Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

New York Terror Investigation; Interview With Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX); Defense Secretary Denies U.S. Targeting Iranian Civilians. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired March 10, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:54]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news: Desperate and scrambling, that's how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is describing Iran's leaders, as he warns that today will be, in his words, the most intense day of U.S. strikes yet.

And terror plot investigation. CNN's new reporting on the teens now charged with trying to carry out an ISIS-inspired bomb attack in New York City, as President Trump insists the U.S. is on top of potential Iranian sleeper cells in the United States.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off today. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: And we begin with the breaking news.

A top Iranian official is now issuing a direct threat: "Don't get eliminated." The new threat came in a social media post. It referenced President Trump's own fiery warning to Iran over the flow of oil through the nearby Strait of Hormuz, where 20 percent of the world's supply passes through.

The same official has previously threatened President Trump. On Saturday, he said the president must pay the price, his words, pay the price for launching strikes on Iran. President Trump responded to that threat by telling CBS News: "I have no idea what he's talking about or who he is. I couldn't care less" -- end quote.

Threats from Iran aren't new for Trump. A federal grand jury just convicted a man with ties to Iran for plotting to kill the president and other U.S. officials during the 2024 campaign. He was arrested and convicted under the Biden administration.

Also new this morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth updates the American people on the war with Iran. He and the Joint Chiefs chairman, General Dan Caine, say the U.S. military has struck more than 5,000 targets inside Iran, and Secretary Hegseth says today will be the most intense day yet, his words.

CNN senior national security reporter Zach Cohen is here with me in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Zach, what are some of the headlines coming out of this morning's news conference at the Pentagon?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, well, it was very queer Pete Hegseth wanted to avoid talking about a detailed timeline for bringing about an end to this conflict, at the same time making clear that this campaign, this air campaign, was intensifying, as you mentioned, saying that today would be the most intense day of airstrikes from the U.S. that we have seen so far, and also saying that the U.S. won't complete its mission until the enemy is -- quote -- "totally defeated."

Now, what does that look like, what is the end result here remains an open question, Hegseth listing out the military's core objectives, which include destroying Iran's navy, its missile capability, and its nuclear program. But there's still a lot of uncertainty around plans to ensure that Iran never is able to produce a nuclear weapon.

And that is still really the biggest unknown here. Hegseth also face questions about that strike on a school in Iran that killed over 160 children, President Donald Trump yesterday suggesting that Iran was responsible for it and even implying that they had Tomahawk missiles.

But, in reality, the U.S. is the only country in this conflict with Tomahawk missiles. So, Hegseth avoided really addressing that issue directly today, but instead really said the U.S. deserves more credit for avoiding civilian casualties. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Ultimately, unlike Iran, who targets civilians indiscriminately, who we have seen in the intel moving rocket launchers into civilian neighborhoods near schools, near hospitals to try to prevent our ability to strike -- that's how they operate.

And then they set the targeting of drones and missiles toward civilian targets, hospitals, hotels, airports. CENTCOM has been very good about putting that information out. That's how terrorist regimes fight. They target civilians. We do not.

And I can tell you, this administration and this Pentagon focuses on that very, very closely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:05:00]

COHEN: So, obviously, all this as we see that there are ongoing strikes, not just against the U.S. military bases in the region, but partner nations as well, really voicing concern about the extent to which this conflict could be expanding.

BLITZER: Zach Cohen, thanks for the update. Appreciate it very much.

Also this morning, Israel is launching a broad wave of strikes on Iran. Officials there say air defense systems at Israel's northern border intercepted a number of rockets fired by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. We also know the Israeli military is carrying out what are described as targeted ground raids across that border into southern Lebanon.

CNN chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is live in Tel Aviv. He's joining us right now. He's done extensive reporting on Israel's operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

What are you learning today, Nick?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: As you said, Wolf, it appears that we're in a slightly different phase here, where Israel is now referring to its targeted ground raids inside Southern Lebanon.

