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One World with Zain Asher

Israel And Iran Launch New Attacks On 6th Day Of Conflict; How Americans Feel About Potential U.S. Involvement; U.S. Working On Evacuation Flights For Americans In Israel; Trump Weighs Options On Sixth Day Of Israel-Iran Conflict; Tehran Residents Flee North As Conflict Intensifies; IDF Says Iran Has Launched New Wave Of Missiles Toward Israel. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired June 18, 2025 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:35]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Zain Asher, you are watching the second hour of "One World."

GOLODRYGA: And as Iran vows, it will never surrender, Israel issues a message of victory, while Donald Trump is apparently still deciding what

role, if any, the U.S. military will play.

ASHER: Little is clear about how this conflict, now in its sixth day, is going to be ending, the fact that it's escalating isn't in doubt. The

government in Israel is easing restrictions on its own people's movements, in what the defense minister describes as a message of victory.

GOLODRYGA: And we're now learning that a third U.S. aircraft carrier strike group is set to be deployed near the Middle East next week, adding to an

already beefed up American presence.

But after Iran's Supreme Leader made a decisive threat earlier, here's how the U.S. president responded a short time ago when asked if America will

indeed intervene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You don't know that I'm going to even do it. You don't know. I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody

knows what I'm going to do.

I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble. And they want to negotiate. And I say, why didn't you negotiate with me before all this

death and destruction?

ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN: (through translator): The Americans' involvement in this matter will 100 percent be at their loss. The loss they

receive will probably be much more than the damage Iran will bear.

If America have a military presence on the ground, without a doubt, it will be an irreparable loss.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: CNN's Stephen Collinson is in Washington. But first, let's start with Nic Robertson, who is then Haifa, Israel for us.

So, Nic, you heard the president's comments about two hours ago or so where he talked about, listen, you know, I'm not entirely sure. I haven't made up

my mind about whether or not I'm getting involved in this.

But essentially chastising Iran is saying that, look, you guys should have negotiated with us when you had the chance.

What does America actually risk, Nic, by getting involved in this conflict?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, there's always the potential that the conflict doesn't have a defined end or that the end

rolls on to something else, that it's not just Fordow nuclear power plant. That's the -- the enrichment facility that's buried deep in the mountains,

that it then somehow morphs into regime change, which can morph into what you replace the regime by, or all those sort of open-ended questions.

Then there's the possibility that's being worried about in the Gulf a lot right now. How will Iran react? Will it -- will it decide to lash out?

Remember, towards the end of last year, Iran was threatening. If it was attacked, it would essentially hit Gulf States like the UAE, Saudi Arabia,

hit their oil facilities. And Iran has done this before. Look at 2019. It hits several of the oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. So these are -- these

are warnings that carry weight and are taken seriously.

And it's those consequences that are being worried about that the United States allies are worrying about. And no doubt that they're communicating

that through back channels, through -- through phone calls with principals.

But the other thing that's a -- that -- that's at risk here for the United States is --is -- is the way, if you will, that -- that President Trump is

sort of doing his signaling.

How does that impact Iran's calculations? And we've got a sense of it from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today. And I spoke earlier today with a couple of

former Mossad intelligence officials who worked on Iran. That was their area of expertise.

And they -- they said, look, you know, when you use language like unconditional ceasefire, which was the language President Trump was using

today, yesterday rather he didn't repeat it today, that gives the -- the Iranian leadership very little option. They will not surrender. They will

not back down.

And at a time like this, you know, a more diplomacy can potentially save -- save some of these unintended consequences. And President Trump today seems

potentially to be leaving the way open for that.

But all the background, the maneuver of military, more military hardware into the region is sending a very, very strong signal to Tehran. And here

in Israel, that is understood that the Iranian leadership will just dig in and dig deep and try on with stand that they're not going to come to the

table, the negotiating table, under pressure.

All of this is in play. And nobody here really has a good read, like anyone else of which direction President Trump will go in.

[12:05:02]

GOLODRYGA: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you. Let's go to Stephen Collinson.

And, Stephen, the decision now obviously lies with the president. But in terms of what his options are, we see the force posture increasing in the

region there.

We heard the president say that, listen, last week was so much different than this week and that they had their opportunity and they chose not to

come to the negotiating table.

Walk us through some of the opportunities that lie in President Trump if he ultimately decides to join Israel here and obviously the numerous risks as

well.

