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Trump: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Is Dead. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired February 28, 2026 - 20:00   ET

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

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[20:00:17]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: You are watching CNN's breaking news coverage of the U.S. and Israel led war with Iran. Dawn is now approaching in the Middle East. Just in the last few minutes, the Israeli military has begun another wave of strikes against Iran. In a statement, the Israeli military said this latest attack is targeting Iran's ballistic missile array and the aerial defense systems. Iranian media is reporting explosions have now been heard in Tehran.

Also today, a huge revelation with a huge potential ripple effect according to President Trump and two Israeli sources, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. We have CNN reporters throughout the region and our experts here to bring you the very latest analysis on what's happening in Tehran, Tel Aviv and at President Trump's command center in Mar-a-Lago.

The shock waves from the U.S. and Israeli strikes and Iran's retaliation are being felt in at least five additional countries across the Middle East. The effects have been felt in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

Iran strikes have not been limited to the U.S. bases in those countries. Here's an example. I'm going to show you video now of an Iranian drone hitting a high rise residential building in Bahrain. Iran's retaliation has rocked heavily populated areas, disrupting travel by air and sea. This was a scene in just a moment here you'll see that inside the Dubai airport, one of the busiest airports in the entire world. People around the world know it as a place that's also a mall inside.

Now, President Trump, after posting an early morning video to social media, is promising to continue the fight, quote, as long as necessary. Among our guests tonight are several who have worked closely with President Trump on the Middle East. We'll dive right into the question just about everyone who wants to know the answer to at this moment now what?

Joining me now, the CNN Jeremy Diamond. He is live for us in Tel Aviv, Israel, which has been taking fire. First, Jeremy, what are you seeing and hearing on the ground at this hour? JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, over the course of

the last 19 hours, we have been reporting on this conflict that has erupted in the Middle East that threatens to escalate even further across the region as we saw Israel and the United States begin initially to carry out strikes against Iran. Iran's retaliation came about two hours later with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones aimed at Israel, but also at U.S. military bases in the Middle East and also striking population centers in some of those Gulf countries, including Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Doha in Qatar.

The United States and Israel's strikes have now killed the slew of senior Iranian officials, according to the Israeli military and according to President Trump, as well two senior -- two Israeli Sources familiar with the matter. These strikes carried out by Israel also killed Iran's supreme leader.

And this all comes, as we have heard President Trump make, very clear, that his goal with these strikes is beyond just degrading Iran's military capabilities to also create the conditions on the ground for regime change. But despite the apparent killing of Iran's supreme leader and a slew of other senior officials, including Iran's defense minister, for example, that has not hampered so far Iran's ability to exact costs across the Middle East in retaliation for these strikes.

And we were on the scene this evening of one of those strikes carried out by Iran, which killed one woman here in the heart of Tel Aviv. This ballistic missile strike really carried a destructive blast that damaged, severely damaged several buildings in the area, killed one woman, one person is in severe condition, two others in moderate condition, and dozens of others across Israel tonight have been lightly wounded by some of these Iranian ballistic missile attacks.

But really, this is just the beginning of all of this. As I mentioned, we are now 19 hours into this latest conflict between the United States and Israel one side and Iran on the other. And both the U.S. and Israel are vowing that they will continue to carry out these strikes for as long as necessary, something that's going to go on for at least several days.

[20:05:04]

And Iran has also vowed that its retaliation will bring this conflict to levels not seen during the 12 Day War between Iran and Israel back in June. We are very much in a much more perilous moment right now in the Middle East and we're only beginning really to see the consequences of that latest military action that is now unfolding, Sara?

SIDNER: Yes, it is, you know, a long way away. And those ballistic missiles often Israel is able to thwart because of the Iron Dome and other apparatus that exist there. Clearly, some of those have gotten through. And now as you have been reporting, there are casualties there in Israel.

I do want to go now to CNN's Kristen Holmes, who is joining me now from the White House. There are so many questions, but the one that everyone is wondering now because after they've seen, and there are some people who are very shocked and surprised by this. But there was a huge apparatus, military apparatus buildup by the United States in the region.

So for others, it is not a surprise that this happened. It was just the timing of when it happened that may have taken them aback.

