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Trump Doesn't Rule Out Sending U.S. Ground Troops To Iran; Gulf Nations Report New Strikes After Iran's Apology; Trump Rules Out Kurdish Involvement In War With Iran; Tehran Oil Facilities Burning After Overnight Strikes; European Leaders Focus On Diplomacy To End War. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired March 08, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:30]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade, in Atlanta, good to have you with us.

Israel and the U.S. are ramping up pressure on Tehran as the war enters its second week. Israel's military says a new wave of strikes is now underway targeting military sites across Iran. We're learning that Israel's air force hit a number of Iran's F-14 fighter jets at the Isfahan airport. A source telling CNN that Israel is also hitting energy resources in the country.

Video shows a massive fire burning near a fuel storage facility in Tehran. We've also seen flames and smoke rising from an oil refinery in the capital. U.S. President Trump is threatening to escalate the attacks. And he's not ruling out the possibility of U.S. boots on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are the circumstances where you'd send in ground troops? How are you thinking about that?

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't even want to talk about it now. It's a -- I don't think it's an appropriate question. You know, I'm not going to answer it. Could there be possible for a very good reason? Have to be a very good reason. And I would say if we ever did that, they would be so decimated that they wouldn't be able to fight at the ground level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: All this as Iran's Gulf neighbors report a new wave of strikes after the Iranian president apologized. Kuwait says it's fending off drone and missile attacks that set fire to a fuel storage facility as well as a high-rise government building. Bahrain's interior ministry says falling missile fragments wounded three people and damaged a university building.

We're also getting reports of attacks in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where a Pakistani national was killed by missile debris, according to Pakistan's embassy.

We're following this story from all across the Middle East. Paula Hancocks is live for us from Dubai.

First, I want to go to Oren Liebermann, who joins us from Tel Aviv. Oren, Israel says it will keep hitting Iran with all its might, and it has launched another broad-scale round of strikes inside Iran. What can you tell us about the targets in this latest wave?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Among the target list that Israel is now striking are oil refineries and fuel storage facilities, according to the Israeli military. As an Israeli source tells us, this is part of what Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, had hinted to a few days ago. The next phase of Israeli operations against Iran, Israeli strikes on Iran, and this, of course, being done in conjunction with the United States.

It seems that over the course of the first week and a couple days of the war here, Israel went after the Iranian regime itself and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its intelligence arm, its military arm, even its military university, as well as its military assets, to strike at the centers of power.

Now, as we watch the second phase here, or rather the next phase unfold, it seems Israel is going after the economic and financial arms of the Iranian regime. And that's why, likely, we're seeing strikes against the refineries and the fuel storage facilities that have -- that have left the skies over Tehran and Iran aflame, with smoke pouring into the sky from the fires and the explosions at these refineries.

So, this, on day nine here, seems like what we're seeing play out as Israel and the United States go after more parts of the Iranian regime and what helps to support it. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear last night when he gave a prerecorded statement, that the goal here is to destabilize the regime. He even tried to speak to the Iranian people, saying, your time to rise up is coming. And I'm paraphrasing there. But that also hints at another problem here. Where is this going?

And if the goal is regime change, and I think that's quite clear by this point, what is the plan to change the regime? So far, all we've heard from Israel is the expectation that at some point the Iranian people will finish the job that Israel and the U.S. have started of overthrowing the regime. But it's unclear how that's expected to play out.

Meanwhile, Iran has at least retained some capability to keep striking back and firing back. At about 7:30 this morning, there was a siren warning of incoming missile fire, and we have seen that on a fairly regular basis throughout the first nine days of the war, even as Israel and the U.S. have gone after ballistic missile arrays and launchers, Lynda.

KINKADE: And, of course, Oren, you know, despite the fact that six American military members have already been killed in this week-old war, President Trump says the U.S. is prepared to escalate. He says there's no shortage of munitions. What can you tell us about Israel's capability and its readiness for a prolonged conflict?