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Right. So what most people believe is that the president, and we've got reporting to this effect from

the White House, is warming up to the idea of a potential U.S. strike against Fordow, the Iranian nuclear facility

that is buried under concrete, under a mountain.

The U.S. is said to be the only country that has the capability to conduct such a mission with these bunker-busting bombs that can really burrow down.

The problem though is that the way this has been talked about in Washington and Congress, in foreign policy circles, by journalists, there seems to be

this assumption that, OK, the U.S. will bomb Fordow. It will eradicate Iran's nuclear facilities and that will be the end of it. There hasn't been

a great deal, at least publicly and by the administration, of talking about the potential consequences that Nic was talking about there.

So there I think is some concern, especially among some members of Trump's own base and on Capitol Hill among some democratic senators, that the U.S.

is getting yet again into a situation in the Middle East where it doesn't know what the exit strategy, doesn't know what the consequences would be

after an initial engagement and could be getting dragged into a long conflict.

So I think concern is growing about that, but -- and it's rather surprising to me, having been here for 25 years watching American escapades in the

Middle East, that there is not more talk about the consequences, some of which Nic was talking about there.

ASHER: All right. Stephen Collinson, live for us there. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

President Trump is hearing from American lawmakers about the situation in the Middle East.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says the administration should brief the Senate about its plans. And we've also seen Republican

lawmakers and commentators flashing with each other over whether the U.S. should move in or stay out of the fight.

ASHER: What about the American people? Let's bring in our chief data analyst Harry Enten.

So, Harry, that is the big question, right? What do Americans, the constituents themselves, what do they want to see here?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes. Look, Zain, I think it's a complicated picture. But even within the complication, I'll point out, I

was a bit surprised. There seems to be more support for Donald Trump's positions than I anticipated.

And I'll take you through the numbers here. Why don't we just start off with just an overall picture and we're pretty much all Americans agree on

this? Oppose Iran getting nuclear weapons, which obviously is a key Donald Trump position.

You see it here, 79 percent of adults agree, but then we break it down by party and it's just a very clear picture, right? Eighty-three of

Republicans, 79 percent of independents, 79 percent of Democrats agree with Donald Trump. They oppose the idea of Iran getting nuclear weapons.

And when you get 79 percent of Democrats and 83 percent of Republicans agreeing on anything, you know that is the clear majority position.

OK. So Americans oppose Iran getting nuclear weapons. The question then is what to do about it. And again, all of this polling, I should point out,

was taken obviously a bit before the events of the last few days. This poll was taken in April and so was this one.

OK. If Iran's trying to make a nuclear weapon and obviously Donald Trump has said, at least over the last few days, that they're quote-unquote very

close to it.

OK. If you believe that, if Iran's trying to make a nuclear weapon, do you favor U.S. airstrikes or oppose them?

Let's look overall first. I was a bit surprised by this number. Look, 48 percent of Americans actually favor U.S. airstrikes in this scenario

compared to 47 percent who oppose it. So you get a slight plurality there, but within the margin of error.

Now let's go over to the Republican side of the aisle because this is where I think it gets really interesting, right? Because we've heard Tucker

Carlson. We've heard a lot of folks in that MAGA base arguing against U.S. involvement or potential U.S. involvement in Iran.

But if Iran's trying to make a nuclear weapon, do you favor U.S. airstrikes? Look at the 69 percent of Republicans give the thumbs up. They

actually do favor in that situation.

Now, there is a substantial part of that base, 27 percent, who oppose U.S. airstrikes in such a situation among Republicans. But the clear majority

winner here, 69 percent actually favor them.

Of course, then there's the whole question, should we negotiate with Iran or should we take military action? If given the choice between the two of

those, it's pretty clear where the American public stands.

[12:10:05]

So limit the risk of Iran making -- making nuclear weapons. If given the choice between negotiating an agreement or taking military action, you see

it here, 69 percent of Americans prefer, prefer negotiating an agreement compared to just 14 percent who say -- say take military action.

And I will note that this 69 percent includes 64 percent of Republicans. So when you put it all together, Zain and Bianna, I think it's a complicated

picture, but it's one in which Donald Trump potentially has a lot of leeway. There is support, at least among his base, and even a good support,

amount of support within the general electorate, are potentially doing airstrikes.

