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Connect the World
Israel Launches New Strikes on Iran and Lebanon; U.K. Strengthening Defensive Operations in Middle East; Iran Pledges Cooperation with Iraqi Kurds; Iranian Missiles and Drones Targeting Gulf States; White House Posts Video Containing "Call of Duty" Footage; Iranian Group Says 1,200+ Killed in Iran since Start of War. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired March 05, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky
Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 7:00 in the evening.
And the impact of the war with Iran expanding beyond the Middle East into Europe and central Asia. Azerbaijan is the latest country to report it's
come under attack by Iran. Officials in Azerbaijan say Iranian drones hit a school.
You can see the damage here. An airport near the border between the two countries also hit. Two people are reported injured. Iran denies being
behind the attacks.
Well, as the war spreads here in region. Britain's prime minister says the U.K.'s defensive presence in the Gulf region is being felt as British
forces are activated to help support allies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: I can announce today that we're sending four additional Typhoon jets to join our squadron in Qatar to strengthen
our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region.
Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities are arriving in Cyprus tomorrow. We're deploying HMS Dragon to the Mediterranean and we have
allowed the U.S. to use British bases to conduct defensive operations to take out Iranian missiles before they're fired at our people and our
allies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, meantime, Iran is feeling the brunt of U.S. and Israeli firepower as Israel launches an 11th wave of attacks. A state-run Iranian
agency reports more than 1,200 people killed since the start of the war.
And with very limited communications inside the country, it is very difficult to assess the extent of the impact of these strikes. Israel
striking again inside Lebanon, where 77 deaths have been reported. This video said to show a strike on what the IDF calls a Hezbollah command and
control center.
Well, CNN's senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, and his team have now crossed the border into Iran. CNN is the first U.S. network
allowed into the country since the start of this war. And we must point out that CNN operates in Iran only with government permission. Here's Fred's
report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We just crossed the border and are now inside of Iran. The Iranian government has granted
us a visa to come here and to report from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
We're now trying to make our way to the capital, Tehran, as fast as possible. But, of course, the distances in this huge country are immense
and we know it's going to take many, many hours for us to get there.
We also don't know what the situation on the road to Tehran is going to look like, how many checkpoints there's going to be. And, of course, we
know at the same time there are massive combat operations also going on.
The United States and Israel are continuing their huge aerial campaign against targets inside of Iran. At the same time, the Iranians continue to
retaliate, not just with their ballistic missiles but with their drones mostly hitting Israel but then also American military installations,
especially in the Gulf region but in general in the Middle East.
In total, the Iranians are saying that they can continue this campaign for a very long time. They say that their missile arsenal is still immense and
they haven't even used some of their most modern missiles.
But we also, of course, know that the place that we aim to go to Tehran has been under almost sustained attacks, with massive airstrikes going on there
and also huge damage being caused. And, of course, many people also having been harmed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Fred reporting there and he filed that report on the road, of course, on his way through Iran. Our international diplomatic
editor, Nic Robertson, is back with us this hour from Riyadh.
[10:05:00]
And before I talk about what's going on in this region, I just do want to mark off that that's a long journey for Fred. And clearly, as he was
rightly pointing out, given what we heard from the Pentagon yesterday about the U.S.-Israel military objectives, that could be a very dangerous trip in
for him -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, absolutely. I'm reminded of times where CNN has gone into, let's say, Iraq during the first Gulf War
in 1991, where there was an active bombing campaign underway by U.S. forces.
Back in the day then when I made that journey, the Pentagon was informed; everything done to mitigate that journalists wouldn't be collateral damage.
Very similarly in 2003, I was in Iraq then. Coalition forces led by the U.S. were coming into Iraq. We were on the move around the country at
various times.
And you do your best to mitigate the threat to you from coalition forces here. In this case, it would be the United States and Israel while you're
on the move. But this is a very, very complex situation.
The world has moved on a long way in the past 20 years. It's not clear that the same deferences are given to journalists. We've seen how many
journalists were killed in the conflict in Gaza.
It's not clear that they get the same latitude or understanding of the importance of what they're trying to achieve, bring a clear picture to the
world in a very complicated and chaotic situation.
So, yes, I think, for Fred Pleitgen and his team, this is a fraught journey, one that has many potentially clear and present dangers, one that
I'm sure they'll navigate successfully. And it's very important journalism that Fred is doing at the moment, hugely important.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. And we were just noting the very limited communications that we have with Iran and we are reporting on what we get.