[05:05:10]

LIEBERMANN: Israel's military has been rearming and reequipping. They've had cargo flights coming in, likely with munitions. It's really all that would enter the country at this point, especially as the U.S. has been part of the campaign since the very beginning.

So, in terms of offensive capabilities, it seems, and we're watching this play out in real time over Iran and the capital of Tehran, that Israel has plenty left in the tank, so to speak, and is able to keep on striking the targets that it planned on striking. And keep in mind that Israel had months to prepare for this campaign.

On the defensive side, and this is mostly missile interceptors, Israel has been able to intercept the vast majority of missiles that Iran has fired. We have also seen video from northern Israel and the exchanges of fire with Hezbollah, likely Iron Dome, the short-range Israeli interceptor, taking out Hezbollah drones and potentially missiles there as well.

So, at least from what we're able to see here, Israel has the capabilities it needs to keep on -- to keep on continuing in this fight, with some Israeli officials saying this could be weeks long, and they are prepared and ready for it. I should note that actual stockpiles of missiles, actual stockpiles of interceptors, those are not anything the Israeli military will ever, frankly, talk about. But from what we can see, the fight very much is hot from Israel's perspective, and they have the weapons they need to keep fighting.

KINKADE: All right, Oren Liebermann for us in Tel Aviv, staying across all those developments, thanks very much.

We want to go to CNN's Paula Hancocks, who joins us live from Dubai. Paula, just a bit over 24 hours ago, Iran's president said Tehran would stop targeting Gulf nations, yet Iranian missiles and drones continue striking across the region. What are officials there saying about this escalating threat?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, we have been seeing here in the UAE for a couple of hours ago, there were emergency alerts and interception overhead three hours ago in Abu Dhabi, a similar situation. And what we have seen on Saturday night was one more person being killed here in the UAE, someone who was in a car and was hit by debris from one of the interceptions. We did hear a number of interceptions on Saturday night in both cities.

So, certainly what we are seeing on the ground since that statement by the Iranian president does not mirror what he said at all. And now it could suggest that -- that the president does not have control over those people who are firing the missiles and the drones, that the president does not speak for the IRGC. This is something we know to be a fact.

He did say that that was a decision from the three-member leadership council. But clearly this message is not either trickling down or it is simply not a message that they endorse. We have heard other statements saying that U.S. military targets across the Gulf region are still very much targets. But, of course, we're seeing across the Gulf it's far more than just military that is being targeted at this point.

Now, we did also see a very rare appearance from the UAE leader, Mohamed bin Zayed, as he was visiting some of those in the UAE who have been injured in Iran's retaliation. And he called Iran, referred to Iran as the enemy.

Now, this is a remarkable statement from the UAE leader, also saying that Iran should not see the response from the UAE as weakness. The UAE is strong. We're hearing from leaders across the Gulf that they reserve the right for retaliation.

They're obviously not being public about what that might look like or whether there have been any change to their situations on the ground, certainly not wanting to make themselves even more of a target for Iran. But, quite frankly, the UAE has been targeted more than any other country in the Gulf nation, potentially more than Israel itself when it comes to this retaliation.

We've also heard that the Qatari leader has spoken to the U.S. president, and he has said that the ongoing escalation could have, quote, "dangerous repercussions for the world," pushing the message that it is important to try and intensify diplomacy. This is a message we've been hearing from the Gulf nations as well. Certainly, publicly, it doesn't appear to be a message that the U.S. is ready to hear. It may be a different message that Gulf nations are getting behind the scenes.

Lynda.

KINKADE: All right. Paula Hancocks for us in Dubai. Stay safe and thanks very much.

[05:10:00]

Well, CNN is the first U.S. network to start reporting from the ground inside Iran since the conflict began. We're operating there with only government permission.

