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One World with Zain Asher
Israel And Iran Launch New Strikes; Tehran Vows U.S. Retaliation; Push For A Congressional Vote On Conflict With Iran; Iran May Retaliate With Cyber-Attacks; Qatar Temporarily Closing Its Airspace; International Community Reacts To U.S. Airstrikes In Iran; How Did The U.S. Carry Out "Operation Midnight Hammer?"; Iran Launches Missiles Towards U.S. Forces In Qatar; Heat Dome Builds Over U.S. Affecting About 150 Million People. Aired 12-12:53p ET
Aired June 23, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:39]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Calls for revenge. One report says that Iran's missiles are pointing at American bases in the region. Second hour
of "One World" starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.
There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The world is watching. So, what will Iran do next?
Also ahead, warnings of hacktivism, what it is and why the United States is bracing for impact.
And later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All my memories, all my furniture, all my photos, artworks, I'm an artist, everything is gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The real people at the center of an unbelievable crisis, how people on both sides of the conflict are picking up the pieces.
All right. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
Iran is vowing retaliation for the U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, with a senior Iranian official telling CNN, excuse me, the government wants
the U.S. to, quote, directly pay. This amid intense attacks between Israel and Iran on the 11th day of the conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION)
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GOLODRYGA: This dash cam video captures the moment an Iranian strike slams next to a highway in Israel and then rains debris on this driver.
Fortunately, he was OK.
Now, for its part, Israel says its air force struck, quote, the heart of Tehran with unprecedented force today. Among the targets, the headquarters
of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran and the notorious Evin prison, which has a long record of human rights abuses.
Israel also confirmed that it struck access routes to the Fordow nuclear facility after the U.S. attacks on Fordow and two other main nuclear sites
over the weekend.
All right. The U.S. is now assessing the damage on Iran's three major nuclear sites after those B2 bombers returned safely to their base in the
United States.
And in a new social media post, President Trump is now alluding to the possibility of regime change in Iran. Clouds of smoke shrouded parts of
Tehran earlier as Israeli planes struck the Iranian capital.
CNN team on the ground witnessed the aerial bombardment and filed some remarkable images. Take a listen from our Fred Pleitgen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So we've just witnessed a massive air strike here on the area of sort of northern central
Tehran. We actually went downstairs into a shelter once we heard planes overhead. And then we heard explosions.
You can see now the sky over the northwest of Tehran is completely filled with smokes. It seemed to us as though it were several really, really
strong impacts that took place.
And if we look over to the left here, you can see the smoke seems to be emanating from that area that's more towards the west of Iran, the sort of
northwest of Tehran, of the Iranian capital.
This is the first time since we've been here that we've seen a heavy air strike like this in the fairly central part of the city. So we're only
going to be able to be up here for not much longer, but this is definitely something that I wouldn't say is unprecedented, but it's definitely
something that we haven't seen in the past couple of days, coming of course, exactly after the Trump administration struck those nuclear
facilities and the Iranians are vowing revenge for that.
Of course, the Israelis also continuing their air campaign. And right now, as you can see, the skies over Tehran filled with thick black smoke.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Well, one of the big questions at this point is what does the U.S. do next regarding Iran and what is Iran planning to do in response?
Donald Trump will meet in one hour with his national security team. They are trying to figure out how badly they hurt Iran's nuclear program. Though
the White House is saying the U.S. airstrikes have taken away Iran's nuclear threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is an operation that presidents of the past have dreamed about, but no president had the guts to
actually do it. But President Trump did to take away this imminent threat, not just to the state of Israel, but to the United States and the rest of
the world.
[12:05:12]
So the -- the country is a safer place today because of the president's bold action. And he has prevented a nuclear conflict. He has prevented a
rogue radical regime from obtaining a nuclear bomb and threatening our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: But Trump is suggesting the strikes were perhaps about more than just taking out Iran's nuclear program.
He posted a social media that there could be a regime change in Iran, a comment that runs counter to what his top advisors have been saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our view has been very clear that we don't want a regime change.
