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Israel's New Wave of Strike on Tehran; Iran Retaliates Across the Middle East; Three U.S. Troops Killed in Action; Iran Vows to Avenge Supreme Leader's Death; Trump Says New Iranian leaders "Want to Talk"; Trump Threatens Strong Force if Iran Continues to Retaliate; Democrats Plan to Force Vote on U.S. Attack on Iran; Saudis Authorize Retaliation Against Iranian Regime. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired March 01, 2026 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, new attacks. The new wave of strikes from Israel hitting, quote, "the heart of Tehran." Iran retaliates across the Middle East, a direct missile hit. At least nine people killed in a residential area right near Jerusalem. And the first American casualties. We're getting late reporting. Three U.S. troops killed in action and five seriously wounded.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer, and you're in the Situation Room.

This is CNN Breaking News. And we're following the breaking news. Three American troops have been killed in action in the U.S. military operation against Iran. Five others are, quote, "seriously wounded." There's also a new wave of attacks from Israel on Tehran. This is new video from the Israeli Air Force showing the Iranian military headquarters in Tehran being hit. Look at that. Iran is striking Israel and several Arab countries across the region.

And this is in Bahrain. Billows of smoke rising near a hotel. We're getting new video in Bahrain of an Iranian strike there on Saturday.

And this is the famous port of Jebel Ali in Dubai. You can see before the strikes on the left and after on the right. Billows, smoke billowing from the port. And take a look at this video. This is a tanker after being hit in the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route. About 20 percent of the world's global oil production flows through this waterway. And Iran controls the northern side. We are also getting some new video out of Iran.

And I want to warn our viewers, it is disturbing and graphic. According to Iran, the death toll from a U.S.-Israeli strike on a girls' school near a military base in Iran has risen to more than 150 people. This video shows some of those killed. Both Israel and the U.S. say they are looking into this.

Meanwhile, President Trump is now telling The Atlantic magazine that the new Iranian leaders, quote, "want to talk." But in a social media post overnight, he warned Iran that if they continue to retaliate, and I'm quoting the president now, "We will hit them with a force that has never been seen before," end quote. Trump also told CNBC that the operation in Iran is, quote, "ahead of schedule," end quote. Iran's president says his armed forces will continue to act, and I'm quoting him now, with power to destroy enemy bases.

CNN's team of correspondents and experts are here to break down all the very latest developments. I'll speak to lawmakers from both sides of the aisle throughout the next two hours. But right now, I want to begin our special coverage with CNN Jerusalem correspondent Jeremy Diamond. Jeremy, I understand you just returned from Beit Shemesh, which is just on the outskirts of Jerusalem, where Israeli police say an Iranian missile hit a residential area, including a synagogue, killing several people and injuring dozens more. So, update our viewers on the latest.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right, Wolf. It was a devastating scene that we saw in Beit Shemesh, not only because of the scale of the devastation from one Iranian ballistic missile, but also because of the nature of the target.

In this case, it appears that a direct impact was made on a synagogue in Bet Shemesh. But it's not just that it struck a synagogue, Wolf. It's also about what was beneath that synagogue. And as we understand it, according to Israeli police, beneath that synagogue was a bomb shelter, where multiple individuals were sheltering at the time of when air raid sirens went off and that ballistic missile made impact. Multiple people who were inside that shelter were killed as a result of that attack. Several other buildings in the area were also severely damaged or destroyed, including homes of individuals in the area. At least nine people were killed.

[13:05:00]

But we're also told, Wolf, that multiple people are still missing as well. And so, that death toll could very much rise. Keep in mind that during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel back in June, nine people in a single strike was the deadliest incident. And so, already this conflict, just over 24 hours in, has matched or perhaps even exceeded that in terms of a single strike.

