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Iranians Reportedly Hit U.S. F-35; Air Travel Delays; Iran War Ramps Up. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired March 19, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news: escalating attacks. Fears of a global energy crisis are surging, as Iran strikes gas and oil facilities around the Persian Gulf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And protecting the strait. Several countries now say they will help the U.S. defend the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that transports a fifth of the world's oil and where ships have come under serious attack from Iran.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: And we begin this hour with a critical White House meeting. In just moments, President Trump is set to hold what's being described as crucial talks with the prime minister of Japan.

BROWN: As the U.S. ramps up its war in Iran, the president is growing increasingly frustrated with allies like Japan for not assisting with the effort including, reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz.

But, moments ago, Japan and several European countries released a joint statement saying they're willing to help protect the waterway.

Let's go live now to CNN's Kevin Liptak at the White House.

Kevin, that will surely smooth some things over between the prime minister of Japan and President Trump for this meeting today.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: It may, but I would note that none of those countries specified when they would be willing to ease the Strait of Hormuz, and a lot of them have said that they won't be able to go in until the hostilities end.

The German chancellor said that the guns would have to fall silent before Germany sends its own naval vessels to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. So I still think this will be a potential point of contention, including when the president sits down with Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister, any moment now.

Japan is one of the countries that President Trump specifically called out as needing to do more to ease the flow of traffic through that critical waterway. Japan receives almost all of its energy from the Middle East. And so the president, I think, will want to discuss this with Takaichi when she arrives.

She will be in the hot seat in a lot of ways. And even before she left, she acknowledged that this would be a very difficult meeting. She said she would spend the entirety of the 14-hour flight from Tokyo preparing for it.

What is difficult for her is that Japan has a pacifist Constitution. It sort of stipulates that the Japanese armed forces won't be able to be deployed unless Japan is facing an existential threat or they're facing some self-defense issues. It's not entirely clear that this mission that the president is insisting upon would necessarily qualify as all of that.

Now, she has been careful not to take an official position. She says she is studying the legalities of this. And she does come into it having the advantage of a very strong relationship with President Trump. She's a protege of the slain Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was a close friend of President Trump.

So she does have this relationship to build on. Certainly, I think it will be a very critical meeting, where this very important issue will be front of mind for both of them.

BROWN: Certainly.

Kevin Liptak, live for us from White House, thanks so much -- Wolf.

BLITZER: We will have live coverage of that meeting once it starts.

Also breaking news, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says President Trump could not tolerate Iran getting -- quote -- "closer and closer to obtaining nuclear capabilities," this despite the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, saying at a hearing yesterday that those capabilities had been, in her word, obliterated during U.S. airstrikes in Iran last year.

Also this morning, the defense secretary says the war with Iran is -- quote -- "very much on plan, very much on plan," his words, this as Reuters is reporting this morning that the Trump administration is considering sending thousands of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East in an effort to reinforce its operation there.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: You hear a lot of noise about widening or new missions or speculation about what we should or should not be doing. This is a clear set of objectives. The president has given us every capability we need to accomplish

that. We have got the best in the world in uniform executing it on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: CNN international security correspondent Kylie Atwood is here with me in THE SITUATION ROOM.

So, Kylie, what more did the defense secretary say this morning?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the secretary of defense painting a rosy picture of the U.S. military being on plan when it comes to those military objectives with the war with Iran.

We heard from the chairman of the joint chief of staff, Dan Caine, saying that Iran came into this war with many weapons. They still retain some of those capabilities, not being specific in terms of percentiles or how much Iran still has in terms of its missile, its drone stockpiles, and also the secretary of defense not being specific in terms of how long it's going to take to actually achieve these military objectives, again, punting to President Trump, saying he will make that determination when those goals have been achieved.

