Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Hegseth Says Operation is Just Starting; Hegseth Talks about Iran Airspace; U.S. Embassies Close; Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is Interviewed about the Iran Operation; More Information on the Conflict with Iran Continues. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired March 04, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:00:40]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just moments ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the U.S. sunk an Iranian warship far from the war zone itself, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This as the chair of the Joint Chiefs explained how the war against Iran is about to change.

Moments ago, a major concession in the Texas Senate race. This as Republicans brace for three months of a bruising runoff.

And upheaval in the world of artificial intelligence. Concerns of (ph) the company now on the inside at the Pentagon.

I'm John Berman, with Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning, the Iranian air force is no more. The Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Defense Secretary Hegseth's words in an update just moments ago on the U.S. war with Iran. This as the conflict spreads across the Middle East, and U.S. assets have come under fire.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.

Only the United States of America could lead this. Only us. But when you add the Israeli Defense Forces, a devastatingly, capable force, the combination is sheer destruction for our radical Islamist Iranian adversaries. They are toast, and they know it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: And while he says America is winning, he ended with saying that four days in, we have only just begun to fight. Hegseth says a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in international waters. According to the Pentagon, this is the first sinking of an enemy ship by a U.S. torpedo since World War II. And Hegseth also says that the leaders behind a plot to assassinate President Trump have been killed.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine says that the U.S. war effort, to expand deeper into Iranian territory. And he added, there's been a significant decrease in the number of missiles and drones being launched from Iran. Some of those munitions have struck U.S. assets in the region, a U.S. consulate in Dubai, a CIA station in Saudi Arabia and a U.S. base in Qatar, the largest in the Middle East, all of them coming under fire.

We have live team coverage across the region and here at home. Let's start with our Nick Paton Walsh, who is in Tel Aviv for us this morning.

Hegseth is saying the U.S. has disrupted Iran's playbook. What did you hear in his comments today?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, maximum bravado there and certainly trying to project U.S. power that is -- he said at the beginning of a campaign here. Although, you know, ultimately, we are seeing a position being staked out that gives the U.S. maximum leverage, were there to be any potential negotiated end here. But remarkable to hear him also talk about what we've been seeing over the past just four days here. I mean this conflict feels weeks old, but it's four days so far since the killing of Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Now, Secretary Hegseth went on to talk about how we were essentially seeing a preplanned playbook here. He used a complex football analogy, ultimately saying that when Khemani was killed, there was sort of a break glass moment where the Iranian military, as we heard from senior Iranian officials at the time, went through preplanned actions, previously assigned instruction. And that may explain the extraordinary retaliation we saw against gulf nations, many of whom were publicly suggesting that the U.S. and the Israelis should not pursue this conflict. They found peaceful civilian areas under drone attack, missiles at U.S. targets, hitting other areas as well. I mean an extraordinary display that we've seen by Iran.

And now the suggestion that that may be done. We're maybe into a new phase where Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine not entirely clear when he was asked about the command and control, what condition Iran's was in, but clearly there's an adaptation now that we're seeing.

That may also be behind another key set of data we got in this press conference, the idea that since the beginning of this onslaught we are now seeing a 73 percent drop in single, one way drone attacks by the Iranians. Those are the Shahed drones. They were given to the Russians to wreak havoc in Ukraine.

[09:05:01]

They are cheap. They are effective. They have been getting through defenses here against gulf states who spend billions on their air defenses and had to spend millions taking out these cheap, singular devices at times, many of them getting through. Those attacks are down. Is that because they're using less swarms to conserve stocks or have their warehouses on the ground being impacted by this huge wave of strikes?

Similarly, with missiles, now 80 percent down from the beginning, is that the Iranians conserving what they have after an initial flurry, or were they getting what they could off the ground at the beginning, because as we've seen over time, what's left is being slowly destroyed.

So, a suggestion that Iran's capabilities may now be certainly reduced in terms of what we're seeing around the region. And the Americans clear, too, that they're shifting from the smart bombs fired at a distance, to stand in air power, where they would essentially bring gravity-based munitions down on targets. So, some military changes there that sort of suggest how the timelines may move in the days ahead.

SIDNER: Nick Paton Walsh, thank you for that, there in Tel Aviv.

Let's now go to Kevin Liptak. He is at the White House.

After hearing this briefing, what are you learning from there?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And it was interesting, you heard Pete Hegseth describe two very specific missions as part of this operation. One, an operation to take out the Iranian official who had tried to assassinate President Trump, who had led this assassination attempt that we know had been underway during the campaign last year. He also described an operation by an American submarine to sink an Iranian ship in the Indian Sea. And so I think you hear from Hegseth an attempt to try and project momentum as part of this conflict that is now underway.

