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Iranians Brace for Strikes; Trump's Ultimatum to Reopen the Strait; Trump's Deadline for Iran; Trump Threatens Journalist. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired April 07, 2026 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:33:33]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Audie Cornish. Thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING.

It's half past the hour. And here's what's happening right now.

We are fewer than 14 hours from President Trump's latest deadline to Iran, make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Eastern or face a massive attack that would target bridges and power plants. Iran rejected the most recent ceasefire deal and offered a counter- proposal, calling for a permanent end to the war. Trump called that significant but not good enough.

Today is election day in two swing states. In Georgia there's a runoff election to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Democrat Sean Harris has the tall task of trying to flip Greene's ruby red district. Now, if that should happen, it would slim the GOP's already razor thin majority in the House. Then in Wisconsin, a critical supreme court seat is up for grabs to replace conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, and liberals are trying to expand their majority on the court. The Wisconsin Supreme Court flipped in the liberal's favor after last year's election that saw Elon Musk's chosen conservative candidate lose, despite the billionaire pouring millions into that race.

And right now, Vice President J.D. Vance is in Hungary for two days of bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is facing a difficult parliamentary election this weekend. Vance is there to show U.S. support.

[06:35:03]

And then I want to give you an update on this attack outside an Israeli consulate in Istanbul. Now, these are live images from the scene. We've just learned that one assailant was killed and two injured in the attack. Two police officers also suffered minor injuries. That's according to the governor of Istanbul. The consulate was not staffed at the time.

Now, with Trump's Iran deadline looming, the rest of the Mideast is on high alert. So, we're going to go to CNN's Paula Hancocks, who is live in Abu Dhabi with some reaction.

And, Paula, how are people hearing this potential threat on -- in -- what we're hearing of as civilian infrastructure?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Audie, this is -- this is a region on edge, and it has been on edge for some 39 days. But there are concerns that this deadline may not be like the others that have been pushed back. There are concerns that this one may actually turn into an escalation on the ground and in a military sense rather than just the rhetoric. So, that is the concerns that people here have.

Now we've heard plenty of Iranian reaction to what President Trump said on Monday. The Revolutionary Guard, for example, calling his threats baseless.

Let's listen to what the spokesperson said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EBRAHIM ZOLFAQARI, SPOKESPERSON, ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS (through translator): The rude rhetoric, arrogance and baseless threats of the delusional U.S. president, arising from the deadlock he faces aimed at justifying the repeated defeats of the U.S. military will have no effect on the continuation of offensive and crushing operations by the fighters of Islam against U.S. and Israeli enemies, and will not repair the humiliation of the United States in west Asia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, also a senior Iranian security official tells CNN that Iran feels as though they have dealt a strategic blow to the Trump administration, and they feel as though the U.S. president has lost control of this war, saying Iran wants the war to end but not in the way or the timeline that Trump is seeking.

Elsewhere, we're also hearing from one Iranian minister that they are planning to ask young people in the country to form a human chain around power plants, or of these key infrastructure assets that President Trump has threatened. So, certainly there is a concern. The gulf nations know full well that they will be even more in the firing line if this does go ahead and escalate militarily, as Iran has said, that if their civilian infrastructure is targeted, then they will respond in kind to U.S. interests in the region.

Now, we have already seen a number of energy infrastructure of oil fields, gas fields, fuel depots, tanks at airports have already been targeted by Iran, but there is definitely a sense of concern that this could actually get worse.

CORNISH: OK. That's Paula Hancocks speaking to us. Thank you so much.

Now, I want to follow up on what Paula was talking about, because this deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz coming up. On Monday, the president had said that he actually rejected a proposal for a 45- day ceasefire that had been brought by the Iranians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They made a proposal. And it's a significant proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough, but it's a very significant step.

I can't talk about ceasefire, but I can tell you that we have an active, willing participant on the other side. They would like to be able to make a deal. I can't say any more than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, even though Trump is insisting that diplomacy is still alive, he is, of course, still threatening devastating consequences if Iran does not comply today.

So, how do you negotiate peace in a serious way when you also have a threat like this on the table?

Joining the group chat is Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst and vice president for global studies and fellows at New America.

