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Israel Defense Chief Comments on Iran's Supreme Leader; Actors Speaks about "F1: The Movie." Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired June 19, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Gets into this war using its military?

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): My constituents don't want to get into another war in the Middle East. They don't want another situation where troops are put into harm's way.

Now, again, if the Iranians strike American targets or American troops, they will face reprisal and they will face immediate retaliation. However, preemptively striking them is not something that my constituents want. And I think that we have to be, again, very mindful that a regional war could be much more chaotic. Not only would it potentially cause much more risk to our interests in the region, but it would also potentially embolden the Iranians even more to go for a nuclear weapon faster.

SIDNER: Two of your colleagues introduced a measure that would -- would force President Trump to get approval from Congress to enter Israel's conflict with Iran. Do you agree with this bill?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Potentially. I'll look at it closer in the coming days. Obviously, we want -- we don't want to necessarily be in a situation where the -- the president can't respond or take decisive action, or our interests are in harm's way or we were attacked. However, I think that overall we don't want to preemptively get into a situation that cascades into a worse situation than were in right now.

Overall, however, I'm just worried about accountability of this administration to Congress. We have not been consulted. We have not been asked for our input whatsoever. It kind of follows a trend, whether it's with regard to immigration issues, such as I.C.E. I just -- I just visited an I.C.E. facility. And not only would they not allow me to conduct oversight on this facility in Chicago, but they actually called the Chicago Police to evict me as a trespasser.

So, this is kind of a trend here with regard to this administration, where they don't feel accountable to Congress for anything, and it's going to do grave damage to our interests in this case and -- and with regard to Iran, but just generally, that's not what the American people want.

SIDNER: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, thank you so much for your insight this morning and spending time with us on a very complex day of decision making ahead.

Top U.K. officials land in Washington this morning as the world braces for what comes next in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.

That story and much more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:37:28]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is committed to destroying what they say is the threat of nuclear annihilation against Israel after an Israeli hospital was struck by an Iranian missile.

Israel's defense minister told reporters that Iran's supreme leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, cannot be allowed to continue to exist.

With us now, geopolitics analyst and columnist Bobby Ghosh, and CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier.

Kim, this language from the Israeli defense minister saying the ayatollah cannot continue to exist. It is the most explicit call we've heard yet for regime change from the most senior official. How does that change the dynamic, do you think, of what we're seeing?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It's dangerous. And if the U.S. decides to go ahead and join in this operation, even just by dropping a couple of bunker busters on the nuclear facility at Fordo, it makes them part of an attempt at regime change. And that will be seen throughout the Arab world, as in some ways it's already seen since the Israelis are using a lot of U.S.-provided weaponry as the two nations trying to take apart a major power in the Middle East after supposedly offering them negotiations and an off ramp. It is a recipe for future terrorist action. It's also a recipe to just about guarantee that whatever survives of the Iranian regime will be determined to build a nuclear weapon at some point in the future so this doesn't happen again.

BERMAN: Just quickly, Kim, you say the Arab world. Do you mean the streets or Arab leaders here? Because one of the dynamics that's really changed is that Iran, if it had any friends to begin with, seems to have run out completely at the leadership level.

DOZIER: Well, the Arab leaders, Muslim world leaders, have been condemning this and calling it illegal. Of course, the Arab street is very upset. But you're right that the gulf and Arab leaders in general, they didn't want a nuclear armed Iran. But regime decapitation is another thing, especially when you've got Saudi Arabia that has improved its diplomatic relations thanks to China, with Iran, they're sort of now stuck in between Iran and the U.S. And this is uncomfortable. And the ones I've spoken to have said, hey, we're -- we're just keeping our heads down. We really don't know what to do in this situation. BERMAN: Bobby, how much does the possibility of mission creep here,

how much do you think it change -- it changes the dynamic among other countries in the Arab and Muslim world?

[09:40:04]

BOBBY GHOSH, COLUMNIST AND GEOPOLITICS ANALYST: Well, it certainly changes the dynamic substantially. As Kim pointed out, when you start talking about decapitation of a regime, that makes a lot of necks feel uncomfortable around the Arab world. Remember, most of the leadership there are not democratically elected leaders. And at one time or the other have upset or annoyed the United States. And -- and there's every chance that that might happen again.

They've also seen what happens when you suddenly change a regime in a country. They've seen what happened in Libya. They've seen what happened in Iraq. They've seen what's going on in -- in -- in Syria. And there's not a great deal to be optimistic when you -- when you suddenly take a regime out of the picture, it's not automatic that it would be replaced by a kinder, gentler government. They're much more likely that you get some -- you get chaos, which is never good for anybody. And then, thereafter, it's entirely possible that you get an even more radical, even more militaristic regime than the one that went before.