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: This mission was not and has not been about regime change.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This wasn't a regime change move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: And while there is debate about what comes next, there's also debate about what should have happened first. Many Democrats and even some
Republicans say Donald Trump should have come to Congress for approval before launching a military strike like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
We will have Republican votes. How many, I don't know. We're going to have the briefing this week. We'll have a vote. I know many Republicans will
fall in line and say a president can do whatever he wants.
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): But I hope members of the Senate and the House will take their Article 1 responsibility seriously and say, you didn't even
notify us, much less, get an authorization. The U.S. should not be at war without a vote of Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So let's dive more into all of this with CNN White House correspondent Alayna Treene and our Annie Grayer in Capitol -- on Capitol
Hill.
Annie, let me start with you because I think what we heard there from the senator is counter to what we're hearing from the White House, at least
thus far and the president himself is that they don't view this as an ongoing war or the start of a war between the United States and Iran.
The president was saying clearly this to him was one and done, targeting these three nuclear facilities and, yes, expressing some frustration with
the regime there in that post on regime change.
But what are -- what are you hearing from other Democrats and even some Republicans in terms of the lack of communication between the president and
Congress?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: Well, there is a large question looming over Congress right now, which is what role, if any, did lawmakers have to play
in those strikes? Democrats are saying that Congress absolutely has a big role to play. And Senator Tim Kaine, the senator whose sound you were
playing earlier, is saying that there needs to be a vote as soon as this week for lawmakers to take a vote up or down whether or not the president
should have -- should be seeking authority from Congress if he were to take any further military action with Iran.
Now, this is going to be a complicated and politically tricky vote. Kaine thinks he's going to get some Republicans. The question is how many?
There are a few that are important to watch. One is Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has said that she believes it's Congress' authority here,
but has been squishy on the issue.
And then on the House side of things, you have Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who is leading the War Powers effort, which has put him in
the crosshairs with Trump. Trump has been going after the Republican Congressman on social media.
And so this raises a question of how many other Republicans will be willing to join Massie if he has come out so publicly on the issue and now is in
the crosshairs with the president over this.
But these votes are expected to happen in a matter of days. It's going to be really important to watch where members fall on this issue.
Some Democrats though say that this War Powers vote doesn't go far enough. Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Trump's actions are
grounds for impeachment. So, that's going to be a messaging point that Democrats are going to have to sort out separately.
And so beyond this legislative action that we're expecting to see this week, both the House and Senate are expected to get classified briefings on
the situation around which lawmakers say are hoping to give them a lot more answers as to what's going on.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Annie Grayer, stay -- stay with us. I want to turn to Alayna Treene.
Alayna, it is worth noting that this isn't a precedent set by President Trump in terms of bypassing Congress before ordering military strikes. We
know President Obama did the same.
Nonetheless, there is concern about the overreach that many of you the president has over his powers and authority.
How is the White House responding to this? And again, to that question over the post on regime change, are we starting to see a change in policy?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. Well, to answer your first question, Bianna, look, when I talked to White House officials about this
on Saturday after the president announced that he had ordered these strikes and they had carried them out and -- and these planes were on their way
home, they said that the calls that they had made to members of Congress, specifically the gang of eight, you know, the intelligence members who lead
that, they said that the -- the calls that they made were a courtesy heads- up. And that's how they're continuing to argue now that they didn't need to get authorization or didn't even need to even call them up in the first
place to brief them on this despite them having done so. That's really what we've continued to hear from the White House on that question.
[12:10:14]
But of course, we're going to continue monitoring that, particularly as we're seeing members back on the Hill this week and trying to deal with
this. I'm sure it will come up in some of the briefings. We know that they have scheduled with members of the White House team, the Trump
administration, heading to the Hill this week.
But then on the other question about what the president posted, and then bringing up this idea of regime change and really showing a potential
openness to it.
Look, this is something in my conversations with officials here at the White House. For days now, they've said that they've been trying to avoid
specifically. And I know that the president himself had been asking some of his national security advisors in some of these meetings he's had over the
course of the last week.
You know, is there a way to go in and do these strikes? Of course, this is before he had ordered them without, you know, bringing the United States
into a prolonged war.
And that really is the goal here. We've now heard the president himself, but also many of his cabinet members say that their goal now is diplomacy,
if they can get the Iranians to actually agree to that and force them back to the table.
