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Iran And Israel Launch More Attacks As Trump Weighs U.S. Involvement; Debris From Iranian Strikes Cause Damage In Tel Aviv; Large Number Of Iran Missile Launchers Destroyed; Iranians Flee Tehran as Israel Ramps up Strikes; Guterres Urges Against Military Involvement in the Conflict; Lawmakers Weigh in on Possible U.S. Involvement in Iran; America's History with Regime Change in Iran; Karen Read Acquitted of Killing Police Officer Boyfriend; U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Gender Affirming Care. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired June 19, 2025 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:53]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers watching in the United States and all around the world. I'm Erica Hill joining you this hour from New York.

And we do begin in Israel where a new round of missile strikes from Iran is happening right now. We've been seeing activity in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and also some images of fairly major damage in downtown Tel Aviv. Emergency crews are on the scene there.

Meantime, Iran state news agency is reporting a new round of missile and drone launches early Thursday. This is now the seventh day of fighting between the two countries. These, of course, some of the images just coming in to us out of Tel Aviv. As you can see, the damage there, the aftermath, all of this, of course, playing out as the world frankly, is waiting to see what Donald Trump will decide.

Will the U.S. in fact join Israel's military campaign? A source telling CNN President Trump has reviewed attack plans at for Iran, but he's holding off on a decision to see whether Tehran may step back from its nuclear program.

(BEGIN VIDOE CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven't made a final. I like to make the final decision one second before it's due, you know, because things change. I mean, especially with war. Things change with war. It can go from one extreme to the other. Wars is very bad. There was no reason for this to be a war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Video from Iran's state news agency shows, as you see here, smoke rising from the national police headquarters where several people were injured in an Israeli strike. Iran's supreme leader is warning of irreparable damage should the U.S. military get involved in the conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN (through translator): Surrender to what? The Iranian nation cannot be surrendered. We have not been subjected to anyone and we will not accept any kind of submission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Crowds of Iranians, you see them here in the streets, filling the streets of Tehran on Wednesday, waving flags, cheering. The city of nearly 10 million has also seen an exodus of people fleeing north as of course, as Israeli airstrikes continue seen as Paula Hancocks is joining us now live from Abu Dhabi with all the latest developments from the region. So as we're seeing these new pictures come in, what more do we know about what's gone, what's transpired overnight, Paula?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, we do see damage in Tel Aviv also in a town further south in Israel. And this is following a barrage of missiles that Iran fired into Israeli territory just a little while ago.

You see the search and rescue teams are on the ground there trying to assess the damage, see if there are any casualties. We don't have the information on that at this point. We do know that there is damage to a number of buildings in Tel Aviv itself. We also know that the further south that there is a hospital that has been impacted as well in Beersheba. So we're waiting to hear more information about that.

This comes just a day after we actually heard from the Israeli defense minister saying that they were going to ease restrictions on Israeli civilians when it comes to what they have to do when they hear the air raid siren. At this point, they have to go straight to the shelter and they have to wait until there's an all clear. There are very strict rules.

And we did hear from the defense minister saying that it was, quote, a message of victory, that they felt they could ease the domestic restrictions because they felt that they had been impacting Iran's ability to fire missiles in great numbers.

Now, of course, you can see from these images that Iran does still have that ability to cause damage in Israel. We have been seeing a number of missiles being fired into Israeli territory overnight. And then, of course, as day broke this morning, not the same volume as we saw, for example, at the beginning of the week when we were seeing hundreds of missiles and drones being fired into the area.

[01:05:07]

But even though there's a lesser number, what we are seeing is that not all of these missiles are being intercepted, that some are still managing to get through. You can see the images in the sky there. Some of those would have been interceptions, some of those potentially the missiles that had not been intercepted.

We're also seeing on the other side, damage in Tehran. We know that the Israeli military has given an evacuation order overnight to a certain area in the west of Iran. So it's not just in the capital, Tehran, but we are also still seeing people trying to get out of the capital, trying to go to areas that are conceived to be or perceived to be safer and more rural.

But certainly the sense at this point as we're waiting for the US President to make his decision on whether or not the U.S. will be getting involved is that is, it is very much continuing. Iran's supreme leader saying that Iran will not surrender. Erica.