But again, what do Americans prefer? They do prefer the idea of a diplomatic solution. But whether or not we can actually get there, I guess

we're just going to have to wait and see because it truly is as the world turns as Donald Trump seems to be going each and every way. And we'll see

where he lands tomorrow.

GOLODRYGA: But perhaps those numbers help explain why the president feels that he can be so defiant against some of the more prominent MAGA voices,

like Tucker Carlson calling him a kook and saying that he is the one, meaning Trump is in charge, and not Tucker Carlson. And also suggesting

that America first, in his view, also means that Iran can never get a nuclear weapon.

But you're right to point out that the majority also support some sort of diplomatic off-ramp. The question is, is there even one at this point?

Harry Enten, always difficult to get an off-ramp with you.

ASHER: With the whole hour.

ENTEN: There you go. There you go. OK. I -- I promise you, if we do a segment tomorrow, I'm going to make it one in which I can crack a few more

smiles and be a little bit funnier. But you know what, this is serious times, and so I'm going to be serious, Harry, but not for too long. We'll

find it.

GOLODRYGA: You make our blood pressure go down when needed most, Harry. So this is -- you are essential always in our programming. Good to see you.

ASHER: Harry Enten, good to see you --

ENTEN: Nice to see you.

ASHER: -- my friend. Thank you.

ENTEN: Bye.

ASHER: All right. The U.S. is arranging transportation for Americans who want to leave Israel. Ambassador Mike Huckabee made the announcement on X,

airports and transport routes in Israel have been closed, because of course the conflict with Iran.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. CNN's Kylie Atwood joins us now from Washington. And we should note, Kylie, that as the ambassador has mentioned, there's a

substantial number of American citizens, several hundred thousand, that are in Israel as well.

And we also know that this announcement is coming after news that the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem will be closed through Friday. What more are we

learning?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. So the U.S. ambassador, Mike Huckabee, tweeting in just the last hour that the

State Department is going to be working on evacuation flights and also cruise ship departures for American citizens who are in Israel and trying

to get out.

What he didn't say is when this is going to begin, what their capacity is going to be for this evacuation support.

Just yesterday, the State Department wouldn't speak to any of these operations that they were conducting, you know, privately before announcing

them publicly. It was the ambassador who made this announcement that these efforts are underway.

But we should note that there are, as you said, a lot of Americans who are in Israel, but also challenges with getting out of Israel right now.

Ben Gurion, their main airport in the country, has been closed since this conflict between Israel and Iran. And Americans don't really know exactly

what they're going to do if it escalates and the U.S. military obviously gets involved.

So we're watching to learn more from the State Department as to when these evacuation effort are going to begin. And also, if they will offer any of

the support to Americans who may be in the region in other countries because we know that Americans across the region now are concerned about

the possibility of this turning into a wider conflict.

ASHER: All right. Kylie Atwood, live for us. Thank you so much.

All right. Still to come, the U.S. military is bolstering its forces in the Middle East as Donald Trump takes stock off his options. We have much more

on the Israeli-Iran conflict ahead.

GOLODRYGA: Plus, Iran's Supreme Leader warns the U.S. not to get involved. Later this hour, we will have the view from Iran.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:46]

GOLODRYGA: All right. The Pentagon is building up the U.S. military presence in the region as Donald Trump weighs his options for responding to

the Israeli-Iran conflict.

The U.S. says that it will deploy a third aircraft carrier, the USS Ford, likely into the Mediterranean Sea.

ASHER: Another U.S. strike group is already there, led by the carrier, Carl Vinson. It's unclear for how long the two groups will remain in position.

And the U.S. official says the USS Nimitz carrier strike group is steaming towards the region as well.

GOLODRYGA: And sources say Washington has sent more than 30 airborne tankers, which can refuel combat planes in the air to the Middle East.

According to "The New York Times," commanders are putting American troops on high alert at military bases around the region.

ASHER: Let's bring in retired General Wesley Clark, who's a former NATO Supreme Allied commander and the founder of Renew America Together, which

seeks to overcome and reduce partisan gridlock.

General, thank you so much for being. It is really always good to see you on the program. We're very grateful to have you and your perspective.

So, obviously, the U.S. President has to weigh a lot. I mean, this is a decision that he cannot enter into lightly. This idea of whether or not to

strike Iran. So many different factors. And, obviously, the last thing he wants, based on how he campaigned, is to get dragged into a war in the

Middle East.

