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Erin Burnett Outfront
Iran's Ayatollah In Hiding, Silent Since Trump Announced Ceasefire; Trump's Intel Advisers Back Him: Iran Nuke Program Destroyed; Democratic Socialist Declares NYC Victory, Sets Off Political Earthquake. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired June 25, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:28]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, live from the Middle East.
The breaking news, top Iranian leaders issuing a public warning tonight. Nowhere to be seen, though, Ayatollah Khamenei. His last message to the world, a burning U.S. flag, more than 48 hours ago. Where is the supreme leader? New reporting ahead.
Plus, Trump's CIA director and director of national intelligence backing his claims that Iran's nuclear program was severely damaged. The crucial question, though, is this what happened to Iran's massive stashes of enriched uranium?
And a bomb proof bunker deep inside a mountain 2,000 feet underground, only not in Iran. We're going to take you tonight inside the so-called America fortress.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And welcome to this special edition of OUTFRONT live from the Middle East. We begin with the breaking news here. A dire warning from Iran, which is just north of where were standing tonight.
The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, in a new video addressing the nation warning, quote, our fighters are ready. Fingers on the trigger. If the enemy makes a mistake, they will be met with a firm and powerful response.
Meantime, that coming from the head of the IRGC, nowhere to be seen, the most powerful person in Iran, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the ruler of Iran for the last 36 years. And tonight, there are major questions about his well-being and his whereabouts.
Since Trump announced the ceasefire, we have not heard a single word from him. We've heard from Iran's president. We've heard from the foreign minister. We've heard from the head of the IRGC, as I just showed you. But we have not heard from the supreme leader. In fact, as of right now, as I'm talking, it has been more than 48 hours since his last post on social media, which was this image of an American flag going up in flames. And while our Fred Pleitgen has seen people on the streets of Tehran,
among the regime faithful holding up pictures of the ayatollah, this appears to be the last time that we've seen him on camera. That was back on June 18th, exactly one week ago.
Since then, we know he's been in a bunker hiding. According to "The New York Times", no longer using electronic communications, reportedly has a list of several successors in case he is killed. Source even telling me that the foreign minister was unable to get in touch with the supreme leader of the country during the ceasefire itself on whether to make a deal.
I mean, this is incredible. This is the man who has been calling the shots for 36 years, and here we are at one of the most important moments, maybe the most important in those years. And he's nowhere to be seen?
And there's been no one more vocal over those past decades when it comes to threatening the United States. He has led the death to America chants. He's warned the United States would suffer irreparable damage. His words should it enter the conflict between Iran and Israel, right? Leading the charge on this.
He also threatened American bases. He's the one who warned that they are within Iran's reach. So, his absence is glaring, and it comes at a crucial time. The ceasefire between Iran and Israel hanging on by a thread holding tonight, mercifully but still very fragile and new.
Well, here's the president of Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Can it start again? I guess someday it can. It could maybe start soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course. That's the president of the United States. Although now I wonder what he would think of the misspeak I just had.
Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT live outside the White House.
And, Jeff, you know, in that context, you hear Israel controlling the skies. You know, the President Trump saying that Iran, he doesn't almost -- doesn't worry about whether there's a nuclear deal or not, because the damage that the U.S. inflicted in those strikes was so severe, right? He's made that very clear.
But the absence of the supreme leader, the ayatollah, is so crucial at this time to imagine the most important leader of a country being completely absent. What is the White House view on this?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erin, its notable that view, publicly at least, is silence. And that speaks volumes, potentially, President Trump is making his way back here to the White House. He is scheduled to land this hour, and he has not said anything significantly.
But behind the scenes, White House and administration officials also are not, at least publicly talking about this. So, it does raise questions. Now, you'll remember the whole reason that these discussions began with the U.S. and Iran a few months ago was because the supreme leader approved them. He signed off on them.
And the question today that the U.S. president raised at the NATO press conference was Iran talks next week. Very few details about who will participate in those, if they will be at high levels or not, or what the outline of all that is, even as President Trump is saying that, you know, basically a gentleman's agreement is enough.
[19:05:10]
They don't need any type of signed document about, you know, limiting the future of the nuclear program. So, it is a question. I do not have an answer for you on this. Administration officials do not seem to have an answer.