What more is the president saying tonight about these strikes and his plans for the future?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Look, the plans for the future are still a huge question, Sara. We've heard President Trump now in a series of short interviews as well as posting onto his Truth Social.

In terms of a timeline, it's still really remains unclear what the timeline is. We heard him say at one point he could pull out in two days or this could take much longer. And he posted this on True Social when he was announcing the death of the Supreme Leader. He also wrote this. The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East and indeed of the world.

So of course they're laying out that it seems as though the bombing will continue for at least one week. What happens after that gets anyone's guess.

On the other side, this idea of regime change. Remember, President Trump in the middle of the night when he posted this video about why the U.S. was involved in this attack on Iran with Israel? He laid out three key points here, saying that it was in order to crush the military of Iran, to bring about change in the regime and then also to eliminate the nuclear program.

But when it comes to regime change, it's unclear what the next steps there are, either, he was asked this in one of these interviews and he said this is what he said I want to write down says at some point they'll be calling me to ask who I like. And it's not clear who he's talking about would be calling him and asking him who would run Iran. So that was a little bit of a confusing statement there.

We had heard from the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, just a few weeks ago that it would be an enormous task to actually seek regime change in Iran. So clearly, this has to have been something that was under discussion leading up to this.

Now, when you talk about it being a surprise, yes, the biggest surprise was certainly the timing. And President Trump kind of alluded to this. When he left on Friday, he was going to Texas and then to Florida. He said that the talks were not going well, that he was incredibly disappointed. He was completely unhappy. They'd be talking again, but you'll see what happens.

And then said at one point, you know, he doesn't want to have to use force, but sometimes you have to, which gave a little bit of an indication of where this was headed. And we heard from a number of administration officials who said essentially that the negotiations kind of run their course, that they were starting to get confronted with games and stall tactics, and it just wasn't working.

And so President Trump took this action. But you noted there are still an enormous amount of questions. And we know the White House has been working with lawmakers, both the House and the Senate, to set up these full briefings, congressional briefings for next week. We, of course, expect that to at least answer some of these questions that a lot of these lawmakers have as well.

SIDNER: Yes, I mean, look, the American public has a lot of questions, in part because of what has happened in the past when the United States has tried regime change and, frankly, failed at it. I mean, it's cost a lot of Americans lives and a lot of lives of innocent people who live in the respective countries. If you're talking about places like Libya and Iraq and frankly, Afghanistan, which the Taliban is still, you know, now in control of.

I do want to ask you about what you have seen as far as some of these photos that have come out of him in Mar-a-Lago, where he is there with his national security team. They're monitoring the strikes, and we're seeing some of those photos.

What have your sources been telling you about just how this all went down from Florida?

HOLMES: Yes, I mean, look, this is all buildup. This was built up for a number of weeks. We knew these negotiations were happening, and we are being told by U.S. officials and of course this could change. As we learn more information, that these negotiations were happening in good faith.

I just remind you, I mean, it's not just that we had these kind of anonymous U.S. officials saying that progress had been made earlier in the day on Friday, before these strikes happened. We actually heard the Omani foreign minister, who had been the intermediary in these negotiations, saying a peace deal was within reach.

[20:10:02]

So, it wasn't just kind of behind the scenes, you know, wink and a nod and head fake. There was somebody actually with the face of this saying, I think it's going in a good direction. He obviously has already posted on Twitter saying that he was unhappy with the results of the strike from Israel and Iran.

So they were down in Mar-a-Lago. We've actually seen now seen videos of President Trump attending an event. He just stopped by. He's dancing to music. Then he says he has to go work. And then this core group with Marco Rubio with Susie Wiles, Jess Gavino (ph) appears in one of the photos that Pete Hexath is in there. That is when these decisions were made and these strikes were launched.

But I will tell you, it's unclear how close to the actual strikes that the decision was made because I was told that he was accompanied on his plane from both D.C. to Texas and Florida by an enormous amount of staff from the Situation Room as well as from the NSC, which doesn't usually travel with them.