But obviously it's very difficult to know exactly what is going on inside the country when the communications are so limited.
Nic, I want to get back to we -- what the U.K. prime minister, Keir Starmer, said earlier on today, reinforcing British support for Gulf allies
who are bearing the brunt of Iran's strikes. Iran would call these retaliation.
I can tell you around this region, the term "retaliation" is not being used. These are aggressive illegal actions as far as this Gulf region is
concerned. Here in Abu Dhabi we saw six new injuries today from debris of Iranian attacks. The total incoming here 196 ballistic missiles, over 1,000
drones.
Talk to us about what you've seen in Riyadh and how it fits into this broader picture, including the several European countries now coming to the
region's defense.
ROBERTSON: Yes. So early this morning, three cruise missiles were intercepted flying toward -- it appears toward a Saudi airbase just outside
of the capital. They were intercepted successfully a couple of hours later, three drones; a bit later, another drone intercepted in the north of Saudi
Arabia.
Earlier this afternoon -- I think this is what you're referring to -- we were driving out to the main airport here in Riyadh because we wanted to go
and see if people were, you know, fleeing the country. Saudi's airspace remains open. There are some people that have been transiting from Gulf
countries to come here to take flights out.
Just on the way to the airport, there was a -- an unconfirmed report that there was an alert for diplomats to shelter in place because of a potential
threat. We've heard those in recent days. We know that U.S. diplomats at least are sheltering in place.
But about 15 minutes later, when we arrived at the airport, there was a report of an explosion at -- over Riyadh. We didn't hear anything
ourselves. But as we turned around to head back into the center of the city, we saw smoke rising perhaps a mile, a couple of miles away from the
international airport.
And, of course, we called the ministry of defense here, who are the point of contact for details about incoming threats, about missiles, et cetera.
that are intercepted.
And at that time, 20 minutes or so after the incident, with the smoke that we'd seen, the ministry of defense wasn't able at that time to say that
there had been an intercept or a strike anywhere around Riyadh. So there's nothing to substantiate.
It seems the reports that unconfirmed reports of explosions, et cetera, or to connect the smoke we saw rising with anything more than potentially just
a fire on the ground and smoke rising.
[10:10:05]
But I think it does speak to the sensitivities here at the moment, that caution is taken when there are reports of possible threats, because some
of those warnings have been credible and real.
We saw that at the U.S. embassy a couple of nights ago. There was a warning and then there were impacts there. So I think people here, when they hear
about those warnings, they take them seriously. And diplomats and other people in other locations that are potential targets will undoubtedly
shelter in place, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. And while you've been talking, I have heard -- we got the alerts here. We were in a, you know, a decent, confined space here. So
that's why we will carry on away from windows. We had about 10 explosions while you were just reporting there,
So forgive me, folks, if we do move, if we get an alert again. But for the time being, I think those interceptions are -- have been successful at
least. Nic, thank you.
We've got a CNN exclusive. The story of Iranian bombers that were just two minutes away from striking the U.S. military's largest base in the Middle
East before being shot down by Qatari planes. You can find that report by CNN's Mustafa Salem on our digital platforms.
And that is well worth a read, the first and very obvious defensive posture with military aircraft by Qatar.
Well, let's get across to CNN's chief international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, live in Tel Aviv now.
And Israel ramping up its strikes on Iran while ordering entire neighborhoods in southern Beirut to evacuate for the first time in this
conflict. Get us up to speed on what you've got, Nick.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I have to say, it's a startling morning of developments here. Let's start
with Beirut, the southern suburb of Dahia (ph).
A map released by the Israel defense force basically showing that much of that southern area needs to be immediately evacuated, even showing the
roads that Lebanese should use.
That is hundreds of thousands of people who have to suddenly pick up everything that they have and get out, not knowing if indeed they can
return. And that anxiety. Remember, not everybody living there is associated with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, who were in Israel's
crosshairs at the moment.
Adding to that anxiety, Israel's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, yes, a hardliner; certainly somebody with influence within the security cabinet
here but not a decision maker. He has said they may seek to turn Dahia (ph) into the rubble, the devastation of Khan Yunis in Gaza.