What you didn't necessarily hear from him was a clear picture of what the end game might look like, of how the military might declare success. He said that the U.S. was ready to go on for a while. He said, quote, "Americans are just getting started in this war." And he did make an attempt, just as he did on Monday, to draw a bright line between this conflict and previous wars that, you know, resulted in quagmire that created enormous public backlash, including the Iraq War.

Listen to what the defense secretary said on that particular front.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: This was never meant to be a fair fight. And it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they're down, which is exactly how it should be. Thus far, Operation Epic Fury has delivered twice the air power of shock and awe of Iraq in 2003, minus Paul Bremer and the nation building.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LIPTAK: I thought it was interesting the divergent ways that Hegseth and Dan Caine raised the issue of those six Americans who were killed in Kuwait. Pete Hegseth mentioned them. He said that their deaths would be avenged. But he seemed to suggest that the press was reporting on what he says were tragic things, putting them on the front page because, quote, "the press only wants to make the president look bad."

By contrast, Dan Caine, General Caine, recited the names of those four Americans that we know of that have been killed, really went out of his way to pay his respects to those slain Americans, which, you know, American officials have said will just be the first of what they expect to be more casualties going forward.

SIDNER: Again, a stark difference, just like the last press briefing. A stark difference between the two of them and how they're handling this.

Thank you so much, Kevin Liptak there.

Let's go now to Paula Hancocks. She is in Dubai, which has taken fire, both residential buildings, civilian buildings have been hit, as well as U.S. official buildings.

What are you learning there?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Sara, it was interesting to hear the figures of the drop in numbers when it came to missiles, when it came to drones. I mean we're certainly feeling that on the ground here in Dubai. Today and yesterday it did feel as though there was significantly less incoming.

Still incoming, though. We are hearing a lot more fighter jets in the air over the past couple of days. In fact, that might be partly because France has got involved now here in the UAE. The French foreign minister saying that one of its military bases in Abu Dhabi was hit, so they've sent fighter jets over to be in the skies here to try and protect against the incoming from Iran.

Now, what we also heard overnight here was that the U.S. consulate in Dubai, a parking lot right next door, was hit overnight. We had heard from the Revolutionary Guard they were going to start targeting American political centers. So, we're hearing from a source close to the matter, the consulate is shut. They are still working though on an ad hoc basis for emergency cases.

[09:10:02]

Something like a newborn baby that needs a passport so they can get out of the country. That sort of thing.

We're also hearing from this source that they are aware of the directive to leave the Middle East, for all Americans to leave, but they are waiting for specific guidelines when it comes to that. So, we are still hearing and seeing interceptions here and incoming, but it is less than it was certainly in the first two days. Sara.

SIDNER: Interesting insight from you there, Paula Hancocks. Also thank you to Kevin Liptak and Nick Paton Walsh, who is in Israel.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And joining us right now to talk more about this is the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, Senator John Fetterman.

Senator, thank you for your time.

From the briefing you and other senators have received and what else you're picking up, what is your understanding the measure of success here is? The end game of this operation.

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Well, what I -- what I think -- what's very clear now, it's like, I don't really think Iran is -- was able to really engage in any meaningful kinds of way. I mean the only thing that they've ever been to do is to create the kinds of chaos and fire these kinds of cheap drones into Dubai and Kuwait and other thing. But, overall, they never really put up any kind of a fight. They never had a shoot -- they never had a shot to shoot at (ph).

So, clearly, I remain just in the same view where like after they've eliminated their entire leadership of one of the worst regimes in the world, and I think this is a good thing. And now I don't know why we all can't agree that the world is better, safer, and it's more just. And now there's -- can be real peace, because if you have, say, we can never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, well, now that's happened and now they can't ever have that now.

And now, on top of that, their entire -- most of their military has been dismantled. And that's probably going to be finished off over the next couple days.

BOLDUAN: So, my question was, what is the end game and what is the measure of success? You now say they never put up a fight. You told Jake Tapper yesterday, "we can't ever allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. It seems now this has made it virtually impossible to do that at this point. They've also severely damaged their entire military apparatus." And you said, "overall, they effectively just neutered Iran in just 100 hours."

So, do you think the war goals have already been met?

FETTERMAN: I think -- I think that, yes, it's been very successful. And I can't -- why we can't celebrate that so far. And this is not a boots on the ground thing. And neither of those kinds of things about the War Powers Resolution from 1973. We -- they had the 48 hours. And now we also have 60 days, 60 days, and now there's no boots on the ground.