And it's all going to likely continue to get worse, Wolf, because Israel and the United States have made clear that they plan to continue and even perhaps intensify their attacks in Iran. And Iran is also vowing revenge for the killing of several senior Iranian officials, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. And they are vowing to continue their retaliation not only here in Israel, but also, as we've seen, across the Gulf here in the Middle East. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Jeremy Diamond, thanks very much for that report. We'll get back to you very, very soon. Right now, I want to bring in my colleague, CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield, who's in Atlanta. Fred, President Trump, in announcing the strikes early yesterday, warned about the potential of American casualties. And as we just reported, that is unfortunately the case.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed. In fact, we hope to hear more details about the circumstances of that happening. The U.S. Military Central Command says three American service members have been killed in what's being called Operation Epic Fury and five others wounded. It's not clear how the troops were killed or where they were killed.

Joining us now, CNN national security correspondent Natasha Bertrand. Natasha, what more do you know about the American service members killed, the circumstances, any sequence of events?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, we are still working to gather more information on the circumstances of their deaths. U.S. Central Command, as you said, did release a statement that said simply that as of 9:30 a.m. Eastern time this morning, three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of this operation against Iran, which began yesterday morning, of course. They continued by saying that several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions, and they are in the process of being returned to active duty.

Major combat operations continue, and our effort is ongoing. They also said that the situation is fluid, and the reason why they haven't been able to release more information is because they are still notifying the next of kin of these service members who were killed. But it's important to note as well that President Trump said in his statement on Friday night prior to this, or I should say early Saturday morning, just as this operation was unfolding, that there would likely be U.S. casualties.

And, of course, we have seen Iran retaliating across the entire region, targeting U.S. military forces and bases in response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks, and the Iranians have vowed to continue those strikes, which have largely been conducted by kamikaze drones, by ballistic missiles as well. A number of U.S. military installations have been hit, though just yesterday U.S. Central Command said that the damage to those facilities has been fairly limited. So, we do expect to hear more in the coming hours and days potentially about these service members who were killed once their families are all notified, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. And, Natasha, these retaliatory strikes taking place in eight Arab nations, and we're now getting word that there have been explosions heard near the U.S. air base in Erbil, Iraq. What more do you know about that?

BERTRAND: This is a base that, of course, houses many, many U.S. and coalition troops that are part of the anti-ISIS operation helping Iraq fight off ISIS. As of recently, there were believed to be up to 2,000 American troops at that air base. We do not know if that missile actually made impact with the base, whether any U.S. troops were injured, but, of course, we have asked U.S. Central Command for any additional information on whether there were any casualties sustained in that incident.

WHITFIELD: All right. Natasha, the U.S. military says it hit an Iranian naval vessel, which it says is currently sinking. What more do we know? BERTRAND: Another update this morning from U.S. Central Command. They said that yesterday U.S. forces struck this naval frigate, this Iranian naval frigate that was in port, and that that ship is now sunk. It is essentially at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. And what they said was that this is a signal to the Iranians who are on these boats, who are fighting with U.S. forces, to abandon ship and to surrender their weapons and to essentially surrender, period.

And so, this is part of what President Trump has said is the objective of this operation, deplete and destroy the Iranian navy. He says that as many as nine ships so far in this operation have been destroyed.

WHITFIELD: All right. Natasha Bertrand, thank you so much. All right. Stay with CNN for continuing coverage of the conflict in the Middle East. What is next for the U.S. response? House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committee member, Congressman Joaquin Castro, joins us next for more insights.

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[13:10:00]

BLITZER: And we continue our breaking news coverage. Three U.S. service members have been killed in the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran. Five others have been seriously wounded.

Joining us now is Congressman Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, who sits on both the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. First of all, how do you respond to this sad news?

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REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Well, first of all, if I want to offer my condolences to the family members of our service members who have now lost their lives in this war. It's incredibly tragic. And it's one of the reasons, quite frankly, that Americans are against another war in the Middle East because we saw the loss of life in Iraq and Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East for years.

BLITZER: After the strikes actually began this time, Congressman, you released a statement. And let me quote from your statement. This is what you said. "Rather than making life affordable for American families, the president has decided to drag our country into yet another war in the Middle East," end quote. Do you believe, Congressman, this goes beyond limited military strikes? Is the U.S. now at war with Iran?

