Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Iran's New Supreme Leader Delivers First Message; Iran's New Supreme Leader Says Key Oil Route Will Remain Closed; Oil Again Tops $100 A Barrel Overnight After Iranian Attacks; Trump Again Gives Conflicting Comments On When War Will End; Sources - U.S. Likely Hit Iranian School Due To Outdated Intel; Search Underway For Missing Retired Air Force General. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired March 12, 2026 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:00]

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think there's only really one thing that emerges from this that changes our perception of where the war is right now is that we neither saw nor hurt him. And there seems to be suggestions in Iranian state media that this was his handwriting, but this was the key challenge of the moment to show that Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and well. And we got proof of neither. Did not suggest that he is necessarily dead, but all the questions revolving around the state of his health, the state of his injuries are not answered. They're simply amplified by this written statement.

It could be written by anybody, frankly. It pretty much reiterates what you would expect a message like this to deliver and read in the voice of the news reader of the moment. Now startling, I think that Iran has been faced with this longstanding question about Mojtaba's health, and answered it with this. Yes, there are plenty of reasons around his own security as to why he may not want a video apparatus to be near him or anyone to know where he is indeed, but it is still startling that after this much time, 12 days in, we are still left with this question hanging over us.

A couple of things stood out in terms of the content of what he said. One was to say to the Gulf neighbors that Iran has been attacking just as this morning, frankly, that we believe in friendship with our neighbors and are only targeting American bases. We will continue to do so out of necessity. That's been Iran's point since the beginning that this barrage of drones and missiles has hit targets across, the Gulf here, dragging neighbors who, frankly, were not publicly on the side of U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran into this war, putting them on the brink of having to respond almost, again, to reiterate that they're after the bases, frankly, falling flat at this point.

He also talked about how the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely continue to be used. He adds, studies have been conducted on other fronts where the enemy has little experience will be extremely vulnerable, ultimately suggesting we're going to see more asymmetrical warfare likely. Iran striking the U.S. in ways and in places that was not necessarily of their thought or understanding. But I think the major takeaway from all of this, Kate, as we still digest the entirety of this text here is the fact that the world was waiting to see who the new Supreme Leader of Iran indeed is.

A man really, really in the public eye prior to this moment, sort of an emerald's grease, some might say around his father when his father was alive. But we have this moment where we were waiting to see the face of the man to have proof of his health and survival, and they've not met that moment. Instead, a handwritten message, it seems, that mostly reiterates things we kind of already knew, okay?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Great point. Nick Peyton Walsh, thank you so much, Nick. Sara?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR, SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All right. Thank you, Kate. The breaking news this morning. Oil prices are another roller coaster ride after Iran claimed responsibility for strikes on two tankers off the coast of Iraq. Oil prices back down to the 90s right now after spiking more than a $100 a barrel, but this morning, the administration remains adamant that this war with Iran is worth it. Here's what Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Kate this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WRIGHT, ENERGY SECRETARY: This was a can that could not be kicked down the road one more administration. We need to defang, and we are defanging Iran's abilities to threaten American troops in the areas, its allies, its neighbors, and global energy markets. So, yes, you've got to go through short term pain to solve a long-term problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Joining me now is Senator Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey. Is that how you see it short term pain, long-term problem solved?

SEN. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): No. That's not how the American people see this. What they see is that they had no say in this. If the Trump administration wanted American people's support, they should have came and made their case that this is something that's important. They should not be able to make that decision of this short per term pain, which could very well continue to be long-term pain, because what we're seeing right now is this administration literally just making this up as they go along.

You just had Secretary Wright. This is somebody who just a few days ago tweeted that we have already been escorting with our naval fleet, ships and cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, and then they deleted that post. And then they decided not to move forward on the strategic petroleum reserves. Now they are. Now Secretary Wright is now saying that maybe by the end of this month, we will be escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. They're just literally making this up, and that is what's so terrifying. That's why the markets are shaky, and that's why we have to be very concerned about what comes next for America's security and economic security.

SIDNER: We just heard this brand new message on Iran state TV from the new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. He warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed as a tool of pressure. Trump has said he will send naval warships to escort oil tankers to keep the oil flowing through that strait. Do you support that decision?

[09:35:00]

KIM: I think it's very dangerous. And I worked in the National Security Council before, worked in Afghanistan, on Iraq. I've seen this question posed before other presidents, and it's very dangerous, which is, again, why this should not have happened without approval from Congress, without every resource available to us. Trump thinks that he's in control, but he's not. This is a very dangerous phase. I'm very aware of the capabilities that Iran has.