SIDNER: Right. That is a clue in and of itself who was traveling with him before all this happened. Thank you to you, Kristen Holmes, for your reporting throughout the day. I want to go now to CNN global affairs analyst and former national security adviser for multiple presidents, Brett McGurk, as well as CNN military analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton.

Brett, to you first. Right now, according to the president and some Israeli sources, the Ayatollah is dead and so are many people who were official and helping him stay in power. So at this point in time, who's in charge of Iran?

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I don't think even the Iranians know, Sara. I think we're about 24 hours in, not even. Let's do what you call a net assessment. I'll try to do it real quick. Number one, a new wave of strikes is ongoing, Israel and the U.S., this shows in daylight hours that not only air superiority but air dominance over Iran. The Iranians cannot defend their territory.

Second, as you just alluded to, the Supreme Leader has been killed and about 40 or so has been reported. Other very senior leaders of the Iranian system have been killed. If you put that on top of the June war in which the top echelons were eliminated, this is a massive. I don't think -- there's no historical parallel to what's happening.

How is Iran responding so far? Missiles. You had missiles into Israel. Not in the types of volleys we saw in June, which suggests maybe their missiles. We hope have been significantly degraded. But also importantly, Sara, these missile attacks into the Gulf are really significant.

I think strategically, Iran usually wants to try to separate the Gulf and the Arab states from the Israelis and the U.S. in an operation like this. But those attacks into the Gulf have actually united the Gulf behind, so far behind the operation. They're attacking civilian areas in Dubai, in Manama. You just had that video.

And I think this is a big mistake on the Iranians part and shows some disarray in the leadership. Final point, we have not seen yet Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Iranian militias in Iraq join in on this and we'll have to watch that. But so far, strategic initiative, clearly with the U.S. and Iran. But where does this go long term? You're asking the key question. And the honest answer there, Sara, is nobody knows.

SIDNER: Yes, I mean, we're looking at video right now of Bahrain where they have struck and we know they have hit with, I think, a drone. The Dubai airport, which is one of the most used airports in the world, that gets people in and out of that region from all over the world.

I'm curious, Colonel, whether or not Iran's capabilities have been so diminished that this is the large extent of what they can do, or is there the possibility of a lot more to come? COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.) CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I don't think

there's the possibility of a lot more to come, Sara, because it does appear as if the Iranian capabilities have in fact been decimated at this particular point in time. And you look at what's happened right now and compare it also with what happened in June. And Brett mentioned air supremacy, air dominance. That's the kind of thing that indicates that it's going to be difficult, not impossible, but extremely difficult for the Iranians mount these kinds of attacks going forward.

Now, they'll be able to do some things, but it really depends on the supply that they have left. So if they have somewhere between, let's say 2,000 to 3,000 missiles that they could launch theoretically against Gulf states and against Israel, that is, you know, one part of it.

But they also don't have the launchers that they would need to do this en masse and to really overwhelm Israeli as well as Gulf Arab air defenses. So that's the kind of thing that we're looking at here. And I think because of that, I think the position of the Iranians in this particular sphere of warfare has been degraded quite a bit.

[20:15:00

SIDNER: Colonel, I am curious because one of the things that Iran promised to do was to hit U.S. forces in the places that it is around the Middle East and they've tried to do that. What is the main risk to U.S. forces in the coming days, you think?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think some of the risks that you'll see in the coming days are similar to the risks that they just experienced over the last 24 hours. You saw the naval support activity in Bahrain being attacked. That is a risk for all of the different installations. And you know, I think they've all to varying degrees. Al Udid, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates and bases in Kuwait have also been put at risk by the Iranian efforts.

So that's why we, before this occurred, the U.S. moved Patriot missile batteries of a THAAD system into areas that could provide defense for those bases. The other thing that's at risk, of course, are the ships at sea. So anything that's in the Persian Gulf is particularly at risk because of the types of tactics that the Iranians use against naval vessels.

That could include swarm tactics using very small boats to swarm around larger vessels, including aircraft carriers. So the U.S. navy is very practiced against these kinds of threats, but that's still a threat. And those threats could materialize very quickly and that they definitely have to be on guard against them.