And for a lot of the Arab states, the Arab gulf states in particular, remember, Iran is a major oil and natural gas supplier. And -- and they make their economic calculations, these Arab states, on the basis of a collective oil and gas supply. So, they would have to change, in sort of pure economic terms, their mathematical sort of calculations based on what happens in Iran if there's a sudden regime change. So, it's -- it's going to make everybody very, very uncomfortable indeed.

BERMAN: And, Bobby, in terms of retaliation from Iran, if the U.S. does get directly involved there, we've talked a lot about the possibility of U.S. bases being targeted there, but you focus on the possibility of Iran expanding beyond the military bases. Talk about that a little bit.

GHOSH: Well, Iran is a regime that has shown in the past, and in the very recent past, that it is perfectly happy to go out into the wider world, and not just in its immediate neighborhood, and target civilians. People that it (INAUDIBLE) and I'm constantly reminded that all around Iran, in the wider Middle East, there are tens of thousands of Americans, not soldiers, American civilians. There are American businesses. There are -- there are all kinds of American tourists. There are all kinds of civilian targets close at hand.

Now, in the past, Iran has kept these -- these kinds of operations on a low key. But you have to worry that a regime that is flailing, that is a regime that is desperate and that feels like its back is against the wall. You have to worry about its ability to make a -- sort of distinguish between civilian and military targets. We've already seen, in Israel, that some of those Iranian missiles are landing on hospitals, where -- which are not military targets, and on civilians. And there will be a lot of concern, and there ought to be, among the American diaspora in the Middle East about whether they will become targets and their businesses become targets if this war goes up to the next level.

BERMAN: Right.

Kim, there are meetings in Europe right now that are involving European officials, but also some Iranian representation there. And Nick Paton Walsh, our Nick Paton Walsh is reporting that this is being done in consultation with the United States. Barak Ravid at "Axios" is saying that Steve Witkoff, the United States negotiator, has actually been in contact over the last several days with the Iranian foreign minister here. What possibility do you think for diplomacy still exists? What does all this movement tell you?

DOZIER: The fact that they're still talking means that Iran is considering giving up its nuclear refining program in order to get peace. But for that to happen, the White House has to be able to guarantee that it can get Israel to stop its attacks. And that's a real question mark, especially when, as we go back to the comment that started this conversation, you've got top Israeli leaders calling for the decapitation of the Iranian regime.

BERMAN: Bobby Ghosh, Kim Dozier, so great to talk to both of you with all these rapid developments here.

All right, a fallen legend, a rookie partner, and one last shot at greatness. It is "F1: The Movie." And we've got a behind the scenes look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:48:43]

SIDNER: A SpaceX test gone wrong again. Whoa. New video showing you there the moment a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded into a gigantic fireball late last night. This happening at a launch facility in south Texas as SpaceX was preparing for its 10th flight test. SpaceX said the rocket experienced a major anomaly. This is the latest of several Starship explosions. It says, though, SpaceX, no injuries were reported. All employees accounted for.

All right, a turn to a little bit of fun. Fast cars, big stars, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are teaming up for "F1: The Movie," meant to make you feel like you're in the driver's seat. It was shot alongside real grand prix races with actual Formula One teams. The movie hits theaters June 27th and follows the story of Sonny Hayes, a former racing legend, making a high stakes comeback after decades off the track. The movie is, as we have to tell you, a Warner Brothers Picture film, which shares the same parent company as CNN for now.

Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAMSON IDRIS, ACTOR: Why does he got a helmet? BRAD PITT, ACTOR: Safety.

JAVIER BARDEM, ACTOR: Joshua, your seat is safe, OK. Sonny is here for the audition.

[09:50:03]

IDRIS: When was the last time you won a race?

PITT: Sunday. Daytona.

IDRIS: Oh, I'm sorry, I meant Formula One.

PITT: Oh, I'm sorry, then same as you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). When I interview with you, many veteran drivers --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, who all turned you down.

PITT: How many?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seven.

IDRIS: That's a lot.

PITT: I'm number seven?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're eight.

BARDEM: This is a disaster.

PITT: I'm staring to feel more like a nine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And technically there is one who I've not heard from yet.

PITT: So, I am a nine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know how numbers work, right?

BARDEM: In business, my most inspired ideas come late.

IDRIS: The best things in life usually arrive ninth, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With respect, Ruben, I cannot condone. We spend our only test day giving your long-lost teammate an audition.

BARDEM: (INAUDIBLE), you misunderstand. We're not auditioning him. He's auditioning us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: All right, here's my chat with the stars and producer of this fast-paced drama.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Mr. Bardem, you -- you have played so many roles, you know, from a lover in "Eat, Pray, Love," to a -- to a psychopath in "No Country for Old Men." Why take on this role? What -- what attracted you to it?

JAVIER BARDEM, ACTOR, "F!: THE MOVIE": I guess that it would be easier to answer why not? I mean, everything was amazing. The script. Jerry. The quality that he brings to every project. And Joe, as a director. Brad. The story. And -- and it's fun. And it's -- it's a great movie that you enjoy on the big screen.