We only knew of two as of yesterday, one in the Beqaa Valley and one in Southern Lebanon. Each time, they're looking for commanders, specific facilities, but the notion that's this plural now, not much other detail suggesting that the Israelis have, from what I could see when we were up on the northern border yesterday, lacking the substantial numbers of troops that we could see publicly for a major ground invasion, are instead taking out specific targets.

Now, that may suggest a sort of smart approach, so to speak, where they're looking to hit particular things, rather than occupy a huge amount of territory and take casualties potentially with that, and at the same time to persistent airstrikes.

When we were up there 48 hours ago, the noise is relentless, as indeed, too can be the Hezbollah rocket barrages back off in some of the towns there, with very little siren warning between siren and actual impact or interception, but this particular part of Israel's war in the region here something of a different chapter, you might argue, than the relentless strikes we've been seeing over Iran, Southern Beirut hit again as well.

And, indeed, the IDF putting out another repeat warning, ultimately reiterating to people to get away from the southern part of Lebanon below the Litani River and certain districts of southern Beirut, but their strikes against Iran, announcing another wave today, as you said.

And, clearly, I think one interesting element of the Pentagon briefing was to hear Joint Chiefs Chief of Staff General Dan Caine refer to the third part of the goals here that have been elicited by the White House and by Hegseth during that particular press conference as taking out the missiles, the navy and preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon.

General Caine went a little bit further, talking about how they would be targeting the military industrial complex in Iran, the ability for Iran to make the things that cause the problem to the United States and its allies in the region. I think that is a difference.

That obviously will be very tethered to the reality of what the U.S. target lists indeed are now and the intensity of the strikes that our colleagues have been reporting in Tehran, that residents said in Tehran kept them up all night.

Well, I should also remind people the latest death toll we have from a human rights group based in the United States is over 1,200 killed in these strikes as well, so ferocity there certainly and enormous ambiguity from the White House as to exactly how they call this to an end.

If you listen to the president, he's simultaneously saying they're very complete or near complete, but also saying this could go on for a while. It feels like he's looking for some kind of political conciliation or accommodation or, frankly, gift from the Iranian regime to allow this to turn down, but, at this point, Tehran very bellicose in its rhetoric and the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei...

(SIRENS BLARING)

WALSH: Just hearing an early warning siren here on our phones, Wolf. Sorry if you can hear that.

Mojtaba Khamenei not seen in public in his new role -- Wolf.

BLITZER: So you get that early warning siren alert on your phone over there and then, what, about 10 minutes later, 15 minutes later, they anticipate a missile could be coming in towards Central Israel?

WALSH: Yes. I mean, you have been here yourself, Wolf. We get that early warning and then you're not -- two, three minutes potentially if it's from the north, a lot shorter launch-to-impact time. And then you get a specific local air raid siren.

That's a much more familiar noise to people, which tells you to seek shelter immediately. This is basically telling everyone to move, to get ready, obviously, so the elderly and others can move at a slower pace towards the nearest shelter.

We normally react on the balcony here when we hear the specific local alert, because the radar system quite sophisticated, able to ascertain the early moment of launch, but then also the particular parts of Israel that are targeted by these missiles as they get closer. Wolf.

BLITZER: And, very quickly, I'm going to let you run to a shelter if you have to, Nick, but are most of the rockets and missiles and drone strikes coming towards Central Israel, Tel Aviv, for example, where you are right now, coming from Iran or from Hezbollah forces in Lebanon?

[11:10:08]

WALSH: A mix. Over the last week, we have heard of combined strikes.

I think the majority we have been seeing, the alerts have said this fired from Iran. But as we were just saying earlier on, we saw ourselves rocket launches from Hezbollah in the north. Sometimes, that targets the shorter areas in Northern Israel.

We have occasionally seen some, I think, trying to get closer towards Central Israel, but obviously Hezbollah under enormous pressure at this point, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, stay safe over there.

And we're showing our viewers some live pictures from Beirut. You see the smoke coming up. Israel is continuing to launch its strikes against Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon right now as well.