SIDNER: Gentlemen, please stick around. Your expertise is so needed at this moment. You know this region and this administration and it helps us kind of walk through what we can expect. A lot of people are feeling on edge, although there are plenty of people who are celebrating, mostly Iranians who live outside of the country and some inside of the country as they're watching this who have been wanting to see this regime fall.

We will see if that's ultimately what happens. Our breaking news does continue in just a bit. World leaders are reacting with caution after the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering concerns of a broader conflict. My colleague and friend Fareed Zakaria joins me next.

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SIDNER: All right, we are back with our live breaking news coverage and we are closely monitoring the skies over Tel Aviv as the Israeli military launches yet another wave of strikes against Iran. I'm Sara Sidner giving you the live report now here you're looking at some pictures of Dubai.

In the hours since the U.S. and Israel's initial attack, Iran has rocked densely populated areas with drones and missile attacks across the Middle East. Tonight, cheers and celebrations could be heard in Tehran following reports of the Iranian Supreme Leader's death.

But what remains uncertain is the future of more than 90 million Iranians tonight. And who will fill the enormous power vacuum that has been left behind? I want to bring in CNN's Fareed Zakaria. Thank you so much for being here.

First of all, give us the significance because it is hugely significant that the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei is dead. What does that mean to the people of Iran?

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: Oh, it's hugely significant. This is a man who's been in power 37 years, the longest serving dictator in the world and, you know, a real hardliner. I know we sometimes use these terms flippantly, but this is a guy who staked his entire position of power on the idea of unalterable opposition to any kind of reform, unalterable hostility to the United States and of course to Israel.

There were at various points, moderates within the Iranian regime, but he bested them all, he outlasted them all. And in a way, he represented the kind of extreme version of the Islamic Republic's isolation from the world. Look at even the way in which they're responding now.

They've responded by attacking the Gulf states, even Dubai, which has no American bases there, in a way that has actually United States, the Gulf states and much of the Arab world against Iran. So his legacy is one, you know, frankly, from my perspective of running one of the greatest countries in the world into the ground, enormous repression for four decades and a foreign policy that has been utterly self- defeating and isolated, one of the greatest trading nations in the world.

So it's not a pretty legacy, but it is a very significant legacy. The question, however, is how much will that change with his death. Iran is not a personalized dictatorship. It is a highly institutionalized one. There is the clerical establishment, there is the military establishment. They work together. There are succession plans. There is a committee that is meant to be formed at the death of a supreme leader that governs the country while another supreme leader is found.

So we don't know where this is going to go, but it doesn't feel like this is not like Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein dying in the sense of, you know, there is no institutional structure behind it. But it is significant in that he is the, you know, he was the hardest of the hardliners. He was the man who as I said, really ran Iran into the ground and into a corner. And he is now dead.

SIDNER: Yes, I mean, and look, thousands upon thousands of Iranians were killed in the last protest. So their families certainly cheering from Tehran on this day.

[20:25:03]

I do want to ask you because you talked about the fact that this isn't just a single man led situation government. So there have been U.S. intelligence telling us that the Iran's hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard, which is that elite wing of Iran's military, would simply be able to fill any leadership void in the country. Is that what you see here? I mean, a lot of people have been killed surrounding the Ayatollah.

ZAKARIA: Yes, we don't know. So let's be honest and be humble here. But it is highly likely that's what will happen. That's what happened after the 12-day war in June, when there were a large number of decapitations of senior leadership. They filled those positions, particularly in the military.

You know, the military is a highly structured, hierarchical organization. So when you kill one layer, there are -- there's the next layer that can rise up to take its place. The clerical side is a little more complicated. It's much more political. There, be a power struggle. There are contenders to succeed Khamenei's position.

But again, there is a process. So, I would continue to bet against complete chaos and the collapse of the regime. I think more likely this is a weakened, battered regime that will find some way to pull itself together.

You can see from their responses this is a weak regime. It doesn't have many options. It's flailing. It's attacking what it can. It's going after, you know, civilian targets, even though perhaps they know it's self-defeating. The foreign minister admitted that they almost don't want to do this, but I don't think they have a lot of options.

SIDNER: That's a really good way to put it because they are hitting some civilian infrastructure in places like Dubai and so they're upsetting people close to them in the region, geographically at least. And so it is very apparent what you're saying, that they are flailing somewhat.

