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Israel and Iran Widen Their Targets in New Wave of Attacks; Soon, Suspect in Minnesota Lawmaker Shootings to Appear in Court; World Leaders to Discuss Israel-Iran Conflict. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired June 16, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, caught by trail cam. Fascinating new details revealed about the arrest of the suspected shooter of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. What police found in his car, and whether officials think he acted alone. His court appearance happening today.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: New wave of attacks. Iran targeted an Israeli oil refinery damaging the power grid, while Israel hits military command centers in Tehran.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

And we begin this hour with this breaking news, Israel and Iran both widening their attacks as their fight enters its fourth day, Iranian missiles hitting an Israeli oil refinery in the coastal city of Haifa. A residential building in Haifa was also hit in this attack. At least eight people have been killed in the latest wave of Iranian strikes against Israel.

Israel says it has now destroyed 120 of Iran's missile launchers. That's more than a third of its missile capability. President Trump says he wants the U.S. to stay out of the fray for as long as possible. I'll be speaking live this hour with Israeli President Isaac Herzog about the unfolding crisis. So, stay with us for that important interview.

CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is in Tel Aviv. Nic, I assume people there are living in fear right now.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Wolf, I tell you what, I look at people on the street here right now, we're about a hundred yards from where one of the big blasts happened last night. People not so much living in fear, they're living now in this expectation that this is going to continue, that there could be days, weeks of this.

You're beginning to see a bit more of the damage, the storefront torn down. Look here, Wolf, you can see here people putting wood up where the glass was blasted in by the big blast. You see some of the big cranes doing some of the heavier lift repair here. Behind that big building at the back, that was a hotel on the lower floors office building all the way up, about 14 stories.

We're right in the center of Tel Aviv here. This is not the normal for people, but you look around, you see people coming out on the streets here. You see them coming to take a look doing repairs, repairing the damage, getting back life as much as they can to normal.

And I think that's the mood and the spirit here right now, Wolf. You'll be familiar with this in Israel, of course, people here very resilient. But at times like this, what they're focusing on is getting the city back up and running. And what you're looking at down this street here, you are looking at the damage from the blast center of that big blast. We've tracked it there by those stores. We've seen it on the big office building over there and now you're looking at where it cratered out and impacted there. Not one of the biggest missiles that Iran has, I was told, but it cratered in that building. No one killed here, but eight people killed across the country.

So, are people living in fear? No, but they're ready to go to the shelters when the sirens and warnings go off. And it's afternoon and it's getting late, so people very aware that that could come at any time here, Wolf.

BLITZER: You're right in Central Tel Aviv right now. Nic Robertson, we'll stay in very close touch with you. Thank you very much. Pamela?

BROWN: And, Wolf, two U.S. officials tell CNN the President Trump rejected an Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme Leader when the opportunity arose. Israel is denying reports of such a plan.

BLITZER: I want to bring in CNN White House Reporter Alayna Treene. She's here with us in The Situation Room. Good morning, Alayna. What are you learning?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, look, I mean, as you said, we are learning now that Israel had told the United States that there was what they're calling a window of opportunity over the weekend to try and kill Iran's supreme leader, the ayatollah, Ali Khamenei. And, essentially, what the president told his administration was to communicate to the Israelis that he opposed that plan and didn't want it.

Now, just to give you a sense of why he was saying that, and from what we've been hearing in our conversations with White House officials, is he believes that going to that extent, having some sort of regime change in Iran would lead to this conflict becoming a potentially full scale war. And that is what the president is really trying to avoid here. Because, so far, we have seen the United States helping the Israelis with defensive capabilities and helping, you know, intercept some of the missiles that have been coming from Iran.

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But that's essentially where they want that to stay right now. And we've now heard both publicly and privately the president saying that he still believes that there can be some sort of deal worked out between the two. I want you to take a listen to what he told reporters as he was leaving for Canada yesterday.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think it's time for a deal and we'll see what happens. But sometimes they have to fight it out, but we're going to see what happens. I think there's a good chance there'll be a deal.

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TREENE: Now, Pamela and Wolf, what we are as well hearing is that the Israelis have been in contact with the Trump administration about wanting them to help more and in a more direct way, and those conversations will continue.

But as of now, essentially, the president is saying their involvement as of now is where they want it to stay. They want to avoid being more involved directly. Because from that point, they believe that Iran could begin to start maybe turning their attention to U.S. bases.

BLITZER: Yes, we'll see what happens on this front. Alayna, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Let's continue this conversation now with CNN Global Affairs Analyst Kim Dozier right here with us in The Situation Room.

So, Kim, I want to start with what we were just discussing with Alayna, President Trump apparently rejecting this plan to kill Iran's supreme leader. Why is that significant?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: That would keep the avenue open perhaps to some sort of peace talks. You can't negotiate when there's no leader. If the supreme leader were to be taken out, there would be weeks, months of churn before they choose someone new. Also, if Israel is allowed to strike the supreme leader, it is more likely that Iran will hit American targets and bring American troops into the line of fire.

BROWN: And, of course, that is the concern from the U.S. perspective.

In terms of the damage on Iran's nuclear program, there's been conflicting reports. What is your sense of the damage done on that front?

DOZIER: Well, according to nuclear experts who have examined some of the open source intelligence satellite images, it looks like they hit in one area, they hit the new fuel manufacturing area. This is where Iran was refining the uranium to 60 percent, which means then it's a very short leap to get it to 90 and build a nuclear weapon.