Our Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen and producer Claudia Otto filed this report a short time ago. On the black rain that's falling in the capital following airstrikes and fires at Iran's fuel storage areas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is what Tehran is waking up to this morning. The sky above the city is covered in very thick black clouds. You can see that everywhere. That's the west of the city over there. And this is the north of the city. Normally, if you look to that direction, you could actually see the Alborz Mountains. But now all of that is also covered in clouds.

That comes after major airstrikes in the south and the west of the city happened last night, where oil installations were hit, oil storage facilities, apparently also a refinery might have been hit as well. And now you can see this morning that the sky is still very dark. We saw thick black plumes of smoke in the sky yesterday. There were massive fires in the south of the city.

But I want to show you something else, because it's also raining. But you can see that the rain, the rainwater is actually black, also saturated, it appears, with oil. And if we look over there, you can see that the water that's running down here also is black. So, that's what's coming down this morning.

This sort of oil-filled rain that we have right now on the Iranian capital after the strikes took place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Frederik Pleitgen. President Trump now says the U.S. does not want Kurdish forces involved in the war with Iran. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday, the president said he had ruled out Kurdish involvement. He said bringing the ethnic minority group into the fight would only complicate the conflict. Despite the president's declaration, sources had previously told CNN that the CIA had been working to arm Kurdish groups in the hopes of sparking an uprising in Iran.

Joining me now is Abdulla Mohtadi, Secretary General for the Komala Party for Iranian Kurdistan. Appreciate your time today.

Mr. Mohtadi, if you can hear me, I want to get your understanding of the reports that we had that U.S. officials had reached out to Kurdish leaders and other Iranian opposition figures to discuss potential roles they might play, including -- I think we may have just lost that link. He is back.

OK. If you can hear me, Mr. Mohtadi, I just want to ask you about any sort of conversations, discussions between U.S. officials and opposition figures inside Iran to discuss a possible role they might play in weakening the Iranian regime. President Trump has publicly now said that he's ruled out Kurdish involvement, but can you give us some insight on what those discussions were?

ABDULLA MOHTADI, SECRETARY GENERAL, KOMALA PARTY OF IRANIAN KURDISTAN: President Trump promised the Iranian people and he kept his promise by striking the regime in Tehran. And we are happy with that. But we are still waiting for serious discussions with Americans about how to topple the Iranian regime.

KINKADE: Do you believe that is the key objective of this U.S.-Israeli military campaign, regime change? MOHTADI: Regime change is a matter for the Iranian people to decide. But the Iranian regime, the Islamic regime in Tehran has lost all its credibility and its legitimacy. He killed more than 30,000 people in 48 hours.

So, people in Iran, including Kurds, want to remove this regime. And we will expect the Americans, the United States, President Trump to help us in that.

KINKADE: Your party, Komala, played a leading role in the Women, Life, Freedom movement, which sparked nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. How do you see this movement shaping Iran's future? And what lessons does it offer for human rights and broader democratic reforms?

MOHTADI: Yes, we as Kurds, the movement, the Women, Life movement started in Kurdistan, spread all over Iran and became known in the world. So, we are ready as Kurdish parties, as Kurdish people and as our party as well. We are ready to take what it -- to do what it takes to support the Iranian people.

[05:15:12]

We are for a democratic, unified Iranian regime that is good to its neighbors (technical difficulties) and we are freedom fighters who are ready to take our duty.

KINKADE: And just quickly, Kurdish forces in northern Iraq have reportedly been targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. And there were rumors that Kurdish forces were advancing towards Tehran. Can you clarify the current posture of Kurdish military groups and what role, if anything, they might play in this conflict?

MOHTADI: They stand under the pressure of the revolutionary guards and the military bases (technical difficulties).

KINKADE: Abdulla Mohtadi, we appreciate your time. We're having some connection issues, obviously, in that conflict zone. But thanks so much for joining us and we'll touch base again soon.

Well, U.S. President Trump is speaking out on the devastating and deadly strike on a girls' school in Iran and revealing who he blames for the attack that killed more than 180 children and teachers. We'll have that story next.