So that is obviously adding to the fear here about the scope of what we may be about to see inside of Beirut. At the same time, yesterday we saw an
evacuation order for a significant part of southern Lebanon as well. So that operation moving ahead with startling, I would say, aggression and
speed.
And we've heard the defense minister, Israel Katz, say the goal is to disarm Hezbollah. That is a huge goal. Indeed, even if the organization is
significantly weakened at this point. Here, we've heard over the skies of Tel Aviv around Israel, interceptions, salvos throughout the day. Most seem
to have come from the direction of Iran.
At the same time, Israel moving fast inside of Iran, announcing the 12th wave of its airstrikes there; 40 targets hit. They seemingly seem to be
focusing on underground missile bunkers, ballistic missiles, air defense missiles in the Tehran area as well a U.S.-based human rights group,
Iranian, saying now that the death toll has reached 1,100.
That was as of this morning. I should point out, too, in Lebanon as of this morning, we were looking at 77 dead there as well. No indication that the
recent salvos we've been hearing and seeing intercepted here in Israel have caused casualties inside of Israel.
At the same time you've been reporting, Becky on this extraordinary array of continued Iranian assaults around the Gulf region. I should point out
that it was just yesterday that Iran's foreign minister, Saeed Abbas Araghchi, got on the phone with his Qatari counterpart.
And now the Qatari government is saying 14 missiles have been launched toward Doha, all bar one intercepted. That is kind of startling, really,
because the thrust, it seems, of Araghchi's message yesterday was that they were aiming at U.S. bases, al-Udeid in Qatar rather than at Qatar itself.
And hours later, they follow that with this extraordinary salvo. So questions I'm sure mounting in the region as to who is calling the shots
here, if diplomacy is suddenly followed by yet more missile salvos.
And, of course, the question answered, who is in charge in Iran now?
Days have passed.
[10:15:00]
There was a succession plan for the supreme leader, widely advertised, in place. There is no successor we know of publicly at this point. And instead
a morning in which Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, where you are, with six injured by strikes this morning, continuing
explosions that you can hear where you are.
Remarkable, I think, how we're seeing the scope of Iranian attacks across the region, going back to where we were at the beginning of this conflict
that is just barely five days old and showing signs of the unintended consequences of this beginning to spiral, Becky
ANDERSON: And I'm afraid, as you and I have been speaking -- and I've just heard another five very loud explosions in the vicinity of where we are. I
mean, you can never tell that they're in the vicinity. Obviously, we're hearing them here where we are in Abu Dhabi. Not clear where the actual
attacks are.
But we will continue to monitor those and get information. The information is coming very quickly from authorities, I have to say, here in the UAE,
keeping the citizens of this country bang up to date on exactly what is going on. Transparency the best policy in a situation like this.
Nobody wants to -- you know, it's not pleasant to know what's going on. Sometimes the numbers are worrying but it's better to know than not.
Well, we've heard a variety of explanations from the Trump administration. But the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs chairman General Caine laid out three
clear U.S. military objectives at a briefing on Wednesday.
The first, eliminating Iran's ballistic missiles systems; also destroying the Iranian Navy. And third, ensuring that Iran cannot rapidly rebuild or
reconstitute its combat capability.
Well, earlier I spoke with Malcolm Nance, who is a former U.S. Navy intelligence and national security expert. And I asked him, from a military
perspective, how quickly he believes these three mission objectives can be achieved. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALCOLM NANCE, FORMER U.S. NAVY INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT: Well, mission number one is going to take a long period of time because you
can't get every individual ballistic missile. You can degrade them down to where perhaps they can only fire off a few. The Iranian Navy, that was just
a -- that was a gimme, right?
That's what we would say. That was something that was absolutely going to happen. The Iranian Navy is almost a showcase force. I thought the Iranian
Navy in 1988, decisive victories. They're just ships. They didn't even come out of port. The crews were not on the vessels and we sank them in harbor.
It's the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' 33,000 small boats that really pose the asymmetric threat within the Gulf. That could take a very long
time to degrade if we never degrade it.
And also reducing their military capability, you can destroy the Iranian air force. They were on the ground, you know, they were very easy targets
to hit. You can reduce the Iranian navy. But you can't get rid of the army.
You can't get of the rid of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps because, you know, so long as there is an intersection, a street corner and a tea
shop, the IRGC, you know, main foot soldiers and the Basij volunteer militias have a place to go.