And regarding what the president said about, you know, this openness to regime change, it could potentially be a type of posturing to force the
Iranians back to the negotiating table.
We've seen the president issue kind of threats like that before, despite him publicly saying, you know, we want peace at this point.
Now, we did hear the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, address this question and try to explain the president's post this morning. Take a
listen to how she put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAVITT: If the Iranian regime refuses to give up their nuclear program or engage in talks, we just took out their nuclear program on Saturday night,
as you all know. But if they refuse to engage in diplomacy moving forward, why shouldn't the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist
regime? That's a question the president raised last night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: Actually, her language there, Bianna, is really important. She -- she said that, why shouldn't the Iranian -- the Iranian people raise up and
-- and protest this regime if they're not doing enough for the American people?
Come a different from what a lot of people took away from the president's post on that, where it seemed like he was signaling that perhaps he is open
to it. Of course, that reminded you he had posted last week that he knew exactly where Iran's supreme leader was, though he said he was not
interested in taking him out, was the language the president used at that time.
All to say again, we know that this is something that Israel has shown interest in, and they've had conversations with the Trump administration
about this, but we have now heard consistently from the president's top officials, people like the vice president, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, his
Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, and The Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. All of them really trying to deliver the message yesterday
morning that this is not -- these strikes were -- is not what that was about, and it was not about trying to replace the supreme leader rather
going after their nuclear program.
So all of this, of course, likely to be a big topic of conversation when they do meet again at 1:00 P.M. in the Oval Office, and hopefully we can
bring you some information from that.
GOLODRYGA: You'll stay on top of this for us. Thanks so much, Alayna Treene, Annie Grayer. Appreciate it.
Well, the question remains, how will Iran respond to the U.S. attacks? One possibility is cyber-attacks. The Department of Homeland Security issued a
warning on Sunday about the risk of what it calls hacktivism. The prime targets could be the networks behind critical infrastructure like power,
water, or transportation.
Now, a few days before the U.S. strikes, law-enforced officials told CNN they weren't aware of any credible threats, but were closely monitoring
pro-Iranian groups for potential retaliation.
CNN Cybersecurity reporter Sean Lyngaas joins us now.
And, Sean, this had been a concern even prior to the escalation over the last few weeks. The level of sophistication that Iran had achieved over the
last several years was concerning for top cyber officials here in the U.S.
SEAN LYNGAAS, CNN CYBERSECURITY REPORTER: That's right, Bianna. I mean, Iran is very capable in cyberspace. It's not on the level of Russia or
China or even the U.S. government, but it certainly has developed capabilities that could disrupt infrastructure. And perhaps more concerning
for U.S. officials is the aggressiveness, which they pursue some of these operations and the opportunistic nature.
To give you one example after the Hamas terrorist attacks in October 2023, Iranian hackers began scanning the internet for industrial software that's
used at water dams and other critical infrastructure in the U.S.
And they found vulnerable ones in -- in places like Pennsylvania and elsewhere. And they used that access to, you know, temporarily cause some
nuisance at those plants. It's -- it caused some flooding or -- or at least some -- some sort of disruption that forced the -- the plant operators to
do something.
Something like that is -- is top of mind for U.S. officials right now in terms of what could happen today or tomorrow in -- in cyberspace.
But also there's concern, Bianna, about what Iran might do, the coupling cyber capabilities with -- with kinetic threats.
[12:15:05]
In the past, Iranian hackers have been used to sort of collect intelligence on targets that the regime may want to take out. We've seen that, for
example, with an associate of former national security adviser, John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor. He was threatened in an
assassination plot by the Iranians, according to the Justice Department. But also reporting has shown that one of his associates was hacked in the
lead up to that plot.
So, the threat is very real. Iran is in disarray right now from the attacks from Israel. But people are taking no chances in terms of the preparation
they're making.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, specifically as it comes to asymmetric warfare and retaliation from --from Iran.
Sean Lyngaas, thank you so much.
And this just in to CNN, Qatar says that it is temporarily closing its -- temporarily closing its airspace, foreign ministry statements on X says
that the closure is meant to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Qatar says that it took the action based on developments in the region. Now, it comes as Iran weighs its response to this weekend's U.S. attacks on
its nuclear facilities.