But also, you know, the immediate consequences of potential strikes on -- I'll let you get for that off, OK?

The immediate consequences -- the immediate consequences in terms of a retaliation against U.S. military assets in the region, and that is a major

concern if the President wants to go ahead and -- and strike Iran here.

RET. GEN. WESLEY CLARK, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: Yes. So, I think there are really still two tracks possible. There's the military

track and the more we build up the forces before we intervene, the greater the diplomatic leverage we have.

And there's the diplomatic track. And, you know, we've had experience at this starting really in 1999 with Kosovo, where I was the NATO commander.

We had a military track. We had a diplomatic track. And, of course, there was defiance early on.

But as the bombing continued, eventually, a Serb dictator, Slobodan Milosevic, was persuaded that the rational thing to do in order to preserve

Serbia was to give up on Kosovo, which he did.

We didn't do very well on the diplomacy with Afghanistan or with Saddam in 2003. We didn't look at the end state that we were going after.

And the key in these operations is, what is it you're trying to achieve? Now, if we're just trying to achieve a couple of years delay in the

Iranians getting a nuclear weapon, and you want an angry, vengeful Iran that's going to try twice as hard now, come out of the non-proliferation

treaty and really go after a nuclear weapon full-bore, then the bombing is going to do that if we just stop with the bombing.

So I think that we have to think about the end state. If we want regime change. Who's going to be the new regime? Didn't work that well in Iraq.

Didn't work that well in Libya. So there's some big imponderable questions the president's dealing with.

[12:20:59]

And that's why I think the polling you showed earlier reflects the common sense of the American people. Use the military leverage, get a team in

there to talk common sense to the Iranians. Forget about the Bellicose rhetoric at the top. Of course, you're going to have that from the

Ayatollah.

But these Iranians are smart. They're savvy. They're experienced. They may be happy martyring other people, but they don't want to martyr this regime.

So I think there's still a diplomatic opportunity before the decision has to be made to use military force.

GOLODRYGA: General, what happens though if Israel, if one would take them at their word, which is they view Iran and this regime and its nuclear

program as an existential threat, probably gamed out the possibility that the United States would not intervene and thus go to option B, C, or D,

whatever that is, to continue this operation and to do as much damage to Fordow, perhaps not eliminated with a bunker buster bomb that -- that only

the U.S. has.

But if Israel is continuing this operation, what then does the United States do if they choose to sit this out? Because we know President Trump

just said today in his conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday, he told him to keep going.

CLARK: Yes. I think the United States builds up its forces and it -- when the buildup is finished, you stand ready. You don't take the military

option off the table.

Israel will find one way or another to get after that underground sighted photo. You can put troops in, you can do demolitions, you can bomb the

inferences repeatedly.

But there's a lot of other stuff that's probably in Eastern Iran that we don't know about. So obviously, a diplomatic solution is the preferable

solution.

But right now, you don't have to rush in to help Israel. They've got the momentum. They're -- they've got air superiority. They can use their dumb

bombs. They don't have to use expensive missiles.

Iran's stockpile is running down. And anyway, you want the Israelis to next turn on the material, the -- the -- the buying, laying ships, the

stockpiles of sea mines and -- and the short range missiles that could retaliate against the United States and the neighbors if we were to

intervene.

So the longer this grinds on, as long as Israel maintains the momentum, the greater the leverage diplomatically that the Iranians will come to their

senses and basically do what President Trump has said.

But you've got to get underneath the rhetoric with people who can talk to the foreign ministry and others. And the Iranians are pretty smart. They're

pretty wily. They're pretty clever and got to keep the pressure on. Still don't give up on the diplomatic solution.

ASHER: General, why would Israel start this campaign knowing that it would never be able to fully finish it without the U.S.'s help? You know, why

start something that you know you can't finish without America's help? Why not get America fully on board to help you before you even launch the

attacks in the first place?

CLARK: Bibi has tried this for years and no Americans willing to sign on. No President's willing to sign on in advance to this, including probably

not Donald Trump. We don't know exactly what was said in the early days, but he probably did not sign on totally.

But, you know, this is the Israeli way. They -- they went after Syria for years. They took out a Syrian reactor in 2007. They knew Bashar Assad was a

problem, but they pecked away at it and pecked away at it. The same thing with Hezbollah, the same thing with the other terrorist organizations in

the region.