So that perhaps is one of the most unknown parts of the intelligence reports that are still coming in here. So, it's something certainly to keep an eye on. But for all sides, essentially touting victory in this, the silence certainly is notable, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Jeff Zeleny, thank you so much, at the White House tonight, where, of course, the president's return from the NATO summit.
OUTFRONT now, Arash Azizi and Iranian journalist who's deeply sourced in his home country, also a contributor at "The Atlantic"; Nazila Fathi, she was "The New York Times" correspondent based in Tehran for a decade. And, Jim Sciutto, of course, our national security analyst.
So, Arash, I know your sources have been telling you a lot about the supreme leader. In fact, some telling you that the ayatollah's days could be numbered. What are you learning?
ARASH AZIZI, IRANIAN JOURNALIST, CONTRIBUTOR, "THE ATLANTIC": I'm learning that Tehran is really in the middle of a ferocious political struggle over the future of the country. This was already going on in lower form since Ayatollah Khamenei is 86. You know who is going to take power after him? Which direction the country is going to go in was already in the news, but I think he's really showed to be really inept as a wartime leader, you know, as you were sort of pointing out before, this is a man who chanted death to America and death to Israel all his life.
But when it came to direct confrontation with America and Israel, Iranian civilians did they dying, Iranian soldiers did the fighting, whereas he was fighting. And he's nowhere to even be seen, and not able to make the major decisions. So, I think different figures who hope to take Iran into different directions are really plotting.
And some of the people that I spoke to hope to, although they're not in touch with President Rouhani particularly, but they hope that someone like him and some other figures could take the reins and take Iran into a different direction.
BURNETT: I mean, Nazila, you hear the president of Iran has spoken, the foreign minister, of course, seemed to lead the ceasefire. Right? I mean, we knew we know, at least from reporting that the ayatollah does not appear to have been part of that decision because he didn't have communications. The head of the IRGC has just spoken with new threats to the United States. And the ayatollah said absolutely nothing.
What do you make of it?
NAZILA FATHI, FORMER NEW YORK TIMES CORRESPONDENT BASED IN TEHRAN: It is really hard to speculate what's happening. I mean, he clearly is absent from the picture. He either doesn't know what has happened. He is unaware of the scale of the conflict and the number of people who have lost their lives, and also his own military leaders who have been completely eliminated.
He either doesn't know or I think I saw something positive right before the ceasefire, and that might demonstrate that there is some kind of measured approach going on, and there is some kind of leadership emerging because Iran did show restraint. Iran was the first country that acknowledged the ceasefire, and we are seeing that they are trying to de-escalate the crisis.
I totally agree with Arash. This is the time that change is going to come, and there is not much love or support for the supreme leader. So maybe his absence is not being felt so much inside the country. He is the one who's reckless language caused the crisis. And also, he's the man who has basically crushed any kind of dissent and any kind of reform that started from 1997 in the country.
BURNETT: Yeah. Well, I mean, Jim, just -- it is just truly spectacular to consider, right, that someone could lead a country for decades in this direction, right, and then at the moment, that of crisis, when ceasefire and such humiliation is, is nowhere to be seen.
I know you just spoke with the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations a few moments ago. You asked him about the ayatollah. Does Israel have any idea where he is?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That's right. I spoke to Ambassador Danny Danon. When I first asked him, he said, well, that's really a question for the Iranians, but, but I pressed him and I said, do you have knowledge? And specifically did Israel attempt to strike the supreme leader? Because, as you mentioned, Erin, Israel has taken out a number of senior military officials, nuclear experts, et cetera.
Danon's answer, and I'm going to read it, to be clear. He said, no, no, we know he's very old. We know he was hiding in a bunker for a while, but we don't know what's happening with him today. So, the ambassador is saying Israel did not attempt to strike him. I think a simpler explanation is possible and that it that it is a very nervous situation today for senior leaders in Iran, given how many have been killed in recent days by Israeli strikes, and it may very well be that he's continuing to take cover, right?
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And that, you know, using an electronic device in the midst of that is a dangerous thing to do.
BURNETT: Right, right. Of course, we don't know who runs a social media account, given his age and who he is, it would appear someone else posts things.
But that -- that hasn't been happening, right? That burning flag before the ceasefire, the last acknowledgment, Arash, does it appear -- and this is the crucial question when you talk about regime change, those words that President Trump put into the ether last week and now says the U.S. doesn't want regime change or that's not what they're seeking.
Do you think that the ayatollah is actually still in charge?