We should also note the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East is base in Qatar. And we'll bring you more details as soon as we get them.
Let's bring in CNN global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh, who is former deputy Pentagon press secretary.
So let's start there with the airspace closure in Qatar. We noted the largest military base in the region is located there as well. Would the
United States have been provided with any specific intel or providing vice versa Qatar with specific intelligence that would lead to a move like this?
SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: At this time, you're probably seeing the United States, particularly the Pentagon, communicating
with their counterparts on the ground.
As you mentioned, we do have one of our largest bases there in the region, and the priority of the secretary of defense, of the entire Department of
Defense, is going to be keeping our military safe.
So they're likely going to be communicating with allies and partners in the region, bolstering up air defenses, moving assets out of the region if they
can. And of course, you're already seeing some evacuation flights that have started to get American citizens out of Israel.
These are all measures that are going to be put into place, probably for the next few days and adjusted as needed to see what Iran does in response
to, of course, you know, the strikes that the United States launched over the weekend.
GOLODRYGA: And that's assuming that we'd see a response from Iran imminently over the next few days, as you note.
But there's also the possibility that Iran stays silent for the next few weeks or days. And it's when people are less alert. And there are fewer
resources in the region that perhaps Iran could see an opening for an attack.
How long can the U.S. maintain such a force presence in the region?
SINGH: I think that's a fantastic question, because right now, we're already at heightened levels. And there's only so long you can continue to
operate at that level. Before, of course, you're going to need some -- some rest, some capabilities to be maintained. And that is, of course, when, you
know, things can go wrong. Iran can take advantage of that window.
And right now, Iran is kind of owns the clock on when they respond. The United States obviously made an incredible, I mean, effort by our military
to potentially destroy or severely degrade these nuclear capabilities at these sites where these nuclear capabilities are housed.
But Iran's response and what they do next and when they do it, they really do have the capability to catch us off guard.
And I think, you know, to an earlier report that -- that you were discussing about cyber capabilities, we are at a moment right now where we
don't even have a confirmed commander of CyberCom.
So, there is a great threat that comes from Iran, particularly if they were to unleash their cyber capabilities on energy infrastructure or any type of
other infrastructure that's critical to the United States.
And right now, we don't have one of the most important people in that position leading that entire organization, which is cyber command.
So, you know, if I'm the Department of Defense, I'm going to be, of course, bolstering my capabilities and my defense posture in the region. But we
also have to look here at the homeland as well and -- and, you know, be on our guard -- guard here.
GOLODRYGA: What do you make of the growing discord, not only, I mean, the minority now in terms of Republicans who have opposed the United States
interfering in any sort of capacity, even if it's just to provide the weapons to drop bombs there over those three nuclear facilities or perhaps
opening the door to even more action if warranted by the United States?
What do you make of the concern among a few Republicans, but a -- a growing number of Democrats about what they say is the White House bypassing
Congress in getting approval for this? All of this playing out in real time for -- for the world, our -- our enemies and adversaries to be watching.
[12:20:18]
SINGH: Well, I think what you're seeing on both sides is a real concern about the United States being drawn into a larger regional conflict. And
that is something that, you know, President Trump came in on and said, we will not be pulled into these larger regional wars. And so there is
absolutely bipartisan concern.
But in terms of Congress' role, Congress always has a role when it comes to how the United States engages with adversaries overseas. This is something
that's now going to have to be debated in Congress.
You know, we have taken actions like this before, whether it be in the Clinton administration, with Bosnia, Obama administration with Libya. This
is, of course, a bit wider scale than what we did in the Biden administration, where I served when we were, you know, responding to Houthi
attacks and IRGC-backed militia attacks in Iraq and Syria.
But Congress absolutely has a concern -- a -- a voice here. And what's concerning is that some Republican lawmakers received a further in-depth
briefing than democratic lawmakers, and that really should not be the case. There needs to be consensus here that everyone is getting briefed on the
same material. Because at the end of the day, these are the people that represent their constituents, which include Democrats, Republicans,
independents, and they need to have the materials so that they can also go back to their constituents and know that they're representing their
interests in Congress.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Sabrina Singh, always good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.