And if we are putting our service members in direct harm's way through the Strait of Hormuz, which is right off the shore of Iran, they are exposed to drones, exposed to missiles, and other types of strikes and attack. That is something that I'm very concerned about given how much this administration has deprioritized the safety of our service members. We saw that in Kuwait where we saw the lives of six service members killed, many more injured because they were in a facility that didn't have the proper level of security.

This administration has rushed this war, has done it without a strategy, and it has left our service members very much in harm's way.

SIDNER: Let me ask you about this message. We -- this is just coming in to us, that President Trump just posted to Americans on his Truth Social. He said the United States is the largest oil producer in the world by far. So when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. Is that something that resonates with you and your constituents?

KIM: That's an insane statement by the President of the United States at a time of war. For him to just be flailing right now, you can see that the White House is clearly in panic right now because this war is not going as they thought it would. They thought it was something where, we would see regime change. They thought, they would get unconditional surrender. These are all the things that President Trump is saying. Every day, it's a different rationale, a different conclusion by him, and that's what's causing this problem.

So I can tell you the American people, the people I talk to, they're thinking about their grocery prices. They're thinking about their housing prices. They're not thinking about how much money American corporations are going to make off of higher oil prices because that's just going to raise all of our prices at home. And that's where the President is just so detached. He's delusional about what it is that the American people want. I saw that at the State of the Union address. We see that now with him continue to prosecute this war that the American people don't want.

SIDNER: I want to ask you about this bombing of an elementary school that killed dozens of children and many more civilians. Sources to CNN say that the U.S. military used outdated images of an area that it struck in Iran, which led to that deadly strike. You argue that there was something in place that could have prevented something like this happening. What's the argument? KIM: The argument is that -- I -- a couple of years ago, worked alongside my colleagues to pass into law something called the Civilian Protection Center. This is something that's at the Department of Defense, at the Pentagon, something that has personnel who are focused on this effort of ensuring protection of civilians of reducing the risks that we see unfold here. The problem, though, is Secretary Hegseth decided to gut this office last year, has dramatically reduced down the staff, not implementing the budget that is necessary.

Again, this was a bipartisan piece of legislation passed into law that I helped draft, because of this. I worked at the National Security Council. I've been there for targeting packages for a President to approve. This fall lies directly on President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. They are clearly the ones that gave the orders in terms of how they should go about the risk analysis. And without this type of office, it shows just how much this administration has deprioritized the protection of civilians.

And now we find ourselves facing one of the worst losses of life of civilians at the hands of Americans in decades.

SIDNER: And more than a week on, we're still waiting for the full report there to be made public. We will --

KIM: There needs to be a thorough investigation.

SIDNER: You're asking for a thorough investigation as are some of your colleagues Senator Andy Kim --

KIM: Not just of the -- yeah, thank you.

SIDNER: Go ahead. Go ahead.

KIM: Well, I'm just saying not just of the strike, but also why they have cut this office and reduced our abilities to protect civilians.

SIDNER: All right. Senator Andy Kim, I do appreciate you. Thank you for speaking to us this morning. John?

JOHN KING, ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This morning, the Department of Homeland Security trying to gain access to restricted federal child support payment database potentially to use for immigration enforcement.

And new video of a man brandishing an axe taken down by employees at a car wash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: This morning, the FBI has joined the search for a missing retired Air Force General who once held some of the most sensitive positions in the military following his retirement. 68-year-old William Neil McCasland also worked with UFO Researchers, authority say he has been missing since late February. Let's get right to CNN's Veronica Miracle. Veronica Miracle for the latest on this. Veronica, what are you learning this morning?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, authorities say that retired Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland walked away from his home in Albuquerque two weeks ago without a cell phone. He hasn't been in touch with his wife, his family, his friends, and also to add more of a pressing issue here, he does have a medical condition listed on his Silver Alert, so there's a lot of issues.

[09:45:00]

As you mentioned, there's also a twist. He held several high rankings, very sensitive positions in the U.S. military before his retirement. Among some of those high ranking positions includes the fact that he commanded the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. That's a base long rumored to house extraterrestrial debris linked to Roswell, despite very strong Air Force denials.