They sustained a continuing capability to employ force on a periodic and a -- and a significant basis without going for a decisive solution.

But in this case, I think they're -- once they've started this, they do have an expectation that either the United States or the world community is

going to bring this thing to a close diplomatically.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. It appears their tolerance threshold changed dramatically after October 7th. And as you note, Iran at its most vulnerable in decades,

given that so many of its proxies have now been really weakened by the Israelis over the last two years.

Retired General Wesley Clark, thank you so much.

CLARK: Thank you, Zain. Thanks, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: And coming up for us, the Israel-Iran military conflict now in its sixth day. We'll look at what's happening in Tehran after the U.S.

president warned the capital to evacuate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:05]

GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. CNN's Christiane Amanpour has spoken to Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister about the current crisis between Israel and Iran.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJID TAKHT-RAVANCHI, DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF IRAN: If the Americans decide to get involved militarily, we have no choice but to retaliate

wherever we find the targets necessary to be acted upon. So that is -- that is clear and simple.

Because we are -- we are acting in self-defense. If another country joins the -- joins the fight, so that -- that is another instance for our self-

defense. You do not expect Iran to be -- to not -- not use its -- its right of self-defense based on Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: You can watch the full interview with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister on "Amanpour" in the next hour.

GOLODRYGA: Meantime, President Trump is still not revealing whether the U.S. will get involved in Iran, telling reporters a short time ago, it's

very late for Iran to negotiate.

This was last night over Tehran, video from a semi-officially Iranian media outlet showing air defenses repelling projectiles over the city. Trump says

he is encouraging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue his campaign in Iran.

ASHER: Nick Paton Walsh has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): Try to flee, Tehran, and you're lucky if the roads are this empty. A four-hour

wait for gas, hospitals overflowing, people living in tents by the roadside, one doctor told CNN, everyone who can is leaving with the

suitcase, they said, empty-handed or carrying their babies.

On the way out, temperatures in the 90s, cold water passed around. Government advice given to those caught in strikes while driving out reads,

if you can, get out, seek refuge and turn your back to the blast. If you're stuck in the gridlock, unbuckle, recline the chair back, cover your head

with your hands.

[12:30:13]

This baker's brother died in the strikes. He learned 20 minutes before this video was shot. His response, to keep working.

In the North, where most have fled, the flour ration has been raised, owing to bread shortages, official media said. What they left behind is a world

upturned. This yellow building slant, a taste of ordinary lives spent beyond recognition.

In Tehran, where two days ago, screams echoed. Now, the streets quieter, vacant, whether made so by Netanyahu and Trump's warning for the capital to

evacuate, or the constant blasts overhead and around.

Night after night, these barrages continue. Israel and Trump now saying they control the skies. And Iran strikes against Israel, seeing lesser.

Families crammed underground. Normal here gone. Tomorrow, panicked and unknowing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH: Now obviously, I think concerns growing in Tehran about the potential for U.S. military involvement. We've had no decision from U.S.

President Trump about that at all. But it's clearly going to intensify concerns of a city that now from some of it just seems to be ghostly quiet

after days of panic.

But really, the broader issue of exactly what unfolds in the weeks and months ahead after this devastating blow to Iran's military infrastructure.

And likely the authoritarian government that's been running it for decades is going to be deeply complex for the entire region.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

For more on this, let's bring in CNN Global Affairs analyst Kim Dozier. Kim, you know, it's interesting because hearing from our Harry Enten

earlier in this hour and getting a sense of how Americans feel about what is unfolding is one thing. And the key question is how do Iranians

themselves feel about this?

Is the country, is the supreme leaders and the regime's focus on keeping the nuclear program intact and albatross around their neck or is it

something that they also support?

It will be telling because add to that the layer of even talk of regime change. The U.S. does not have a good track record to say the least, not

many countries do. And it sets up a large population with a lot of questions about what -- what happens next.

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes. Iran is a hard place to get the public pulse because even when I lived there as a little kid right

before the revolution that brought in this regime, people were afraid to talk and they are right now.

From the friends that I've been able to speak to, the people feel like they are caught between the regime and the Israelis and the Americans. And

that's largely the feeling across the Arab world.

But from the regime's perspective, they are a signatory to the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty, which gives them the right to refine uranium for peaceful purposes.