CASTRO: I believe so. And the United States Congress cannot be on the sidelines of a decision this big. The Congress needs to vote as soon as possible on that War Powers Resolution on this war with Iran. And, you know, Iran has now struck about seven different countries. They're closing the Strait of Hormuz where you've got 20 percent of the world's oil that moves through it. And so, this is not only going to not only cost us American lives already and cost civilian lives in Iran and quite possibly in the near future in other places, but also is going to cost billions and billions of dollars militarily and likely billions of dollars for our economy.

BLITZER: As you note and as you point out, the military strikes by the U.S. were launched without congressional approval. You and other Democrats would like an immediate vote on what's called the War Powers Resolution. What are you hoping to achieve and how much bipartisan support is there, do you think?

CASTRO: I'm hopeful that it'll be not just Democrats that are supporting this War Powers Resolution, but they will also have at least a handful of Republicans who will join us to check the president's power to unilaterally go to war. Again, the American people didn't elect 535 members of Congress in the House and in the Senate to be on the sidelines on the bench when it comes to making a decision about the most consequential thing that our nation can do, which is go to war.

BLITZER: As you probably know, Senator John Fetterman, who's a fellow Democrat, is supporting the president's authority for the military action in Iran. Now, listen to what he says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): People keep describing that it was a legal war. Now, read, read the War Powers Act. And now, that has not been violated at this point, what happened yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, how do you respond to him?

CASTRO: Well, look, I mean, when we're raining missiles and bombs down continuously for days and days, when there's death of American service members and death of others who we're fighting with, I don't see how that doesn't trigger this War Powers Resolution. And why just generally, if you step back as an American, why you would want only one person in government, the president, whether that president is Republican or Democrat, to solely be making that decision.

You've got a full Congress, a full group of people in government who were elected by the people of the United States of America that also have to have a role in making that decision.

BLITZER: As you know, there were Democratic presidents, several, who took military action, which presumably was war action without congressional authorization approval. You know that, right?

CASTRO: I understand that. But also, Wolf, remember, those presidents also came forward and gave some kind of justification, usually beforehand, about how and why they were doing that. With President Trump, that hasn't been the case at all.

BLITZER: Well, do you believe that Iran is the number one world sponsor of terrorism? CASTRO: Well, it's clear that with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, they have certainly sponsored terrorism. There's no doubt about that. But remember, as a threat to the United States government and the United States mainland, that threat from Iran to the United States is not the largest threat that we face. For example, Iran right now does not have a single weapon that can reach the mainland United States. Not a single weapon.

So, this certainly is in the interest of countries like Israel and the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but it's not in the best interest of the United States.

BLITZER: Well, do you care that the Iranian military is attacking U.S. forces at various bases right near Iran in the Persian Gulf, whether in the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain or even Saudi Arabia?

CASTRO: No, absolutely. And just like other Americans, I want it to stop. And it speaks to the need for us to de-escalate the situation, to get back to the negotiating table. Remember, we had a plan in place, an agreement in place under President Obama to contain Iran's nuclear program. And that's exactly what that agreement did. It contained its nuclear program. And then Donald Trump came along and ripped that agreement up. And so, here we are now in the middle of a war.

BLITZER: All right. Congressman Joaquin Castro, Democrat of Texas, as always, thank you so much for joining us.

[13:20:00]

CASTRO: Great to be with you.

BLITZER: And there is bipartisan opposition to President Trump's decision to strike Iran. In just a moment, I'll speak with Congressman Mike Lawler of New York and Josh Gottheimer. Will Congress be called to actually vote on the Iran War Powers Resolution?

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BLITZER: And we're back with the breaking news. More attacks across the Middle East right now, as Israel ramps up strikes in Iran, and Tehran is retaliating against Israel and other countries in the region, specifically seven Arab-neighboring countries in the region.

[13:25:00]

This is new CNN video we're getting just in from Erbil, Iraq. Flames and smoke rising from the area near the airport. The United States has a major air base there in Erbil. Violence is breaking out near the U.S. embassy in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, watch this. Anger is growing there against Americans after the death of Iran's supreme leader, the ayatollah. We're also seeing celebrations and condemnation of this operation around the world. This is in Paris. Thousands marching in support of the Iranian people flying Iranian, U.S., and Israeli flags.