You cannot overthrow a military force strictly from the air. You cannot have regime change or regime collapse strictly from the air. So their
objectives are good for what they want to do militarily. But in the long term, the Iranians have the capacity to make this war go a year or more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, good analysis there earlier on CNN. It's good to get that out to you. We just want to reiterate again we have just heard a series of
blasts here in Abu Dhabi, possible intercepts of Iranian drones or missiles, as we speak.
Ahead of -- ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, Iran's foreign minister speaks with the president of Iraq's Kurdistan region after CNN reports that the CIA is
working to arm Kurdish forces. Details on that are after this.
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ANDERSON: Well, Iran says it is pledging to cooperate with Iraqi Kurds in an effort to prevent other nations from exploiting the situation to
destabilize the region. That is from the Iranian foreign ministry. Now let me give you some background to this.
This announcement was made after a high-stakes phone call between Iran's foreign minister and the president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
And it comes after CNN reported that the CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces, hoping to trigger an uprising in Iran.
Well, we are live in Iraq, where CNN's chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, is reporting from Irbil.
And you are working for Kurdish forces in Iraq to understand when and how groups there could possibly mount a ground incursion against the Iranian
regime. Just break this down for us.
What have you learned?
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, they're still saying that it could happen any time, that they are ready at any
moment.
They haven't given a definitive date but certainly our reporting, which has now been followed by a number of different outlets, has caused a great deal
of consternation here in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Because, as you mentioned, the Iraqi Kurdish leadership does not want to see its country used as any kind of a launch pad for a potential ground
offensive of Iranian Kurdish fighters into Iran.
When I spoke to a senior leader yesterday, he said listen, the Iranians have already warned us that, if we allow that to happen, there will be hell
to pay for it. And certainly Iran appeared to telegraph that, how serious it was about that threat in the last 24 hours, Becky.
Three of these Iranian Kurdish factions here in Iraqi Kurdistan have come under drone and missile attack. At least one fighter was killed. There were
several injuries as well.
And all of this giving rise to fears that this could simply become a really chaotic situation, if, indeed, those Iranian Kurdish fighters do go ahead
and cross that border into Western Iran.
The other thing that we've seen, when you look at the map of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, it does appear that there is a concentration of
strikes along the Iranian border with Iraqi Kurdistan. And that is kind of fueling this speculation that potentially that is intended to pave the way
for this ground offensive.
But as I mentioned before, Becky, the repercussions and the spillout from this, if it does indeed happen, is really causing a huge amount of alarm
here, also in Baghdad. Important for our viewers to remember, Iraqi Kurdistan is part of Iraq. And the Baghdad government has made very clear
they cannot afford to be involved in this conflict.
They need to maintain neutrality. And that is becoming all the more challenging. A very tough needle to thread, as we hear increased noise
about this highly anticipated ground offensive. Becky.
[10:25:00]
ANDERSON: Yes, this is really complex and really challenging and needs managing. Clarissa, thank you.
The latest U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran has slammed into Tehran's iconic Azadi sports complex. We are hearing that from Iran's state media. The
attack hit the indoor facilities at the complex. The sports venue was also used for public ceremonies during religious and political occasions.
Also inside Iran, the death toll keeps rising. The state-run Iranian agency says more than 1,200 people have been killed since Saturday. And the White
House now acknowledging it may have been a U.S. attack that hit a girls' elementary school in Iran at the weekend.
Tehran says 168 children were killed. And a journalist based in Tehran and a former CNN colleague has been telling us about the mood in the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA SAYAH, TEHRAN-BASED JOURNALIST: What I can tell you is, you know, some people don't like this government. They don't mind that the supreme
leader is gone. And they celebrated his death.
But there's millions of Iranians who are mourning his death. They loved him. He was their spiritual leader. And I think most people, millions of
others, are just terrified. They feel helpless. And they want this to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right. Before we move on, I just want to bring up what the ministry of defense here has just released. This is six or so minutes ago.
The UAE air defenses, the MOD in the UAE, says, are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.
The MOD asserts that the sounds heard are the result of the air defense systems intercepting missiles and drones.
Just as an observation, I've heard at least 12 big explosions since we've been on air reporting in the past 15 minutes or so. So that's clearly an
ongoing operation.
