Remember, there is still an east west pipeline going through Saudi Arabia that is delivering about 5 million barrels of oil a day. There's another pipeline that goes through UAE that's also delivering oil. There's about 10 million barrels in our estimation that has come offline. So if the world market is about 100 million barrels of oil every single day, about a 10 of that is --
TAPPER: It's a lot.
SOMMERS: It's -- absolutely. Ten percent. Why we've seen a significant? You know, price hike right now.
The concern that we have about bombing oil and gas infrastructure right now is that that puts us at a position when this eventually ends, when the strait eventually opens. The oil can't get back online quickly because you've bombed out some of the infrastructure that's in place to make sure that we can get it to export markets.
TAPPER: Yes.
SOMMERS: That's the biggest concern that we have now. So we have to make sure that oil industry, natural gas fields that are in region right now that they are not part of this conflict.
TAPPER: So today's natural -- national average of gas prices is $3.88 a gallon.
[17:10:01]
That's up almost a dollar in a month. A dollar a gallon. We're a driving country. Whether or not we should be, that's a separate issue, that's what we are.
A lot of people see these skyrocketing gas prices have a lot of reason to worry. What's your message to them? SOMMERS: Well, we certainly hope that it is temporary. The president has done a lot of things already to keep the prices as low as they can be. Putting 400 million barrels of oil on the market from Strategic Petroleum Reserves, doing a -- the waiver of the so called Jones Act, which doesn't allow us to ship interstate with foreign flagged vessels. They've done a lot of things already. But the truth of the matter is that they just have to get the Strait of Hormuz open as quickly as possible.
Until then, there's not going to be a lot of relief at the pump.
TAPPER: The Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent today on Fox Business discovered one other so called lever that the administration may pull to help control oil prices. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels. So depending on how you count it, that's 10 days to two weeks of supply that the Iranians had been pushing out. That would have all gone to China. In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down, you know, for the next 10 or 14 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: What do you make of that plan to unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water?
SOMMERS: So interestingly, they've already done this with Russian oil. What's interesting about this, a lot of people think, well, Russia is going to benefit from that. Actually, that's not the case. The truth of the matter is Russia gets paid at the wellhead. Once it gets on the water that is owned by a customer somewhere.
So unsanctioning that oil allows for more of that oil get -- to get to the world market. I think this is an appropriate step to take both with Russia and Iran to ease some of the pressure in world oil markets.
TAPPER: All right, Mike Sommers, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Next, what sources tell CNN about the American fighter jet possibly struck by Iranian fire. Plus, Lebanon's message to President Trump about this conflict as it deepens in that country. And did the attorney who once represented dead sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein perjure himself in a deposition? A top Democrat making that claim is going to join us coming up.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: We've obliterated there just about everything there is to obliterate, including leadership. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their antiaircraft equipment is gone. We're flying wherever we want, Pete.
We have no -- nobody even shooting at us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Continuing with our world lead, that was President Trump in the Oval Office earlier today, notably the same day that two sources tell CNN a U.S. F-35 stealth jet made an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to have been Iranian fire. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Beirut.
Nick, do we know anything else about what happened to that jet?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean the information is indeed limited except that it was on a combat maneuver when it was thought to have been hit by Iranian fire. Now that would make it the first U.S. aircraft brought down by Iran, obviously undergoing an emergency landing in this case since the start of this conflict. Remember too though, Jake, there were three F-15 that had -- their crews evacuate and crashed around Kuwait over a week ago now. And indeed the KC-135 refueling aircraft which crashed in Iraq too. So a sign of the growing toll ultimately on U.S. airmen.
Although it appears in this case, obviously nobody injured. An aircraft, though the F-35 worth $100 million, state of the art, fifth generation, unclear exactly what Iran had that was able to bring it down, Jake.
TAPPER: And you're in Beirut, Lebanon. Beirut's obviously been hit by many airstrikes as Israel targets Hezbollah, Iran's proxy, which was firing missiles at Israel. Israeli ground troops also have moved into southern Lebanon. You just spoke with the Lebanese prime minister.
PATON WALSH: Yes, an urgent appeal really for a cease fire for peace here. Remember Lebanon, its civilians ultimately caught in this exceptionally brutal problem here where the Iranian proxy Hezbollah are shooting at Israel. Israel are prosecuting a very aggressive case back to disarm and destroy Hezbollah. Over a thousand now Lebanese civilians caught -- killed in that Israeli assault. And here's what the Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, had to say to President Trump.