And this is the scene in London. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Protesters outside the Iranian embassy in London called the supreme leader a, quote, "rat," as they celebrated his death. And a much different scene in Yemen, thousands of Houthi supporters showing their support for Iran's government, carrying posters of the supreme leader. And in India, protesters are mourning the death of the Ayatollah Khamenei. Some are crying, and one woman calling the supreme leader, and I'm quoting her now, "my lion."

Top Capitol Hill Democrats here in Washington and a few Republicans are demanding that lawmakers return to Washington this week to hold a formal vote on President Trump's war with Iran, an attack launched without formal official congressional approval.

I'm joined now by Republican Congressman Mike Lawler of New York and Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey. Together, they recently released a joint statement opposing the Iran war powers resolution.

Congressman Gottheimer, let me start with you. Since so many of your colleagues on the Democratic side are now calling for an immediate return to Capitol Hill to curb President Trump's war powers, you oppose this move. Are you not concerned that President Trump is going around the U.S. Constitution and the Congress for that matter with these strikes?

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ), MEMBER, PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: Well, Wolf, thanks for having us. I mean, first, after you just showed those images of what Iran, the leading state sponsor of terror, is doing around the world, right, attacking not just Israel, of course, but attacking American bases, going after our allies, the Arab nations. You said seven Arab nations, like the picture in Iraq, but you've seen it with the -- with -- in Qatar, Jordan, Saudi, and the UAE. So, this is who you're dealing with when you're talking about Iran, whose leading banner is death to America.

So, I think the key right now, after yesterday's attack, is to make sure that we get a classified briefing for everyone in the Congress to understand where we're at, exactly what the president's objectives are and timeframe here. That's what I've called for, and that's what's next. But the president has followed the War Powers Act in terms of notifying the Congress, and now, of course, the expectation is it sets off a clock for us to get briefed properly, and that's what I'm expecting.

But again, well, if you're dealing with a country that, for years, going back to the late '70s, as you all know, and they captured Americans and held them hostage, this is a regime that has no interest in democracy, that has killed tens of thousands of their own people in the last months because they want democracy and freedom, and they want to be able, in Iran, to build -- continue to build up their ballistic missiles, as we've seen, their nuclear program, and to fund terror, terror proxies that have killed Americans and attacked our bases. This is who we're dealing with here, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Congressman Lawler, let me get you into this conversation. We learned today that three U.S. service members have been killed, five others seriously injured in this military operation. If these strikes continue for weeks and U.S. casualties mount, is your support limitless?

REP. MIKE LAWLER (R- NY), FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: So, thanks for having us, Wolf. And first, obviously, our condolences to the families of those service members that we lost in Operation Epic Fury. They are brave Americans, and the work that has been done in the last 24 hours is critical to peace and stability in the region.

As Josh pointed out, the administration has followed the War Powers Act. The president does have authority under Article II to conduct these limited strikes and operations. And presidents of both parties have used these authorities for decades.

[13:30:00]

The fact is that Iran, as the greatest state sponsor of terror, the threat needed to be eliminated, not just its nuclear ambitions, but its ballistic missiles program, its funding of terrorism, and the oppression and slaughter of its own people. As we are going to be getting a classified brief this week, there will be numerous conversations between the administration and Congress on the path forward. If boots are going to be required to go on the ground, for instance, that is something that I do think there would need to be a much larger discussion, and Congress would need to act.

But the fact is, of course, we don't want to see any American lives lost. We don't want to see any of our soldiers die. But this is a large-scale operation, and frankly, what we have seen over the past 24 hours is a very successful operation in cutting off the head of the snake, in eliminating the Ayatollah and his regime.