HILL: Paula Hancocks with the latest for us from Abu Dhabi. Paula, thank you. Iran's top diplomat meantime speaking out on social media amid this escalating conflict with Israel. The foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying that Tehran's actions are purely in self-defense and that quote, Iran will continue to exercise its right to self-defense with pride and bravery and goes on to say we will make the aggressor regret and pay for its grave error. Also saying we remain committed to diplomacy as before. We are serious and forward looking in that outlook.

And also accused Benjamin Netanyahu of manufacturing the war to, in his words, destroy diplomacy. Meantime, Iran's deputy foreign minister tells CNN Tehran would have no choice but to retaliate should the U.S. decide to join Israel in attacking Iran. Those comments coming during an interview with my colleague Christian Amanpour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You know, this is obviously a very fluid situation. The Israeli airstrikes continue, America is weighing or Trump is whether he will get involved. He's now saying that you, the Iranians have suggested that you come to the White House to negotiate. He says you're totally defensive -- defenseless, you have no air defense whatsoever. He says next week will be big. And he says that unconditional surrender means that I've had it. Your reaction?

MAJID TAKHT-RAWANCHI, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: There is a famous saying that nobody can threaten Iranians. They should not dare to threaten Iran. We will do whatever necessary, although there are hardships, no doubt about it. But Iranians are known to be very hard at defending their territory. And this is exactly what we are doing.

AMANPOUR: Did you ask to go to the White House? Has your government asked for access?

RAVANCHI: Christiane, not at all. Not at all. We are not begging for anything. What we are saying is that stop this aggression, then we will have time to do whatever needed. As long as the aggression continues, as long as this brutality continues, we cannot think of engaging.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: And again, that coming from an interview with Christiane Amanpour. CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is the first Western journalist to enter Iran since the conflict began and he filed this report late Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We've been both hearing and seeing anti-aircraft fire in the skies over Tehran. Also, some pretty loud thuds could be heard as well. It's unclear whether or not those are possible airstrikes or maybe even interceptions by the air defense forces here.

But one thing that is clear going through the streets of Tehran is that they are pretty empty and most of the shops are also closed. As were driving into the city, we did see a decent amount of traffic going in the other direction trying to get out of town. And we know that a lot of people have left town since the Israeli airstrikes began here. But at the same time, the traffic was still somewhat flowing.

One of the other things that we noticed as well, and we did drive through a substantial part of Iran to get to this place is that in many other places it appears to be almost business as usual. There were a lot of cars on the road. There were factories that appeared to be working. Also a lot of trucks that were driving on the street as well.

And folks that we spoke to on the ground were basically saying they were just trying to get by and continue the way that they had been before. Nevertheless, of course, people here in Tehran understand that the situation for them could be dangerous. And many have actually left the city. And this comes as the Iranians are vowing to fight on.

The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he came out and said that Iran and the Iranian nation would never surrender. Of course, what the Iranians have been doing is in the face of the airstrikes that have been coming in have been lobbing their missiles towards Israeli territory. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:10:09]

HILL: For more analysis, we're joined now from Chicago by Arash Azizi, a contributor for The Atlantic. He's also authored multiple books on Iran, including "What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom." Arash, It's good to have you with us.

I was struck by some of what we've heard recently, including from Iranian officials, that this is about self-defense, but diplomacy is not off the table. We actually heard from President Trump too, that he's not fully closing the door to talks. How much room do you think there is to get to a negotiating table again at this point? ARASH AZIZI, CONTRIBUTOR, THE ATLANTIC: There definitely is a room for

negotiating table. It is. You know, if I talk to Iranians today across the political spectrum, I hear two things, two demands coming out of Iran. They want the war to stop, they want the bombing to stop, but they want their own government to also understand that it needs to compromise, that it needs to do what it takes to sit down with the United States, satisfy sort of the demands that exist from the other side, get off from some of the aggressive demands that it has in the past and get to a ceasefire.

Many people across the political spectrum, as I said, are making this demand. From Mostafa Tajzadeh who's a political prisoner now, to many other figures. It is possible. It's certainly something that is possible. I think President Trump is genuine when he says he wants it. But it gets heroic diplomacy from Iran because the entire integrity of our country is at stake.

HILL: When we look at what else we're hearing too, I was struck by comments from the deputy foreign minister to Christiane talking about these attacks. And we saw some of the images earlier, people in the streets, that the attacks are actually bringing the Iranian people behind the government. They are rallying now behind the government. Would you agree with that assessment?