SINGH: Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: It is important that we now de-escalate the situation, stabilize the region, and get the parties
back around the table to negotiate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: World leaders respond to U.S. strikes on Iran, but not all of them are on the same page. We'll have details ahead.
Then strikes in three different locations over 25 minutes. Just how did the U.S. pull off Operation Midnight Hammer?
And later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the first time, the NBA champion presides in Oklahoma City. The storybook season is complete.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Big win for Oklahoma last night. Is this the start of a basketball dynasty? NBA crowns a champion who says this is only the
beginning.
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[12:25:09]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Two days after the U.S. targeted three of Iran's nuclear sites, Tehran is turning to one of its key strategic partners in a
meeting closely watched by the White House.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the Iranian Foreign Minister at the Kremlin earlier. Now, both countries have deepened their military ties in
recent years. Tehran has supplied drones to Moscow throughout its war in Ukraine. And the Russian President is now condemning the U.S. attacks on
Iran and reassuring Tehran that it can count on Moscow for support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Our position regarding the ongoing events is well known. It has been clearly stated and
articulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the behalf of Russia and reflects the stance that we have taken in the United Nations Security
Council.
This absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis whatsoever and no justification whatsoever.
I am very glad that you are in Moscow today. It gives us an opportunity to discuss all these acute topics and think together how to get out of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Well, leaders around the world are reacting to the U.S. strikes, many of them calling for de-escalation. But protesters are also making
their voices heard with demonstrations taking place around the globe.
CNN's Larry Madowo brings us the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protesters burned a joint effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Eastern Indian city of Kolkata, as the world reacted to the U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear
facilities that the U.N. secretary-general called a dangerous escalation that could get out of control.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ceasefire now. Ceasefire now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ceasefire now. Ceasefire now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ceasefire now.
MADOWO (voice-over): In Tokyo, pro-Palestinian demonstrators branded the attacks a war crime. Japan's prime minister called for a quick de-
escalation but said that Iran's nuclear weapons development must be stopped.
It's not enough for some protesters.
MYOKO HIDAKA, PROTESTOR (through translator): The Japanese government should be criticizing the U.S. and Israel much more strongly. Japan is,
after all, the only country in the world to have suffered atomic bombings. So, we really need to understand the horror of nuclear weapons more deeply
and to make the world aware of it.
MADOWO (voice-over): Pope Leo XIV appealed for peace in his Sunday Angelus prayer.
POPE LEO XIV, LEADER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility to stop
the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss. There are no distant conflicts when human dignity is at stake.
MADOWO (voice-over): Many European leaders did not explicitly condemn the U.S. strikes on Saturday, but asked Iran to return to the negotiating
table.
STARMER: Well, we've long had concerns about the Iranian nuclear program and been very clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. The U.S. has
now taken action to alleviate that threat.
It is important that we now de-escalate the situation, stabilize the region, and get the parties back around the table to negotiate.
MADOWO: Russia had condemned the U.S. strikes, calling them irresponsible and a violation of international law. And that echoed comments we saw from
several Arab states that castigated the U.S. for violating the sovereignty of Iran.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates all called for de- escalation, warning of serious consequences if war broke out in the region.
Larry Madowo, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: And still to come for us, infrastructure destroyed, homes turned to rubble. We hear from civilians in Israel and Iran as the conflict
deepens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:12]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
President Donald Trump is pushing back on a claim from Russia's former president that countries are ready to supply nuclear warheads to Iran.
Trump writes on his Truth Social that he wants to know if Dmitry Medvedev actually said that or whether it's a quote figment of his imagination.
He concludes at the post saying the N-word nuclear should not be treated so casually and he ends it with, I guess that's why Putin's the boss. Medvedev
is now the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council.
Well, no one can say for sure how much damage U.S. attacks inflicted on Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend. Before and after satellite
images appear to show major differences, but Iran may have moved nuclear material from those sites to other locations before the attack.
The Pentagon says it's trying to learn the extent of the damage to Tehran's nuclear program, a much different response than the U.S. president and his
top officials initially gave.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.
HEGSETH: Iran's nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.
DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF: Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three
sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Yes. We should also note that Rafael Grossi, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog IAEA, also said that there was likely significant
damage at Fordow.
Now meantime, the Israeli prime minister was effusive in his praise of Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the
world's most dangerous weapons.
His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So, how did the U.S. execute Operation Midnight Hammer? Retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST (RET.): One of the key elements that we have here is the timeline that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff pointed out. Basically the B-2 started out at Whiteman Air Force Base up in Missouri, a little bit after midnight on the 21st of June.
It took them a little over 18 hours to get to the target area and that's this area right off the coast of Israel right here.
But basically what they ended up doing was they ended up hitting the targets 18 hours and 40 minutes later. By 19 hours after their launch, they
were exiting the Iranian airspace. They'd hit all their targets.
And one of the key things that they ended up doing was striking these three areas, the site of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
And what they did during that time was they actually, the Air Force package included not just the B-2s, but it had a series of decoys with it, fourth
and fifth generation fighters that came in and basically confused the Iranian air defense system, what was left of it, because the Israelis had
taken out a lot of it in this part of Iran. And what we ended up having was a B-2 path to each of these targets that was in essence covered by the
decoys.
[12:35:23]
So the Iranians were confused by this. The B-2s could conduct their attack. And what they ended up doing with the B-2s, this right here shows what they
normally do.
But in this case, instead of having Mark 82 bombs, they had the GBU-57 bomb, which was the bunker buster. And that bunker buster hit this site,
the Fordow site first, because that was the site that they needed to get at because it is the deepest buried target that they had.
Tunnel entrances here, support building, and most importantly, the centrifuges buried deep in the mountain. And that particular thing is
really important, because what you end up seeing is the fact that you have a -- a site right here that is, in essence, covered by an area that -- that
has, on the 20th of June, looked fairly normal.
This area looked fairly normal because the strike hadn't happened yet. But by this morning, on the 22nd, all of these areas right here that were once
whole are gone. And the other thing that they did was they struck the tunnel shafts in this particular area. So that gives us not only the
capability to go in and take care of these sites.
But the other thing to worry about in addition to the nuclear sites that were taken care of is what is the Iranian response going to be? That
Iranian response is going to impact the U.S. troops, about 40,000 of them, that are deployed to this part of the Middle East.
And this site of the Persian Gulf is very much within range of Iranian missiles. And that very fact makes it one of those areas that requires a
great deal of force protection and an increase in what they call the force protection conditions that will protect our troops in this region. Back to
you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Our thanks to Cedric Leighton there.
And Tel Aviv, now residents of an apartment building destroyed in an Iranian missile strike Sunday, returned to the rubble earlier. Many have
been searching for any belongings they can recover from the debris. Take a listen to what these residents had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This morning I woke up after yesterday having lost my house and it's quite hard. You start to realize because in the first
minutes, I mean, when it happens, you're in a shock and you kind of deny. You don't really realize what really happened. You all you see it
physically, but things start to come over at night and et cetera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All my memories, all my furniture, all my photos, artworks, I'm an artist, everything is gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: And in Tehran, residents chanted slogans against both Israel and the U.S. Sunday in the wake of American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran's president joined the crowd who held placards featuring images of commanders killed during recent Israeli strikes. Take a listen to some of
the sentiment on the streets of Iran's capital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): What they did is truly unforgivable and they should not think they can harm our country by doing
this. Iran is stronger than they perceive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They, the United States, are doing this to gain more leverage. Their goal is to extract concessions. While
we're engaged in negotiations, they want to show their strength saying, we can demand anything from you and you'll be forced to come to the
negotiating table.
But it shouldn't be like that. We negotiate, yes, but within the framework of laws and principles, not under the shadow of force.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Time now for "The Exchange." Joining us once again is Mohammed Soliman. He is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who
has written that given that the strike was long anticipated, Iran may well have preemptively dispersed some nuclear assets to alternate sites.
Mohammed, let -- let me start though with the news that we've just reported that Qatar has closed its airspace in anticipation of what may be
intelligence suggesting that Iran is planning on striking nuclear -- U.S. facilities there, military facilities there.
Just talk about the escalation that we would see then from the U.S. in response, how concerned Iran should be if in fact we do see an attack aimed
at American troops.