BLITZER: Congressman Gottheimer, when you released that joint statement opposing the Iran War Powers Resolution, you did call on President Trump to brief Congress and all appropriate committees before any planned military action in Iran took place. Do you feel the White House was transparent with Congress about its plans and goals ahead of these strikes?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, I know, as you know, Wolf, they briefed the Gang of Eight before any kinetic activity, which was the expectation. And now, as Mike just pointed out, I believe it's critical that they brief the entire Congress. Now, the War Powers Act has been triggered, and we're expecting on the classified side, I'm on the Intelligence Committee, further briefings. But they did brief the Congress, the Gang of Eight, which is the leadership, as expected. And now, we're asking for a further briefing. And to Mike's point, you know, the killing of the ayatollah, to understand the -- just how significant that is. I mean, this is one of the leading, not just faces, but literally purveyors of terror that have killed tens of thousands of Americans over the years. And so, that is a very important thing and step for our national security.

BLITZER: Congressman Lawler, President Trump told The Atlantic Magazine today that Iran's new leadership wants to talk. Are you optimistic at all that these strikes will force Iran back to the bargaining table and bring some real change, potentially, to Iran?

LAWLER: Well, look, there's always the hope, and you always keep diplomatic channels open. You know, war and the use of military force should always be a last resort. But as President Trump has shown, he has given the opportunity time and again for talks, for negotiations. And last summer, after 60 days of negotiations in which Iran refused to give up its nuclear program, the president acted.

Just last month, we saw with Nicolas Maduro, after his refusal to negotiate, the president acted, and again here, after the ayatollah and his regime refused to cooperate on its ballistic missiles program, on its financing of terrorism, and were working to reestablish their nuclear ambitions, the president acted.

So, my message to the new leadership would be take this seriously, and finally, with the ayatollah gone, negotiate an end to this 47-year reign of terror that has brought nothing but death and destruction. There's a reason, Wolf, that the Iranian people are celebrating in Tehran and around the globe, and there's a reason the Venezuelan people were celebrating when Nicolas Maduro was removed. They understand that both Maduro and the Ayatollah brought death and destruction to their own people. The world is safer today with the ayatollah dead.

BLITZER: All right. Congressman Mike Lawler and Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Yes, one quick final point. Go ahead.

GOTTHEIMER: I just want to say, as Mike pointed out, there's an opportunity for peace in Iran and for freedom in Iran. That's why people are celebrating around the world and in our country, because they recognize that, and that's one of the things that's so significant about this campaign, and I think that's critically important. It's fighting terror. It's fighting nuclear weapons. It's fighting, of course, ballistic missile attacks around the world, but it's also a great sign of democracy and freedom for the people in Iran.

BLITZER: All right. thanks to both of you for joining us. We'll continue, of course, this conversation as this fighting continues as well. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Wolf, straight ahead. Iran launched retaliation strikes against several countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, which has vowed to take necessary measures in defense. A live report from Riyadh next.

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[13:35:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to our breaking news coverage. Saudi Arabia right now is vowing to take all necessary measures to defend itself.

Let's go live now to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That's where we find CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson. Nic, what is Saudi Arabia preparing to do?

[13:40:00]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: They are preparing, if Iran strikes them again, for the possibility of taking action back against Iran. Now, the reason for this, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, de facto ruler here, has said that Iran's attacks and strikes around Riyadh, they've been intercepted further east in the country, where it's much closer to Iran, efforts to strike there, he's called those cowardly, he said, because Iran knows that the airspace in Saudi Arabia is not being used for strikes against Iran.

So, this has really driven up a level of bitterness and anger about that, to the point that if there is more aggression, as he says, Saudi Arabia will use everything it has to secure its -- defend its security and protect its territory, its citizens and the residents here as well, up to the point of responding or potentially responding if there is aggression.

And I think there's a sense here in Saudi Arabia tonight from sources that we are talking to that the next 12 hours are critical. They perceive that there's been this high-level conversation in Iran with remnants of whatever leaderships are left deciding what to do next. There's a sense that if Iran wants to escalate, then it would target Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure because it's potentially vulnerable, because it could drive up the price of oil. And the expectation very clearly here in Saudi Arabia is, if Iran did that, Saudi Arabia would respond in a like way against Iranian oil infrastructure. That's the expectation.

Now, as all of that is going on, there's a phone conversation going on right now between the GCC, the Gulf community foreign ministers, to discuss what they think is going to happen. But it is a real concern that this region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, that hasn't been as badly affected as the UAE, as Bahrain, as Kuwait, as Qatar, could really become the center focus if Iran wants to escalate the situation significantly further.