AZIZI: No, I don't agree with it. Look, Iranians are coming behind each other. I got to be honest with you. I cry several times a day just talking to Iranians, hearing the stories of how beautiful Iranians are coming together. From landlords who forgive the rents of people or people who give their homes to each other. You go to a bakery instead of fighting over the bread, people make sure everyone gets it. Iranians are showing solidarity together.

But at the same time, many of them do blame this war on their own government. I mean, of course they condemn Netanyahu's government for the attacks. They want to defend their country. They defend everybody who's defending their country in this way, they're united. But look, the policies of this administration, policies of Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, who Mr. Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy Foreign Minister spoke to, Ms. Amanpour defends. These are the ones that got us to here in the first place. Why are we fighting Israel in the first place? Why should Israel be attacking Iran in the first place?

Well, how many times have Iranian officials in the last few decades threatened Israel to get us to this terrible situation that we are in or insisting on this nuclear program? You know, Iranian parliament, 20 years ago, in 20 -- parliament, not some dissident body from somewhere else. The Iranian parliament wrote a letter to Mr. Khamenei and said, Mr. Khamenei, stop the atomic program. You're going to get our country into big trouble at the cost of this atomic program that is only a provocation to the world.

So I think it's the demands from Iran are against the strikes, but also they're not rallying behind the regime or the government. They're rallying behind each other, if anything, but also putting a demand of their own government to show do what is necessary. The history of Iran is filled with times like this where heroically

Iranian diplomats, whether it was Russia in the 19th century or other times, the Allied during the Second World War, they gave important compromises, but they kept Iran and the unity of Iran. They stopped the killing of Iranians and that's really what we need to do, elements from the Iranian government to come forward and do that.

HILL: It's interesting too because there is also, as you well know, there is this push and this idea from the Israeli side that in fact this will unite Iranians against the government, that they should be out in the streets protesting. You have, I think, a really poignant piece in The Atlantic that was published earlier this week called this "War Is Not Helping Us."

So many of the comments from the people that you were speaking within Iran really struck me about the reality of what it's like to live in this moment. I know we're a little tight on time, but just if you could, the overarching sentiment that you got as you were talking to people about what it's like in this moment for them. What stuck with you the most in those conversations?

AZIZI: What the most was that, you know, no matter how many people I call, I wanted to be balanced. You know, I talked to very anti regime activists. They all agreed that this war was not helping them. The idea that in the middle of attacks, people can come onto the streets and bring down the government is a little preposterous, frankly. People are trying to stay alive more than anything. They don't have time to stage a revolution while the world are trying to stay alive and to help each other.

[01:15:05]

And also they don't share any of the values of Mr. Netanyahu. Already, the kind of indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas has meant that even those who are a little pro-Israel, perhaps in the past already incest at this behavior and at how cheap the Israeli government treats Iranian lives. Already, of course, hundreds of civilians, including children, women and men of all walks of life have been killed.

So what struck me was that as I said, people really oppose the attacks. They want them to stop if there's any activity they can do, they cannot do it while they're under attack. And yes, so I think they both oppose their own government and they want a different policy.

They oppose these policies that the government have gotten us to this war, but they also oppose the Israeli aggression against their country, which we've seen in other countries in the region. And now Iranians are also victim of it, unfortunately.

HILL: Arash Azizi, appreciate you joining us. Thank you.

AZIZI: Thank you.

HILL: Stay tuned. Still ahead here on CNN, the latest details on the attacks overnight between Israel and Iran, as well as insight from a military expert as we are now in the seventh day of this conflict. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:20:42]

HILL: We're turning to our top story, the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and the possibility the U.S. could get involved. The Israeli military says more than 20 military sites across Tehran were hit on Wednesday. 40 percent of the country's ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed, according to the Israeli, significantly impairing Tehran's ability to fire large barrages of missiles.

A new wave of Iranian missiles that was launched against Israel just a short time ago. You're looking at video here of some of the aftermath in Tel Aviv. A hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba was damaged in new strikes this morning as well, according to a spokeswoman. On Wednesday, officials said four women were killed in an Arab city north of Haifa.

Meantime, a source tells CNN, President Trump has reviewed plans for an attack in Iran. But at this point, Mr. Trump is waiting to see whether Tehran would step back from its nuclear work. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, is celebrating Israel's achievements and he is vowing to press on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We control the skies over Tehran. We're striking the ayatollah's regime with great force. We are attacking nuclear installations, missiles command centers and the symbols of the regime.