So, Peter, I wanted to bring you in because for years when people would talk about negotiating with Iran, they talked about how they would stall, you know, how they would bargain, how they weren't really always making good faith negotiations. Now, in this position, the Iranians are saying, you know, every time we come to the table there are strikes. So, why would we come to the table? Can you help us make sense of, like, kind of where these negotiations are now as a result of this distrust?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, they did come to the table in 2015, as you know, with the Obama administration.

CORNISH: Yes.

BERGEN: And they did so because the sanctions were so strong against them that they felt they needed to come to the table.

However, you know, as you know, the last two times they've come to the negotiating table it's been a kind of a -- it's been followed by attacks by the United States. So, you know, this one does -- this deadline seems firmer, but, you know, the only person who knows what's going to happen is President Donald Trump. And he may have made not a decision even now. He prides himself on his unpredictability. That's what he calls his superpower I think. Unfortunately, that's not good for financial markets or international stability.

CORNISH: Haven't markets baked that in though, the so-called TACO trait, Trump always chickens out?

[06:40:04]

It feels like they've baked it in but maybe diplomatic folks have not.

BERGEN: I think they have priced it in providing it's not, you know, some, you know, it's not World War III. I mean they -- they're not -- they haven't priced World War III in. Not that World War III is about to happen. So, for the moment, I think they've priced it in. But that can change.

And look, I mean oil is now at, what $113 a barrel. So, you know, it's -- it was $100. It keeps going up.

So, I anticipate the Iranians will do a lot of what they've already done before, which is keep -- you know, what he responds to is the stock market, the bond market and the gas price at the pump, right? So, the Iranians know that and they will -- if there's a -- if there's, after 8 p.m., major attacks, I anticipate that they would try and put that kind of pressure on him.

CORNISH: I want to play another thing that Trump said. He was talking about the idea of the oil in Iran. I think people were raising the question about damaging the infrastructure to the point where rebuilding is difficult. And he was talking on Monday about what he would like to do if it was his choice versus the sort of reality on the ground right now related to oil. And, actually, I'd love for you to take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I had my choice, what would I like to do? Take the oil. Because it's there for the taking. There's not a thing they can do about it. Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I'd take the oil. I'd keep the oil and would make plenty of money.

If I had my choice, I'd keep the oil. But I also want to make the people of our country happy. I think most people wouldn't understand that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY DAVIS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL UNDER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, he's obviously not taking the oil. I mean, yes, it's something he's saying, just like in Venezuela. It's not something that he can do.

CORNISH: Which they consider a success, we should say. They are talking as though they're taking oil from Venezuela.

DAVIS: Well, the -- yes.

CORNISH: Yes.

DAVIS: And the U.S. companies are coming back and we're giving them security. I actually do think -- well, I'd actually like to know your opinion. I mean Venezuela has not been the disaster that everyone predicted.

BERGEN: Yes. But, you know, oil companies are not rushing in because the Venezuelan oil infrastructure is so, you know, it's been damaged by years of sanctions. But, you know, the taking the oil, you know, when we invaded Iraq in 2003, we didn't take their oil. We didn't nationalize it. And we didn't expropriate it. This is not something the United States done -- does, and it won't happen.

CORNISH: It was the first time, though, I've really heard him acknowledge what the American people might be thinking.

DAVIS: Yes.

CORNISH: You heard that too?

DAVIS: Yes. Well, no, I think that was the -- that was the point.

CORNISH: Just the -- just the fact that he said --

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: It was, they would like this (ph) to come home.

DAVIS: Yes, us to come home.

ROCHA: His quote, not a (ph).

What he's looking for now is a reason to tell the American people, well we're here now, that maybe we could take this oil, and the American people he hopes they hear (ph), and that would bring down the price because we have plenty of that oil.

To your point about the Venezuela infrastructure, to the point you just made about the bombing, if we were to bomb their fields, it would be the same way as Venezuela. They would be so damaged it would take years to bring them back online. And does -- and when does that really start affecting gas prices?

CORNISH: Last thing I want to ask about is this conversation about war crimes. I haven't wanted to go too far with this because there's not been a bombing yet. We don't know what the next 24 hours will bring. But here's Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking to us on CNN on Monday about whether or not these specific threats that are talking about bridges, power plants, et cetera, are orienting us towards a war crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): The clear answer is, yes, it would be a war crime. And that's why it is so important for Congress now to establish accountability, say no to this war by passing the War Powers Resolution, saying no to additional spending.