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PATON WALSH: If you could deliver a message to President Trump now directly for one thing for him to do today, what would it be?
NAWAF SALAM, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER: To help put an end to the Lebanese conflict. And I'd like to reaffirm to President Trump our readiness to enter into immediate negotiations, negotiations with Israel. You know, I mean, that this conflict can only end with negotiations. The U.S., I mean, is a strategic partner to Lebanon and President Trump more than anyone else, I mean, can play a decisive role in bringing, I mean, this war to an end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PATON WALSH: An urgent plea here ultimately for immediate direct negotiations with Israel. We know the French have been involved here suggesting ideas. Prime Minister Salam talked about speaking to U.S. officials as well. But ultimately this all depends on the ability to find some kind of space for diplomacy as the bombs are still falling here. But quite clear, Prime Minister Salam, he wants to see a cease fire immediately and direct talks happening to simply save lives of Lebanese here, Jake. TAPPER: All right, Nick Paton Walsh in Beirut, Lebanon, thanks and stay safe.
Wait times at several U.S. airports are creeping back up this evening. What travelers and TSA workers are telling CNN as this partial government shutdown causes major disruptions nationwide.
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TAPPER: Our National Lead now, get used to showing up to the airport three to four hours early because a top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, tells CNN that a deal to end this DHS shutdown is a, quote, "long ways away." This after a group of Senate appropriators met with White House border czar Tom Homan on Capitol Hill today.
The political stalemate is prolonging the financial stress facing TSA employees working without pay and extending the misery for travelers facing longer lines at security checkpoints. CNN's Ryan Young is at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the busiest airport in the United States.
Ryan, what have you been hearing from TSA workers and travelers today?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jake, I want to be clear here. The reason why you don't hear from a lot of the TSA workers. They're not allowed to talk to us, especially when they're on shift. But they have spoken to me on the side and they are really frustrated by what's going on in D.C.
[17:25:00]
In fact, a lot of them are saying, why doesn't Congress take a break from getting paid and see how it is to live the life that they're living right now, especially with a lot of them living paycheck to paycheck.
We're standing up here in the atrium at the world's busiest airport and the line at some point stretch beyond the elevators in that distance. This airport has been trying to do everything it can to keep those TSA agents happy. They've been feeding them all day here. So we've got a chance to watch them flow through here. At one point the security line was over 90 minutes long. And we'll show you some of that video as well.
But what we've been told by so many people, they were concerned about their vacations, getting home to their family. This has really put a strain on the airport. And as one worker told us today, you can't think about this as just a TSA issue. I have to think about this as a Delta issue. I have to think about all the background workers who work at this airport on a day to day basis.
This is about the size of a city. So you understand how important this is on a day to day basis, especially to the city of Atlanta. If you look up here right now, the wait is about 21 minutes. On the pre check side it's about 11 minutes. But all day long this has been a really slog fest for people who have been trying to come here.
This morning, we know people had took an hour and 15 minutes to get through pre check and clear. The longest line here, over 118 minutes. But as you can see, they've managed this really well. We're at the point where it dropped to two minutes at one point, travelers have been telling us they are happy but concerned about the return home. And tomorrow they know there's probably going to be about 90,000 passengers coming through early in the morning rush hour.
That's when they see the most difficulty between the hours of six and nine. With no one inside, Jake, people are going to get frustrated.
TAPPER: Yes, I agree that members of Congress shouldn't get paid if their dysfunction is denying paychecks to our federal employees. Ryan Young, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
This programming note, we're going to talk to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Look for that tomorrow here in The Lead begins at 5:00 Eastern here on CNN.
Coming up next, tonight on The Lead, the perjury accusations against the attorney who once represented now dead convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, a top House Democrat making the claims coming up next.
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TAPPER: In our Law and Justice Lead, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee that believe that Jeffrey Epstein's longtime attorney might have perjured himself in today's deposition. Darren Indyke claims that he had, quote, no knowledge whatsoever, unquote, of Epstein's wrongdoing and rejected any suggestion he had assisted or facilitated his former boss's crimes.
But House Democrats, well, they're not buying it. Some Democrats are pointing out that Indyke helped various women in Epstein's orbit over the years to fix their problems reportedly getting one woman an apartment, helping others with immigration issues.
