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Source: U.S. Shot Down Two Iranian Attack Drones Last Night; USA Opens World Cup Play Tonight Vs. Paraguay In L.A. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired June 12, 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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[11:01:07]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: 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.

New this morning, there is more international whiplash right now over the Iran war. Just hours after saying that an agreement has been struck and the conflict is over, we're now learning of new hostilities. A U.S. defense official tells CNN that the U.S. military shot down two Iranian attack drones that were targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz just last night.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And this morning, President Trump is again lashing out at Iran on social media. He called Tehran, "dishonorable" for what he's calling inaccurate descriptions of a proposed agreement. He also said they better get their act together fast.

CNN correspondent Brian Todd is here in The Situation Room. So what more can you tell us about this shoot down of Iranian drones, Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Pamela and Wolf. This comes from a U.S. defense official who tells CNN that last night, the U.S. military shot down two Iranian attack drones that were targeting vessels which were trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. This official says that Iran tried to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces, this official says, shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones.

Now, we're not sure about this, but these could be Shahed drones. That's part of a fleet of low-cost kamikaze-style drones that function essentially as guided missiles which fly toward their targets and are designed to explode and detonate on impact. We're not quite sure what type of drones they used, but these were one-way attack drones, so they could have been those Shahed drones.

The official says that following the shoot down of those drones, "traffic through the Strait continues." But it's our understanding that some traffic is getting through the Strait of Hormuz, but not all traffic. The traffic is somewhat limited getting through the Strait of Hormuz. Guys, this is not great news as far as the tensions are concerned, coming, as you just mentioned, after President Trump was very critical of the Iranian side for the way they have couched and put out their public messaging on the type of agreement that was reached, plus, you know, this coming on the heels of a few days this week where the U.S. struck some Iranian targets.

So, you know, are we going to get a full-fledged peace deal in the coming hours? This kind of thing where, you know, the U.S. official tells us that two Iranian attack drones were hit by U.S. forces just as they were trying to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz just could ramp up tensions even more, guys.

BROWN: Certainly could. Brian Todd, thanks so much.

All right, so now let's focus on the Strait of Hormuz and take a deeper dive, the options to reopen it and the length of time it would take to resume pre-war shipping traffic. Joining us now is CNN global affairs analyst Brett McGurk, a former Middle East advisor to four presidents. And Brett has authored a fascinating analysis piece on CNN.com, "The ultimate hostage negotiation: Why Iran talks are deadlocked." Brett, great to have you on here in The Situation Room.

So this shoot down of Iranian drones over the Strait, this really seems to underscore just how volatile this waterway is.

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Pam, this is happening now every night because what's happening is CENTCOM has actually opened up a path for ships to transit and ships are transiting. The President alluded to this earlier this week, a couple of hundred ships over the past several weeks. And Iran is trying to target those ships with drones and we are protecting the ships. So we're knocking the drones out of the air.

It's happening every night. I was just in the Middle East, Pam, and this is what -- this is the new normal until either there's a deal or there's a breakthrough. But this is what -- this is what's happening. We are shooting down drones and Iran is trying to target civilian ships. It's happening every night once it gets dark out there.

BLITZER: So walk us through a little bit more on the dynamics of potentially reopening this truly vital shipping route.

[11:04:52]

MCGURK: Yes. Wolf, let me just go to how complicated this is. This is Strait of Hormuz. You can see the overlapping claims of territory. And there's basically now three shipping lanes. There's the international route that had gone like this for years. Customary international route has gone like that. That's basically closed because Iran has mined it. There's a new route, which I just mentioned, which CENTCOM has opened up, which kind of hugs the coast here. Goes up UAE.

There's a little peninsula here that is actually Oman in UAE territory. It's kind of Oman's Alaska. Makes this geography very, very complicated. And then Iran has its own route, which it says ships must use, which goes along its territory. It goes between two islands here, which of course the U.S. military has blocked that route. The international shipping route is not being used and the U.S. military is protecting that route along the coast.

That's the current situation. Iran in these negotiations is saying that the route that will be used is its route. It's basically a tollbooth route. The U.S. rejects that. And there still seems to be a disagreement in these talks about where that stands.

BLITZER: And walk us through, while I have you, Brett, on this whiplash that we've all been going through. One day it looks like there's a deal. Next day, no deal, maybe more war. What's going on here?