We are sustaining many losses, painful losses. But we see that the home front is strong. The people are strong. The state of Israel is stronger than ever. I have directed the government ministries to assist all those who have been wounded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Joining me now is retired Major General Mick Ryan, who served in the Australian Army and joins us now from Brisbane. It's good to have you with us.

As I noted, Israeli officials have told CNN they've said they've destroyed 40% of the ballistic missile launchers in Iran. They're also touting this decrease in missiles being fired, some fired overnight, but not as large a wave, if you will, as what had been seen in Nights past.

Do you believe there's a clear assessment at this point of what remains of Iran's arsenal and its capabilities?

MAJ. GEN. MICK RYAN (RET.), AUSTRALIAN ARMY: Well, I don't think we can say with any certainty how many missiles the Israelis have destroyed, but the trends over the last couple of days indicate that the number of missiles in each Iranian barrage is reduced from around 100 in each wave to around 20 or 30 in this latest one that occurred just a few minutes ago.

So, Israelis are having an impact on destroying Iranian missiles and their launches, but the Iranians still have reserve missiles and launches up their sleeve, unfortunately.

HILL: How much do you think that is playing into the calculus for President Trump about whether to get involved?

RYAN: Well, I think it is a data point for him. The Iranian attacks, which seem to be focusing on hitting civilian areas. There's some military units attacked Israel, but there's a large number of civilians who've been killed and wounded. And this will certainly have an impact.

But at the same time, the President of the United States will also be trying to involve any kind of long commitment in the Middle East when the priority one for the U.S. national security is their competition with China.

HILL: When we look at to a potential U.S. involvement, a number of military analysts I've spoken with have laid out very clearly that the boundaries need to be well set before there would be any involvement. Meaning not only what happens in the moment, but just how much involvement there is in the on the day after.

How tough do you think it is to determine what those boundaries should be in that moment? Because A, these bunker buster bombs haven't been used before, and B, there is a lot known, but not everything known about that facility at Fordow.

RYAN: No, I think this is all very good points, actually, because in any kind of war, there's a lot of uncertainty, but even the Israelis, I don't think, have a full 100 percent picture of that particular facility or others. The bunker buster bombs have not been used in combat before, so we cannot be certain that they will be successful in destroying it.

But the bigger question is what should be the United States strategic objectives in getting involved in this war, if it chooses to, and what are the limits that it will place on its own involvement and collaboration with Israel in doing that.

[01:25:01]

HILL: You've also noted that Iran failed to learn and that Israel is frankly exploiting that in this moment. What do you mean by that?

RYAN: Yes, it was very clear that the Israelis had given the Iranians a warning last October in their reprisal attacks for the last Iranian missile barrage. The Israelis attacked air defense sites in Iran. And clearly the Iranians have not sufficiently learned from that. They haven't either haven't had time or the resources to fix their air defense network. So that created what I'd call a learning gap which Israelis have exploited over the last few days.

HILL: A Major General Mick Ryan, really appreciate you joining us with your expertise, your insight. Thank you.

RYAN: Thank you.

HILL: Well, as President Trump does review those attack plans, you'll hear from some American lawmakers on their thoughts about potential U.S. military involvement in this latest conflict in the Middle East. Those details after the break.

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[01:30:42]

HILL: We are following developments at this hour in the deepening conflict now between Israel and Iran.

You hear those air raid sirens there. These pictures out of Jerusalem a short time ago. Sirens blaring after the Israel Defense Forces warned that it had identified incoming missiles. Iranian state media says drones were also launched toward Israel.

A new video from Tel Aviv is now showing the aftermath. The debris in the streets. Damage to several multi-story buildings, according to the IDF search and rescue teams, are now operating across Israel after reports of fallen projectiles.

And Israel, for its part, says its hitting more targets in Iran. Earlier, Israel's air force said it was conducting a series of strikes, including some in Tehran.

The military says it's issued an evacuation warning for residents in parts of western Iran.

Well, as Israeli strikes show no signs of slowing down, some residents in Iran's capital are leaving, hoping to find safety in areas they feel are less likely to be targeted.