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He also said this when asked about reports that the Pentagon has gone to the Hill requesting $200 billion in additional funding for this war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move, obviously. It takes money to kill bad guys. So we're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition is -- everything's refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: Now, I want to pivot to another event happening right now, the worldwide threat hearing on Capitol Hill, where top intelligence officials are answering questions from lawmakers.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard answered a question that she did find it concerning what was said earlier this week when a top counterterrorism official resigned from his post as a result of their, one, being what he said, no imminent threat posed by Iran, but also saying that Israel drove the United States into this war with Iran.

But when it comes to that question of U.S. objectives in this war and Israel's objectives in this war, Tulsi Gabbard was also asked about that. And she said that U.S. and Israel have different objectives in this war. She didn't answer the question as to whether they are aligned or not, but she said that Israel is going after Iranian's leadership.

The United States is going after Iran's missile program and also their mining capabilities. And that will be a major question as we turn to what the endgame looks like here. Can the U.S. and Israel get on the same page of driving an end to this conflict when they have different objectives that they have set out to at the beginning?

BLITZER: Yes, good point. Thanks very much, Kylie Atwood, reporting for us -- Pamela.

BROWN: Also this morning, Wolf, oil prices are surging after Israel hit an Iranian gas field, which sparked retaliation by Iran on energy infrastructure across the Middle East.

Israeli sources are telling CNN that the attack on that gas field was in coordination with the U.S., despite President Trump saying the U.S. -- quote -- "knew nothing about the strike."

Let's go live now to CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson. He's in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Nic, what more do we know about the Israeli attack on this massive gas field?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, we know that it's drawn a very serious and strong response from the Iranians. Not only did they target oil facilities around the capital here, Riyadh, last night.

For the first time, we were seeing interceptors, ballistic missiles being shot down over the city here. It was happening, by the way, when the foreign ministers of the region were meeting, and they have taken it as a very clear understanding that Iran is not interested in diplomacy, that it is only interested in military effects, and targeting the oil infrastructure here in Saudi was a part of that message.

But a far stronger response to Israel's targeting of that Iranian oil facility was the damage caused by Iran's overnight attack at a liquefied natural gas LNG facility in Qatar itself, a massive and important facility contributing estimated well more than 10 percent to the world's liquid natural gas.

The Qataris saying that that has been -- production from there has been put on hold, and it really creates the impression of an escalation tit for tat. What we heard from the Qatari prime minister speaking just a few minutes ago was that Iran needs to stop its attacks, that the patience of the region has a limit.

We heard a very similar language from the Saudi foreign minister speaking in the early hours of the morning here, saying that they don't believe, the region doesn't believe that Iran is listening to the efforts for diplomacy. Indeed, we have heard from the Iranian foreign minister today talking

about the possibility, as you were discussing earlier, of support from Europe and Japan to help create a safe Strait of Hormuz, indications are after there's a cease-fire in the main war, but the Iranian foreign minister essentially saying that any country that joins the United States trying to keep open the Strait of Hormuz, they also effectively become targets.

So, ratcheting up and escalating militarily and diplomatically as well following Israel's strike on that gas field.

BROWN: All right, Nic Robertson bringing us very late as, thank you so much -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And there's more news we're following right now. This is new this morning.

A fifth member of the Iranian women's soccer team has withdrawn her asylum claim and left Australia for Iran. Australia granted several players, as well as a member of the support staff humanitarian visas after the women sought asylum in the country during the women's Asian Cup tournament.

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The women said they feared persecution if they returned home after the team refused to sing Iran's national anthem during their opening match. Here's what some of them said on their way back to Iran. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We feel really good. We really missed our country. It was really hard, and I'm really glad I'm back. We have a good feeling. It had its difficulties on our way back home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Iran is the cradle of us. We have returned for our homeland.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I love Iran. We are very happy. Iran is our land. Our family is here. We belong to it. I have returned, my family, my father, my mother, my land.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Now just two women remain in Australia on these humanitarian visas.