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[05:20:40]

KINKADE: The first American casualties of the war on Iran are now home. The remains of six U.S. soldiers killed in Kuwait were brought back Saturday. The soldiers were part of an Army reserve unit from Iowa. They died when an Iranian drone struck their makeshift operations center last Sunday.

The U.S. President, Vice President and other top officials attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. During the somber and solemn event, Donald Trump wore a white hat with gold USA lettering.

He called it a sad day, but said he expects to attend more dignified transfers as, quote, "a part of the war."

U.S. President Trump is blaming Iran for a strike on an Iranian school that killed more than 180 students and teachers on the first day of the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the United States bomb a girls elementary school in southern Iran on the first day of the war and kill 175 people?

TRUMP: No, in my opinion, and based on what I have seen, that was done by Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that true Mr. Hegseth? It was Iran who did that?

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We're certainly investigating it. The only side that targets civilian is Iran.

TRUMP: We think it was done by Iran. Because they're very inaccurate, you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: President Trump's claim contradicts analysis by CNN suggesting the U.S. military was likely responsible. CNN previously reported that satellite imagery, geolocated videos, public statements by U.S. officials and assessments by munitions experts indicate the school was hit around the same time as U.S. forces likely attacked a nearby Iranian naval base.

Israel says it will target whoever becomes Iran's next supreme leader. It comes as Iranian state media reports that officials have reached a decisive opinion about who will succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Trump says he wants to be involved in choosing the new leader. Israel is continuing its airstrikes on Iran, saying it struck fuel storage sites in the capital, Tehran, on Saturday night.

This video shows a huge fire at an oil storage facility west of the capital. Israel also says it hit Iranian fighter jets. And Gulf nations are reporting new waves of drone attacks, suspected retaliatory strikes by Iran.

Yasmin Farooq is the International Crisis Group's project director for the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. She joins us live from Paris. Thanks so much for your time.

YASMINE FAROUK, CRISIS GROUP IN MARCH 2025 AS THE GULF AND ARABIAN PENINSULA PROJECT DIRECTOR: Thank you for having me. KINKADE: So, Yasmine, Iran has been firing missiles and drones across the Gulf region with air defenses intercepting many of those but not all of the threats. How are Gulf governments reacting to these direct assaults on their territory?

FAROUK: I think Iran is really testing the limits of the Gulf countries' detente with it that preceded the war and also their restraint that they have been showing since the beginning of this war. We have seen a lot of resolve and a lot of, you know, statements by Gulf countries saying that until now we don't want to join any kind of offensive or military operation against Iran. But if Iran continues its attacks and expands them, especially to civilian infrastructure and critical infrastructure, the Gulf countries will respond.

We have seen that Iran has exactly done this. So, we have seen attacks against desalination waters. We have seen even an increase in attacks on a country like Saudi Arabia right after we have seen in the press that Saudi Arabia has been trying to convince Iran to de-escalate and stop the attacks on Gulf countries.

KINKADE: Yeah, and when you speak of that response, that reaction, we're hearing from Saudi Arabia, who quite bluntly told Iran not to attack its territory or its critical infrastructure, warning of possible retaliation. What does that signal about Riyadh's strategic outlook, especially balancing diplomatic resolution with military deterrence?

FAROUK: Listen, Riyadh had found a formula before this war of deterrence by relying on more robust defense cooperation with the United States, detente and diplomacy with Iran. But also, third, being involved in mediation attempts to try to find some kind of a deal with Iran.

[05:25:14]

But Saudi Arabia has always been very clear with Iran that its territories are considered as a red line, that there is a very low, you know, ceiling of tolerance when it comes to attacks on it. What we have seen is that Iran has first started by, you know, attacking the diplomatic quarter inside Riyadh by attacking the U.S. embassy, and then attacked the Ras Tanura, which is really the jewel of Aramco when it comes to it. It's the biggest exporting terminal for Saudi Arabia. And then we have seen it yesterday attack the oil well in Al Shaiba.