So let's bring in the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia of California. Specifically, Congressman, what evidence do you have that indicates that this longtime Epstein attorney might have perjured himself?
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): Look, I first didn't buy much of what he said. I think what's really important for folks to know is that Indyke was at the center and the facilitator of much of Epstein's crimes. He was his personal lawyer. He was on his defense counsel. We have heard from survivors, multiple survivors, that he was at the center of providing services to many of the women.
TAPPER: Like services like what?
GARCIA: Services like payments, services like helping them with immigration, services like helping them find places to live. And so questions that were asked today, I thought could have led us to better answers. I thought he kept weaving, not giving full answers.
I don't believe all of his testimony. And more importantly, he should have way more information about what actually Epstein did, and he didn't give any of that today.
TAPPER: So, I mean, I guess theoretically, you're saying that his argument was, look, I just did what my boss, Jeffrey Epstein, told me to do. These women needed money. I didn't know that it was sex trafficking. And do the women dispute that?
GARCIA: I think when you ask the women who they believe are at the center of Epstein's crimes and help facilitate that, two of the names that come up most often are Indyke and Khan, who, of course, are the attorney and the former lawyer, personal lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein.
Now, we just, of course, interviewed Richard Kahn last week. We've interviewed now Darren Indyke today. And we actually gained a lot of information. And I think that there are things that we are pulling from these interviews that are really important in putting together the timeline, understanding where information is, getting additional names of finances, who actually paid Jeffrey Epstein so he can commit all these horrific crimes.
Every deposition brings us closer to the truth, and we actually gain really critical information, as we did today.
TAPPER: Although you might not say that about Pam Bondi's deposition. Right. You and a lot of other Democrats frustrated for not committing to honor her subpoena yesterday and sit for a deposition. When pressed about it during her briefing yesterday. This is what House Oversight Chair Republican James Comer said about Democrats on the committee today. Take a listen.
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REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): We have a lot of dead weight on this committee, and the behavior of the Democrats yesterday was unacceptable. And, you know, we're going to have to come back and talk as a conference, the majority to see what we do moving forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: What's your response to that?
GARCIA: I mean, that's ridiculous. It was Chairman Comer that actually insulted and called one of our members a derogatory name during the hearing. And let's be clear about --
[17:35:05]
TAPPER: He said she was bitching.
GARCIA: She was bitching.
TAPPER: OK.
GARCIA: That's derogatory. And it just to one of the members.
TAPPER: It's just a gerund (ph). No.
GARCIA: And she was very offended by that, as she should be. Look, I think we found out about this -- what they called a briefing -- 24 hours before the briefing. So the day before they tell us that the attorney general is going to come brief us on top of our hearing that was scheduled. We don't know the format. We walk in there, it's set up like a hearing. She gives no briefing. She just basically says, OK, I'm here to answer questions.
And so our first question was very simple.
TAPPER: Yes.
GARCIA: Attorney General, are you committing to coming back under oath?
TAPPER: Right.
GARCIA: As you've been subpoenaed to do so, to testify, transcribed so that can be available to the American public. And she would not commit to that.
So we're not going to play games in a fake briefing or hearing when she won't publicly commit to following the legal subpoena to have her come in and testify under oath.
TAPPER: Congresswoman Stansberry was on the show yesterday in the actually in the midst of your press conference, she came and talked to us. And one of the things she said is that Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, and Pam Bondi, the attorney general, said that's it. You've gotten all the files we're going to give you, even though I believe there are 6 million files and they've given 3 million. And of those 3 million, obviously they had -- they were not redacted the way that they were supposed to have been redacted. Some names of people who are not survivors were taken out and all the rest.
Is that true that they said you've gotten all we're going to give you? And also what do you do if an attorney general doesn't comply with a law? GARCIA: So one is they have said that they've released all the files
that they can under the law. And we reminded them is that there is a law that does allow for some communications around interagency communication, ongoing federal investigations, you can withhold those documents. But there's also a subpoena that's been in place for multiple months on the exact same set of documents.
The subpoena does not have those restrictions and does not have that language, which is why we did both a subpoena and the law. They both work together. And so they are right now illegally withholding approximately half the documents of the Epstein files that we need to ensure that we actually get justice for the survivors and get the full truth out to the American public.
And it's ridiculous to continue to engage in this White House cover up of the remaining files. We're not going to stop until we get all the files. And as for the attorney general, next step is for her to come in to that deposition. And if she chooses not to, I expect the Republicans to begin a contempt process just like we did for the Clinton.