In a new exclusive interview with CNN, Lebanon's prime minister says President Donald Trump is -- quote -- "more than anyone else capable of bringing an end to the war in the Middle East." The U.S. and Israel's joint military campaign against Iran has spilled over clearly into Lebanon, as Israel targets high-ranking members and the infrastructure of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia group at a long time, Israeli adversary. CNN's chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, is

on the ground for us in Beirut, and he spoke with the Lebanese prime minister for this exclusive interview.

Nick, what work can you tell us about your conversation?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf.

An urgent plea for peace, really, here, from one of the premier statesmen of Lebanon, I think a desperate recognition that they are caught in a place between Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group here, and their desire to avenge the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Israel, who have seized the opportunity to prosecute their ultimate goal of disarming Hezbollah, a goal which Lebanon's government here does indeed share, but admits it doesn't have the resources to complete right now.

Here's what we heard, this urgent plea for diplomacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAWAF SALAM, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER: Cease-fire.

WALSH: Immediately? If you could...

SALAM: Yes, sir, if not tomorrow.

WALSH: If you could deliver a message to President Trump now directly, for one thing for him to do today, what would it be?

SALAM: To help put an end to the Lebanese conflict, and I would like to reaffirm to President Trump our readiness to enter into immediate negotiations, negotiations with Israel.

We know that this conflict can only end with negotiations. The U.S. is a strategic partner to Lebanon. And President Trump, more than anyone else, can play a decisive role in bringing this war to an end.

So, we call on a greater engagement of the U.S. I mean, all Lebanese, they are victim. This war has been imposed on us. We didn't seek it. We didn't choose it. And now our main objective is how to end it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: A reminder, Wolf, nearly 1,000 dead from this war, over 100 of them children so far.

Prime minister Salam clear that Lebanon is essentially a football, he says, caught on the battlefield between Israel and Iran, a desperate plea there, though, for immediate diplomacy, offering direct talks with Israel certainly, but concerns that they simply haven't been getting traction for that proposal yet, as clearly Israel's goal of disarming Hezbollah is something they wish to pursue aggressively as possible -- Wolf. BLITZER: Give us a little bit more detail on what the prime minister,

Nawaf Salam, said about any potential talks with Israel. As you know, there have been a lot of reports that there's been some sort of indirect dialogue going on.

WALSH: Yes, at this point, it doesn't appear that we are dealing with a process that kind of amounts to negotiations.

I asked him, can we really say we're in talks at this point? And they appear to be at the point where they're trying to position themselves to the extent where they say they get a response to the agenda they proposed to the Israelis. That's where they are at the moment.

And I think it's clear that, as the bombardment of here, Beirut's south and the south of the country persists, Israel perhaps sees the military option as preferable for now, and there's no letup from the Hezbollah side and their barrage at times against Northern Israel, but an urgent, desperate plea, and I think unspoken really a hope that they can find more bandwidth in the current White House to deal with this urgent issue.

Ultimately a separate chapter of the conflict in raging in the Middle East right now, but one where there are so many civilians losing their lives, Wolf.

BLITZER: Nick Paton Walsh, stay safe over there in Beirut. Thanks very much for that report -- Pamela.

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BROWN: All right, Wolf, still ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM: Secretary Hegseth says the U.S. is on time with its objectives in Iran, but he's not offering any kind of solid timeline. We're going to discuss that coming up.

BLITZER: And here at home, another morning of extreme delays at the country's busiest airports, where more than a third of the TSA staff called out sick today. We're live from Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport.

That's next right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BROWN: Happening now, air travelers are facing another day of long security wait lines. As you see in this video, there is still no end in sight for the partial government shut down affecting the Transportation Security Administration.

A spokesperson for Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport tells CNN for the third day in a row more than one-third of TSA workers there did not show up to work.

TSA shortages could prompt some airports to actually shut down altogether, the agency's acting deputy administrator tells CNN. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM STAHL, ACTING DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: We make these determinations on an airport-by-airport basis, but the reality is right now, like a majority of Americans that are paycheck to paycheck, as the weeks continue, our TSA officers, as long as they don't get paid, they're going to continue to call out. They can't afford to come in, and they're going to quit altogether.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So, currently, TSA agents are working without pay, as lawmakers who are at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Let's go live now to CNN senior national correspondent Ryan Young, who is at one of the nation's busiest airports. That would be the one in Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson.