Fareed Zakaria, it is always so good to have your perspective on all of this because of your deep knowledge of the region. Do appreciate it.

Just ahead, Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton defends the administration's decision to launch strikes on Iran. He will explain why when he joins me, next.

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SIDNER: Tonight, all hell breaking loose in the Middle East, President Trump remains in Florida. The White House says he's currently at a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. It is the same place where these pictures show him gathered with his national security team in the early hours of the strikes against Iran.

I'm joined now by former Ambassador to the UN and President Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton. Thank you so much for being here.

Look, you have long wanted to see this happen. You have made no bones about it. But are you confident that this administration is ready for what comes next, that there is a plan in place?

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: No, that would not be characteristic of the way Trump does business. I think the most important point right now is to maximize the extent of our cooperation and exchange of information with the opposition inside Iran. It's absolutely critical that we know what they're capable of doing, whether they can help cause fractures in the regime at the top, bring governmental military officials over to the opposition side, and help bring the regime down. It's certainly not the case that the aerial attacks alone will do it.

We need to work with the opposition. And I'm just concerned we haven't done it in the depth we need to be successful here.

SIDNER: Do you think that boots on the ground is what is going to be necessary? I mean, we are hearing for the President that he is -- he speaking about regime change.

BOLTON: Well, this marks a fundamental difference from Trump in the first term where he said publicly he was against regime change in Iran. So I'm sorry, I and others weren't able to persuade him to this position in the first term. But nobody predicted it was going to be like snapping your fingers.

In terms of boots on the ground, there's no prospect of that now. But I personally would not rule it out at some point, for example, as the regime is collapsing, when we get to that point, to take control of the nuclear facilities at Isfahan, Fordow, Natanz and other places to make sure none of that material gets in the wrong hands. But that would be a very limited role for the US in terms of a presence on the ground.

SIDNER: All right. So we have some breaking news that's just into us. We're just getting this as you were speaking. Iran state media has confirmed the death of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

I have to get your reaction. We have heard from President Trump, we heard from Israeli sources, but now we have it from Iran state media this has happened. He is dead.

BOLTON: Well, he deserved it. That man and his regime were responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, civilians and servicemembers over the years. His government posed a direct threat to the United States by its pursuit of deliverable nuclear weapons, an international terror unparalleled in history really. I hope this is the beginning of the end of the regime.

But it is the fact, this is a very well-entrenched dictatorship, and it will take time and effort. This is not going to be a one and done use of military force. This will take time. I hope we have the persistence to do it. And I hope, as I said before, we're working with the opposition because if we don't, a lot of this effort could go to waste.

And as we saw back in January, you leave this regime in power, it will brutally take out its ire on the civilians, the citizens of Iran, who only want a better life for themselves and their families. So a lot is at stake here.

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SIDNER: A lot is certainly at stake. You know, there is also the thousands of Iranians who lost their lives as they were protesting the difficulties of living under this regime who are pleased to hear this, and there's no doubt about that. I do want to remind everyone of what has just happened. Thank you, Mr. Bolton.

We will end here and continue with our breaking news. But this has just happened. We've gotten breaking news. Iran state media is confirming the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. We'll have more on that ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN.

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[08:40:10]

SIDNER: Welcome back to CNN's breaking news coverage of a historic moment in the Middle East. Just moments ago, Iran state media has confirmed that Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead. I want to bring in Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. He is a member of the Armed Services Committee.

First, just your reaction to what we are now hearing. We heard from Donald Trump. President Trump said it, Israeli sources said it, now we're hearing it from Iran's state media that the ayatollah has been killed. What's your reaction?

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): I mean, this guy is terrible. He's evil. But that doesn't mean that it's legal or constitutional what the President has done. I mean, I'm not against regime change in Iran, I just want to make this year the case that we should risk a lot of American lives to achieve that.

And of course, what matters with all of this is not just what happens but what comes next. Because, yes, I don't like the Iranian regime. They chant death to America. They kill their own people nonstop. But we don't want it replaced by an even more hardline regime.