MOHAMMED SOLIMAN, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Good to be with you.
Clearly, this is unprecedented times. The Iranian leadership in the past few days clearly calculated that they need to respond to the U.S. strikes
on the nuclear facilities.
[12:40:04]
The question is, what's the scope of this Iranian attack on U.S. assets at the Gulf? Will it be calibrated? Will it be expansive? And what are we
going to do in -- in response to this Iranian attack?
I think it's very fair to say that we are entering a new phase of this war, a phase that are going to determine how -- what's our own objectives. Is it
going to be limited to just eliminate the nuclear program? Or actually, we're going to go after the cavitation of Iranian leadership in Tehran?
GOLODRYGA: OK. But following the assassination of Qasem Soleimani back in 2020, we did see a response, a few missiles launched towards military
bases, and then quickly Iran calling U.S. allies saying that that is it, that they've reestablished deterrence, no more attacks against U.S. bases,
and that episode appear to be over.
Things have escalated quite significantly since then. Even if we did see what Iran would view as a measured response against U.S. bases, they can't
expect that the United States won't react.
So, how much longer, how much further is Iran willing to go in terms of the tit-for-tat? Because as -- as you know, if the United States chooses, they
can eliminate this leadership and any other strategic assets in Iran.
SOLIMAN: It's a very tough question, Bianna. I think CENTCOM or attacking CENTCOM in Qatar is a completely different level of escalation. This is not
an American base somewhere in Iraq. This is the same CENTCOM commander in the Gulf. This is the main U.S. base in the entire Gulf. Attacking this
base means a different discourse for the war.
And I would argue that the Iranian leadership feels that this is kind of the level of retaliation that they need, not only for tit-for-tat
escalation with the United States, but also for their own domestic legitimacy in front of the Iranian -- their own base inside of Iran.
They have lost so many nuclear scientists, the IRGC leadership, the army staff, and they need to show to their own base that they are still able to
respond to this sort of aggression.
GOLODRYGA: And what are the risk of miscalculation in terms of, A, on the one hand feeling that they need to show their own base and their own
population, that they're responding to these attacks? But at the same time, Iran doesn't have that many friends and allies left around the world to
come to its defense.
I know the foreign minister was in Moscow. I can't imagine Russia physically engaging and entering this war at this point.
In China, it has kept its focus on the Strait of Hormuz, because any closure there would really impact China in terms of oil prices,
skyrocketing. So, just talk about the -- the heightened tension on that front.
SOLIMAN: You're absolutely correct. Iran doesn't really have that many allies, China or Russia or even neighboring Pakistan or -- or Turkey, other
than statements of condemnation.
What Iran has been doing is asymmetric response. So you're going to see a lot of GBS spoofing, GBS jamming in the Gulf, in the Strait of Hormuz. So
they're able to deter shipping ships from going into the Strait without actually using force.
The second, when it comes to your first part of the question about what's the risk, I mean, the risk is losing American lives in an Iranian attack.
And then this will change the calculus in Washington in terms of what's the next level for our own response.
GOLODRYGA: I just want to report to -- to both you and our viewers that from CNN's reporting from Kevin Liptak and Kylie Atwood, the U.S. has seen
indications that Iran is making preparations to attack U.S. military installations in the Middle East, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
This according to two officials familiar with the matter and that American officials have been preparing for the likelihood that Iran could strike
U.S. facilities in the wake of this weekend strikes.
As we continue to watch, and hopefully, we won't see a strike, but the reporting is out there and there are indications that that is what Iran is
planning imminently to some of what you have earlier written about. And that is where the stockpiles could be.
There is suggestion that the 400 kilograms of enriched uranium could be buried deep in Fordow. There's also the possibility that Iran could have
foreseen some of these strikes at least and moved them.
What's the likelihood of that given how flat-footed Iran seemed to have been in terms of these first 11 days of strikes?
SOLIMAN: This is the unknown unknown here. This is the situation that we don't really have clarity on what damage that we have inflect on Fordow.
[12:45:08]
Two, we don't really know what's the scope of the Iran nuclear program. There are some talks, there might be some secretive enrichment facility in
Iran that's not accounted for.