WHITFIELD: Nic Robertson, we'll leave it there for now, in Riyad, thank you so much. Wolf.

WHITFIELD: And, Fred, as we continue our special coverage of the strikes in the Middle East, one of the most vital shipping lanes of the oil industry is at the center of the conflict. We're going to discuss the impact on the world economy. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:00]

BLITZER: We continue our breaking news coverage. Three American troops have been killed in the U.S. operation against Iran. We're also seeing a new wave of attacks from Israel on Tehran. A retaliation strike by Iran killed nine people at a residential building just outside Jerusalem. And we're getting brand-new video out of Erbil, Iraq, showing a plume of smoke rising. This is near the airport there and also very close to a U.S. military base in Erbil.

Joining us now is Brett McGurk. He's a CNN global affairs analyst, a former Middle East and North African coordinator at the National Security Council. Also, with us, Sabrina Singh, a CNN global affairs commentator, former deputy Pentagon press secretary, and Cedric Leighton, a CNN military analyst, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel.

Brett, let me start with you. President Trump says that Iran now wants to talk and he's ready to talk with them as well. Do you see the possibility of a real diplomatic solution emerging at this point?

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Wolf, we're just about 36 hours into this thing. So, I think right now that's highly unlikely because it's unclear who is even running Iran. They've announced this interim council, which is part of their constitution. That would be the president who has not been seen. It would be the chief justice who has not been seen and a cleric to be named. So, unclear who is even speaking for the Iranian government.

You know, Wolf, the Iranian foreign minister today said that their military is actually acting independently on orders that were given before this attack, suggesting a breakdown in the chain of command. So, the possibility for real meaningful talks right now, I think, are fairly slim.

BLITZER: Do you think, Sabrina, that the Iranians miscalculated by attacking several of their neighboring Arab countries where U.S. troops are based? And I'll give you a whole list. UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and even Iraq, Erbil now in Iraq. Did they miscalculate doing that?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: I do. I think this was a pretty significant miscalculation by the Iranians. The fact that they are not only targeting places where civilians are. They're not military centers. I think this does spill out potentially into a larger regional war or potentially bring the Gulf countries into a line with the U.S. and potentially, we were talking about this earlier, join in some type of joint strike. So, I do think this was a miscalculation.

And frankly, it's further isolating Iran and drawing countries closer to the U.S. and Israel as they continue their campaign.

BLITZER: You know, Colonel Leighton, this is very significant, very newsworthy. Israel now says it's calling up 100,000, 100,000 military reservists in Israel. They're a reserve duty. Does that lead you to think they could be preparing for an even more protracted conflict with Iran, including potentially ground troops?

[13:50:00]

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It certainly sounds like a protracted conflict maybe in the offing, Wolf. And, you know, when you call up that amount of reservists, as you know, in Israel, that affects the economy. They've already been severely strained by the Gaza operation and by all the other operations that they've conducted in Lebanon and other parts of their near abroad, so to speak. And that makes a big difference.

So, if they are calling up that many reservists, it gets set for all kinds of things to happen and to include the possibility of ground troops. But that would be really hard for them to get the ground troops there logistically. They'd have to transit Arab countries. And for that to happen, there'd have to be some diplomatic miracles, I think.

BLITZER: What do you think, Brett?

MCGURK: That's a signal to Hezbollah. That's basically Israel saying, Hezbollah, if you're thinking of getting into this, Hezbollah, of course, the Iranian-backed group in Lebanon, stay on the sidelines. Of course, the U.S. has an aircraft carrier off the coast of Lebanon. That's a deterrent to Hezbollah. That's how I'd read that.

And just to Sabrina's point, I think this is really critical to watch over the next couple days. Iran is hoping that by attacking these Gulf countries and attacking hotels and civilian areas, the Gulf states will call President Trump and say, hey, let's knock this off. I think it's having the opposite effect. Right now, the Gulf states are thinking about whether their air forces are engaged in defense but whether to actually join in some of the attacks against Iran in self- defense. So, this will unfold over the next couple days.