And my Republican colleagues, maybe for the first time in any Trump administration, should show some spine and stand up in a moment of national crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERGEN: You know, by the way, that's another clock that's ticking, at least theoretically, the War Powers Resolution Act. I mean it is, you know, it is, at the end of this month, he does have a duty to go to Congress and get some kind of authorization. So, on the war crime issue, you know, I mean, I think General Anderson was pretty clear about earlier in the show, you know, if a bridge has actual military purposes, it is OK to attack it. If it doesn't, then it is not. Then it is a war crime.

CORNISH: Right. So, a plan to bomb every bridge.

BERGEN: No, that would be -- I mean this bridge here, presumably the one that they did attack, must have had some military application. I don't think the U.S. military wants to get involved in war crimes.

CORNISH: Yes.

BERGEN: So --

CORNISH: But every military action has a day after that is the thing. And whether or not you've planned for that day after is the big question right now.

DAVIS: Oh, absolutely.

CORNISH: Yes.

DAVIS: I mean, that's what happened with us back in Iraq.

But going back to your thing. I think the wait (ph) out, when we were talking (AUDIO GAP) about it earlier, but it is the end of this month and I think that -- there is no way he's doing to be able to get enough support in Congress to ever get the War Powers Act passed. So, I think, you know, I'd be --

CORNISH: The deadline forces the conversation.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: And the other thing is --

DAVIS: Yes, and I think -- I think he has two weeks left, but it could be until the end of the month.

DOVERE: Well, and we're in the middle of a recess.

[06:45:01]

The House and the Senate are not in Washington. They're back in their home states and districts. They're hearing from their constituents about prices and other things. And they are getting more and more antsy about it. It does mean that they don't have to answer day to day for what the president is saying and doing --

CORNISH: Right now, yes.

DOVERE: And won't have to this week. But they will be back next week, and that's when the pressure changes about this.

CORNISH: OK. You guys, stay with us.

Peter, thank you so much.

BERGEN: Thank you.

CORNISH: If any of you missed that conversation or any part of the show, I want you to share it because we're a podcast. So, scan the QR code now to find it. And CNN THIS MORNING is available anywhere you listen to your podcasts.

Next, we're going to be talking about weather today will bring new meaning to the term TACO Tuesday. The president has set this deadline. Is he going to live up to that nickname?

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But we have to find that leaker, because that's a sick person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Looking for a leaker. Who gave a journalist information about the missing airmen in Iran? And where is the line between protecting sensitive material and press freedom?

And later on CNN, a stark warning. Could we soon see gas and diesel shortages?

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[06:50:21]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON; FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Well, I think he's worried about the TACO charge, Trump always chickens out. I think this is a result of poor planning on his part.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK, so President Trump has moved the goalpost for Iran multiple times since the war began. So, on March 21st he said the country had 48 hours. Two days later, they had a five-day period. Three days after that, ten days. Four days later, they were instructed to act immediately. Then on April 4th, another 48 hours. On Sunday, they were given a deadline of tonight at 8 p.m. So, what happens after tonight?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: If Iran does not meet your demands, Mr. President, are you willing to continue the war?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you'll have to watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: All right, group chat is back with us.

One of the reasons why I wanted to talk about this is because Iran sees this, too. And in terms of negotiating and dealing with the U.S., obviously, we're seeing a lot of cross social media posts. But, Peter, can I get your point of view on this idea?

BERGEN: You know, you could have your cake and eat it too and say, well, limited strikes happened, you know, tonight because the negotiations are proceeding.

CORNISH: Right.

BERGEN: And that might be the smart thing to do.

CORNISH: And if you don't do something, there goes a bridge. If you don't do -- like, to me, it seems like a carrot stick situation.

DAVIS: Yes.

CORNISH: But maybe someone else has an idea. Hassan Piker (ph), who is on the left in that horseshoe politics we talked about being anti-war, saying, "classic Trump move, break things 100 percent. Market plunges into chaos. People yell at you. Roll it back 20 percent. Modest market relief. Claim victory. Things are still broken 80 percent."

DOVERE: Oh, left -- left off that list --

CORNISH: Yes.

DOVERE: And the way we think about this is like people get killed, right? There are lives that will be lost. They might be American service members. They might be Iranians, Iranian civilians, and that -- it just is -- this isn't a computer game in how we go about this. There are -- there are real consequences that will never be made back again.