We want it replaced by a more moderate, pro-Western regime. And this is just a crapshoot at this point. We don't know what's going to happen next.

So I have no problem celebrating that the ayatollah is dead. Whether he's killed by an American bomb, an Israeli bomb or natural causes, it's great that he is dead. But what really matters is what happens next.

When it comes to what happens next, what will you do next? What should happen next? In your estimation, a lot of your fellow lawmakers are saying, hey, we deserve to have a yes or no vote in Congress as soon as possible. Is that how you feel about it?

MOULTON: Absolutely. And Republicans and Democrats are saying that. You won't hear many Republicans saying it out loud today. But the war powers resolution that should come before us this coming week is a bipartisan resolution. I've heard a lot of Republicans say behind the scenes that if Biden were doing this kind of stuff, just operating unilaterally without consulting Congress, they would be up in arms. That's a quote, I've heard up in arms.

So the reality is that the Constitution does still matter in a democracy. And the Constitution is very clear that Congress decides whether we go to war or not, not the president. And let's be clear, this isn't just a unilateral military operation in response to an imminent threat. That's what they claimed in Venezuela. Not true.

That's not even what they're trying to claim today. The President himself has said this is a war.

SIDNER: This is a war he did not get congressional approval for, as you pointed out. And you believe that this is unconstitutional, but it has happened. So here is the question, I guess, going further. The President did something that really was very different from the last strikes that were conducted with Israel. And that is, he talked about regime change and wanting them to happen, even trying to get those in Iran saying, this is your chance, while we're doing this is your chance to create regime change, which could mean a very protracted war. So --

MOULTON: Well, I mean this --

SIDNER: Go ahead.

MOULTON: Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. I was just going to say this is the President who supposedly was against regime change wars. I mean, we've heard this time and again from Trump. He was the first Republican to come out and say that Iraq was a mistake.

Now, I agree Iraq was a mistake. But to hear him say that now that he's all pro-regime change is, it's a little bit confusing from the president who is supposedly the president of peace. But at the end of the day, I mean, we got to recognize that he doesn't really seem to have a clear plan because, yes, we've heard regime change.

We've also heard that this is a war about their nuclear weapons program. We've heard it's a war about their ballistic missile program. We've heard it's war about his new latest conspiracy theory that Iran tried to influence the 2020 election. So, you know, let's get it straight, Mr. President. What are you actually trying to achieve here?

SIDNER: Congressman Seth Moulton, thank you for coming in. This is quite a day. And just to remind people, the latest breaking news is that Iran has confirmed through its state media that the supreme leader has been killed.

Still ahead, the strikes in Iran sparking both celebrations and condemnations the country and in other countries as well, including ours. Our breaking news continues in just a bit.

[08:44:49]

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SIDNER: All right. As we closely are following the escalating conflict in the Middle East after the US and Israel carried out military strikes in Iran, here in the United States, we've seen mixed reactions from Americans who are watching this unfold. Numerous anti-war protests unfolded across the country today from Los Angeles to Times Square, in New York and in Washington near the White House.

But there were also celebrations by some Iranians and Iranian Americans who are eager to see Iran's brutal regime be toppled.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE KAZEROUNI, IRANIAN LOS ANGELES RESIDENT: When is the last time you saw people in Israel and Iran dancing on the streets in excitement? And when is the last time you've ever heard of a country coming out and dancing because they're excited that foreign powers are attacking them? And that country is Iran, whose official government statement is death to Israel, death to America.

But the Iranian people have made it absolutely clear that they're ready for regime change. They want freedom in Iran and they want the rest of the world not to abandon them because we're almost at the finish line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:50:13]

SIDNER: So a comment from one of the protesters who is happy to see that the supreme leader has been killed. And we should mention that was in Los Angeles. They call it Tehrangeles because there are so many Iranian Americans who live here in Los Angeles and are watching this, every detail of it, and getting as much information as they can.

Joining me now to discuss our political veterans, Karen Finney and Scott Jennings. Scott, first to you. Look, this is a big and complex situation. On the one hand, the President has long said no more wars, now he started one. On the other hand, as you heard, many Iranians happy that he has taken out the brutal Iranian supreme leader.