Mohammad Ali Kadivar is an associate professor of sociology and international studies at Boston College. He now joins us from Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
You've written a comprehensive analysis of what might happen next, headlined "The Fantasy of Liberation by War."
In it, you outlined two possible paths for this war. One, regime collapse or, two, regime survival under external assault.
Let's just talk about that, the possibilities of increased chaos, the record of foreign-imposed regime changes -- not ambiguous. It is grim in
many cases. The probability of civil war more than doubles within a decade. Just walk us through, you know, what you -- what your thinking is here and
what you expect.
MOHAMMAD ALI KADIVAR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SOCIOLOGY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, BOSTON COLLEGE: Thank you for having me.
So yes, there are two possible scenarios. One is regime collapse. This is what also Israeli and American politicians have announced as their goals.
But without the troops on the ground, this is a unlikely scenario. But let's say hypothetically, it happens. It means the government in Tehran
will collapse.
But the first thing is that this doesn't mean that all the forces that support and fight for Islamic Republic are going to disappear. There are
many Basij units, militias, Revolutionary Guards throughout the country, not just in barracks or police stations. They are in mosques, they are in
houses, schools and elsewhere.
So regime collapse means these parts of at least these forces will remain. They will have access to arms. And given what we know about their ideology
and their past record, they're not going to surrender. They probably will keep fighting.
In addition now, we are talking about arming the Kurdish insurgents. There have been armed insurgents in Iran's Balochistan, also in the Arab regions.
They might also join. And then whoever else would receive arm from outside -- so this is one possible scenario -- these factions then will be fighting
for dominance.
Or with, let's say, if there are American or Israeli forces in the country. The other scenario, which at least right now is more likely is that the
regime or some version of the regime will survive.
Let's say their military capability will be reduced. They are militarily weaker. It doesn't mean that they would lose their capacity for coercion
within the country.
[10:30:04]
So right now, obviously it's wartime conditions. The public spaces are on heavy surveillance. There are checkpoints everywhere. These moments of
conflicts, we have seen what they do before in Iran. The major case in point is the Iran-Iraq war that lasted for 18 years.
What were the consequences?
First, was it just shut down all the mobilized sectors of the Iranian civil society that were mobilized after the '79 revolution up to 1981, when the
regime used the context of war to shut them down.
These conflicts also make the elites very cohesive. This is a feature of Iran. Iran is a post-revolutionary regime, a regime that has emerged out of
these episodes of violent upheaval.
The other regimes like this are Soviet Union. Maoist China, it's Cuba. It's Algeria after the war of independence. These have been very resilient
regimes. This is well discussed within political science literature.
These moments of violent upheaval bring these elites together. And this would reinforce it. Also, the Islamic Republic has held a high level of
mobilization of its supporters. And right now, especially after death of Khamenei, their base is very energized, is very mobilized and they are
speaking about vengeance
ANDERSON: Can I ask you, can I ask you this?
In terms of what the surviving officials of this regime are now saying -- they are denying CNN reporting that there have been efforts to reach out to
Washington through an intermediary country. Here's what the deputy foreign minister of Iran said. Have a listen
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJID TAKHT-RAVANCHI, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: We haven't heard anything and we have not conveyed any message to Americans because we are
now defending ourselves. We are in a defensive mode.
And what we are concentrating on is to -- is to protect ourselves, to defend ourselves. So no message is being sent. And we haven't we haven't
received any message by America or by anybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, they may call it a defensive mode. It certainly feels like an offensive mode if you're sitting where I am here in the Gulf and
listening to the continued explosions from missile and drone interceptions that are going on as we speak here in Abu Dhabi.
We've seen the similar in Saudi, in Qatar, in Bahrain and Kuwait. I mean, this goes on.
How long can they keep this up?
KADIVAR: I mean, as long as they have missiles to shoot. And I think even your report and other reports suggest that, for now, they have missiles and
just warfare to continue. It's asymmetrical. Iran is receiving a lot more heat and damage than whatever it's doing to its targets.
But their calculation is that they can outlast, they can receive, they can absorb more pain than their adversaries. This is the calculation based on
which they keep fighting. And I think, for them, this is an existential fight. They are fighting for survival. So they just keep going as much as
they can.
ANDERSON: You've heard the Pentagon briefing yesterday. It is quite clear that at least the Chairman of the joint Chiefs has a military objective and
he laid that out very clearly.