AZIZI: I don't think so. I think there is -- there are many signs in which he is not making the day-to-day decisions, and there are others who have stepped into the spotlight there to do that. The national security council, for example, was the body that decided on the ceasefire. And that was clear.
I should also say that in the in the last little while, I was spoken to someone, I reported about this in "The Atlantic" of a number of people, military figures, businessmen, some of them political figures who are having conversations. They were obviously very hesitant to talk to anyone. But, you know, they were they spoke to me in the hope of putting this out to the world so that they'll see what are the -- what are the reactions?
And they're thinking, you know, they put it as sort of a plan for post-Khamenei Iran. Now, whether that's when Khamenei dies, if that's soon, or whether they can sideline him, perhaps, perhaps they can put him under house arrest. They can sort of temporarily keep him as a figurehead.
But, you know, as it is now, effectively let pass elsewhere. And these are figures to have hopes for someone like Rouhani. And, you know, they have some interesting characteristics, but very much they very much would like to Iran to have better relations with the region. Some of them are in touch with the GCC countries with which Iran has had developing relations.
So, I very much think that -- and they also believe that they're not the only plot in town, that there are other plots going on in Tehran in this regard. So I very much think that this is a moment when it's possible that one of these will win and will able to push Iran into a different direction.
BURNETT: You know, Nazila hearing from some in Iran over the years that I've, you know, spoken to, I've been surprised by those who have been willing to express their feelings in a way I have never heard before, you know, deep frustration for while we were suffering, he was in a bunker just to even express that sort of thing is something that, from some I would never have heard before. But we're hearing it now.
And I know that you have friends and you have family on the ground in Iran. You have people you are speaking to there every day. What is -- you know, we saw Fred Pleitgen on the street and those signs of the ayatollah, those are still there among those, you know, regime organized, it appears, rallies of get the faithful out.
But beyond that propaganda, what's the reality? What's the feeling right now about the supreme leader?
FATHI: The reality is that people, those who had fled the cities and were hiding, are coming back to their homes and are seeing the scale of the destruction, and they have -- I mean, they -- they went into hiding expecting that when they come back, things are going to be different.
They were hearing reports from Iranian satellite programs saying that this was the time for regime change, and now they're coming back and they're finding their homes, some of them destroyed. They're hearing about the number of the deaths, and the whole thing feels like a mirage to them. Nothing has changed.
So, there is huge expectation on the ground, pretty much like it was after the war with Iraq. But at that time, the founder of the revolution died a few months after the ceasefire. And things did change. So, it is very possible that we would see a similar development in Iran now.
BURNETT: Yeah, Jim, you know, also, when you think about Prime Minister Netanyahu has said, you know, leveled that direct threat to the ayatollah, which perhaps is what presaged him going to the bunker. You know, basically, we can kill you whenever we want to kill you. We know where you are.
And Israel has taken out a number of Iranian leaders, and everybody knows around the world what they did successfully with Hezbollah, with the pager explosions, that they set up years before. Obviously, they have chosen not to take out the ayatollah at this time.
But even if Ambassador Danon is telling you the full story and they don't know exactly where he is right now, even if that's the case, it would seem that at this point, if they wanted to take him out, they could, regardless of knowing technically where he is.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, I don't I don't think there's a comfortable senior Iranian official in Iran right now, given what not only what Iran has shown it's willing to do right, but also its capabilities. And this goes back to killing Haniyeh, right, the Hamas leader, by planting a bomb in a hotel there in central Tehran.
I mean, Iran clearly has penetrated this country and this regime to an enormous degree. And it -- you know, I'm sure that leaders there, the message has gotten through to those leaders.
I think the other thing, too, is that there's been this aura of, if not quite invincibility of strength around this regime for so many years that -- you know, you couldn't try to go after the nuclear program.
[19:15:06]
They just have too many resources. Their air defenses are too great. All of that has been burst. That bubble has been burst. And not just for the leaders of Iran, but for the people of Iran as well.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all so very much. And in such a crucial part of this conversation, you know, the answer to the question about the supreme leader could affect where all of this goes for the world.
And next members of Trump's intelligence team are now backing up the assessment that the U.S. strikes in Iran destroyed the country's nuclear program. All of these, though words boil down to this crucial question is Iran going to be able to reconstitute and make a nuclear weapon or not?