And then we have seen today attacks again on Riyadh. I think that at some point, and I do not really exclude it, the kingdom will have to retaliate in some military way. But again, the six GCC countries have been clear that their retaliation, especially after they have waited for so long, will come within their defense and not necessarily an offence against Iran that joins the objectives of the war by Israel and the United States.

But again, even this difference is becoming narrower and narrower given the intensity, the escalation, and the scope of Iranian attacks on them. KINKADE: Many Gulf states have been hosting U.S. military assets for years, yet there's certainly signs of frustration that they weren't fully informed before the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, and some feel they're left to defend themselves. How is this likely to affect Gulf confidence in these long-term security partnerships?

FAROUK: I think that this question about, you know, U.S. planning, especially for the day after when it comes to Iran, and honestly, we have seen this all along, whether the 12-day war or even if you go back to this 2003 invasion of Kuwait. This is an eternal question when it comes to the relationship between the Gulf countries and the U.S. What are the U.S. plans for the day after for defending us?

Definitely there is some sense of frustration, but again, I predict that the U.S. will continue and is the Gulf countries' main strategic and defense partner, even when Gulf countries today are in discussions with the U.K., France, Italy, that already have sent, you know, fighter jets to help them intercept Iranian attacks. It is done in coordination and it is done with the U.S. These are all U.S. allies.

Is there tension? There definitely at some point will be tension, but again, let's remember also that it's not the U.S. attacking them at this point. It's Iran attacking them. And so they have kept this open channel with Iran, this open channel with the United States. They are -- you know, the debates of how to stop this, where this is heading, are taking place in between those countries, but also inside those countries. But again, their best bet for defense remains their Western allies on top of those Western allies is the United States of America.

KINKADE: You mentioned concerns about the attacks on desalination plants. How concerned are Gulf leaders about the economic fallout, particularly oil, gas trade, as this conflict drags on?

FAROUK: So, when you're outside the region, the first thing that you see is the critical infrastructure and the very first priority is the oil and gas and energy exports of those countries. It's the backbone of their economies. It's the backbone for a global economy and really what unites the entire, you know, competing global powers when it comes to why this region matters.

But for the leaders of this region, yes, the economic impact is important, but making the daily life of their citizens even more complicated is very, very -- is something that is very, very stressful and that is taken more seriously.

So, if these strikes against desalination plants become, you know, the next phase of this war, this again joins what I said in my first answer of precipitating the participation of those countries in the military operations. Some of those countries depend for up to 99 percent on -- even 90 percent, you know, for their water, undesalinated water.

And this is, again, red -- another redline that Iran is breaching. And honestly, we have seen it coming after the tweet by the Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday of Iran saying that if the United States starts by doing this, we will start by doing this as well with our neighbors in the Gulf. But the difference is that the U.S. is hitting Iran while Iran is hitting the desalination plants, not in the U.S., not in Israel, but in Gulf countries.

KINKADE: Yeah. It could get far worse before it gets better. Yasmine Farouk, we appreciate your analysis. Thanks so much.

[05:30:03]

FAROUK: Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: Many world leaders are pushing for a diplomatic solution to this war. When we return, we're going to have reaction from European and Chinese leaders as fears grow that this conflict could spread even further.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Hello, welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade coming to you live from Atlanta. I want to give you a quick reset now on the latest developments in Iran. The body in charge of selecting the successor to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has more or less settled on their next selection. That's according to a member of Iran's assembly of experts who spoke on state media. He didn't announce any names, but he added that some work still needs to be done. Israel said a short time ago that it will go after the next leader, whoever that is.

Iran's statement appears to ignore a request from U.S. President Trump, who repeated on Saturday that he wants to be involved in the selection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said you want to be involved in the selection of the next leader of Iran. Can you talk to me about that?

