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Iran's Retaliation Targets U.S. Allies in Region; Trump: 'Big Wave' Yet to Come in War with Iran; Mixed Messaging: Trump's Iran Objectives Muddled; Gulf States Intercept Hundreds of Iranian Drones and Missiles. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired March 03, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

[06:00:34]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: Israel carries out simultaneous strikes in Tehran and Beirut as the U.S. promises to hit Iran even harder.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. We're on day four of the war with Iran.

This is video just into CNN, showing a massive plume of smoke after a strike in central Iran. Now, people to the North, in Tehran, tell CNN every moment they expect to hear an explosion.

The U.S. State Department warning Americans to leave the Middle East immediately. Iran continues to target U.S. allies across the Gulf.

This for example, a video from a short time ago in Doha. The sound of explosions as incoming missiles are intercepted above.

The death toll for U.S. forces now stands at six. President Trump has warned of more casualties.

He's also told CNN's Jake Tapper this over the phone: "We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn't even happened. The big one is coming soon."

So, we're going to be bringing you team coverage from across the region. We've got reporters in Doha, Tel Aviv, and Abu Dhabi.

But here's where I want to start. The latest in Haifa, Israel. CNN's chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, is with us.

Nick, thank you for being with us today as we're hearing more about these -- this wave of attacks. Can you talk about the scale of it and -- and how wide Iran's retaliation is sort of reaching across the region?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is extraordinary, it seems, how this Iranian retaliation has chosen to create more enemies for the already embattled autocracy in Tehran. Now, as of last night, two explosions at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh.

This morning, Oman, the country that tried to mediate between Iran and the United States until this conflict broke out, it's Duqm port, an oil tanker targeted there.

Americans told to shelter in place in Iran. Explosions in Beirut (ph), Bahrain, Kuwait sustained, as well. And also, too, as a result of Israeli moves here, explosions heard in Beirut, with the Israeli armed forces saying they're targeting Hezbollah's center of gravity in that area.

Let's not forget, obviously, importantly, to Tehran where there are reports from the Iranian Red Crescent that maybe over 700 people have been killed since the start of this conflict.

Extraordinary plumes of smoke and damage there as the United States says clearly that it believes it will be escalating its military operations there.

The time frame of all of this, so hard to truly understand. How much more capacity does Iran have to spread this retaliation across a region, across nations, many of whom simply did not want to see the United States take this military action, at least in their public statements?

And now, I think, putting the Tehran government, or what's left in it, in an exceptionally tight corner as to whether they can continue to escalate and retaliate in this way or need some sort of off-ramp -- Audie.

CORNISH: Nick, I want to ask you one more thing, because this is a joint strike and war with the U.S. and Israel. Netanyahu went onto FOX last night to speak directly to Americans. We're going to talk about that later.

But what is the conversation within Israel right now in terms of how long they are bracing to be in this war, especially opening it up in other fronts?

WALSH: Yes. I mean, look, it's important to point out that Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday was talking about regime change. And what might follow in Tehran would be a form of democracy. No time frame put on that. And that is a long-term Israeli goal, frankly, to see their enemy in Tehran removed and something more sympathetic in its place.

It's a long shot, frankly. It has always been, at the best of times.

At the same time, too, though, Israel has seized upon an opportunity presented to it by another long-term irritant, the Lebanese militia, an Iranian proxy across the border to the North of me here, Hezbollah.

They fired a barrage of rockets that started -- missiles and drones that started an Israeli military operation that has, of this morning, developed significantly in terms of the symbolism.

Israel, since its war with Hezbollah in late 2024, held five positions just inside Lebanese territory. We understand from the Israeli military that their buffer zone, so to speak, is somewhat widening as they've sent more ground forces over the border.

This is not a land invasion, so to speak. It seems to be, their phrasing/ more of a tactical repositioning.

[06:05:03]

But that coupled with the barrage of strikes across Lebanon and Beirut and a continually widening evacuation orders for Southern Lebanon.

Clearly, Israel seizing the opportunity here to strike Hezbollah as hard as it can while it can. Exactly what strength Hezbollah has to fight back. Well, we have heard of some damage done to a Northern series of houses here. No casualties. Light injuries, but that playing out fast now.

CORNISH: OK, that's Nick Paton Walsh at the border between Israel and Lebanon, where there's quite a bit going on.