And what the Trump administration has been asking and demanding is essentially because we know you have a clandestine nuclear weapon program,

we don't trust you even with the civilian side. So you have to submit to not only giving up uranium enrichment, but very almost embarrassing

inspections to make sure you don't renege on this promise.

But what the U.S. is saying is -- is not that they would have to give up nuclear power, but that the uranium would have to be enriched elsewhere and

then shipped into the country.

Iran, of course, from its perspective, this is a religious regime that answers to a higher power and getting threatened by the U.S., which, of

course, many in that regime have called the Great Satan, is not the best way to make them negotiate.

But Trump seems to think it is. We've seen him say publicly several times that he has told the Israelis to leave the Supreme Leader alone that they

know where he is, but they're leaving alone for now is how he put it in -- in one case, which is sort of a Sword of Damocles that Trump is holding

over the Supreme Leader's head, saying we could kill you at any time. I'm the only thing stopping that from happening. So you have to give up your

nuclear program.

[12:35:18]

That's the kind of hardball that just guarantees the Iranians are going to play hardball on their side too.

ASHER: Obviously, one of the reasons why the Israelis chose to strike now is that they believed that Iran's ability to really create a nuclear bomb

was -- was really imminent, that it was -- it was very, very close.

Walk us through, A, what sort of intelligence that was based on and how close they really were based on what you know. And could the Israelis have

at least waited until diplomatic efforts had fully failed before launching the initial strike?

I mean, obviously they had the six round of negotiations scheduled for Sunday. You have to wonder whether or not it was fully necessary to take

the action two days before those rounds of talks when they actually did.

DOZIER: Well, we have been hearing for years, actually, that Iran is close to being able to build a nuclear weapon. Even in the first Trump

administration, I had top officials telling me that they were within days of being able to produce enough of the refined material to build a handful

of bombs.

But there is a difference, though, between having the technical capability and having enough uranium refined to a high enough level that it's only

like one more turn of the wheel to get it to weapons grade and deciding to do it.

All this time, what we've heard over and over is that the Supreme Leader has decided now is not the time to push it. And so they've basically kept

all of the different parts available, ready to go within days to weeks to put all together, but they haven't put the parts together.

What the International Atomic Energy Agency said in the past few weeks, though, was that Iran has never had more highly refined nuclear material

available, nor been more uncooperative with inspectors.

So that public disclosure of how uncooperative Iran was being is one of the reasons that it seems the Israelis felt now was the time to strike,

combined with the fact that they had taken out most of the threat, Hezbollah weapons in Lebanon, which had been trained on all of the major

Israeli cities and similar weaponry staged in Syria.

GOLODRYGA: And we know now in just the last few minutes the IDF has said that Iran has launched more missiles towards Israel. Alerts have gone out

for Israelis to seek shelter. This has become something we've been familiar in seeing over the last six days.

Though it is notable, Kim, that the number of missiles that Iran has launched has diminished quite significantly. I believe the IDF says a total

of some 400 have been launched over the course of the last six days.

The Israeli defense system is quite formidable, but can obviously not withstand being inundated with tens, you know, and hundreds of missiles and

drones, but it can withstand five, six, seven, eight, nine.

And the question is --

DOZIER: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: -- was Israel successful enough in not only shooting and eliminating its missile storage systems, but also the rocket launchers

themselves?

DOZIER: Israel had already damaged a lot of Iran's air defense systems back last fall, and they did more of that this time around. And once they took

out those air defense systems, then they started working on the missiles themselves, where they were stored, where they were launched from, and

they've managed to take out a number of launchers.

The Israeli Defense Forces official spokesman is announcing like every couple of hours or so, another bunch of targets that they believe have been

eliminated. So I think that helps explain why there was such a large number of missiles launched by Iran last Friday, and each day it's gotten

progressively less, the more of these missile launch facilities or mobile launchers, the Israelis are able to target.

That said, Iran still has an estimated 700 to 1,200 missiles, including some of their hypersonic missiles, which go so fast they can overwhelm U.S.

defenses, Israeli defenses, or at least make a real challenge to them to knock out of the sky.

So maybe Iran is keeping that in reserve. Maybe Iran can't launch them right now, but is working furiously to be able to launch them in the coming

weeks.

[12:40:03]

ASHER: So 700 to 1,200 missiles in their supply. And, obviously, you know, it's so hard because nobody fully knows what -- what, you know, the level

of supply.