How do you square the no war promise with the potential of a protracted war?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, first of all, the President has consistently, over the course of his entire public life, said he will never permit the Iranian regime to have a nuclear weapon. That's why he took action last summer, and that's part of the reason he took action today. So I don't see this as him starting a war. I see this as a preventative measure to prevent a war against the largest state sponsor of terror in the world.

My view is, this is a new day for the people of Iran. It's a new day for the Middle East, and it's a new day for the world because the most courageous commander in chief of my lifetime said, I'm not putting up with this. We've been banging our head against a wall for 47 years while these guys terrorize the world, and I'm not going to permit it any longer.

So when I see these Iranian people in LA and other places celebrating, I can only imagine their emotions and the emotions of the people in Iran who now have a chance to take back their country and restore what was once a great pro-Western country. That's the end goal here. No more war, but peace and a government and a culture in Iran that can actually participate with the rest of the world instead of terrorize it.

That's what the president did. He ought to be commended for it.

SIDNER: Well, look, at this time, there is war happening still. And so, and obviously it's just started. And so, there's a lot of concern about where this is going and if there is a plan.

So, Karen, to you, when you see what has happened, you know, it's complicated. You know, there are people who are really, you know, joyful to see what is happening because they believe that regime change is absolutely necessary in Iran. But there are others like why is the United States getting into this and starting a war? Do you think that this was justified?

KAREN FINNEY. CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't think we know the answer to that unfortunately. You know, today as I've been listening to -- I listened to Senator Kaine who has access to far more intelligence than any of the three of us and he raised some very serious concerns. Now, I know -- I believe it's like seven members of the gang of eight have been -- were notified. I think that's part of the conversation that's going to unfold in over the next several days. And look, here's -- you're right, this is complicated because two things can be true at the same time. And we've seen this pattern again and again and again with President Trump, we can all agree that the state sponsor of terrorists that Iran needed regime change. We can all agree that is a good thing. At the same time, we can also question was this the right time to do it, was this the right way to do it and what is the plan going forward?

Look, we remember, as you know, we have members of Congress who served in the last war where we didn't have a clear plan to go forward. And it cost lives, it cost taxpayer dollars, it cost -- the human toll was significant. So it's fair for members of Congress to ask questions and to say we want to understand what was the rationale, what is the plan?

Because particular talking about not having boots on the ground, then the question becomes are there forces inside the country that can take over and lead the country to peace? And it does not sound like we have a clear answer on that. And we'll have to see how things unfold over the coming days.

SIDNER: Look, there have been huge protests that have happened over the past couple of years. The last one there were some reports of 12,000 plus people slaughtered by the Iranian regime and they knocked it down. Scott, you -- look, there is going to be a political consequence to this. It could be good, bad or ugly, I don't know. Not all Republicans certainly are on board with the President's actions and his former ally turned nemesis, I guess.

Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted this. This is not what we thought MAGA was supposed to be. Congressman Thomas Massie also writing, this is not America First. Do they have a point?

JENNINGS: No, they don't have a point and I don't consider them to be actual Republicans, and I don't consider them to be part of the America first or MAGA movement, to be honest with you. They are basically allied against Donald Trump on everything, whether it's foreign -- just become political enemies of the President of the United States, no matter what he does.

[08:55:10]

And that's unfortunate. But she quit and he's about to lose in a primary in Kentucky, so that'll be the end of that.

If I may, you mentioned what's the justification? And I think it's a fair question. And Karen raised some questions that need to be answered and I'm sure they will answer them. But, look, over 47 years, hundreds of American troops have been killed by the Iranian regime and its proxies. And I talked to senior administration, very senior administration officials, today.

They had intelligence that the regime was going to fire missiles into US. military and civilian targets. They were still enriching uranium, they would not give up on that. We had a lot of justification to do this.

They tried diplomacy, Iran wouldn't do it. The President acted to save American lives. That was the justification.

SIDNER: We're getting something that's different, a source telling us that US intelligence does contradict the assertion that there were no indications that the Iranians plans to strike. But look, this is classified information, I don't have it in front of me. You don't have it in front of you, but right now there's a lot of concern about what happens next.

Scott Jennings, thank you both very much for being here on this important --

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