TAPPER: Well, you say that, but Republican Lauren Boebert said that she was embarrassed that she had voted to subpoena Bondi. Are you worried about the, I forget if it was four or five Republicans that had joined you on your efforts to subpoena Bondi, are you worried about them backing away?
GARCIA: Well, the subpoenas out, I mean, James Comer --
TAPPER: It doesn't matter.
GARCIA: -- already sent the subpoena --
TAPPER: Yes.
GARACIA: -- to the attorney General. They'd have to come back, restart a hearing, revote. I mean, that would be outrageous. Pretty unprecedented. The subpoena has been already sent to the attorney general. There's a tentative date of April 14th. She needs to testify under oath, transcribed, and then that needs to be available to the American public.
TAPPER: Last question. If she doesn't do that, if Republicans allow the administration to do what they're doing, not give all the files, not testify under oath for Pam Bondi, et cetera. et cetera. And House Democrats retake the House in November, which is possible, what would you, as the chairman of the Oversight Committee do?
GARCIA: Well, one should be held in contempt immediately to not comply with the subpoena, to not turn over the documents. That would be number one. And if that were to continue, I think folks were talking about other more and stronger ways of either removing her. Or however the president --
TAPPER: Impeaching her. Impeaching her. GARCIA: Look, that has to be on the table. I think step one is a contempt process. She has to show up to the deposition. I think we in the majority will have direct subpoena power to get so many more documents, not just from the DOJ, but from the Epstein of state and other places. That's going to be important.
TAPPER: Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia of California, top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Thank you so much.
President Trump describes Israel as acting alone on its attack on an Iranian oil field. But that's not what sources are telling CNN. We're going to get into that next.
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TAPPER: Back to our World Lead, the war with Iran. President Trump today said that he has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Netanyahu needs to stop attacking Iranian oil and gas facilities.
But a senior Iranian security source tells CNN that the confrontation with the U.S. and Israel has now expanded into a regional war. And that Iranian official warns that Tehran has the capability and the will to keep responding.
Iran already attacked one of the world's most important liquefied natural gas facilities in Qatar, which sent world oil and natural gas prices up. The Iranians are threatening future attacks, naming Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the UAE as likely targets.
I'm joined by a panel of experts now. Brett McGurk, Trump says he had no idea that Israel was going to start hitting Iranian oil and gas facilities. Sources tell us that of course Trump knew. Of course he'd been informed.
A couple of hours ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel acted alone in striking Iran's South Parse gas field, which is not necessarily a contradiction that the U.S. knew. Help us make sense of this.
BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think there's zero chance that the U.S. did not know. I mean, our military to military coordination is we have planes in the air at the same time. This is all very well coordinated.
TAPPER: They say it's the best coordination.
MCGURK: Yes.
TAPPER: Yes.
MCGURK: So you definitely the U.S. knew whether it reached the president? Probably. I saw that statement last night. It's kind of a good cop, bad cop routine. It was like a message to the Iranians like, oh, the Israelis did this. It wasn't us. You know, don't hit energy infrastructure. Look, but what happened last 24 hours is important, Jake. The Iranians have been hitting energy infrastructure for the last three weeks.
[17:45:02]
TAPPER: In the Gulf states.
MCGURK: In the Gulf. The Israelis did this strike yesterday, kind of playing the asymmetrical game, saying you're doing asymmetrics, Iran, we can do the same thing and hold you to account with your energy.
And Iran, I have to say, they coordinated a response and hit with precision the LNG facility in Qatar and a few. And I went after a few other things. So it demonstrated they still have some capacity. I mean, that is what I red from yesterday.
And that gets into like Kharge Island, right? If were really, that's the heart --
TAPPER: Iranian where they have all their fuel.
MCGURK: If were to actually go after that right now, Iran still has some capacity to respond against the energy infrastructure in the Gulf, which is important. Now, I know, you know, CENTCOM is going after those missiles and drones, degrading it every day that goes by. But yesterday demonstrated Iran still has some capacity here.
SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Iran is demonstrating their asymmetric capacity by also being able to shut that straight down. Now, I think the question that is, I think now coming up is when the strait does eventually open, that's going to take a very long time. But what's going to take an even longer time is to rebuild some of these oil refineries that have been hit.