Two, there are also a number of centrifuges that were not really being used.
And on top of all of that, we have a 400 kilogram of (INAUDIBLE) uranium 60 percent that's clearly -- were not damaged, were not destroyed by the U.S.
strike, or we would have seen radiation.
So this is all to say that Iran could possibly think about reconstituting the nuclear program after the war. So you live to fight another -- another
day.
This is basically the framework that we're having right now. But in terms of, are we going to see the end of the nuclear program? Or is the nuclear
program just delayed? This is basically the biggest question that we have right now on the table.
GOLODRYGA: And please stay with us as we're getting more reporting on what -- what may be imminent strikes coming from Iran towards U.S. military
facilities in Qatar.
The United States, I would imagine, if this does indeed transpire, if U.S. military personnel are fired at, the likelihood that the U.S. would be open
to go resume diplomatic negotiations, I would imagine, become less and less. And so what position does that put Iran in?
SOLIMAN: In a very tough position. I don't believe that they have foreseen this massive war with the United States and Israel. They lost a lot of
their own capabilities. They didn't really have enough force. They lost air sovereignty over their own territory.
Clearly, an open -- open front with the United States and Israel is not going to end well for the government in Tehran.
GOLODRYGA: All right. We'll continue to watch things unfold. Mohammed Soliman, great to have you back on the program. We'll be speaking to you
more, I know, for over the next days and weeks ahead. Appreciate the time.
And still to come for us, nearly half of the U.S. melting under a dangerous heat wave, including here in New York, sending temperatures soaring and
causing some roads to buckle, literally. Look at that picture there in Missouri. How hot will it get? We'll tell you, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:04]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Breaking news just into us here at CNN. Iran has launched six missiles towards U.S. bases in Qatar.
Now this comes just after Qatar closed its airspace and an abundance of caution following U.S. airstrikes in Iran. It is worth noting that the
largest U.S. base in the Middle East is located in Qatar. So, we will continue to follow these developments for you as well as these news.
And there you see a live image there of Qatar in Doha, in Qatar there. That is Doha itself, not the military base, Al Udeid. That is the air base that
there are reports of these missiles were aimed towards. We will continue to monitor this story as it continues to evolve.
Meantime, back to the prolonged dangerous heatwave that is gripping parts of the U.S. this week, bringing extreme temperatures to areas from the
Midwest to the East Coast and down south with heat and humidity alerts in effect for about half of the country's population.
The National Weather Service warns that some areas are expected to break records. The thermostat, about 15 degrees warmer than normal and hitting
triple digits in Fahrenheit.
Joining us live from Atlanta to break down just how hot it's going to get, CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam.
Listen, walking a block here in New York City will look like you just got out of the shower. It is that hot. It is that steamy, Derek.
We're not used to it as much as some folks in the south are, but how bad is it going to get? And when are we going to see some reliefs?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's -- it's sweat towel season, right, from Atlanta all the way to the East Coast. But it is so hot in some
parts of the Midwest that the roads are buckling under the extreme heat. This is incredible.
The road slabs when you get these sudden changes in temperatures, they actually expand, they shift and they cause the sudden kind of buckling in
the roadways. You certainly don't want to be caught driving over one of those. You can actually get airborne if you have and cut or one of these
buckled roadways.
Now it has been so heat -- so hot that we're talking about 150 million Americans under these heat alerts, extreme heat warnings for so many
locations.
The potential here for 100 plus record highs tied or broken going forward. Now this is hot, but it only gets hotter from here, especially when you add
in the humidity level.
So, we've got this heat indices or fields like temperature and it's already topping 100 degrees in New York City, Philadelphia. This is why the
National Weather Service and NOAA has these extreme heat risk maps and you can see that shading of purple from the Ohio Valley all the way to the Mid
Atlantic. They need to take extreme caution, drink plenty of water. Of course, take plenty of breaks if you're out in the sun today.
Bianna, back to you.
GOLODRYGA: And best of all, try to stay out of the sun if you can.
Derek Van Dam, thank you so much.
We'll be right back with more. We're going to go now to CNN's domestic coverage.
(CNN DOMESTIC COVERAGE)
[13:00:00]
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