DAVIS: Let's remember too, though, the Iranian leadership that we are dealing with, the terrorists, are -- don't care about their citizens, obviously.

DOVERE: Sure.

DAVIS: So, that's -- I mean they're going to use them as human shields, potentially, if they do what they're saying they're going to do.

DOVERE: Right.

DAVIS: But the other thing that I just want to say is, these negotiations, the difference between now and other wars, like I remember for us with Iraq and Afghanistan during Bush, these like things were happening behind the scenes. What's different with the president is that he's doing it in public. I mean he's negotiating with Iran over the media.

CORNISH: Yes.

DAVIS: Or Twitter or whatever.

CORNISH: He was saying in his press conference yesterday that it was -- that they didn't have an ability to communicate with them, that this was passing notes back and forth. That was his sort of description.

BERGEN: Well, I mean, I think that's true. I mean it's very, very similar to during the Gaza conflict, it was hard to negotiate with the leaders of Gaza because they're all underground. Similar with -- in this conflict.

Now, obviously, there are -- there are more mediators, Pakistan -- you know, Pakistan seems to be playing quite an important role. But, you know, at the end of the day, no one knows what's going to happen at 8 p.m. tonight. And --

CORNISH: No, that's fair. Yes.

BERGEN: So, making any kind of prediction is a fool's errand.

CORNISH: OK.

Well, let's turn to this. The president has been frustrated with what he calls leakers in the media. This time he is saying that the reporting over the fate of that U.S. airmen, the service members who were shot down in Iran on Friday, that that leaked ahead of the rescue. And the president is vowing to pursue the person who disclosed details about it.

So, here he is saying what he plans to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to go to the media company that released it, and we're going to say, national security, give it up or go to jail.

We have to find that leaker because that's a sick person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: He also said that people probably didn't realize the extent of how bad it was, and that it was kind of a national security risk, in this case, to the rescue mission itself.

I wanted to talk about this because, as we recall, the Pentagon kicked journalists out, right, before a court demanded that they come back. So, we know they're very, like, sensitive to this.

DOVERE: Yes, but, look, to pull back the curtain a little bit. The way that it usually works is when there's a national security threat, perceived other (ph) than (ph) reporting, is that when the news outlet would go to any administration and ask about it, an administration could say, listen, if you report that lives are at risk. And often that has led to pauses in the reporting or things that don't get reported.

I don't know what happened in this case, but we do have a situation with this administration where there is, obviously, a lack of trust and working -- and that sort of collaborative isn't quite the right word --

[06:55:07]

CORNISH: Yes.

DOVERE: But at least working together when it comes to things like that.

But we also know from Donald Trump that he has -- from long before he was ever in politics, threatened lawsuits and all sorts of things like that. The difference now, when he goes after reporters, is that he has all the power of the government behind him and clearly wants his Justice Department to be pursuing things that are in his political and personal interest.

CORNISH: Yes. And by definition it's an uneasy and adversarial relationship. What intrigues me is that locking out the press, complaining about the press, putting the press they like in the room has not made Americans any more happy about this war. Do you know what I mean? Like, there's only so much you can do to control perception, especially in the age of the internet.

BERGEN: Well, let me say that no war at its beginning has been as unpopular as this one.

CORNISH: Right.

BERGEN: Forty-one percent favorable. Vietnam, you know, we go back to World War II it was 97 percent, 9/11, it was 92 percent.

ROCHA: That was before the internet.

BERGEN: Yes. So --

CORNISH: Yes.

BERGEN: Yes, so, the point is, is like, we didn't -- that was not created by the media. You know, this is not a popular war.

DAVIS: But I think that we're missing the point here. I think the leaker he's talking about is the person within the Department of Defense that leaked it to the press --

DOVERE: Yes. Right.

DAVIS: Not the press that leaked it out. Because -- and by the way, I do agree with him that the Department of Defense employee who leaked the story about which put our military in harm's way is actually a problem.

CORNISH: Yes. But for the record, he does say, "and true social media outlets that generated it should be brought up on charges of treason as always in capitalism for dissemination of false information."

DOVERE: One of the media outlets that reported it was an Israeli outlet. So, I don't know exactly how that would work with it.

DAVIS: Yes.

DOVERE: But yes, there -- it's -- he is also talking about whoever the leaker was. Then it becomes a question of, is -- how does that fit within the larger purging that has been going on in the military? And what Secretary Hegseth and others there have been doing to try to force people to be on the same page as them.