So, I want to bring in CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton. He's a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. I'm glad you're here, because this is an attempt to bring about change in the region using air power alone, at least for now.

First, when the president says something like this, and we're just going to show folks cover of "The New York Post": "The Big One is Coming." What is the big one? What are military folks saying in your -- in your chats?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: So, that's actually a big mystery for a lot of people. But what it could be is there's a facility near Natanz in Iran which is called Pickax Mountain. And --

CORNISH: Pickax Mountain. OK.

LEIGHTON: Pickax mountain, that's the -- the Western or American term for it. It has an Iranian name.

But the big deal here is this is a hardened and deeply buried target of supreme significance, because it's part of the Iranian nuclear system: their research system, their weapons development, potential weapons development system. So, that could be a target that would fit with "the big one is coming."

The other thing that he might that the president might be talking about, Audie, is the idea that there would be a further wave of airstrikes that would replicate kind of what we saw during the first days of this, the first --

CORNISH: Yes.

LEIGHTON: The first hours of this particular operation.

So, when you look at those possibilities, you could see they might restrike some of the targets. They might go after command and control. Some of the leadership functions that are still in existence in Tehran.

CORNISH: Can I jump in here? There. Because that gets to the question of munition stockpiles. How long both the U.S., Israel can keep this up. How long Iran can keep intercepting.

Can you talk about what is known about everybody's sort of stockpile going into this situation?

LEIGHTON: Well, there's always, you know, like in economics, there's always a shortage, right, of everything? But --

CORNISH: Especially with the war in Ukraine going on.

LEIGHTON: Absolutely.

CORNISH: Right. The U.S. Had been supporting Ukraine with some military support.

LEIGHTON: Well, one example of that is the Patriot missile system. And the batteries that are associated with the Patriot missile system, that -- the munitions that are used for that are in prime demand for the Ukraine war.

The problem that you have now is that the industrial base in the United States has not really kept up with the demand.

CORNISH: Yes. These are images of the Iranian drone stockpile, I think --

LEIGHTON: Yes.

CORNISH: -- which are used all over the world, and I think were exported to Russia --

LEIGHTON: They were, yes.

CORNISH: -- in that war. So, this -- these are weapons that other -- other places are having to reckon with.

LEIGHTON: So, there's -- so on the Iranian side, you know, you've basically got this connection between Iran and Russia and also Iran, Russia and China and the key thing here is that the Iranians have perfected a low-cost drone manufacturing system. Their Shahed family of drones are now well-known because of the Ukraine war.

And they have also been used in this particular conflict, because they've gone after some target areas in -- on the other side of the Persian Gulf in Saudi Arabia, for example. The oil facility at Ras Tanura was attacked by drones, by Iranian drones.

And so, they're also attacking targets in Iraq. They probably were responsible for the attacks in Kuwait, maybe even the one that killed the -- the six Americans.

CORNISH: Yes. LEIGHTON: So, this is a critical element, because those drones are actually one of the power projection capabilities, a cheap power projection, but effective power projection capability for the Iranians.

CORNISH: I have one more thing I want to show you some maps here. Looking at Turkey, where Iran has done some strikes around the region. We are seeing civilian targets being hit.

Iran accusing the U.S. of hitting a civilian target.

President Trump said that one aspect of this war widening is he was surprised. He was surprised at how immediately there was this sort of aggression towards other Arab states.

Will we see those states being pulled, because we know they didn't want to go into a wider conflict as a result?

LEIGHTON: This is a primary risk of -- of this particular situation because those Arab states, as you correctly pointed out, Audie, did not want to be a part of this. They even banned the U.S. from using their facilities to conduct attacks on Iran.

They said, you can't do that from places like Saudi Arabia, Qatar Bahrain, et cetera but the that has changed now.

CORNISH: Yes.

LEIGHTON: And that has changed big-time, because these countries are angry. They, in fact, have given the green light to launch certain strikes from their territory.

[06:10:08]

And they are also willing, it sounds like, at least for the moment, to band together as part of the Gulf Cooperation Council and move forward into Iran, using -- doing offensive operations of their own.

CORNISH: OK, that is interesting. Stay right there. Because I think that's an idea we want to come back to later.

Retired Air Force colonel, Colonel Leighton, thank you so much. Cedric Leighton.

Now, coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to have more breaking news coverage in the Middle East. Iran and Israel trade blows as this war ramps up.