So, now if they have that today, then I will vote no against that, because, overall, there has been a successful strike and that has eliminated the leadership. So, I think it's a good thing right now. And I don't know why we, as a Democrat, just say, I think -- I don't have to agree with parts of it, but I think it's a positive reaction and now where we are.

BOLDUAN: You're talking about the divide within the Democratic Party on this, but -- so do you think the wars -- the U.S. military, the U.S. political leadership's, Trump's war aims have already been met? That's what I'm trying to establish here.

FETTERMAN: What I'm trying to establish this is that every single senator in the Congress says, we should never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. That now has made that possible after this. And now they've eliminated this leadership.

Now, do you really want those things? Does that really matter? Were you really serious about that? Because if you were, why can't we just acknowledge that I'm not with all of it, but I can say, this was a great development now for the region for that.

Now, I think it's also incredibly positive for Israel and the security that they deserve, especially. And we always forget that Iran was behind 10/7 and they've been financing the proxies for years and years and years. So, for me, why can't we just say, look, this is a good thing the way we are? And now, what's the end game? Well, the end game is to -- for more real peace rather than just putting out tweets and statements saying we can never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. When someone does something about that to make that happen, you know, I think -- I think we should just, it's country over party.

BOLDUAN: Are the U.S. and Israel's war goals aligned in this mission?

[09:15:01]

FETTERMAN: Our goals? Yes, I would say that's what -- why not? I mean, I know more and more it's more difficult as a -- it's difficult as a Democrat to be a very unapologetically proud to stand with Israel. So, that's -- I think that's compatible. That's our special ally. So, I think we both, you know, Israel and America, says we can't allow them to acquire a nuclear bomb. And that's been achieved. And now they -- it's necessary to eliminate their leadership. And they've done that. And I think that's a great thing too.

And now the only thing that Iran can do at this point is just fire off some cheap drones. So, now why can't we just celebrate also? Now they've just sunk one of their ships. And now, for the first time, one of our F-35's, you know, Israeli shot down an Iranian one. I mean, I think -- I think we should all should be like, this has been overall very successful. And I think that's an alignment of our values. And now I think both America and Israel wants real peace in that region.

BOLDUAN: So, the Israeli defense minister -- I asked that because the Israeli defense minister posted today that, "every leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime, to continue and lead the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people," he writes, "every leader appointed by the Iranian regime will be an unequivocal target for elimination." That's going forward. So, that is a U.S. goal going forward?

FETTERMAN: No, yes, just keep killing them until they're -- until they're gone. I mean, absolutely. I saw that -- I've read that they're going to target who they ever elect to be their next leader and kill them. Absolutely. I fully support it. So, that's what's entirely appropriate.

Now, they have to decide, are we going to continue for choose now peace and -- or now we're going to try to destroy Israel. They really don't have those capabilities. At this point it's just empty rhetoric because we all know that Iran is able to really project the kinds of damage.

BOLDUAN: So, then who decides what leader should lead Iran then? If you think that the United States should take part in taking out every leader going forward, if it doesn't meet the right measure?

FETTERMAN: Well, I mean, hey, I'm sorry, I -- absolutely I support killing, you know, the leadership of the Iranian. Absolutely. I absolutely support that. I think that's entirely appropriate until hopefully they'll pick someone that realizes that they need to live and coexist in peace in the region and stop trying to destroy Israel and to stabilize the region.

BOLDUAN: Senator John Fetterman, thank you for your time.

John.

FETTERMAN: Thank you, Kate. If anyone -- if anyone, you know, all -- that's another thing Democrats say, no one will -- no one will mourn the death of the ayatollah. Well, yes, so that -- that's just another way of saying it's a good thing that he's been killed, right? You know, I'll call it what it is. I won't say, well, I won't weep for him. You know, just call it what it is. It's like it's a good thing that he's been erased now and then if they pick another one, once -- the same thing, (INAUDIBLE).

BOLDUAN: I -- well, I think Democrats -- I hear your point, but I have had every Democrat who's been on this show that I've heard is having two thoughts in their head at once, which is, it is good to have the ayatollah gone, but they do not agree and do not understand the justification of going in now with this war at this moment. Those -- that is the distinction I've heard from other Democrats on this show. But we are now out of time.

Senator, thank you for your time.

John.

BERMAN: All right, just a few moments ago, a concession in the Texas Senate race. What this means ultimately for possible control of the U.S. Senate.

And turn off that music or else. The airline that will kick you off if you listen to stuff out loud instead of putting on the headphones. You don't have to wear headphones if you're not listening to music. You just have to wear them if you're listening to stuff.