It's not just going to be as easy as opening, you know, turning on a water faucet and suddenly the oil is flowing again. Some of these pipes are very badly damaged. So it's going to take a long time to rebuild, which is going to affect global oil prices, which is going to affect gas prices here at home.
And because the Strait is closed, you have to remember it's not just oil that's stuck there and gas. It is also medical supplies. It is food that is stuck there. There's, I think, a shipment of medical supplies that were destined for Sudan and Yemen.
So there are vulnerable people that are going to be hurt very bad by this war, that are going to be continue to be impacted. And unfortunately, you're going to see, I think, more attacks by Iran because they are showing that even if their attacks have lessened in days, they still have the capacity to inflict massive damage across the region.
TAPPER: I want you to listen to something that the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, told the House Intelligence Committee earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): What does the intelligence community assess Israel's goals in this world, in this war to be, and are those goals aligned with the goals of the United States? Are the goals aligned?
TULSI GABBARD, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: The objectives that have been laid out by the president are different from the objectives that have been laid out by the Israeli government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Interesting. Explain that to us.
SINGH: Well, it's hard to explain because when you go to war with an ally and you have separate objectives, maybe you have separate military objectives, but the objectives together going into war should be the same. So I think it's a bit concerning that you said we have separate objectives because that is going to give everyone pause of when does this end, if the United States meets our military objectives or whatever the Trump lays out, you know, each and every day, when does Israel stop or vice versa.
And so that's what I think is going to, you're going to see, I think, concern in the markets because what does that mean for the strait? When is it actually going to open up if Israel is going to continue to conduct strikes and all of a sudden the United States pulls back.
So that statement was really confusing. I wonder if we're going to see some clarification from this administration later today, tomorrow.
TAPPER: Brett, what do you -- what do you think? How do you explain that?
MCGURK: I think the Israeli operation is very consistent with, there's a kind of a Venn diagram. But the Israelis would like to see a regime change if they can get it. We've talked about this, Jake. I think that is extremely difficult to do by using military force, particularly from the air.
But the Israelis are targeting with effect the leadership structures of the entire apparatus of the regime, including the security apparatus that led that crackdown earlier in January. And they're going to continue doing that.
I think at the end of the day, when we think our objectives have been met, I think President Trump can pick up the phone and call Netanyahu and say, you know, we've achieved our aims and this is the end of it. But yes, just look at the targeting. We are going after defense industrial base and military type targets. The Israelis are going after the leadership.
SINGH: I don't know if they will necessarily listen, though. I mean, you know this too from when were in the administration together. I mean, they met many of their objectives when they were prosecuting their war against Hamas and they were taking out some of those leadership targets day after day and even in Lebanon. And they continue to continue that war and still continue that war.
So I don't know, I mean, maybe Trump will be able to pull Netanyahu back, but I also wonder if that will be the case.
MCGURK: There will be an inflection point The 12 Day War was when --
TAPPER: We basically said that's it?
SINGH: Yes.
MCGURK: But I do think look at the end of the day here I think the U.S. with Israel and hopefully with other partners a long term containment of Iran. If this just ends in which we just back off and you have a -- you still have a hard line regime and they're able to eventually reconstitute their capabilities that's not a good outcome.
So we need to be thinking now and I know there's a lot of consultation in the region and with partners of what the long term containment of Iran looks like and that will probably include continuing with whether it's American pilots, Israeli pilots, other pilots over the skies of Iran for the foreseeable future. Maybe a little bit like Iraq in the 90s.
TAPPER: Let me ask you a question about what the Gulf states could do because obviously they have an interest even though they don't advertise it particularly in there being a stable democratic, possibly even secular Iran.
[17:50:10]
We know that the Israelis have been able to penetrate Iran in terms of intelligence and assets. It seems to me like the Saudis and the Emiratis and the Qataris would be able to do that, possibly even better, because they probably blend better and know the language better than Israelis. I don't know. I mean, Israelis are pretty good at this.
MCGURLK: Different languages. But, you know, went into this without partners, and we have to be developing those partnerships now for the --
TAPPER: But I'm just saying, if we're going to try to, like, if not we. If there is going to be an effort to try to change the leadership, that's done with infiltrational.
SINGH: Like the regional -- like agreement to do it.
TAPPER: Yes.
SINGH: And sometimes --
TAPPER: And send spies and send in people and compromise.
MCGURK: And over years.