Plus, we're going to talk about global oil prices. They are up as the war with Iran threatens crude oil supply.

And the White House setting the tone on the war with Iran, but not offering an exit strategy. So, what is the end game? We're going to talk about that today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: There's just no way that Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multiyear conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:15:27]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: This was our last, best chance to strike. What we're doing right now. And eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: President Trump says he wants to eliminate the threats by the Iranian regime. Some of his top officials say it is not a regime change war. Another says it could kind of be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: Whatever happens with the regime in one form or another, it's incidental to the president's primary objective here, which is to make sure the Iranian terrorist regime does not build a nuclear bomb.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Plan for the U.S. to at least play a role in whatever government comes?

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I mean we might. We'll see how circumstances play out. If there's something we can do to help them down the road, we'd obviously be open to it, but that's not the objective.

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: This is not a so-called regime-change war, but the regime sure did change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now in the group chat, Sabrina Singh, CNN global affairs commentator, former deputy Pentagon press secretary; Alex Thompson, CNN political analyst and national political correspondent for Axios; and Vivian Salama, staff writer at "The Atlantic." Thank you all for being here. I think you guys all have different perspectives.

You would have heard different answers yesterday for what the U.S. is doing. Pete Hegseth gave a lengthy kind of commentary yesterday. What did you hear from how he was trying to position it as defense secretary?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, I think he was trying to lay out the objectives of what this mission is. But he was also setting the goalposts to continue to move. Essentially, he was laying the groundwork for Donald Trump to

essentially claim victory at any time. It could be today, could be in a few days, could be in a few weeks. He basically was saying, victory is here because we are doing everything that of the mission.

But then you heard competing sort of stated mission objectives from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and even the president himself. I mean, the president in his two taped social media addresses never actually said what the clear objectives were.

CORNISH: Yes. And we have to say that there are -- first of all, we have some polling. So, CNN has started to go out and call people and ask.

And right now, the opinion of U.S. airstrikes against Iran among U.S. adults, that number is creeping up to 60 percent. It's at 59 percent disapprove.

The other thing is, does Trump have a clear plan for handling Iran in this situation? And we were looking at this, this number creeping up again to 60 percent.

So, the Truth Social posts are not working in terms of people thinking we know what's up.

I want to play one more thing for you, senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Intelligence Committee. Lawmakers were briefed yesterday. They came out with a list of objectives and reasons why. And here is how -- here was his takeaway on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): We have seen the goals for this operation changed now, I believe 4 or 5 times.

A week ago, it was about the Iranian nuclear capacity. A few days later it was about taking out the ballistic missiles. It was then about regime change. And now we hear it's about sinking the Iranian fleet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, this is based on what he heard with a briefing with military officials.

ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, there are different objectives, because there are different parts of the Republican party that also do have different objectives.

There are some people in the Republican Party that are very just focused on preventing a nuclear Iran.

There's also part of the Republican Party going back decades that really wanted the ayatollah to go, in part, to take away the threat against Israel, and in part because the Iranian regime had killed U.S. soldiers. So, what you are seeing in the sort of differing answers is reflective of the larger sort of coalition of the Republican Party that all had a similar objective, which was to attack Iran, but for different reasons.

CORNISH: Yes. There's also a difference between an operation and a war, right? You can have a successful strike, an operation; it be limited. That does not mean you have a plan for a war. What are you seeing in your reporting?

VIVIAN SALAMA, STAFF WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": Well Pete Hegseth yesterday came out, and he really stressed this notion of we are not out to do nation building. We are going in for a limited operation. The president yesterday saying five, 4 to 5 weeks potentially.

And they are really stressing that they want to get in, and they want to get out.

CORNISH: Yes.

SALAMA: But obviously, it's easier said than done. And we've seen that play out throughout history, throughout modern history, where you go in there and you break it, you buy it. At that point, you have to try to figure out what comes next for Iran.

[06:20:07]

CORNISH: Well, I've also heard -- who was it? Somebody said, I forget who it was. Maybe it was Lindsey Graham over the weekend who said, I don't buy the whole "if you break it, you buy it." I don't think that applies here.

And I do hear them trying to make a distinction between the neo-con era and what they're doing right now.

SALAMA: They are, and they are trying to kind of lay the foundation for something to come after it; for the Iranian people, potentially, to take over after these military operations are done. Again, a lot easier said than done.