But as you're -- you know, you're estimating 700 -- between 700 and 1,200. So based at which -- based on the pace at which they are launching these

rockets towards Israel, how long do you think that kind of supply is going to last, just based on the pace we're seeing right now?

And then once the supply actually does run out for Iran, then what? I mean, then it really is checkmate. No?

DOZIER: Yes. I mean, we're looking at maybe a couple of weeks of this. But Israel is having, apparently, a similar problem. There have been some

reports that they are running out of the interceptor weapons that they use to knock these things out of the sky.

So, you know, each side is going to reach, essentially, the end of its rope. But what the Israelis may do next, they've already started doing it a

bit, is targeting Iran's energy resources. So not only will Iran lose much of its military capability to defend itself, to threaten Israel and other

parts of the area, but also the money that keeps the regime and the IRGC and the Iranian military, which essentially run the economy through many of

the state industries that they own, will really kneecap their ability to keep the money come in and to replace some of those weapons and also to

keep -- to keep the people fed and the lights on.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And something I don't think we've touched on enough was not only what Israel viewed the existential threat from Iran being its nuclear

program, but Israel was also becoming increasingly alarmed by its ballistic missiles program as well.

And they had calculated that Iran was planning on producing another 8,000, perhaps. It just gives you a sense of what their arsenal could have looked

like had Israel not gone after some of that arsenal last year, and obviously the launchers themselves.

So yes, you say between 700 and 1,200 now. But it is important to note that one of the objectives that appears from the IDF was also to target its

ballistic missile system.

DOZIER: Yes. That's why you saw a lot of strikes in Western Tehran. That's where a lot of the army's industrial facilities are for making weapons and

for making centrifuges.

So, you know, Israel's not just taking out the -- the pointy stuff, the -- the weapons that are ready to fire, but trying to diminish Iran's

capability in future to build new weapons, like the Shahed drones that they've been supplying to Russia to use in Ukraine.

Here's the problem though. There is disagreement within -- one of many problems. There's disagreement within the Israeli political classes about

how far any of this can set Iran back in terms of capability.

The military estimates that this could set them back two to four years, especially if the U.S. joins in and helps reach the -- the furthest tunnels

of the Fordow nuclear facility with bunker busters, which Israel doesn't have.

But, you know, two to four years, that's not long. And now, having left a regime so angry and determined that it will reach out to Russia, which has

been reluctant to share nuclear technology, but more likely to North Korea to sort of make up for lost time and rebuild even faster. Those are

possibilities that people watching the region are worried about.

You know, Iran has a long memory and plays three-dimensional chess, and it can be patient in planning its revenge. It doesn't have to come next week.

ASHER: And, Kim, as you were speaking there, we did hear the sound of sirens, air raid sirens over Tel Aviv, what has become an all too familiar

sound. Of course, we know that the Israeli-Iron Dome, just in terms of intercepting most of these missiles, is very much hard at work.

Kimberly Dozier, live for us there, thank you so much.

We're going to take a quick break. And we'll have much more news on the other side. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:04]

ASHER: All right. Breaking news into CNN. It is about 7:45 in the evening in Tel Aviv. The Israeli military says that missiles have been launched

from Iran towards Israel. Nic Robertson joins us live now from Haifa.

So, Nic, we just heard moments ago the sound of air raid sirens across Tel Aviv. Nic, can you hear us by the way? Nic, can you hear us?

ROBERTSON: Yes, yes. No, I can -- I can hear you. I can -- I can hear you. Yes.

ASHER: Oh, OK. I was just going to ask because we did -- we did hear the sound of air raid sirens across Tel Aviv. And, of course, this comes at a

time when the Israelis have now begun easing restrictions for ordinary civilians, meaning that people can actually essentially go back to work.

Small gatherings are now permitted.

What does that tell you? I mean, the fact that we're obviously only six days into this conflict. The Iranians are still launching missiles towards

Tel Aviv, but then you have the Israelis essentially saying that we're going to ease restrictions on civilian life. People can go back to work.

We're going to permit some more gatherings.

What does that tell you about the kind of intelligence the Israelis have about the kinds of missiles that are being launched and the Iranian

capability about -- the Iranian capabilities in terms of launching missiles towards Israel?

I'm being told that we don't actually have Nic Robertson right now. We do have Kim Dozier, I believe. Kim, do I see you? Yes, there you are.