MCGURK: Look, I have alluded to this because I've done deals with the Iranians, particularly the hard line of that regime, the Revolutionary Guard, the intelligence services. And the way the Iranians, for years, that they try to collapse the power imbalance, obviously we're a more powerful country, Wolf, by taking possession of, for example, hostages. That's why they use hostages for many years. I've done hostage negotiations.

And what Iran does in a hostage negotiation says, we have the hostages. We set the price. And until you either meet our price, we're just going to wait. And time is on their side. I see -- that's what they're doing here in the Strait of Hormuz. They believe that they are controlling it because they can threaten it with drones. And until we meet their price, they're not going to reopen it.

What's so interesting in Iran's state media today, they basically put out their terms of the deal, which would be a massive concession from United States basically conceding to all of their demands. The White House is now saying they didn't do that. We basically have three options. Option one, you can concede to Iran's demands. Option two, you can endure this current status quo, get as many ships out as possible. So far, oil prices are actually, they're below $100. This could be sustained for some time. And the third, and some combination of maybe two and three, using U.S. military to try to open up these lanes or actually seize control of the Strait. That's very, very difficult to do.

BROWN: Can you just help us better understand what that would take, option three, because we had General Wesley Clark on the show earlier this week who argued that's what the U.S. should be able to do right now.

MCGURK: Well, we are sort of doing it in some ways. I just mentioned what we're doing to help those ships to hug the coast. I mean, what's happening here in the Middle East is they're finding bypass routes. There's a route that goes from Saudi Arabia, across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea, maybe 5 million barrels a day there.

There's a port in UAE called Fujairah, which is right here, a couple million barrels there a day. And now this new U.S. military protected route is also getting out. We don't know how much, but a couple million barrels or so. About 20 million barrels a day before the war. Say you have half that, plus you might have some suppressed demand. That's what's keeping global prices balanced. But just to make this more complicated, it's not just the Strait of Hormuz. It's -- this is the Bab al-Mandab Strait. And I dealt with this back in 2024, because the Houthis shut that down with drones. You can fire a Shahed drone from 1,500 kilometers away. They can be fired from the Hormuz Mountains. And it's very easy, obviously, to hit a very slow moving tank. Very difficult military equation. But our forces out there with CENTCOM are trying to get a handle on this. And that's what's leading to these shoot downs of drones every night.

BLITZER: So very quickly, before we let you go, when Trump publicly issues a threat to the Iranians, if you don't accept this deal, we're going to bomb you like you've never been bombed before. We're going to bomb your infrastructure, your petrochemical facilities. We're going to make you crazy. What impact does that have on the Iranians?

MCGURK: Well, the Iranians believe they have options, because one of their options here, they haven't played this card yet, is in the Bab al-Mandab. And they can also target the infrastructure across the Gulf, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE. Very vulnerable to Iran's missiles and drones. So Iran believes it still has some cards to play if the military campaign escalates. So, Wolf, let's hope there's a deal here. Let's hope. But I am just watching this. I think the two sides are pretty far apart.

And until there's actually a signed deal, we're going to be in this status quo. What happened last night, there'll be more of that over the coming weeks and months.

BLITZER: Brett McGurk, thank you very, very much. Good analysis, as usual.

BROWN: Thank you. We appreciate it.

[11:09:57]

BLITZER: And still ahead, the U.S. men's national soccer team kicks off their World Cup run tonight. How cities across America are preparing for the biggest sporting event in the world.

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BLITZER: Happening now, let the games begin. U.S. hosting its first soccer match in this year's FIFA World Cup, and it's set to get underway in just a few hours. The tournament officially kicked off last night in Mexico City with several big names performing at the opening ceremony.

[11:15:08]

BROWN: Mexico won the opening match defeating South Africa two to zero over the course -- and over the course of the next month, 104 matches will be played across 16 cities in the United States Mexico and Canada. Tonight the U.S. will take on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium renamed the Los Angeles Stadium during this World Cup.

So let's go live now to CNN sports anchor, Coy Wire. He is right outside that stadium. And what is the atmosphere like ahead of today's game, Coy?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: It's picking up. It started yesterday, lots of jerseys and kits being worn. Mexico fans showing out here in L.A., their big win over South Africa after years of anticipation though and countless dreams, enough hype to fill every stadium in this tournament, the days finally arrive for the United States to begin its World Cup journey.