All right, Nick Paton Walsh, thanks very, very much.

Nick is in Tel Aviv.

And still ahead: new concerns about possible terror threats on U.S. soil. How serious is the current risk? I will speak with a top national security expert.

And is the U.S. military operation in Iran nearly over or is it just beginning? I will ask a Republican on the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees about the mixed messaging coming in.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:16:08]

BLITZER: Moments ago, the skies over Beirut, a beautiful city in Lebanon, the capital, a city I have been to several times.

You hear the bombs going off, Israeli strikes at Hezbollah targets in Beirut, elsewhere in Lebanon clearly continuing right now. We're watching all of this unfold. There, you see a plume of smoke coming up, black smoke coming up over Beirut as this war continues.

Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group, launching their own rockets and missiles towards Israel, Israel responding, going after Hezbollah targets in and around Beirut, as well as elsewhere in Lebanon as well. We're staying on top of this story.

There's other breaking news we're following. President Trump says he's not happy with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader, adding -- and I'm quoting the president now -- "I don't believe he can live in peace."

Joining us now, Republican Congressman Mike McCaul of Texas. He's the chairman emeritus of both the House Foreign Affairs and House Homeland Security committees.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

Israeli officials have publicly said Iran's new supreme leader will be a target for elimination. Do you believe the U.S. military should target him as well?

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): Well, I think that would be illegal under the statute passed by Congress regarding political assassinations.

However, I have no doubt that Mossad in Israel will very much target the new leader, the -- Khamenei's son now, the new supreme leader. I think his days are numbered and anybody in the line of succession. Mossad, actually, its presence was greater than we had thought after Operation Hammer, when we saw all these Israeli assets inside of Iran.

And I have no doubt that they are hunting down and targeting people in line for leadership to completely decapitate that leadership. I think Israel, the United States' role here is to militarily disarm Iran and prevent any force projection.

They want to secure the Straits of Hormuz. And they also want to make sure a nuclear bomb will never have any capability inside of Iran. I think Israel's goal is a little different in terms of regime change. I think we'd be very happy to see that, but I do think Israel will be playing a greater role in that one.

BLITZER: And I just want to be precise, Congressman. Was it an Israeli strike or a U.S. strike that killed the now-dead former supreme leader of Iran?

MCCAUL: You know, I don't want to tread into classified information, but it was identified by the Israelis.

My understanding, I can say openly, it was an Israeli strike. And it was at an opportune moment, because we had the Ayatollah Khamenei, who had been the mastermind of this terror for so many years, in the compound with his council. It would be like our entire executive branch being taken out with one strike.

And I think that's what made the moment and the question of when to strike such an opportune moment to do so.

BLITZER: I want to play how some members of the Trump administration, including the president, for his part, have described the length of this war with Iran. Listen and watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: This is not Iraq. This is not endless.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're already substantially ahead of our time projections.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't know how long it'll take. We have objectives. We will do this as long as it takes to achieve those objectives. KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The achievable

objectives of Operation Epic Fury, we expect to last about four to six weeks.

[11:20:03]

HEGSETH: This is only just the beginning.

TRUMP: We have already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough. We're achieving major strides toward completing our military objective. And some people could say they're pretty well complete. You could call it a tremendous success right now, as we leave here, I could call it, or we could go further. And we're going to go further.

QUESTION: You said it would be over soon. Are you thinking this week it will be over?

TRUMP: No, but soon.

QUESTION: Are you talking about days?

TRUMP: I think soon.

HEGSETH: This is not endless nation-building.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Do you have a clear understanding of just how long this operation is going to last?

MCCAUL: Well, you did have some sort of mixed messages there.

However, the four to six weeks is a consistent time frame that I have heard. I do think there are several things going on here. The military objective is actually ahead of schedule. And I think that is the number one goal of the United States right now.

The -- what happens to any new regime and new supreme leader is a whole 'nother question that I think would go beyond that. You do have the clock ticking on the War Powers Act of 60 days, after which they would have to get congressional approval.