As Nick Paton Walsh reports, though, fleeing the city isn't always easy nor safe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Try to flee, Tehran, and you're lucky if the roads are this empty. A four-hour wait for gas, hospitals overflowing, people living in tents by the roadside, one doctor told CNN. Everyone who can is leaving with a suitcase, they said, empty-handed or carrying their babies.

On the way out, temperatures in the 90s, cold water passed around. Government advice given to those caught in strikes while driving out reads, "If you can, get out, seek refuge and turn your back to the blast. If you're stuck in the gridlock, unbuckle, recline the chair back, cover your head with your hands."

This baker's brother died in the strikes. He learned 20 minutes before this video was shot. His response, to keep working.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no reason for me to go. Don't people need bread? What crime have the people committed? My duty is right here.

WALSH: In the North, where most have fled, the flour ration has been raised, owing to bread shortages, official media said. What they left behind is a world upturned. This yellow building slant, a taste of ordinary lives bent beyond recognition.

In Tehran, where two days ago, screams echoed. Now the streets quieter, vacant, whether made so by Netanyahu and Trump's warning for the capital to evacuate, or the constant blasts overhead and around.

Night after night, these barrages continue. Israel and Trump now saying they control the skies. And Iran strikes against Israel, seeing lesser.

Families crammed underground. Normal here gone. Tomorrow, panicked and unknowing.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is urging other countries to stay out of the conflict between Iran and Israel. In a statement on Wednesday, he said any additional military interventions would have enormous consequences, adding that applies not only for those involved but to the whole region and to international peace and security at large.

U.S. lawmakers are also weighing in on the conflict and whether President Trump should, in fact, take military action against Iran. There is mixed reaction on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): I believe this president is doing the right thing. I believe Israel is doing the right thing. They don't have a choice.

You've got the leadership of Iran saying death to America and death to Israel. So they're doing the right things.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): We certainly don't have time in the midst of what we all see going on for Congress to sit and cogitate for 6 or 8 months.

[01:34:54]

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): You could come to the negotiating table with us and give up your nuclear program, and we'll facilitate that. That's great.

It's a very different thing, though, for us to then say, but we are going to offensively, affirmatively go strike Iran.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): I think we are extremely vulnerable, severely and seriously vulnerable to drone attacks on our civilians as well as our military in the Mideast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Senior senate Democrats actually released a statement on Wednesday to emphasize the important role of Congress in any potential conflict with Iran, and also pushing for a diplomatic approach.

I want to take you now live to Cairo. H.A. Hellyer is joining us, senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies.

Good to have you with us this hour.

When we look at where things stand, we of course, heard from the U.N. Secretary General talking about the enormous consequences. There are very mixed reactions here in the U.S. in Washington from lawmakers.

Adding all that up, what do you see as the biggest risks in this moment?

H.A. HELLYER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE AND SECURITY STUDIES: Well. Thank you very much for having me on the program. So there are multitudes of risks here. I want your viewers to remember there was a negotiation table that was actually being attended by Iran and the United States and Israel struck Iran in the midst of those negotiations. That happened a week ago.

So you have, at the present moment in time, two countries at war, one country was actually involved in negotiations. The other country is a very, very close ally of the United States, i.e., a power that could have been restrained and told, no, don't do this. You won't -- we won't have your backs if you do.

And keeping in mind that this happens at the end of a 20-month period where Israel has embarked on incredibly illegal action when it comes to Gaza, when it comes to the West Bank, when it comes to Syria, when it comes to Lebanon.

So you're talking about Capitol Hill. I'm in the region at the moment, and I'm hearing all sorts of concerns about how this sets a horrible precedent for how the region develops going forward, where there is no sense of international law, where regional stability is put at the mercy of one or two countries and the entire region is in a spiral of incredible violence, where security is not going to be assured at all, and where you have this complete disregard for international law.

I should say, I also don't hear any sympathy for the Iranian regime, and I wouldn't be surprised that there is no sympathy for the Iranian regime.

But of course, this goes beyond the regime of Iran that has caused so much trouble in the region. And it comes to the very basic fact of how do we organize international affairs and international order? Do we do so in reference to international law, or is it simply the law of the jungle? HILL: Do you believe there is still. So President Trump has said he is

still open to talks. We have heard the same from leaders in Iran that -- that there is still potentially this opportunity.

What do you think the chances are of the U.S. and Iran getting back to a point where they are talking again, where there is a negotiating table which they return to.