Plus, Iran now claiming it was Trump who was begging for a ceasefire. A special report on what Iranian state media is telling the Iranian people tonight. This is what they're seeing on their screens.
And what's being called a political earthquake. Who is the 33-year-old state lawmaker who took down Andrew Cuomo in New York?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE: I'm freezing your rent as the next mayor of New York City. Let's plunge into the details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump and his top advisers in unison tonight, saying that Iran's nuclear program is destroyed after the military strikes Trump ordered over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We've collected additional intelligence. We've also spoken to people who have seen the site, and the site. The site is obliterated.
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Iran's nuclear program is obliterated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: CIA Director John Ratcliffe releasing a statement saying, quote, CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's nuclear program has been severely damaged by the recent targeted strikes.
And the DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, who, of course, has been at odds with the president on the analysis of the program prior to the strike, says that new intelligence confirms what POTUS has stated numerous times. Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities, Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan entirely, which would likely take years to do.
Now, we've got new satellite images of the fordo nuclear facility. They do show some of the damage. And again, satellite, so it's high up inflicted by the strikes.
There are crucial questions when you talk about a nuclear program. There's what's above ground. Theres what's below ground. And then there's all the things that go around it, including Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.
And a source tells CNN that U.S. intelligence suggests that the enriched uranium, which is the core of what is required to make a weapon, was moved out of the sites before the U.S. strikes, which is crucial, right? This is -- this is the crucial heart of the matter now.
OUTFRONT now, Robert Kelley, he served as the chief nuclear inspector in Iraq for the International Atomic Energy Agency.
And, Robert, I really appreciate your time. So, when you hear all these analyzes that are coming out right about obliterated or destroyed, you know, and you as an expert are looking at the, you know, what's available of the inputs on that, what's available of these satellite images. What do you think about the level of damage done to Iran's nuclear sites?
ROBERT KELLEY, FORMER CHIEF NUCLEAR INSPECTOR IN IRAQ, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: The important thing to me is that there are three different sites and three different answers. The most important one is Isfahan.
Isfahan, most of the buildings, all of the buildings are above ground. They were attacked with the cruise missiles by the U.S. and there is tremendous amount of damage to industrial buildings. Probably half the buildings on the site have been hit. About half have not been hit, but they don't look like the important ones. The big industrial buildings have been hit.
Over at Natanz, the Israelis did all of the damage to the aboveground buildings. I don't think the U.S. touched them at all. There are the two craters there.
An interesting thing about one of the craters is there's no plume of dust from it, like there is from all the other craters. You have to wonder if maybe that bomb went down but didn't explode, and then finally you have Fordow.
And Fordow, there's not very much to see except the main infrastructure building is intact. At least the pictures that come after the U.S. strike. But before any further Israeli action, the main support building for air and water and electricity seems to be intact, but you sure can't tell what's going on down under the ground. Theres no way of telling, looking at maxed out pictures from Vienna.
BURNETT: Well, I mean, look, this is crucial. You're just going through what you're saying about which building is. What just shows how the details here are going to be so crucial and actually coming up with, with a real assessment, right, of the truth, which is what matters for the world's decisions here.
Trump also spoke today, Robert, about something also at the heart of this, right, which is the uranium. The enriched uranium that Vice President Vance has acknowledged the majority of may have been moved to other sites prior to the strikes. Here's what the president said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We believe all of the stuff is down there. We don't think they had nearly the time, because to get that out is a very difficult thing. It's not like -- it's not like moving a package or taking this carpet up and moving it.
It's very difficult. It's very dangerous to do. We believe it's all down there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: That is at odds with what we've heard from others in the administration. We don't know what the reality of it is, but how about just on this, Robert? Because this is -- this is crucial. How easy is it to move it? If Israel was starting to attack, you know, a full week plus before Trump started, the U.S. strikes, would Iran have been able to move a lot of that enriched uranium? Is that realistic or not?
KELLEY: Oh, absolutely. They would move it very easily. People use this word stockpile. They talk about stockpile, 400 kilograms is not very much material. It's four large men and a minivan.
And because of the density, you're talking about a few cylinders like you'd see in a welding shop. It'd be very, very easy to move it.
The IAEA was inspecting the material, not at Fordow, but we saw it at Isfahan and tunnels. There, and that material, according to the director general of the IAEA, had been moved before the U.S. bombing. There's no question. They could move it to a gymnasium somewhere or another bunker somewhere. We just have to see.