And that is that the next phase of this -- and, you know, they talked about completing the next phase within a week, if that's of the start, then we're
talking about the next 72 hours could be very punishing on Iran, talking about precision bombing inside the country.
What do you genuinely believe Iranians can take at this point?
And we've talked about what you think the regime, you know, looks like; its posture at this point.
To your mind, is there a Delcy (ph) moment, as people are calling it, whereby there has been some communication with elements of this regime by
the CIA or others ahead of this war that president Trump can rely on and say, actually we've got people on the inside. We know what's going on. We
know how this is going to play out.
Do you buy that?
KADIVAR: That they communicate with the -- with the regime to -- for a ceasefire or for -- I'm not sure what you were suggesting.
ANDERSON: Elements of the regime on a coup, effectively, a coup.
KADIVAR: So a feature of this regime, this revolutionary regime, is that they are very coup-proof, like you don't -- there hasn't been coups in
Soviet Union, in China, in Algeria, Cuba, even Iraq (ph).
[10:35:05]
This is mainly a speculation. The way these regimes have formed, they have already removed elements that would bring a -- if anyone wants to do a
coup, it's Revolutionary Guards. But Revolutionary Guards are fighting the war right now so I don't think this is a realistic hypothesis about a coup.
ANDERSON: Last question to you.
Do you think -- what concern do you think those elements that do still exist who are running things in Iran, what concern do you believe they'll
have, if any, about the damage to their relations with those in the Gulf that they had relations with?
And I'm talking very specifically here about Qatar and, to a lesser degree, Saudi Arabia.
KADIVAR: Yes. I mean there have been moderate elements within the regime. I think they did not favor this type of retaliation. But right now, as I
said, in their understanding, this is an existential war.
And something we should understand about Islamic Republic is that there's political survival. Their survival is their priority and it's based on
political strategy. It is not based on the economic or international costs it could bring. I think they are willing to pay any costs whatsoever to
stay in power.
They're different from other autocratic regimes, that economic growth is a pillar of support for them and survival. Economic growth, prosperity and
good relations with neighbor, they would do these things for their survival.
But if their survival in their understanding comes to that they have to just attack everyone around and fight this fight, they are willing to give
this --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Understood.
KADIVAR: After the war stops, I think then we, after a while, we could see different factions playing their games against each other. So we could see
those factions coming out later. But I don't think at the moment we will see much from them.
ANDERSON: But not at this point. Gotcha. Thank you very much indeed for joining us today.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Next up, outrage as the White House uses footage from a video game in a post about U.S.
missile strikes in Iran.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Well, the White House is facing a backlash after posting a video
on social media that mixed footage from the video game, "Call of Duty," with clips of American missile strikes in Iran.
[10:40:02]
Now this video, captioned "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," was criticized by the founder of the Independent Veterans of America as
inappropriate and juvenile for appearing to treat war as though it is a video game. Brian Stelter is here with more.
Firstly, Brian, what does this video show?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This video is a combination of the game "Call of Duty" modern warfare, one of the most popular games in video
game history, combined with actual clips released by the U.S. military of missile strikes inside Iran.
This is a montage. It's about a minute long and, you know, the word viral gets overused. But this video has gone viral on X. If you believe the
numbers on Elon Musk's social network, X, which I tend to believe are inflated but are directionally right, this video has gained more than 30
million views since it was uploaded.
And that's because it has struck a chord with people. It's getting some people to respond with amusement others with disgust and many with
astonishment. When you look through the replies to this video, you see so many people in the U.S. and beyond saying, I can't believe the White House
just made this look like a video game, because that's really the message.
This video is likening the real, live war to a video game by combining footage from "Call of Duty" with these missile strikes. And so you're
hearing denunciations from many longtime Trump critics, as well as some inside the video game industry, who say that their product, their
entertainment product, shouldn't be used or abused in this way
ANDERSON: We've had 1,072 drone attacks here, eight U.S. cruise missile attacks and 196 ballistic missile attacks here. So I can tell you it's not
a video game for those who have designed this.
Has the White House responded to the backlash?
STELTER: The White House seems to be encouraging the backlash. We've seen this in other occasions where the White House likes to troll critics, likes
to stoke controversy, likes to get all the attention. Sometimes the outrage is the point.