You have spent a lot of time there this week, Ryan. What's the situation on the ground there right now?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, this morning, it was crushed. It was super busy. That was the rush hour. Right now, it got a lot better. And, in fact, we're seeing some of the best numbers we have seen so far.

If you look here, you can see the north checkpoint, the main checkpoint, even the TSA PreCheck all under five minutes. And I want to show you this. We're going to just walk you through this, because the main security checkpoint is just in that direction right there.

You can see the line. We have been timing people, asking them to give us a heads-up about how long would it take to get them through security? So far, under 10 minutes. They can't beat that on a regular day here. On top of all this, we know about 38 percent of the staff here at the airport in terms of TSA called out today.

On top of this, they have been feeding them. So up this escalator here, we know for a fact they have been getting in lines, and they have been doing great with the line so far today. And on top of that, on the north side, that's where we have seen some of the impact when it comes to the security here.

We have been told more than 20 of the TSA workers have shown up here today. That's despite all the callouts. They have been able to keep these numbers short. They have been able to keep the travelers going through. And that's even impacting the international travelers who've been able to get to their destination.

Talk about day four of all this. People are exasperated, but it is working. And some of that comes down to the fact that the ATL Airport has added so much additional staff here. So as we walked around from the south side to the north side, you can see here some of the backup.

But, again, if you only had to wait in line for four minutes, can you beat that? Earlier this morning, above 90 minutes, right now, smooth sailing.

BROWN: OK, you just never know.

Ryan Young, thank you so much Wolf.

BLITZER: He's getting some steps in at the airport.

BROWN: He is. I was thinking that.

BLITZER: All right, we're also following some major breaking news right now, sources telling CNN and American F-35 fighter jet had to make an emergency landing after coming under suspected Iranian fire.

BROWN: CNN national security reporter Haley Britzky joins us.

What are you learning about this?

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, so this is still under investigation, but sources are telling us that it is suspected Iranian fire, which would be the first time that Iran has hit a U.S. aircraft so far in this war that we know of.

And CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins telling us the pilot is in stable condition, that the aircraft landed safely, but that this happened while it was flying a combat mission over Iran today.

BROWN: And it's notable because the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, was on earlier today. He held a joint press conference and said that the air defenses in Iran have been flattened.

BRITZKY: That's right.

I mean, Secretary Hegseth has come out repeatedly over the last several -- couple of weeks at these press briefings claiming very decisive victory. He said today the U.S. is winning decisively against Iran, that the air defenses have been flattened, pointing to very high percentages dropping of these ballistic missile and drone attacks.

We, of course, still don't know exactly what happened here and what hit this aircraft. But it does raise questions about the effectiveness of these strikes if Iran is still able to do this and target a U.S. aircraft in this way.

BLITZER: Haley Britzky, thank you very, very much for that report. We will continue to watch this story also coming up.

BROWN: Yes, there's a major escalation as the war widens, as oil prices, they're surging as Iran targets energy facilities around the Persian Gulf, and the new attacks have President Trump issuing a dire warning.

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[11:29:13]

BROWN: And we are back with that breaking news about the war with Iran.

Just a short time ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States remains on plan for its objectives in the war, and when it comes to any notion the U.S. is heading toward an endless conflict in Iran, he said nothing could be further from the truth.

Meanwhile on the ground, after Israel attacked a key Iranian gas field yesterday, Iran launched new attacks on oil and gas facilities in neighboring Gulf states, striking a major gas facility in Qatar.

BLITZER: And we are getting some incredible new video just coming in from Southern Lebanon. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Further rocket attacks were reported against Nahariya and...

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: An RT correspondent, his cameraman narrowly escape the strike while reporting in Southern Lebanon.