Now, for these players, this is the moment they've been chasing since they were kids. Juggling a ball in the backyard, imagining packed stadiums like SoFi back here chanting their name. We asked Christian Pulisic, the star of the team, some of the other guys, about what they're feeling in this moment. Listen.

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CHRISTIAN PULISIC, UNITED STATES FORWARD: Probably be looking up at my family and friends in the stands who've supported me throughout all this. So there'll be a lot of emotions. It'll be a problem representing the U.S. Home soil in a World Cup. I mean, very special.

SEBASTIAN BERHALTER, UNITED STATES MIDFIELDER: Very happy motion. And, you know, if tears come, tears come. But yes, I can't wait for that moment.

WESTON MCKENNIE, UNITED STATES MIDFIELDER: Full circle moment because, you know, as a kid dreaming about being in that position, wearing the crest and being able to hear the national anthem, I think it's something that, yes, it makes dreams come true.

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WIRE: Now tonight feels something bigger than 90 minutes. It's another chapter in the story of how soccer grew from this niche sport in America. So one capable of stopping an entire nation in its tracks. And now standing in the way will be Paraguay first, a team known for its grit, its toughness. The players told me yesterday they know they're in for a physical, feisty match and they can't let that get them off track. We asked the U.S. players about their expectations heading into this World Cup.

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MATT FREESE, UNITED STATES GOALKEEPER: You know, we already believe we can win and we're a hungry, competitive group of guys.

MCKENNIE: If you string together enough wins and good performances, you know, the stars are the limit.

GIO REYNA, UNITED STATES MIDFIELDER: We believe collectively that we can do something really special to change soccer in this country forever.

FOLARIN BALOGUN, UNITED STATES FORWARD: We're looking forward to going out there and making the nation proud.

AUSTON TRUSTY, UNITED STATES DEFENDER: I think on the outside people maybe would doubt us in a sense, but why not us?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRD: All right, Paraguay is in the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. They reached the quarterfinals back then in 2010. That's something the U.S. hasn't done since 2002. So don't expect anything easy. That's what makes the World Cup special, the pressure, the passion, the possibility. Wolf and Pamela, World Cups don't create legends, they reveal them. And tonight, America has their next chapter beginning.

BROWN: All right, some alliteration there from our Coy Wire. Thank you so much, Coy. We can't wait. We'll be watching.

BLITZER: And we'll be watching for sure.

With us here in the situation right now, CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan. She's also a sports columnist with USA Today. Christine, thanks very much for coming in. The World cup kicked off yesterday. First match here in the U.S. is today. Which teams are you keeping a close eye on?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: The European teams, obviously, of course, as Coy is saying, U.S. is paramount because the U.S. men's team has not performed anywhere near what the U.S. women's team. You know, we're used to winning on that side. And so but, you know, this, the strength of France and England, Portugal, Spain and of course the defending team, Argentina, with Lionel Messi in his last World Cup. So I think that will be it. And then of course, the storylines, including on playing here and other issues that may come up obviously at this tense time in the world.

BROWN: Yes, let's talk a little bit more about the geopolitics and just the overall politics playing into this World Cup because you have U.S. Immigration policies that are making it harder for some travelers to actually come here to enjoy the World Cup. In some cases, key participants have been turned away. There was a Somali referee who says that he couldn't get in. Tell us more about that.

BRENNAN: Yes, exactly. Omar Artan, the Somali referee, was sent home. I mean, he was scheduled to work the World Cup. And they said immigration because of our relationship with Somalia, that they sent him home. That's just -- that's going to be a story, a footnote for this World Cup, Pamela, forever. I think the history of this as it's set against what is going on in our country. Iran, obviously we are at war with Iran. You know, Donald Trump gets the peace prize from Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, and then of course, starts a war.

[11:19:55]

And Iran now cannot train in the United States. They were going to be in Tucson, Arizona. They're training now in Tijuana, Mexico, but they're playing in Los Angeles starting on Monday and then along the West Coast. Questions and concerns about the Iranian delegation. The president of the Iranian Federation is not allowed to come. All the fans were told, no, they cannot come to the United States. Understandable in a war. Yes. Although the first time ever a country has had the World Cup while also hosting it and then hosting a country.

BLITZER: Why did Somali referee come to the United States?

BRENNAN: I don't know, Wolf. That just is a -- that's an own goal for the U.S .because it just is such a bad. Look, the idea here is that you put aside politics and have this incredible tournament, but it hasn't happened.