TRUMP: Well, because I don't want to just come back every 10 years and mostly you'll have presidents mostly that won't do that because they don't get it. But we don't want to come back every five years or every 10 years and do this. So, I want to pick a president that's not going to be leading their country into a war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, that's happening after Iranian drones and missiles hit several neighboring countries causing a fire at a government building in Kuwait. Multiple oil facilities caught on fire in Tehran overnight after Israel said they would be among the next targets. Israel also said it hit Iranian F-14 fighter jets at an airport in central Iran.

[05:35:08]

Well, the world is weighing in as the war with Iran continues. Nada Bashir is standing by in London with reactions from Europe. But first, I want to go to Steven Jiang in Beijing for China's reaction. Good to have you both with us.

KINKADE: So, Steven, the flames of war risk spreading across the region. That's the warning from China's foreign minister. You had the chance to pose a question to him at a press conference. What was the key message?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Lynda. Before he answered my question, he reiterated China's key positions and points, including the line you just mentioned.

Now, of course, China has been offering Iran with diplomatic, rhetorical and moral support since the war broke out, but not too much in terms of concrete commitments other than sending a special envoy to the region.

Now, this, of course, is being watched very closely because China has been describing Iran as a strategic partner for some time. And in recent years, we have seen them pulling Tehran closer and closer to its orbit. But since the war broke out, it really has, for the most part, not doing much, let alone direct military assistance being provided.

So, that's the kind of response that's been described as very calculated, because obviously China is the biggest purchaser of Iranian oil exports. But don't forget, it has larger, more extensive economic interests in other countries in the region outside of Iran, not to mention it wants to ensure safe passage for its ships through the Strait of Hormuz, carrying export energy and chemical exports from other Gulf nations.

So, that's why perhaps at the end of the day, despite its growing cloud of ambitions, China is very much focusing on protecting its existing economic interests and assets instead of trying to get involved in providing security guarantee to its partners, including Iran. Not to mention there is also that line of thinking that any time U.S. strategic focus and military assets are tied down in regions outside of China's backyard, that is considered a plus for Beijing.

So, ultimately, Iran seems to be just ranking below Chinese leader Xi Jinping's top priorities right now, which do include stabilizing relations with Washington. That's why I asked the Chinese foreign minister about the potential impact of the U.S. war with Iran on this highly anticipated visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing later this month, and here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WANG YI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER: (through translator) This year is indeed a big year for China-U.S. relations. The agenda for high-level exchanges with the U.S. is on the table. What is required is for both sides to make thorough preparations to create a conducive environment to manage existing differences and to remove unnecessary disruptions.

(END VIDEO CLIP) JIANG: So, the underlying message here, according to most analysts, is China and Xi still welcomes and anticipates Donald Trump's visit later this month, which, of course, is very important given how tumultuous bilateral ties have been since Trump's return to the White House.

Lynda?

KINKADE: All right, Steven Jiang, for us in Beijing. Thanks to you.

I want to go to Nada Bashir in London. Nada, talk to us more about the reaction from Europe and the U.K. because the U.S. launched this conflict with Israel with very little consultation. The U.K. reportedly caught off guard, first restricting the use of its military base, then granting approval to U.S. operations. Just how is this playing out politically?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've certainly seen strong reactions here in the United Kingdom and, of course, across the European Union. Just over the course of this weekend, we have seen protests taking place across European cities, including here in London. Protesters demonstrating against involvement in the war launched by the U.S. and Israel in Iran.

There have been protests calling for the prime minister not to partake in any form. And, of course, there has been minimal support offered by the British government to the United States when it comes to its offensive military operations in Iran. We know, of course, that the United Kingdom is now offering its support in the form of allowing the United States military to use British air bases in the region and military bases in general in order to carry out targeted strikes in Iran.

Now, the British government has been very clear that this is purely for defensive purposes. They have said that this is purely, in their words, for the purpose of collective self-defense of regional allies and that these strikes being carried out by the United States using British military bases will be focused on targeting Iranian missile launches and storage depots in order to prevent further attacks on regional allies, as we've seen the targeting of Gulf nations, for example, over the last week.