And when I saw "Top Gun," I -- I remember standing up in the movie theater and saying, yes, like, I was very touched by what the movie was, but also what the movie brought to us filmmakers, which is, again, to the movie theaters and really celebrate what a movie means, make a movie like that means. So, be a part of that was a -- is an honor.

SIDNER: What's it like working on this film with such a novel actor like Brad Pitt?

JERRY BRUCKHEIMER, PRODUCER, "F1: THE MOVIE": The hard work that he puts in is unbelievable. Now, you see him in front of the camera. We see him behind the camera. We spent hours and days and months working on this screenplay. Just -- that's a start. Damson and Brad were in that car for three months before we started filming. So, they could have done another movie. But they sacrificed that to make this movie as good as it could be so they all could drive the car.

It is so difficult to drive these cars. They're going 180 miles an hour. They break down at 50. Their legs have to be so strong. They're taking five G's and they're doing it eight hours. The real drivers, they're -- they're in the car for maybe an hour and a half. But these guys were doing it all day long. It is so difficult. And you have to act.

SIDNER: How did you act while you were in there, in the cockpit, going, you know, I'm going to die speeds, and most people are going to be like, oh, that must be a green screen. How did you do it?

DAMSON IDRIS, ACTOR, "F1: THE MOVIE": The brilliance of it, Joe was saying is, you know, you actually don't have to act because, you know, you're so focused on hitting the apexes, hitting the speed, saying the line at that specific moment as you pass underneath the tunnel, you know, you're only communicating with one person, which is the stunt driver in front of you. But the way the eyes are moving, all of that is true. So, that translation on the screen and for a consumer and a viewer, I mean, they're going to feel like they're the ones driving it, you know.

SIDNER: What did it take to make this film where it makes you, the viewer, feel like you two are in that cockpit?

BRUCKHEIMER: Well, it's -- it's how we planned it. It's how we made it. And we have a phenomenal cinematographer. Claudio was amazing. We created new technology. First of all, Apple gave us two little cameras from the iPhone, except enhanced, and so they were put on two cars in every single race. Not our cars. They're real cars. So, we have that technology. Then Joe and Claudio created this camera that pans remotely. So, the cameras on -- on "Top Gun" were this big. Now they're this big. So, the technology is smaller, it's faster. And we built the cars so we could put the 15 cameras around the car. Only four at a time because we didn't want to take any of the speed away.

So, the technology made it so exciting. But it's never about that. It's about the journey that these characters take you on. That's what it's all about. You don't have to care about racing. It doesn't matter. But when you sit in that seat, and you sit and watch this movie, it's a journey. And it's a fantastic journey of these characters and redemption. And you walk out feeling better. It's the kind of feeling when you walked out of "Top Gun." It's the same kind of experience you have.

SIDNER: What did you tell your family? I mean this -- this -- it is terrifying. I mean, when you're watching this, you feel like you're there and it's a little bit, you know, anxiety provoking.

: Yes. Yes.

SIDNER: How did you -- how did you sort of explain, hey, I'm actually going to be driving these cars and actually going to be going at breakneck speed?

IDRIS: Well , my mom was the one who I -- every single day after that wrap that she'd call and be like, are you alive?

[09:55:00]

BARDEM: So, you were driving and texting your mom. I'm fine. I'm fine.

IDRIS: But no, it -- like I said before, you know, this was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I didn't know what to expect. But, you know, to Jerry's point, the amount of training and repetition that went into this, I mean, going around the tracks again and again and again, it really is necessary. And I'd go to bed dreaming of the tracks, and I'd see the sequences, you know. And -- and all of that is on the screen and a testament to the drivers also. I mean just the athleticism that they go through. It's unlike any other sport in the world.

SIDNER: Javier, Jerry, Damson, thank you so much.

BARDEM: Thank you so much.

SIDNER: I was not an F! fan before this, but I have to say, you guys, you did the job.

IDRIS: It's amazing.

SIDNER: It really -- I got onto the website. So, I started learning about all these (INAUDIBLE).

IDRIS: You're down the rabbit hole now.

SIDNER: I went down the rabbit hole. Thank you. Thank you for the film. Thanks so much.

BRUCKHEIMER: Thank you so much.

BARDEM: Thank you.

IDRIS: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: I asked Damson what his first thought is when he finally went those breakneck speeds in the Formula One car, and he said, "don't die." And I thought that was a really good -- hey, he's really thinking here. Don't die.

BERMAN: And I like what Jerry Bruckheimer said there, you know, and I think it really applies to us, too. It's not about the technology, it's about the journey the characters take every day. Just like -- just like us. (INAUDIBLE).

SIDNER: Yes, absolutely. We are the world.

"F1: The Movie" opens in theaters June 27th.

And we're done. Thank you for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM," up next.

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[10:00:00]