SINGH: Over years. TAPPER: Years and years and years. But I'm just saying, like, but where are our Arab allies in that effort? I know that Arabic and Iran -- and Persian are not the same language, but there's some overlap in terms.
MCGURK: We got to be talking now, Jake, about exactly that. Once this is over, how are we all working together to make sure we contain Iran, hopefully see a new regime in Iran.
TAPPER: Well, I hope they've been talking before now. Thanks to both of you. Coming up next, FBI Director Kash Patel's back on Capitol Hill. His response when pressed about agents recently fired from the Bureau.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:55:44]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STEVE COHEN (D-TN): And the people you fired, those 12 people, they were experts on Iran, were they not?
KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: I don't believe so.
COHEN: They worked in counterintelligence, did they not?
PATEL: I'm taking you at your word, sir. I'm not familiar with --
COHEN: You're the chief director. I'm not. You should know the answer. You fired the people. Where did they work?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPER: FBI Director Kash Patel today clashing with House Democrats on the Intelligence Committee about recent firings at the FBI. Patel avoided saying that the 12 agents and staff members had been dismissed due to their involvement in the classified documents investigation into President Trump. Instead, he blamed ethical violations.
CNN previously cited two sources saying that's the reason they were fired. The investigation into Trump. This all comes as a new CNN original series called "Standoff." The FBI Power and Paranoia explores the complex relationship between various presidents and their respective FBI directors. The series unravels the complicated dynamics and occasional clashes between the president and the FBI, which impacted several administrations.
CNN's Josh Campbell, who has worked for three different FBI directors, takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATEL: Thanks to your brave leadership and the mandate you were given by the American people, not only defend the homeland, but crush violent crime. JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a new era at the
FBI.
PATEL: We are thankful for President Trump's steadfast leadership, and this FBI will fearlessly follow in his footsteps.
CAMPBELL (voice-over): One of the nation's premier law enforcement agencies, which once prided itself on strict independence from politicians, now taking shape as the political arm of the president. Director Kash Patel, often mirroring Donald Trump's own style with the president's perceived political enemies.
PATEL: What I am doing is protecting this country and combating the weaponization of intelligence by the likes of you.
CAMPBELL (voice-over): But the history of the bureau has been marked by frequent clashes with The White House. That intense conflict is the topic of a new CNN original series documentary exploring the fragile and high risk relationship between FBI directors past and the presidents they served.
As the FBI's quest for independence pushed to the brink.
JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: It was never going to work between us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President did not trust him.
COMEY: Donald Trump wanted an FBI director who he could count on in the political sense.
LEAH WRIGHT RIGUEUR, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST AND HISTORIAN: You have two men who have radically different visions engaged in a standoff over who is the FBI beholden to.
STEVE CORTES, 2016 TRUMP CAMPAIGN MEDIA SPOKESMAN: James Comey's announcement, it absolutely hurt the Trump campaign and I believe it was intended to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A major development here this evening at the White House. The President of the United States has terminated the director of the FBI, James Comey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It felt otherworldly.
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: This is just the beginning of a complete change in everything that's going on. I mean, it is seismic.
COMEY: Numbness, confusion, because I really not expected to be fired.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It was a great honor for me to fire, I will tell you this, a great honor to fire James Comey.
COMEY: I often joke on the relationship that Trump can't get over.
LERONE A. MARTIN, PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: To understand the FBI and really to understand the 20th century American democracy, you have to understand J. Edgar Hoover.
UNIDENIFIED MALE: Hoover started keeping tabs on anyone he didn't like and he didn't like a lot of people.
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He was cunning, right? Tactical, terrorizing, vindictive, secretive, closed off. Yes, he was a tough customer. I'm glad I didn't have to work for him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Louis Freeh had the guideposts of faith and family. And Bill Clinton had the guideposts posts of position in power.
LOUIS FREEH, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: We're conducting a criminal investigation of the President of the United States. I hadn't even unpacked my materials yet.
RIGUEUR: Bill Clinton comes to hate his director of the FBI. And the feeling is mutual.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Outside of current issues involving national security concerns, that the President of the United States should have little or nothing to do with the FBI.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The FBI has a lot of power. And put to the wrong ends, those capabilities can be devastating.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TAPPER: Josh Campbell, thanks so much. The new CNN original series is called "Standoff: The FBI Power and Paranoia." Back to back episodes are going to premiere this Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN. Then on the next day, you can watch it on the CNN app.