And I fear this is one of those examples. We heard from the communications director, Stephen Cheung, on X last night, saying he basically used a video
game slogan, W's for wins, to celebrate the fact that this video was getting so much attention.
To me, taking this seriously, though, I think it speaks to a challenge the Trump administration faces. Whether the administration wants to admit it or
not, this is already an unpopular war in the United States. Numerous polls have shown that most Americans are against the U.S. action in Iran.
So what will the White House do to try to sell this unpopular war?
What kind of videos will it cook up?
What kind of propaganda will we see?
I think this video involving "Call of Duty" might be an early example of the White House trying to figure out how to sell an unpopular war.
And I really appreciate your point about the human impact minute by minute that's actually happening, you know, through the networks like CNN and
through the videos posted by individual influencers and tourists who are stranded and citizens who never thought they'd live in an active war zone.
People in the U.S. and around the world are able to actually see the true cost of what is happening. Yes, we still need better access inside Iran. We
need more vantage points about what's going on inside Iran.
But it is -- I find myself, when I wake up every day, as I scroll through my Instagram feed, my TikTok feed, I feel like we're all seeing so many
points of view of this conflict. And it makes very clear this is not a game at all.
ANDERSON: Yes, this is very real. Ask the kids here in the UAE.
Coming up next.
And thank you, Brian. I really appreciate it.
As war in Iran expands and the death toll rises, we're going to hear from the chief of staff to the son of the last shah. Stay with us
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[10:45:00]
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ANDERSON: Well, as we close out the sixth day of an expanding Middle East war, Israel has launched an 11th wave of attacks on Iran and the death toll
keeps rising. A state-run Iranian agency says more than 1,200 people have been killed since Saturday.
The White House now acknowledging that it may have been a U.S. attack that hit a girls' elementary school in Iran at the weekend. Tehran says 168 kids
were killed.
Well Cameron Khansarinia is the chief of staff to Reza Pahlavi, whose father, of course, was the last shah of Iran. Cameron joining us now live
from Paris.
It's good to have you, sir. A staggering human toll already and very little heard from Reza Pahlavi.
So what is his reaction to this war and your team's assessment of what's going on on the ground in Iran, sir?
CAMERON KHANSARINIA, CHIEF OF STAFF TO REZA PAHLAVI: Well, it's very good to be with you, Becky. The prince has always condemned civilian casualties
in any conflict.
Indeed, he warned for years that if the Islamic Republic would continue to be appeased by foreign powers, that we would get to a scenario like this,
in which, unfortunately innocent lives would be lost on all sides.
First and foremost, of course, his heart is with the people of Iran. That's why he's been in this fight for 47 years, because this regime has taken our
country hostage, has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in its secret prisons, on the streets, as it did just several
weeks ago when, at his call, people came to the streets.
And Khamenei and Larijani and their regime killed 40,000 innocent people. So this is a fight for liberation the Iranian people are in. And after 47
years of weak and policies of the West that have appeased this regime, finally president Donald Trump has entered to support the people of Iran to
get rid of this regime.
They are targeting the regime's repressive apparatus, the IRGC. So the people of Iran have a fair chance to take their country back.
ANDERSON: And he has said he wants the people of Iran to take back their country, as you rightly say. This is what Donald Trump said in the Oval
Office about Reza Pahlavi just two days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Reza Pahlavi, is he an option at all in your mind?
TRUMP: I guess he is. Some people like him and we haven't been thinking about -- too much about that. It would seem to me that somebody from within
might -- maybe would be more appropriate.
I've said that he looks like a very nice person but it would seem to me that somebody that's there, that's currently popular, if there is such a
person. But we have people like that. We have people that were more moderate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It doesn't sound as if Donald Trump is particularly wedded to the idea of Mr. Pahlavi's taking on the country in a day-after plan.
What's Mr. Pahlavi's reaction to that?
KHANSARINIA: Well, the prince has always relied first and foremost on what matters most of all to him is the opinion of the people of Iran. And you
have seen and the American government have seen and people around the world have seen in their millions.
People take to the streets to chant his name, to chant, "Javid Shah," "Long live the king, Reza Pahlavi." This is the national slogan. This is the
final battle. Pahlavi will return.
And president Trump is exactly right, when, as he has multiple times said, that it is the people of Iran who will determine their future leaders. Now
there is no unfortunately popular or moderate figure within this regime.