You had the General Petraeus on earlier today, and he was pointing out the Israelis have such good intelligence. That might be the problem. They can't -- they can't take it anywhere because they'll always be caught. But it's easy to move.
BURNETT: And. Right. Well, that's and it's important, though, that you say it's easy to move because you're talking about something that to so many is, is, is a very intangible thing to talk about enriched uranium and what that means.
But so much appreciate your time. I know its late in Vienna, and thank you so much for staying up and having the conversation with me, Robert.
I want to go OUTFRONT now to Congressman Jimmy Gomez, Democrat, member of the House Intelligence Committee.
So, Congressman, you know, you hear what Robert Kelley saying going through the images and the pictures and frankly saying a lot of things I haven't heard anybody else say of the specifics of what looks destroyed and what isn't, how easy it is to move the uranium, all of these things. But it all boils down to -- we don't know until we know. And a lot more information is needed.
What are you hearing from briefings you've received about the intelligence assessments out there from the CIA, from the national intelligence directors who currently are saying that the destruction was massive?
REP. JIMMY GOMEZ (D-CA): First, I want to be very clear that we haven't received a briefing. I've read some intelligence reports. I'm not going to confirm or deny what's in those reports.
But one of the things that I want to be clear is that the administration hasn't appeared before the intelligence community -- the committee, and describe what actually was their objectives, the success or failure, what is the level of confidence? They haven't described anything to us.
We've been able to read some reports. That's about it. And we're still waiting for that briefing.
That's why when the Trump administration canceled the briefing to the members of Congress, it was a big deal because we have a responsibility under our authority to know what the objective of this military strike was and was it successful or not, and what intelligence it was based on. We don't have any of that yet.
BURNETT: So, which I think maybe stunning when you're on the intelligence committee, right? And this was a strike against another country. But when you hear Robert Kelley lay out and he just went through all the images, right? I mean, he was the one who was inspecting facilities in Iraq. So he knows what he's talking about.
He's saying, look, this building looks like it was electric and power that's still there. This one isn't, right? I mean, the level of detail we just heard from him of what he could see is beyond anything else I've heard out there.
I'm just curious. And I know you can't share what's in the classified reports that you've seen. However, is that level of detail there in what you're seeing, or are you seeing broad brush strokes?
GOMEZ: Right. One, here's the thing -- it's why the president needs to come forward or his administration and the intelligence community in brief, not only Republican leaders, but also the people on the intelligence committees. So, then we don't have to decipher from photographs what actually happened.
Was the enhanced uranium moved or not moved? How much was it destroyed? Is it -- is Iran still capable of developing a nuclear weapon? That's the kind of stuff that why we need them to come forward.
So right now, everybody's speculating. But that's also dangerous. And what's also dangerous, to use words like obliterate.
When the president says obliterate, that doesn't give any definition of what that actually means. And here's the thing -- Iran would love for the world to think that it was obliterated so that there would be a left alone, and they can develop a weapon in secret. And then also one day, surprise, now we're in nuclear power and everybody has to deal with this.
BURNETT: So, you know, were just confirming tonight, Congressman, that the Trump administration actually plans to limit the classified information it's going to share with Congress, which obviously sounds like it's been very limited in what you've received so far from what you're saying. But it does -- it comes in the context of a lot of ambiguity and on what the intelligence assessments are saying.
And they are all preliminary at this time, right? As Robert Kelley just said, you can't see underground in Fordow. Okay? Nobody can see underground there. So we don't yet know.
But is there anything you can do about this if they plan to increase the classification and release less to people?
GOMEZ: First, it's against the law to leak classified information.
[19:30:02]
That's why I'm very careful about what I say. And anybody that did -- did, they should investigate that leak and they should be held accountable.
At the same time, President Trump is required by law and the intelligence communities to provide us those updates, and we expect them to stick with it. And this is a test. This is a test for Republicans.
Are you an equal branch of government or are you beholden to Donald Trump and his administration? And let's not forget, one of our main concerns from the very beginning was that Trump will set a narrative and would pressure the intelligence community to develop analysis that's based on that narrative or not to do it at all.
And we saw that when it came to Tren de Aragua, remember when it all of a sudden it wasn't being directed by Maduro, then, all of a sudden, they fire that an analyst.
That's dangerous. We need real information so we can make intelligent decisions. And right now, we don't have any of that.