BLITZER: So the World cup, as we all know, a major cultural eye opener for so many fans traveling to North America to watch all of this, including here in the United States. There's a German fan whose name is Freddie, who has gained a massive following online as he has tweeted about discovering quintessential American staples, including Bass Pro Shop, Buc-ee's and Waffle House. Talk to me a little bit about the importance of sports in giving people a glimpse into American culture.

BRENNAN: That is so fun. That's the flip side of the conversation we were just having, is that these tourists are still coming. The ones who can, certainly Europeans, people who love soccer way more than the United States. It's been a part of their lives for, you know, ever. Where for us, as Coy was saying, it's a newer game on the women's and men's. And so that, I've looked at those tweets from him, just he's having a delight. And Americans are loving that, too.

And I saw some conversation, Wolf and Pamela, about how the rest of the world is looking at the United States and feeling that we are -- it's a foreboding image and that we are inhospitable. And here is a German tourist and others as well now on social media saying, no, no, the Americans are great. So what a shame that that's the image that the world has, many have of us. But how wonderful, again, that sports can bring people here and show people that the United States and, you know, the south is welcoming a German tourist in a way we would never have anticipated.

BROWN: And thanks to Freddie for showcasing all of that.

BRENNAN: Exactly.

BLITZER: Good work. And we call it soccer. The rest of the world calls it football.

BRENNAN: Exactly.

BLITZER: And we know there's another football that we play here in the United States.

BRENNAN: Yes, and the Buffalo Bills. I think I have heard of that. Yes.

BLITZER: All Right. Thanks, Christina.

BRENNAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much.

BROWN: Any excuse, excuse to get in the Buffalo Bills in The Situation Room.

BLITZER: Go Bills.

BROWN: All right, just ahead, go Bills, D.C. makeover. From the claw, behind the White House to the repainted reflecting pool, President Trump has been working to revamp the Capitol's cultural and physical footprint.

BLITZER: Up next, Pamela and I will take you on a firsthand tour of some of those changes with a Washington historian for new insight on the impact of these very powerful and dramatic projects.

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[11:27:29]

BLITZER: It's hard to miss what's happening right here in Washington, D.C. this weekend if you're within a few blocks of the White House. And that's because you'll catch a view of the massive lighting structure known as The Claw. It's all part of the so-called UFC Freedom 250 fight at the White House this Sunday, which also coincides with President Trump's birthday.

BROWN: So, we wanted to see it for ourselves. So, yesterday, we braved the very high temps here in the district and took a visit to our old reporting stomping grounds at the White House. And we were joined by a historian with extensive knowledge on the White House and entertainment events historically hosted there. Take a watch.

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BLITZER: We're here at the North Lawn of the White House, Pamela Brown and me. And we've got Ed Lengel, who's with us. He's a renowned American historian. He knows the White House. He knows what's going on. He's going to give us an important historical perspective on what's about to take place here at the White House.

BROWN: And you see a little bit of it behind us. You hear the practicing with the music and everything for the UFC fight coming up. And also, you see the crane over here for another project that they are turning into the ballroom. And so, I would love to hear your perspective, Ed, on these changes that we're seeing behind us.

EDWARD LENGEL, FORMER CHIEF HISTORIAN, WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION: So, all of this stuff is completely unprecedented. And I speak as somebody who was born in Washington, D.C. I've lived here all my life. In addition to being a White House presidential historian, the ballroom, if it's built, we'll see, totally changes the nature of the building and the construction itself. It turns it into something that it was not before and something that the founders did not intend it to be.

Now, in terms of the UFC fight and all the entertainment that's going on, of course there's been entertainment at the White House, all kinds of entertainment, but nothing like this.

BROWN: In the past, presidents have had events on the White House. They've had different celebrations. Why, in your view, is this so different from what we've seen historically?

LENGEL: Right. I want to specify what I'm not saying here. I'm not saying UFC is bad, but putting it here as a type of a spectacle. In addition, I've been hearing gossip there's going to be a motorcycle stunt. I mean, who knows what's going to go on with a very bloody sport, I think is something that the founders would have said, this has no place here. And indeed, every president from the founders, practically up to the current administration would have said this is not appropriate.

[11:29:54]

BLITZER: And it's interesting because this is something that normally, if it was a special event celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States and maybe even the presidential birthday, something like that. You'd want kids who are growing up to watch.