CORNISH: Yes. It just feels like the more they try and grasp and squeeze the narrative they want, the more it eludes them. I just think, in this day and age, it's very difficult.

ROCHA: Especially after what we just reported, and you reported it earlier on this show, about how many people he's gotten rid of that maybe didn't fall in line with what they thought the military should be.

CORNISH: Right.

ROCHA: So, you would think there are very few people there. And if they are there, they're scared to death to do anything. Or maybe they are willing to leak. But I don't think that that's the case here. And I think that he's got a record now of ongoing battles against lots and lots of media types. And he loves to pivot, power and pivot --

DAVIS: Power and pivot.

ROCHA: To making sure that the media gets blamed and not his Department of Defense.

CORNISH: OK. Well, that was an amazing --

ROCHA: Thank you.

CORNISH: Amazing pivot.

(CROSS TALK)

CORNISH: You're about to talk about. Group chat, I didn't think we could pull it off, but here we are.

ROCHA: The power pivot.

CORNISH: And we will start with Miss Ashley. How are you doing?

DAVIS: I'm good. So today I brought my book so Chuck could sell a bunch of them, you know.

ROCHA: Whoo, I get 10 percent. Y'all buy a book.

DAVIS: But, no. Yes. So, it's something that I have some personal stories in it so my little friend here, Chuckie, will actually read it.

ROCHA: Here we go.

DAVIS: Some good dirt. No, not really. And -- but it's really about intentional change and how to -- I give a framework for individuals, businesses, as well as for leadership. And I've been talking about this for years and just put it in a book.

CORNISH: Nice. Nice.

What about just for like middle aged ennui, asking for a friend?

Chuck.

DAVIS: Well, middle aged too.

CORNISH: Chuck, what about you? What's in your group chat?

ROCHA: First of all, I love the book. And I think for a lot of you who want to read something who have maybe middle aged going through different crises in your life, it's good to always pivot back to something and that there's always a time you can start over.

But my pivot today is about thinking about 2028. It's never too early for political consultants to be think about 2028.

DAVIS: Oh.

ROCHA: And the good Reverend Al Sharpton is having a cattle call coming up this week in New York City. For those of you watching, watch the interviews, watch the questions that are asked, because this is going to be a snapshot into the Democratic primary. Lots of hopefuls there, lots of issues.

CORNISH: So, they're all going to a Sharpton event.

ROCHA: Yes.

CORNISH: OK.

ROCHA: In New York City for a sit down (ph).

DOVERE: About ten of them.

CORNISH: Yes.

DAVIS: I actually did his show. He was very nice.

CORNISH: Nice.

DAVIS: Yes.

CORNISH: OK, Peter, welcome.

BERGEN: My wife and I are struck by, you know, what Pete Hegseth is saying from the podium, invoking God at every turn.

CORNISH: Yes.

BERGEN: The fact that he is quoting scripture, the fact that he's asking people to pray for the troops, which, you know, that's not unreasonable. The fact that he compared the rescue of the pilot to the resurrection over the weekend, you know, it's just very unusual for a secretary of defense or secretary of war.

CORNISH: I've heard people -- Tucker Carlson talking about it and saying that this is creating a holy war atmosphere that is not necessary.

BERGEN: Well, it's amazing how many people on all sides of this conflict believe God is on their side.

CORNISH: Right.

DOVERE: The old Bob Dylan song.

Look, and what -- I don't think that we should -- can talk enough about the Artemis mission and everything there. It is amazing.

DAVIS: It's amazing.

DOVERE: It is an amazing feat of American ingenuity.

[07:00:02]

DAVIS: It is, the full picture.

DOVERE: And what it means for the future of all of us. And we know that we're going back to the moon. The plans that are already underway and that.

CORNISH: Yes.

DOVERE: But if you think about it, like, our cell phones came from the -- right?

CORNISH: I know. I know.

DOVERE: Velcro even, right?

CORNISH: I also, a few years back, I actually interviewed some of the astronauts who weren't going to get to go on the shuttle because the program was done. So, now the astronauts are back, baby, and we're back to the moon. So --

DAVIS: How much of that's done with SpaceX?

DOVERE: This is NASA.

CORNISH: This is --

DAVIS: No, but now SpaceX is involved.

CORNISH: We're going to find out because it's 7:00. (INAUDIBLE) are next.