HELLYER: I think that there's every chance of that. But the United States would have to ensure that Israel simply stops bombing. I mean, the Iranians have said that very clearly.

And again, I want to make it clear the Iranians are not a force for good in the region, to put it very, very mildly. But they were at the negotiating table. There was no imminent threat.

Had there been an imminent threat, then you could say that this was a pre-emptive attack. There was no imminent threat. I think everybody is fully aware of that.

Had there been an imminent threat, I doubt very much that President Trump would have ever engaged in these sorts of negotiations. His head of National Intelligence said that there was no imminent threat. The IAEA says there wasn't an imminent threat.

I mean, there is no -- there's no way to get around that very basic fact that a preemptive strike can only be justified against the background of an imminent threat. And there wasn't one.

(CROSSTALKING)

HELLYER: So if the bombing stops, then I think that that's going to be a way in which the Iranians and the Americans come back to the table, and that's the way out of this quagmire.

HILL: In terms of that way, I should point out too, President Trump has said recently he believes that Iran was just weeks away -- contradicting the intelligence community here in the United States.

Also, what we saw from the IAEA, to your point. So you're seeing all of these mixed messages in terms of getting to that point, right, of some sort of off ramp of diplomatic off ramp.

[01:39:46]

HILL: We are seeing a little bit more, which may not be perhaps what President Trump wants, because it is, you know, it's our reporting. And certainly my colleagues have talked about how President Trump likes to be the person that is doing the thing, whatever that may be, maybe not have extra involvement.

But when you're seeing, for example, President Macron coming out with a statement today that he has tasked his foreign minister with trying to find a way to get Israel and Iran to agree to end this conflict. Do you think that is a lane that offers real opportunity? HELLYER: So here's what we've learned yet again over the past 20

months, ok. The government of Israel does not respond to pressure, especially bilateral pressure, unless it comes from the United States.

We've seen that in how they've carried out this truly horrific war on Gaza. We've seen that with regards to the strikes and invasion of Lebanon. We've seen that in terms of invading and occupying more Syrian territory. All of this in the past 20 months.

And I'll repeat this again, because I think it's really important for your viewers to understand. The region, i.e., the place where all of this matters the most, ok, the Iranians are most problematic for the region. Hezbollah is most problematic for the region. All of these threats that we are very justifiably concerned about matter most for the region.

The region is most concerned about Israel behaving like a vigilante state. And the United States, which is supposed to be upholding the sense of international law and regional stability, is simply not holding them back.

So is this a lane -- the French? Yes, it could be, but only with American backing, because it's the only capital, Washington, D.C. is the only capital that Tel Aviv will pay attention to in terms of holding things back, because it frankly depends on the United States for its security architecture and would not be able to go forward without its consent.

HILL: H.A. Hellyer, joining us from Cairo. Appreciate it. Thank you.

HELLYER: Thank you.

HILL: We want to update you too, on what has been happening overnight. New Iranian strikes on Israel, some of them hitting southern Israel. We do know a hospital has been damaged in the city of Beersheba. A spokesperson for that hospital, the Soroka Medical Center, says the extent of the destruction is still being assessed at this point, but notes that it is significant in some areas.

Videos on social media, as you're seeing, show the debris on the ground, several damaged structures. The hospital is asking people to avoid that area for now.

Again, we're continuing to get more assessments, more information on the aftermath of these strikes -- Iranian strikes into Israel, Israeli strikes into Iran overnight.

We're going to continue to bring you those updates as we get them. Of course, all of this playing out as the possibility of U.S. strikes on Iran is also raising fears of what might come next.

The U.S., of course, has a troubled history when it comes to regime change in Iran. CNN's Becky Anderson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: While we are hearing talk of Iranian regime change, not least that talk in Israel and indeed in the U.S., it is important to remember that the United States has toppled an Iranian government before.

Here's how that worked out for them.

It was 1953. The U.S., along with Great Britain, helped stage a coup to overthrow Iran's democratically-elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh. He was pledging to nationalize the country's oil fields.

Well, the Americans and the British didn't like that. Great Britain had significant control over Iranian oil for decades, so they turned to the CIA for help.

Together, they sought to strengthen support for Iranian monarch Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and consolidate his power.

Declassified CIA documents show the extent of the operations. Along with British intelligence services, they spread anti-Mosaddegh propaganda and propped up pro-shah forces, helping them organize protests that the army eventually joined.