BURNETT: Yeah. Congressman Gomez, I'm appreciative of your time. And thank you. Tonight, joining us from Capitol Hill this hour.
And next, halfway around the world from where I am, back in the U.S., more than 2,000 feet underground is a bomb proof bunker, right? So, it's not behind us in Iran. It is in Colorado. And we're going to give you a rare look inside.
Plus, more breaking news. Israel weighing in tonight with an assessment of the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. We're going to go live to Tel Aviv for some breaking details right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:35:57]
BURNETT: Breaking news president Trump just arriving back in Washington after meeting with NATO leaders amid questions of exactly what happened here in the Middle East and how devastated Iran's nuclear program is after Trump's strikes.
Well, we decided to try to understand more what this deep thing is under Fordow to understand what could have happened to it. And to give you an idea of the bomb-proof bunkers that do exist out there. So there actually is one in the United States. Some experts are pointing to the Cheyenne military complex, which is just south of Denver, Colorado. Okay?
So, there you have it. There it is. And Cheyenne Mountain, called America's Fortress. Now, it stands 2,000 feet under the top of a mountain. So, you can see that on your screen.
Now, if you compare it to Fordow, which honestly, we don't know how deep down Fordow is, we know we've seen estimates of 260 feet, some, you know, heard Seth Jones said it could be half a mile. We don't know.
But in this facility in boulder in Colorado, in Denver, the five-acre facility is accessed by a mile-long tunnel. So, a mile-long tunnel, it descends deep into the mountain.
This is it. We're showing you the inside image of it. This. This is how you go in, in Colorado, give you a sense of what could be like in Iran. Behind us. It was built 60 years ago at the height of the cold war, and the focus was to protect against long range Soviet bombers. It was strategically located in the center of North America, right, so that they would have it far away from the coasts, as protected as it could be.
So, they would be able to see anything coming from the sky as a threat. It is built to withstand a massive nuclear explosion with a 25-ton steel blast doors, giant springs there, weigh about 1,000 pounds to cushion the movement, so the springs weigh 1,000 pounds.
OUTFRONT now is James Acton. He's the co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and retired Major General James "Spider" Marks, who, of course, knows military intelligence so well and has been inside this complex in Colorado.
So, the U.S. designed the military complex to survive the most extreme conditions imaginable. It's been around 60 years, and it was designed to withstand, James, you know, a bomb that makes Hiroshima look like a flea attack, right? I mean, just -- it's for something so massive. Is it safe to assume that Iran's complex could have been similar?
JAMES ACTON, CO-DIRECTOR OF THE NUCLEAR POLICY PROGRAM, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Well, Iran's complex wasn't nearly as deep as Cheyenne Mountain, but the basic technology is exactly the same. You just tunnel straight into the side of the mountain. The longer the tunnel is, the bigger the amount of rock above you is.
And actually, if you're doing it in that way, what's key is the height of the mountain. You know, if you just choose a high enough mountain, then you can put more and more rock above you. So, you know, Fordow, as you said, maybe 200, 300 feet underground, but there's no reason why Iran couldn't. And in fact, almost certainly has built much further underground facilities just by tunneling into deeper mountains.
BURNETT: So, you think that they most certainly have, because I guess you're saying if it's there, it's there. And the technology for that is not new.
I mean, General, you've been to the Cheyenne military complex and you've served for weeks at a time in a similar underground command post in Korea. You know, actually spending the time underground. What is it like inside a bunker like this? When we say a fortified bunker deep in a mountain, what does that feel like?
MAJ. GENERAL JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, first of all, it's incredibly moist, you can imagine that. And every sound is magnified. So, there's nothing very personal about it.
Truly as described. I mean, you're inside a mountain. It's a controlled environment. Everything seems to be communications and access to do. What you need to do is quite phenomenal. Obviously, that will evolve over time, which it has certainly at Cheyenne as it and it has as well in the location in Korea where I spent a ton of time.
[19:40:04]
But living underground is, you know, there's no ambient light. You hope there are sufficient generators if the light goes out. So, you're not in complete darkness. You're not like, you're not specifically living like a mole and the foods not bad.
But the real issue is when we -- when we get to the notion of Fordow and the level of its protection, it was described quite well. It's deeply buried. I don't know how deep.
And the difference between a nuclear blast, which Cheyenne was prepared for, and a conventional blast is kind of night and day. Nuclear blast would be an air blast, incredibly large, radiation pattern, wave pattern, the whole bit. In Fordow, you're penetrating very deeply, then you get your explosion. So those two things are a tad different.