Now there have been massive searches for McCasland in the area of Albuquerque. In fact, investigators say they've talked to about 600 homeowners as they search for videos, for clues, anything that might lead to McCasland. Take a listen to what a search and rescue official had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURI DODGE, NEW MEXICO SEARCH AND RESCUE: Please check your ring cameras if you live in the area. If anyone has trail cameras, but we need to find out which direction this gentleman might have gone from his home. Right now, that's the big issue is we don't know which direction he went. So we're going back to the needle in the haystack. The only problem is, we don't know which haystack we're looking in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: Susan McCasland Wilkerson. This is McCasland's wife. She posted a statement on Facebook, thanking people, also trying to clear up some of the misinformation that she says has been spreading. She said part of her statement says, "It is true that Neil had a brief association with the UFO Community. This connection is not a reason for someone to abduct Neil. Neil does not have any special knowledge about the ET bodies and debris from the Roswell Crash stored at Wright-Patt. Back to you, John.

KING: Wow. Certainly ripe for conspiracy there, but let's hope that family gets their loved one back. Veronica Miracle, thank you so much. Kate?

BOLDUAN: All right. There is new CNN reporting this morning on how DHS is trying to access a child support payment database in order to use it for immigration enforcement. We've got new reporting coming in on that for you.

And in a very different, very different story, do you like espresso martinis? If you don't, what is wrong with you? Kidding. Do you like wings? How about a wing inspired espresso martini, because that is so Americana. Take things you like and smash them together, and it's also a protein shake.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: New this morning, privacy concerns after sources say the Department of Homeland Security wants access to a massive federal database used to track child support payments. According to sources, DHS officials claim the information could help track down undocumented immigrants, but critics say that is not what it's meant for. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has all this new reporting for us. What can you tell us about this?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, this is the latest in a string of attempts by the Trump administration to look at the various databases held within federal agencies for the purpose of the administration's immigration crackdown. In other words, trying to find undocumented immigrants.

Now, the database that we are talking about here is very specific to child support payment collection. This is called the Federal Parent Locator Service. It's a set of databases, and it includes the information about who is paying child support. It's an accountability mechanism. But also, it has a database that includes employment information for millions of Americans. Whether or not they have a nexus to child support employers have to report this up to the Health and Human Services Department as part of this directory.

Now, if you have no nexus of child support, your information is eventually deleted. But what this goes to show is that this is a very comprehensive database. The trove of information here is enormous according to current and former Health and Human Services officials. For that reason, Sara, the information held in these databases is legally restricted. There's a federal law that states who is authorized to use it, for what purposes, and how to handle it.

And according to one of those, former officials, the Department of Homeland Security, according to that statute is not an authorized user nor is immigration enforcement an authorized use. Now, we should note that immigration status is not included in this database, but it could be inferred with who does or doesn't have a Social Security Number, and undocumented immigrants can still apply for child support because it is not a public benefit.

Now again, this drives at the main concern for current and former health and human services officials, which is that this is a critical program in the United States to collect child support payments. And by targeting this potentially for immigration enforcement, it could sow distress. Now the Health and Human Services Department Spokesperson said that there has not been a request by Department of Homeland Security for access to this, though they remain committed, I'm quoting here to "Take the whole of government approach and break down information silos within the bounds of existing law." This is the statement.

Of course, what we have seen in the way that the administration has tried to access data is that it can occur via discussions with high level officials or through memorandums of understanding. But all of this is something that health and human services officials are watching very closely, because, again, this is such an important program in the U.S., and they don't want anything that could so distressed in it for the purpose of the immigration enforcement crackdown.

SIDNER: Yeah. A lot of children hanging the balance there with those payments. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much. Do appreciate it, Kate.

BOLDUAN: There is new video in this morning showing a moment. Two employees at a Florida car wash took down a man armed with an axe, Jeez Louise. The police say the 36-year-old suspect threatened the workers at the car wash -- as the car wash was closing. 18-year-old worker just lunged at the man, got him to the ground. A second employee then took the axe out of his hand, and they were able to restrain him until police arrived. He's now facing assault charges.

[09:55:00]

Also, a new addition to the Guinness Book of World Records. Runners in Sweden headed nearly 4,000 feet underground for what is being called the World's Deepest Marathon. The course is a 11 laps through mining tunnels in the dark. The participants describe the 26.2 underground as hot, humid, and a bit dusty.

I'm not going to add a joke to that one today. I'm not. The Buffalo Wild Wings is doing just what they everyone wants them to do, to mash together a whole bunch of good things in one. The chain is introducing the wing flavored Espresso Proteini, it is made with, you guessed it, classic espresso martini ingredients infused with a buffalo dry rub and 10 grams of protein. The novelty cocktail launches tomorrow. You can get it through Sunday, which conveniently just happens to be, which now I am learning is something called National Espresso Martini Day.

KING: You said everyone wants that? You say it's --

BOLDUAN: Everyone wants all of that.

KING: It tastes like chicken, as they say. That's it for us. Situation up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)