CORNISH: Yes. But I think the distinction is they don't need the regime to change to consider it a success. They just need whatever happens after to be nuclear free.

SALAMA: Which is very similar to what we saw in Venezuela. Then where you have, you know, this caretaker government that was already in place, someone with good graces that is going to be working with the United States to be able to then see a transition take place.

CORNISH: OK.

SINGH: As we know that, you know, the nuclear program, if that is one of the objectives, to completely dismantle, that will require some boots on the ground.

I mean, those three nuclear facilities that they claim were obliterated does still hold enriched uranium.

CORNISH: Yes.

SINGH: And so, who is going to do that if the president is now wavering on putting troops on the ground? I think that is a huge long- term commitment that, if you break it, you bought it. I mean, you have to -- you have bought it.

CORNISH: J.D. Vance says there's just no way that Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective.

So, they are trying to make a distinction. It's not clear if the American people are seeing it. I want to show you one more poll number before we move on, which breaks down independents, Republicans, Democrats.

The question of is a long-term military conflict between the U.S. and Iran likely? You've got independents again, that number creeping up to 60 percent. They are not looking at this and saying this is going to be short.

And I think that only matters because this is an administration that campaigned on no more foreign entanglements.

THOMPSON: I mean, the most interesting number in there to me, actually, is Republicans are evenly split, 44 and 44.

CORNISH: Yes.

THOMPSON: You have people -- and Tucker Carlson obviously got some attention over the weekend by telling ABC News that, basically, this attack was evil.

But even people like Megyn Kelly, who sort of sit on the -- like, on the fence post between MAGA and more traditional Republicans, she's been very critical, very skeptical of what -- what just went on the last few days.

CORNISH: Yes, the sort of counter messaging.

OK, I want you guys to stay with me. We're going to have a lot of great voices on here who can enlighten us more about what's going on.

After the break on CNN THIS MORNING, you've got missiles intercepted and falling from the sky over Qatar. So, as the war spirals across Gulf states, we're going to talk more about what that means.

And the president, of course, still urging Iranians to, quote, "take back their country." What would that look like?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:27:12]

CORNISH: Overnight, CNN capturing this video of the sky over Doha after Qatar intercepted incoming Iranian missiles, leaving objects falling.

So, CNN's team on the ground reports hearing loud booms over the city. Joining me now is CNN senior producer Bijan Hosseini in Doha.

Can you give us the latest on these strikes?

BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Hi, Audie.

Yes, we're a bit halfway into the fourth day of what is Iran's retaliation? It's nearly 2:30 p.m. here. I know you see that video that just played out. Those were interceptions happening last night.

We also got word from the Ministry of Defense last night, tallying the number of attacks from Iran to date. We have three cruise missiles, 101 ballistic missiles, 39 drones, and two SU-24 fighters that the government says has been launched from Iran.

They successfully intercepted nearly all of those. But the -- important number there is that two SU-24 fighters that I mentioned at the end.

This is a significant escalation. It is the first time we've seen a Gulf country confirm shooting down Iranian aircraft. Obviously, helping inflame the regional tensions that we're seeing play out right now in this region.

And we heard from a number of Qatari ministers over the last couple of days that they reserve that right. That is their right to respond to what they're calling Iran's aggression. And we clearly saw that play out last night.

We've also seen a report from the government media office suggesting that rumors about them running out of missile defense systems, they pushed back on that. They said that is absolutely false. They have a large supply of Patriot missile defense systems in their arsenal -- Audie.

CORNISH: OK. Bijan Hosseini in Doha. We're going to check in with him later today.

In the meantime, the U.S. and Israel, of course, urging the people of Iran to, quote, "take matters into their own hands."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I call upon all Iranian Patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): You, Iranian citizens, don't miss this opportunity. It's a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity, because soon there's going to be a moment that you'll have to go to the streets.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: Meantime in Iran, they are warning civilians, quote, "Any activity undermining security would be considered direct cooperation with hostile forces and would face a firm response."

Joining us in the group chat, Holly Dagres, senior fellow at the Washington Institute's program on Iran and U.S. policy.

Holly, I'm glad you're here. You've talked to us in the past of what's left of kind of the opposition in Iran, who that might be.

And first of all, I'm hearing this analogy. This will be similar to Venezuela, where there was a person the U.S. could turn to in terms of opposition.