BURNETT: So, James, on that, when you're trying to understand what happened in Fordow, and it's so crucial what happened underground there, the Cheyenne military complex is built to withstand a 30- megaton nuclear explosion a mile away.
Okay. So can you just. I was trying to compare it to Hiroshima, but can you give some context about how much larger that is than explosions seen throughout history, especially in context of these big bombs, bunker buster drums (ph) that were just dropped on Fordow.
ACTON: Yeah. So, the bombs that were dropped on Fordow are described correctly as 30,000-pound bombs. The vast majority of that, though, is the casing. These bombs that are designed to penetrate deep underground have to have enormous, thick, heavy steel casings and the actual amount of explosive underneath is 5,000 pounds, roughly, give or take.
You know, by contrast, the bombs dropped on Hiroshima were 15,000 tons, tons of TNT equivalent. Now, I grew up using the metric system rather than the imperial system, so the conversions between pounds and tons is not something I can naturally do in my head. But the basic point is that the size of a nuclear explosion dwarfs even the very large conventional explosives that were just dropped on Fordow.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you both so much. This crucial context as we try to understand the answer to the most important question of what really was destroyed in Iran. Thank you so much.
And next, the breaking news, President Trump posting just moments ago about a witch hunt, this witch hunt against Benjamin Netanyahu. He says that it was America that saved Israel. We're live in Tel Aviv next.
Plus, Republicans racing to make this 33-year-old the face of the Democratic Party, a Democratic socialist who just defeated Andrew Cuomo in New York and spoke to some New York voters in their own language.
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BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump just moments ago saying, and I quote, it was the United States of America that saved Israel. It came as Israel's military chief today is weighing in on the damage Iran's nuclear program suffered from the combination of U.S. and Israeli strikes, saying it was systemic that they'd earlier said Israeli strikes had already set the program back by several years, and they are continuing to evaluate the setback as years. That seems to contrast with the initial U.S. intelligence assessment.
I want to go to Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv.
And, Jeremy, Israel issuing its own assessment on damage to Iran's nuclear sites. But you've got Trump coming out now and saying, basically, I saved you, Israel. How is that going to go over among Israel, military and political leadership?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, what's interesting is that indeed, even before those U.S. strikes, we had heard Israel's foreign minister, for example, suggesting that Israel had already set back Iran's nuclear program by about two years. And then today, you have the official assessments coming from two places in Israel, the Atomic Energy Commission, as well as the Israeli military. Both of those assessments saying that they believe that the U.S. strikes combined with the Israeli strikes, have set back Iran's nuclear program by, quote, many years.
Now, there isn't a ton of specificity to exactly how long that actually is or specific assessments of the layers of damage that have been done to the various nuclear sites. But what the Israeli military's chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said, is that the damage to Iran's nuclear program is not just that of a, quote, pinpoint strike, but rather a systemic blow. Talking about severe and deep and broad damage to Iran's nuclear program.
Now what we also haven't talked about is those piles, stockpiles of enriched uranium, which Iran has claimed that they had moved away from that Fordow facility, for example. Both Israeli and U.S. assessments, you know, unsure about the status of that stockpile as of now. And that will be critical to knowing how far back that nuclear program has indeed been set back.
And it's also very clear that these assessments are still early, in the same way that those U.S. assessments from the defense intelligence agency are early as well. And a lot more information is going to need to be gathered in the coming days and weeks.
What is clear, though, the Israeli prime minister insisting that should Iran try and rebuild its nuclear program, that Israel will strike back once again -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Jeremy, thank you very much, in Tel Aviv.
Iran's leaders also coming out and saying that the sites were badly damaged. Wondering if perhaps they see that as something that could strengthen their hand coming into these negotiations.
It comes as Iran's state media is in full propaganda mode, touting national unity and suggesting that President Trump begged for a ceasefire.
[19:50:01]
Nada Bashir is OUTFRONT with what people in Iran are hearing right now from their government.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mark of celebration and triumph. Hundreds gathered in Iran's capital in a show of support for their country's military.
After almost two weeks of deadly attacks. And now a fragile ceasefire. Their message is clear, "Down with Israel," they chant, and "down with the USA". UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The united voice of the
Iranian nation is this Israel started the war and ending it is up to us. We are not at all satisfied with this ceasefire, and we are fully prepared to sacrifice our lives if Ayatollah Khamenei gives us the order for the destruction of Israel, no less.