But that has certainly drawn a very strong reaction here in the United Kingdom. Many protesting against that. Of course, the memory of the Iraq war and Britain's involvement at the request of the United States is clearly still a very recent memory for many, and that was also deeply unpopular.

[05:40:09]

But, of course, across the European Union, we have seen a variety of responses. France and Germany, for example, joining the United Kingdom in offering that defensive support, so to speak, to the United States. Other nations have been more critical. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, criticizing this, standing against the war, calling for democratic change rather than an enforced military regime change. And, of course, we've also heard from the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who has said that Italy is focusing on defusing tensions, working with European partners for a diplomatic resolution. But, of course, there are concerns as to whether an escalation could bring the conflict closer to home. We heard from the Iranian foreign minister threatening that any sort of military support or action from European nations could lead to the targeting of these nations as well.

KINKADE: All right. Nada Bashir for us in London. Appreciate that update. Thank you.

Well, our breaking news coverage continues in just a moment. We'll have the latest on the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Countries across the Persian Gulf are reporting new air strikes and interceptions. It comes one day after Iran's president apologized to his neighbors for a week full of attacks on U.S. bases in the region.

Kuwait says it's fending off drone and missile strikes that set fire to a fuel storage facility, as well as a high-rise government building. We're also getting reports of attacks in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, where a national was killed by missile debris, according to Pakistan's embassy there.

Qatar's leader spoke to U.S. President Trump on Saturday and warned that the escalating fighting could have, quote, "dangerous repercussions for the world."

I want to go now to CNN's Antoinette Radford, who joins us live from Doha. Good to have you with us, Antoinette.

[05:45:04]

So, despite a rare apology from Iran's president to the neighboring Gulf nations, the Iranian military continues to fire missiles and drones, and while many have been intercepted, some have been deadly. What more can you tell us?

ANTOINETTE RADFORD, CNN PRODUCER: So, Lynda, here in Qatar, the last update we received came from the Ministry of Defense at around 1:30 this morning. They said that yesterday 10 ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles were fired from Iran into Qatar. Of those 10 ballistic missiles, six were intercepted, two landed in Qatar's territorial waters, and two actually made landfall, but in an uninhabited area. So, there were no injuries or casualties to report from that.

Here on the ground, we last got a warning to our phones, warning us of elevated risk of danger at 6:30 last night. I then heard three loud intercepts, as did the team here, but since then we haven't actually had any further warnings.

Overnight, as you mentioned, the emir of Qatar spoke with President Donald Trump and warned of these dangerous repercussions if diplomacy isn't used, and he said that this could actually have a huge impact not just on the region but on global peace and stability.

Now, what that means for us here on the ground, we don't know. That remains to be seen. As I said, it's been reasonably quiet here. What we do know is that Qatar Airways continues to operate some limited repatriation flights via an air corridor, which is a relief for the 8,000 passengers who are stuck here. Yesterday, some flights took off from here to regions in Europe like London, Paris, Rome, Madrid.

And tomorrow, some more flights are expected to come into Doha, bringing passengers home from places like Amsterdam, Zurich, Berlin, and London, among other places. Lynda.

KINKADE: All right, Antoinette Radford in Doha, thanks very much.

While the Trump administration is committed to the war with Iran, many Americans are not. Demonstrators gathered in New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco this weekend, calling on the White House to end the military action and pursue diplomacy with Iran instead.

Some Iranian-American demonstrators shared their fears of a prolonged war, worried the conflict would drag on indefinitely. Many voiced their relief that the Islamic regime and Ayatollah leadership may finally be at its end, but others insist that any political change in Iran must come from the Iranian people themselves to be sustainable.

Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Iranian communities in the U.S. Pro-war demonstrators turned out to show their support for President Trump's actions, particularly the killing of the Islamic State supreme leader. Like many diaspora communities, Iranian- Americans hold complicated views about the war. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROOZBEH FARAHANIPOUR, BUSINESS OWNER: Almost the same time I'm fighting against this regime. I was antiwar activist. So, that's very complicated. Of course, from the killing of the Khamenei, I am excited. I cannot hide my feeling. War with no Khamenei is better for everyone. But at the same time, I don't like the war.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, you would rather see this be wrapped up and be done now?

FARAHANIPOUR: Yes, right now, that's already. That's -- we are moving forward. Khamenei is dead. That's a good thing. Declare the Victorian leave.

JOSEPH GHADIR, IRANIAN IN EXILE: President Trump, although we're thankful to him, it probably took him a little bit, a long time and the Iranians lost a lot of light. And I think now he has to finish it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never had so much mixed feeling in my life that I have right now because one level, I want my country to be free and liberated. On another level, I am very sad when I see so many people of my country that are still.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: The American people are weighing in on the U.S. military campaign in Iran. Coming up, we'll look at how the latest polling numbers are gauging public sentiment.

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[05:53:11]

KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. The U.S. military campaign in Iran is taking a toll on Americans as the gas pump. AAA reports that U.S. gas prices have surged to the highest national average since August of 2024. The average price per gallon is up 43 cents in last week and is currently hovering around $3.41. Many Americans remain anxious that more price hikes could be on the way. The price per barrel of crude oil is soaring in value as Iran targets the world's largest exporters in the Middle East and the crucial Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut down.

Well, Kuwait is reportedly cutting back on its oil production output as tensions flare across the Persian Gulf. The country's national oil company claims the precautionary move is in a direct response to the ongoing attacks by Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It did not specify the scope of the reduction, but noted that output levels would be restored once conditions allow. In February, Kuwait produced more than two and a half million barrels of crude oil per day.

And as the fighting in the Middle East intensifies, the American public appears to be divided over the U.S. role in the conflict. CNN's Chief Data Analyst, Harry Enten, is here to break down the latest polling numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: We've gotten a bunch of polling back since the U.S. military started its most recent action against Iran. And you know what? It's a bit of a confusing picture. It doesn't seem like one at first, but it's a bit of a confusing polling picture. Let's just take a look right now at the overall average of polls. OK, view of U.S. military action in Iran. And you take an average of CNN, Fox, IPSOS, and NBC polls.

What you see here is you see that the clear majority of Americans disapprove of the action. We're talking about 51 percent of Americans disapprove, just 40 percent approve. And I should note all of these polls, all these polls came in between February 28th. They started on February 28th and then ended by March 3rd.

[05:55:14]

Now, you see this, you see this 11-point split, but this actually hides some major disagreements between the different polls. Why do I say that? Take a look here. OK, this is the net approval rating. That's the approval rating minus the disapproval rating. And this is the net approval rating for U.S. military action in Iran. Look at this. CNN, our own CNN poll shows that the net approval rating is minus 18 points, very similar to the IPSOS polling at minus 16 points. But then all of a sudden you see the NBC News polling and look at this.

You see it at minus 11 points, getting a little bit more popular. And then you'll look at the latest "Fox News" poll and that's it, a split, a dead even split at zero points. So, yes, on average, the polling is showing that the move is not popular, but that actually hides major disagreements between the polling.

And I should note the polling questions, pretty similar and all conducted at about the same time. So, I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but there's another reason why you should take these initial numbers with a grain of salt, because I want to go back to the June airstrikes, right? Net approval rating, U.S. military action in Iran after the June airstrikes.

Initially in late June, look at this, underwater at minus eight points. But by July, look at that. After the military option was deemed successful, it became much more popular.

Now we're just going to have to wait and see what this current military action in Iran, how exactly the polling shifts. But right now I would really take the numbers with a grain of salt, keeping in mind that there's big polling disagreement and the numbers may change down the road.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Harry Enten. And thanks so much for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Our breaking news coverage continues after a very quick break. Stay with us. You're watching CNN.

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