And then the glamor fades to black. So, who's going to take my gauzy headshots now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:23:15]

BERMAN: Just moments ago, the chair of the Joint Chiefs, Dan Caine, said that Iranian missile launches have dropped off sharply since the conflict began four days ago. In fact, 80 percent coming out of Iran to the region. Drone attacks, he said, gone down 70 percent since the first days out of Iran into the region. General Caine also said that the U.S. has the weapons supply to finish the mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAN CAINE, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: I know there have been a lot of questions about munitions. We have sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand, both on the offense and defense. But I want to tell you, teammates, as a matter of practice, I don't want to be talking about quantities. And I know there's been a great debate about that. And I appreciate the interest. But just know that we consider that an operational security matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, with us now, CNN global affairs analyst Brett McGurk.

And, Brett, I just want to give people a sense of how wide this conflict is spreading.

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes.

BERMAN: It's tentacles are spreading right now. Just in the last 24 hours, the U.S. has said that non-essential embassy personnel should leave Cyprus. They've said in a couple cities in Pakistan that non- essential embassy personnel should leave. And then we just learned, and I'm going to try to pull this out here so people can see, this is a map of all of Asia. This is where Iran is right now. We just learned that the United States sunk an Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean, we believe off the coast of Sri Lanka. That's pretty far away from Iran and the Persian Gulf there. Just to give people a sense of how widespread this is now.

So, when we do step back, what is it that you see?

MCGURK: Yes. I think, John, step back is right. So, day five, so much going on. I kind of like to bring it back to fundamentals. And I've talked about Carl Von Clausewitz, the great military theorist, and he wrote a book called "On War."

[09:25:01]

He said war is a contest of wills. BERMAN: Continuation of politics by other means.

MCGURK: Contest of wills. And we talked yesterday, why is -- Iran is trying to just unleash mayhem on markets, on oil, and trying to convince the gulf states to put pressure on Washington, as we've talked about before, to win that contest of wills, so that President Trump says, OK, enough, let's call this quits. I don't think it's working if here we are at day five.

First, what you heard from General Caine and Secretary Hegseth is trying to project that confidence that we're just getting started. CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper, last night, said the same thing. I think that was trying to demonstrate to Iran, your strategy is not going to work.

But where are we? We have militaries now across the region, from UAE, to Qatar, to Kuwait, to Saudi Arabia, to Bahrain, Turkey today, France, the U.K., all engaged now, mostly -- defensively, shooting down these drones, but all engaged in a kind of a coalition effort, as I think the balance of power here is starting to really turn.

I mean significant what I heard from General Caine, and I've served with him over the years, and also Brad Cooper last night, who I also know very well, is that now or inside Iran we're not doing standoff strikes. We can hover. When we see a target, take it out. That's a very significant kind of -- that's a turning point.

So, look, Iran wants to keep firing these drones and try to, again, win this contest of wills. Right now I don't think it's working. And we have to see. But the strategy also, I think that especially General Caine's done a good job. What are we trying to do? We're trying to decrease Iran's ability to have power projection outside of its borders. Now, if you can succeed in that as a military mission, and Iran actually does have no pathway to a nuclear weapon, that cannot mass produce missiles and drones, that is so inwardly focused, it's not spreading terrorism around the region, supporting these proxies all over. That's very significant because this is a region where balance of power matters. And that would -- that would be a better, in my view, a much better Middle East.

BERMAN: This is a Shahed drone.

MCGURK: Absolutely.

BERMAN: This is the type of drone that Iran is using all over the region. When do you think you will know, we will know, if this mission has been effective in making these a non-factor?

MCGURK: Well, look, they're going to be able to continue to get some of them off, but that -- they put some numbers in the briefing today that it's down significantly. That's a key trend line. But they're -- I don't want to -- this is still going to go on for some time, John. And I think, you know, Iran can fire those drones but they have a lower payload. They fly much slower. You can take them down with multiple systems. You don't need a Patriot. You can take them down from the air. And I think we'll get, you know, better at that as this kind of coalition -- defensive coalition forms. But that's kind of increasingly all Iran is going to have. The missile -- once the missile launchers get degraded, harder to launch those missiles. So, it's going to be able to launch some drones. And that will hopefully go down over time.

BERMAN: Yes, 80 percent fewer missiles being shot out of Iran over the last four days from day one to now day four and five is what we heard from General Caine.

Brett McGurk, thank you very much.

MCGURK: Thank you. Thanks, John.

BERMAN: Appreciate it.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, coming up, fascinating to see the markets are up, even as Iran targets oil facilities. You're seeing the reaction right now, how investors are reacting this morning to the widening conflict. We will be -- the markets are going to open in just a bit here and we'll give that to you.

Also, fiery exchanges on Capitol Hill as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies on Capitol Hill. Those stories and more, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)