GOLODRYGA: Live television and we have a war.

ASHER: I was literally just talking to our -- our Nic Robertson who was on the ground there in Haifa about what we were hearing as I was interviewing

you on the other side of the break with the air raid sirens and the sound of those air raid sirens across Tel Aviv, a sound that has become all too

familiar for ordinary Israelis.

But, of course, just the fact that we're really only six days into this conflict it is still clearly very tense situation. But at the same time

though, even though this conflict is still intensifying, the Israelis have now decided to ease restrictions on ordinary civilians across -- across the

country. What does that tell you?

DOZIER: Yes. That is a vote of confidence in their air force's ability to take out much of the Iranian capability to strike Israel.

And it came as a little bit of a surprise because today also the Israeli Defense Forces reported that they did, for the first time, lose a drone

over the skies of Iran, an armed drone apparently which means that the Iranians have something still left to fire.

But I think that means they've -- they've watched that the number of missiles that Iran has been able to fire day after day has lessened. It was

several hundred the first day and it's reduced each day after that.

So they must truly believe they've got air superiority and enough intelligence resources in the region to give their own people a heads-up in

time to get to a bomb shelter.

[12:50:00]

One of the things that you hear Iranians on social media complaining about is they don't have bomb shelters and they as a general rule, don't have

sirens in most parts of the country warning them to take cover. So they are envious of the Israelis.

I know from when I lived in Israel, everyone had their bomb shelter. They - - they knew where to go if they had to use it. And ever since October 7th, it's been such a regular occurrence that people have their bomb shelters

essentially stocked and ready to go at a moment's notice, including at a point right now.

One of the things that people are fearful of is not so much the incoming, but what happens when an interceptor knocks into one of those incoming

ballistic missiles. And then you don't know which direction the interceptor is going to knock it in and what's going to happen with the shrapnel that

rains down. So people take these warnings pretty darn seriously.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, and they've become so familiar with them, especially since October 7th. And we do know that while they may have eased some of the home

front restrictions, schools are still closed. They do advise people to still stay close to home because of situations just like this.

But you're right to point out Israel has invested heavily in those bomb shelters over the last decades, whereas Iran doesn't have those type of

facilities for their civilians. And yet even 10 percent of Israelis don't have shelters. So it just gives you a sense of what life in a war zone is

like.

And, Kim, who better to have on to walk us through all of it than someone who has literally not only covered this but lived throughout the region as

well.

ISRAEL: An Israel underground.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you so much for your time with us today.

DOZIER: Thanks.

GOLODRYGA: And we'll be right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Let's recap our breaking news that we've been pretty much covering the entire hour. A conflict, of course, between Israel and Iran

still ongoing, still in its sixth day. The Israeli military now says that it has detected missiles launched from Iran.

The Israeli military saying that it has detected missiles launched from Iran. We heard those air raid sirens going off in Tel Aviv. As I mentioned,

we are in day six of this conflict and night is falling there.

[12:55:59]

GOLODRYGA: And meantime, we await any decision by the U.S. President on whether or not to get involved in this war that it's continuing to escalate

now. We're learning a third U.S. aircraft carrier is expected to be deployed near the region next week, adding to an already beefed up American

presence.

ASHER: Israel today saying it will ease restrictions on Israeli movements and portraying that as a sign of victory over Tehran. We know that Israel

is allowing small gatherings. It's also allowing people to go back to work. But as Bianna was saying earlier, schools do still remain closed. So it's

easing restrictions ever so slightly.

The -- the directive coming out of Iran, though, is much different. They don't have an Iron Dome. They don't have the same sort of air defense

capabilities as Israel and the air defense they do have, have really been destroyed during the six days of conflict.

While in Washington, the message is -- is really mixed. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You don't know that I'm going to even do it. You -- you don't know. I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.

I can tell you this that Iran's got a lot of trouble. And they wanted to negotiate. And I said, why didn't you negotiate with me before all this

death and destruction?

KHAMENEI (through translator): The Americans' involvement in this matter will 100 percent be at their loss. The loss they receive will probably be

much more than the damage Iran will bear. If America have a military presence on the ground, without a doubt, it will be an irreparable loss.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: All right. On that note, we will continue to follow all of the developments out of the region.

But that does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. I appreciate you watching. "Amanpour" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:00]

END