BASHIR: This was the moment Iran's state broadcaster announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached early Tuesday morning. Iran's attacks and the unity and steadfastness of the Iranian people, the anchor says, forced the enemy's hand. Trump requested the ceasefire, almost begging, the anchor goes on to say.
For the Iranian regime, the ceasefire has been framed as a victory over two nuclear powers. Iran's vice president saying, when Trump announced the ceasefire, it meant he had accepted defeat, especially after our operation.
Iran's newspapers have echoed the governments triumphant tone. A decisive response to America, this headline reads.
On state television and in many Telegram channels. There is also no mention of President Trump's claim that Iran warned the U.S. before it targeted American military bases in Qatar.
Throughout the deadly 12-day conflict, Iran's military only responded to attacks carried out by Israel and the West, but it responded powerfully.
Questions, however, continue to circle around the safety of Iran's supreme leader. One Iranian official telling local media that the Iranian people should pray for the ayatollah.
INTERVIEWER (through translator): Many people are worried about the health of the supreme leader. How is he doing?
MEHDI FAZAELI, MEMBER OF AYATOLLAH SEYYED ALI KHAMENEI'S OFFICE: This concern is a valuable one. We should all be prayerful. Those who are responsible for protecting and safeguarding the leader are certainly fulfilling their duties properly.
BASHIR: The government has remained careful in its portrayal of the impact at home, showing the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on civilian areas, which officials say left hundreds dead and many more wounded and downplaying the impact of the attacks on Iran's nuclear assets.
And while many in Iran have welcomed this moment of reprieve as a sign of hope and unity for the country, many also remain anxious over what lies ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: That was Nada Bashir reporting, and just so fascinating to see what is being put out for people in Iran to see.
Well, next, the Democratic socialist's making headlines, confronting Trump's border czar before pulling off a massive upset in New York. Who is Zohran Mamdani?
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[19:55:45]
BURNETT: Tonight, political earthquake, seismic, a miracle -- depends on your point of view, but they are all headlines describing the New York City mayoral primary, where Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker and Democratic socialist, is on the brink of a stunning victory after trouncing former Governor Andrew Cuomo, one of the most well-known names in Democratic politics.
Gloria Pazmino is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A political stunner in the Democratic Party.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE: We have won.
PAZMINO: Thirty-three-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist from Queens, is poised to win the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City, upsetting former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Ugandan immigrant served three terms in the state assembly and connected with millions of voters through social media.
MAMDANI: We're going to make the slowest busses in the country fast and free, and deliver universal child care, guaranteed cheaper groceries, and we're going to topple a political dynasty.
PAZMINO: Focusing on affordability, Mamdani spoke to working class New Yorkers, sometimes in their own language.
His campaign captured the attention of the city's youngest voters.
MAMDANI: I'm freezing your rent as the next mayor of New York City. Let's plunge into the details.
PAZMINO: And was powered by an army of volunteers.
MAMDANI: We can knock a million doors by Saturday.
PAZMINO: A political newcomer, Mamdani once considered himself a B- list rapper before getting into politics. If he goes on to win in November, he will be the city's first Muslim mayor and one of the youngest ever elected.
MAMDANI: I must thank those who brought me into this world.
PAZMINO: Mamdani's mother is Mira Nair, a successful Indian filmmaker whose credits include Mississippi masala with Denzel Washington.
MAMDANI: I will fight for a city that works for you, that is affordable for you. PAZMINO: Mamdani's policies could cost an estimated $10 billion and
will be paid for by taxing New York City's ultra rich, according to the campaign. His come from behind win is sending shockwaves through a Democratic Party struggling with how to run candidates in the age of Trump.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): What's clear is that the relentless focus on affordability had great appeal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAZMINO: Erin, the next phase of this campaign will kick off tomorrow. Mayor Eric Adams is expected to run -- to launch his reelection bid on the steps of city hall. And the question is going to be whether he can summon the same ground game or better than Mamdani did in this election, and whether New Yorkers will be willing to give him a second chance after four years of scandals and an embrace of the Republican Party -- Erin.
BURNETT: Gloria, thank you so much. Appreciate that.
And thanks so much to all of you for joining us.
"AC360" begins now.