I think they would like to see this operation wind down prior to that time. And getting the Straits of Hormuz open right now is a very key objective to getting gas prices down as well. I think boots on the ground, I think, has pretty much been ruled out.

I do agree with that assessment. I think that would bog us down in the Middle East like Iraq and Afghanistan did, and it would turn our U.S. troops, our military into targets for the jihadists like magnets. And, therefore, I don't see -- I don't think that's going to happen.

The military objective is very achievable short term. The second piece of new governance for the people of Iran, I think, however, would take much longer.

BLITZER: Congressman Michael McCaul, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it very much.

MCCAUL: Thank you, Wolf. Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: Up next, new reporting on the two terror suspects accused of tossing makeshift bombs outside the New York City mayor's home.

And more questions about a deadly strike that Iran says left more than 160 children dead. Senator Jeanne Shaheen is one of the Democrats demanding more information, and she was just briefed on the war. She will join us live in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:25:01]

BLITZER: All right, there's more breaking news coming into THE SITUATION ROOM.

Canadian investigators are working to try to track down whoever shot at the U.S. Consulate, the diplomatic consulate in Toronto. Officials say the gunfire rang out around 5:30 this morning. No one was hurt, and there aren't any suspects in custody, at least not yet.

The news conference in Toronto is set to begin soon. If we learn anything new about this attack on the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, we will bring that reporting to you, of course.

Also happening now, we're learning more about the two young terror suspects accused of tossing makeshift bombs on Saturday just outside the New York mayor's home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: At a storage facility in Pennsylvania, the FBI detonated homemade bombs found during a search of that facility. Officials said both suspects cited ISIS for their motivation. Neither of the bombs exploded in New York.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is in New York for us.

Gloria, what else are we learning today about this case?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, so we know that there were a total of three improvised explosive devices that were recovered at the scene of this protest in front of Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence, on Saturday.

But now we're learning overnight, last night, there were more explosive materials that were found inside a storage facility located not far from the two suspects' home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I want to play again just the moment in which the FBI safely detonated the materials that they found inside. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: You can hear that explosion going off in -- it's going off actually in the back of this facility, and Middletown Township police telling my colleague Danny Freeman in Pennsylvania that this was part of the ongoing federal investigation and that the FBI safely disposed of these two -- of these explosive materials that were recovered during the execution of a search warrant inside that storage facility.

Now, a little more about what we have learned about these two suspects. Their names are Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, 18 and 19 years old. They traveled here to New York City from Pennsylvania. I am told by police officials they believe the two suspects came here specifically to target demonstrations that were taking place outside of the mayoral residence.

Both men told police after they were arrested that they were inspired by ISIS, Emir Balat specifically writing on a piece of paper that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and Kayumi saying that he had viewed ISIS propaganda on his cell phone and that he was inspired to carry out the events on Saturday by ISIS.

Both suspects are facing five federal charges, including providing material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. Wolf, we heard from police officials yesterday just how much worse this could have been had those devices gone off when they were thrown into the crowd.

They had explosive material inside of them. And had they gone off as they were designed to do so, police said that a lot of people could have been injured and killed. So it looks like this was really a miracle that no one was injured, and now these two suspects facing federal terrorism charges.

We have heard from attorneys for both men, the attorney for Emir Balat telling me that he does not believe the two suspects were known to each other before this, and the attorney for Mr. Kayumi declining to comment -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And do we know who these two suspects were trying to hurt with these improvised explosive devices?

PAZMINO: Yes, police officials told me yesterday that they were here targeting this demonstration that had been organized by a far right social media activist Jake Lang. He is actually a pardoned January 6 rioter.

He had organized a protest outside of the mayor's residence of so- called anti-Muslim, anti-Islam demonstration, and they were there to target that protest.

BLITZER: All right, Gloria Pazmino with the reporting, thank you very, very much. We will stay in close touch with you.

Let's discuss all of this and more with CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen. And I want to remind our viewers it was Peter who produced the first interview with Osama bin Laden back in 1997.

You and I share a lot of history, Peter.