Whether it's Hassan Rouhani, whether it's Larijani, whether it's Khalibov (ph), all of these people are criminals. They are the accomplices of Ali
Khamenei. So Ali Khamenei has met his fate and those individuals will not be accepted by the people of Iran.
[10:50:00]
Because they have slaughtered them. They have detained them. They have jailed them. They have raped them for years. So the Islamic Republic is not
just a system of one man or now his incompetent and equally criminal son, Mojtaba.
It's the entire system that the people of Iran are rejecting. However, the prince is working and speaking with actors inside the country on a daily
basis, the transitional government that he will lead, when this regime collapses at the call of the people, will include those within the regime.
The scenario that we are advocating has learned from the lessons of previous failed transitions in the region, particularly in our neighbor,
Iraq, to avoid the de-Ba'athification scenario, to use and incorporate as many of the officials of the bureaucracy of the armed forces as possible in
the transitional government.
Those whose hands are soaked with the blood of the Iranian people and who have engaged in mass corruption and looting of Iran's national resources
will have to pay their day in court and stand before the Iranian people for their crimes.
But the prince values, first and foremost, the will of the Iranian people. And the president has been exactly right to say that it will be the people
of Iran who will decide their future leaders. And I think it's quite clear to all who watch whose name they're chanting.
ANDERSON: No, I'm going to be completely clear here, for our viewers who may not be completely up to speed on this. He has supporters, of course.
But he has no mandate from the Iranian people, either inside or outside of the country. And there are many who oppose Reza Pahlavi as well.
I think it is important to point that out. There may be many people here who are not imbued in this story, so important to be transparent.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well, the CNN is reporting that the CIA -- hold on, sir -- by some Iranians. The CIA, CNN reporting that the CIA is arming Kurds to stoke
an uprising and potentially support a ground offensive against the regime. Reza Pahlavi has consistently said that he is committed to the territorial
integrity of Iran.
So what are his thoughts on these latest reports?
KHANSARINIA: Well, first of all, Becky, the White House has denied these reports. There was a lot of rumors yesterday about incursions into Iran.
The prince has been absolutely clear and the people of Iran overwhelmingly back him in this position.
Iran's territorial integrity is non-negotiable. Indeed, it's important to note that the vast majority of Iranian Kurds, of Iranians of all
ethnicities, of all tribal groups, do not support secessionism. They don't support Iran being broken up, because that's the quickest way to
instability. It violates, of course, Iran's territorial integrity.
As a principle, Iran is not a manufactured nation state in which peoples have been forced to live together. It has been as one nation state for
nearly 2,500 years with the beautiful tapestry of people from ethnicities, different languages, religions.
And so, of course, no Iranian will accept a violation of its territorial integrity. Indeed, it is the Islamic Republic itself that has pushed Iran
to the brink of even discussing such a risk because of the absolute repression with which they have forced religious minorities and other
groups to live in.
So the people of Iran, in every one of Iran's 31 provinces, including Kurdistan, including Western Azerbaijan, including Kermanshah and all parts
of Western Iran, where millions of Iranian Kurds lived, chanted the name of prince, Reza Pahlavi.
And so go back to the previous question. You say that there are others there. Well, there's nobody -- there's not a single name that has been
chanted in the streets of Iran besides the name of prince Reza Pahlavi. So there are contenders. There are regime remnants who are trying to vie for
power.
(CROSSTALK)
But the prince has been the only person whose name has been chanted in every single one of Iran's provinces, not only in the past month but over
the past 5-10 years. The evidence is overwhelmingly clear and all one need do is review the footage.
ANDERSON: My point was that his name is being chanted by some in the country. I didn't deny that his name is being chanted. I just said that his
name is being chanted by some but not all, of course, in the country.
Let me just also ensure that our viewers are completely clear that the White House has denied that Donald Trump has approved these plans for a
Kurdish-led incursion and uprising, not that the CIA actually has a plan. Let's be clear about that.
But certainly the White House has denied that Donald Trump has approved any plans for a Kurdish-led incursion and uprising.
Cameron, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
We have been hearing loud blasts throughout this hour here in Abu Dhabi. The reality of this war with Iran fully felt here in Abu Dhabi as the
alarms go off again.
[10:55:00]
Our team has heard and seen emergency vehicles in the area. More news after this
END