I agree with Sabrina. I think Iran is miscalculating in those attacks to the extent they even have any strategic direction. This could just be their missile corps firing off orders that were given before this started.

BLITZER: We have some video. I think we can show it to our viewers, Sabrina, of a major hotel, a hotel where I've stayed, in Dubai. I don't know if you've been to Dubai and stayed at that hotel. But I want to show our viewers this video, if we can show it to our viewers. And I want to get your reaction to what's going on. This is not a military facility in Dubai. This is a hotel where a lot of tourists come, a lot of business leaders. Take a look at this.

You see that video. It's pretty disturbing.

SINGH: It's pretty disturbing. I mean, again, you know, as Brett mentioned, I mean, that's a hotel that's clearly not a military installation or, you know, where military personnel are being, they're hitting civilian areas. And so, I think that is going to have a profound effect just on the region generally. You're already seeing flights being canceled in and out of these countries. Shipping has already been misdirected. I think like 70 percent of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is already being rerouted.

And so, this is going to have sort of a domino effect, I think, economically in the region. But, of course, I think tomorrow we'll see how oil prices, you know, potentially respond. I think potentially we could see barrels of oil going from $5 to $10. That is also going to create a huge impact here at home. So, it's not just the, you know, economic regional impacts in the Middle East, Americans are going to start feeling it here.

BLITZER: The price of a gallon of gasoline is going to go up if that happens.

SINGH: Exactly.

BLITZER: Take a look. We've got some satellite images of that strike at that hotel in Dubai. Brett, I just want to get your thought.

MCGURK: Well, again, I think this comes down to these leaders in the Gulf. They hope to be on the sidelines here. They didn't want to be part of this. There it is right there, the satellite. I don't believe we've been using many of their facilities for this attack. They, of course, have not attacked Iran. And Iran has chosen to attack their cities and their civilian areas and hotels and residential areas.

And, again, I think they're going to have to make some decisions whether to just remain on defense or whether to actually join in this attack into Iran. And that's something that was really not in contemplation when this kicked off a couple nights ago, Wolf.

BLITZER: So, how does the U.S. Military Central Command, which is in charge of the region, deal with these issues, like going after U.S. facilities, U.S. bases, U.S. troops in these neighboring Arab countries?

LEIGHTON: So, one of the things that they do, Wolf, of course, is position things like the Patriot missile system as an air defense and missile defense system. They also have the THAAD system, which is designed for high-altitude intercepts. So, that's part of it. But they're also working very closely with the Arab nations to make sure that they have protection on the ground for the forces that are there.

Basically, it's a force protection issue, first and foremost. But it is also an area where the coalition between the U.S. forces and those Arab forces can now really be solidified because the common enemy is now Iran.

BLITZER: It's interesting, because, Brett, I want to get your thoughts. President Trump says he wants -- he isn't saying who he wants to see emerge as the new leader of Iran. But do you see somebody emerging who could move this whole situation away and move towards a more peaceful Middle East?

MCGURK: I think, Wolf, he's hoping for Delcy Rodriguez kind of Venezuela, not a regime change, but a regime behavior alteration. I think it's much harder in Iran. This is a country that is devoted to its philosophy of resistance and revolution that is just ingrained in the leadership.

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You hear people's names like Ali Larijani, who's been an adviser to the supreme leader for decades. He might step up. But, again, he is also ingrained with that ideology. It would be hard for them to first move out of the gates to then make a deal with the president of the United States who launched this attack and has just eliminated the supreme leader. I think this has a ways to play out. That's the bottom line. We just don't know. We don't know.

BLITZER: It looks like it's going to go on and on and on. We'll see what happens. All right. Guys, thanks very, very much. Brett McGurk, Cedric Leighton, and Sabrina Singh. Appreciate it.

We have all the latest developments on the retaliation from Iran coming up right at the top of the next hour, our special coverage here in the Situation Room. New details on the explosions felt near U.S. air bases in the Middle East and an update on the American casualties from this conflict. Our live coverage will return in just a moment.

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