Once the shah was decisively in charge, he appointed Prime Minister Fazlollah Zahedi. Documents show the CIA covertly made $5 million available to Zahedi in days. But it all backfired.

Anti-American sentiment spread widely across the country. By the late 1970s, the shah was facing a fully-fledged political crisis.

Angered by foreign interference and fed up with the shah's regime, mass protests rocked the country. And it all culminated in the Islamic Revolution.

The shah fled in January of 1979, eventually making his way for a time to the United States.

[01:44:53]

ANDERSON: Well, this man, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, returned from exile the following month and took control of the country, installing the clerical rule that is still in place today.

Anti-American protests continued throughout the year. And in the fall of '79, a group of Iranian students famously stormed the U.S. embassy, taking dozens hostage with the support of Khomeini.

The hostages were held for 444 days, setting the stage for decades of U.S. animosity toward the Islamic Republic.

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HILL: And our thanks to Becky Anderson for that.

Still ahead here, a new U.S. Supreme Court decision with a major impact on transgender youth. We have a report from Washington ahead. [01:45:42]

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Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend in 2022 has been found not guilty of second-degree murder. She was convicted of drunk driving a separate charge.

CNN's Jean Casarez has been following this story from the retrial to allegations of a police cover up.

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JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a murder trial that lasted almost two months, with a combined witness list of 49 people, the jury has found Karen Read not guilty of all major charges.

The prosecution in their most serious count, second degree murder, alleged that Karen Read intended to put that accelerator down of her Lexus SUV, put that car in reverse and go 90 feet backwards after letting John O'Keefe out of the car on a snowy winter night in January 2022.

That her car clipped him, that he fell backwards, sustaining multiple skull fractures, and he lay dying in the snow on what witnesses said was the snowiest and most serious storm in history in this area. The prosecution -- not guilty.

On count two, which was manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter under the influence of alcohol -- not guilty.

Count three, leaving the scene of an accident causing death, not guilty.

The major lesser included, not guilty.

What was she guilty on? Drunk driving and the penalty will be one year of probation.

When her supporters heard that news outside of this courthouse, they erupted in joy.

But there is a pivotal question left to be answered. Will John O'Keefe, the victim in this case who lost his life, who was raising by himself as a Boston police officer his niece's children because of her unexpected death, will he and their family get justice? Only time will tell.

Jean Casarez, CNN -- Dedham, Massachusetts.

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HILL: Police are now investigating an apparent break in at the home of slain Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband. It seems to have happened after the couple were murdered on Saturday. Officials say someone pried off the plywood covering a rear window and

broke the glass to get inside. Police say the home appeared to have been searched, but the family indicates nothing is missing. The Hortmans were shot and killed in what is being called a politically- motivated assassination.

The U.S. Supreme Court, dealing a major blow to the transgender community. In a 6 to 3 decision by the conservative majority, Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care for trans youth was upheld.

CNN's Paula Reid explains.

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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the biggest Supreme Court cases this term. And the reason it's so significant is because roughly half of the states have passed a ban on transgender care for minors. And the courts haven't been able to really agree if these are constitutional.

So now that this was at the Supreme Court, all eyes were on where the justices would land, because this case focuses on access to medication that helps facilitate a transition.

The state of Tennessee banned the use of this medicine for transgender youths, but some families of transgender minors sued, saying wait a second, other teens do have access to this medicine as long as they're not using it for this purpose. Therefore, they argue this was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause.

But in a 6-3 opinion, fell along partisan lines, the court disagreed. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, "This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field."

Now the three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, quote, "This opinion abandons transgender children and their families to political whims", writing, quote "in sadness, I dissent".

Now what we're looking for is the impact that this decision could have on other state lawmakers who may be looking to pass laws that target transgender individuals, especially minors. It's something we've seen over the past several years.

[01:54:50]

REID: And as for the high court, they still have over a dozen outstanding opinions. They tend to save the biggest cases for the end of the term. So there's still some outstanding.

In particular, that decision related to President Trump's effort to limit birthright citizenship, which is really more about the power of a single judge to block a policy implemented by the president for the whole country. President Trump's lawyers tell me that is the one that they are

watching the most closely, because the impact that will have on his ability to implement his agenda through executive action.

Paula Reid, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Thanks so much for joining me here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Erica Hill.

Stay tuned. Our breaking news coverage continues with John Vause after this short break.

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