But they also hit things like the energy infrastructure there, which can cost millions of dollars to replace. And they're also hitting energy targets across the country, which will make it a lot harder to rebuild the nuclear program.

BROWN: So, then do you think Israel has achieved its objective?

DOZIER: It doesn't have the bunker busters that the U.S. has to get into the Fordow plant. What it can do is destroy the entrances to the plant. But, eventually, Iran is thought to be able to dig back in, and this time with the will because of the attacks to rebuild its program and weaponize.

BROWN: So, you mentioned it doesn't have the capabilities the U.S. does. So far, we know that the administration has just provided defense capabilities to Israel?

DOZIER: Yes.

BROWN: Do you see that calculus changing?

DOZIER: Unless Americans are targeted, I think Trump wants to try to sit this one out and play the good cop to Israel's bad cop and leave a line open for potential negotiations because Trump doesn't want a war to break out in the Middle East, though this is essentially a war back and forth between these two countries. He wants Iran to be brought to the negotiating table, and a number of gulf leaders are also urging the same. They want Iran to be left with some way to defend itself and some shred of pride so that it is willing to go back to the negotiating table.

BROWN: So, do you think that this actually will help bring Iran to the negotiating table in a new way?

DOZIER: The way Israel is striking, you know, the latest strikes, it took out -- talked about taking out the IRGC, the Quds Forces Intelligence leadership, and it's also one-by-one targeting the missile transports that move. It is going to, I think, use this space to go after everything it possibly can to defang Iran so that it takes Iran possibly a decade to rebuild.

It's also hitting the energy infrastructure, some of the oil fields and gas fields. That could cripple Iran economically. Such that together with the sanctions, it struggles to feed its own people beyond the economic churn that it is in under right now. That combination could bring it to the negotiating table with the help of gulf leaders.

BROWN: It's notable that Iran is now hitting residential buildings. I mean, we're seeing that. What do you make of that? Do you think Iran is expanding its scope of the strikes, particularly when you compare to what happened, you know, last April?

DOZIER: Well, the previous strikes, Iran basically telegraphed that it had to respond to Israel's attacks, but it only targeted military areas in April a year ago.

[10:10:02] This time, Israel has taken out many of its intelligence targeting functions. Plus, I think Iran wants to hurt Israel as much as possible. This was the big threat that they always held over Israel's head, that they would hit populated areas and they're carrying it out.

But, so far, Israel is able to -- of the 65 missiles that the IDF says were launched at Israel overnight, it got the majority of them, although it seems at least four got through.

BROWN: All right. Kim Dozier, as always, thank you so much.

DOZIER: Thank you.

BROWN: Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, very, very dangerous situation unfolding.

Still ahead, I'll speak live to the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, about the conflict.

BROWN: And up next, suspect captured. How a trail camera helped investigators zero in on the man accused of targeting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses.

You're in The Situation Room.

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BLITZER: The man suspected of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses is scheduled to make his first court appearance this afternoon. SWAT teams found 57-year-old Vance Boelter crawling in a field not far from a home he owned about an hour southwest of Minneapolis.

BROWN: Investigators found at least two possible hit lists with dozens of potential targets. Boelter was armed when he was arrested and police found multiple firearms in his vehicle. He's accused of shooting and killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota statehouse, Melissa Hortman, and her husband. Officials say State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot but they survived and are recovering.

BLITZER: Let's hope they do okay.

Let's go live right now to CNN's Danny Freeman, who is joining us from Minneapolis. Danny, what more are you learning right now about how police caught him after, what, about 43 hours on the run?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Pamela, state police here, they're describing this as the largest manhunt in Minnesota state history, and it's just remarkable that less than 48 hours, as you noted, Wolf, since that moment where this suspect, Vance Boelter, allegedly opened fire at those two lawmakers' homes, he was captured last night without incident. Now, this all unfolded, Wolf and Pamela, about 50 miles southwest of where we are right now in Minneapolis, outside of the courthouse. It's in a -- it happened in a rural area. It was in Sibley County. And we were out there all day with a number of local residents watching just an enormous law enforcement presence, heavily armed guards, armored vehicles, going through these farmlands and wooded areas, going door- to-door at one point, trying to search for any sign of this suspect.

Then according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, around 7:00 P.M., a trail camera actually picked up a picture of what looked like Boelter, according to, again, this report. And then the local resident who was in charge of that trail camera told police, and police were able to hone in on an area. They used a drone. They used helicopters. They used infrared technology as the darkness set in that area of Minnesota, and, ultimately, they were able to apprehend belter amazingly without incident.

Now, just quickly, Wolf and Pamela, I'll note there are a couple of things we're watching this afternoon. Boelter's back here in Minneapolis. He's facing murder charges. He's going to have that first state court appearance here again in the early afternoon. But a federal court appearance for Boelter just showed up on the docket as well in this afternoon. We're looking for more details about what charges he may face there. We'll bring that to you as soon as we have it. Wolf? Pamela?

BLITZER: All right. We'll stay in close touch with you. Danny Freeman reporting from Minneapolis, thank you.

BROWN: All right. Let's bring CNN Security Correspondent Josh Campbell. He's joining us now from Los Angeles. Josh, was there anything that surprised you about the way Vance Boelter was captured?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is certainly a relief to that community. I've worked manhunts in law enforcement that went on for weeks and weeks, and this certainly grips the community. You have a community in fear and not knowing if a potential suspect is in their midst. And so that is good news.

I think what is interesting in this case is that this appears to be someone that is the definition of a fugitive without a plan. And we can't forget that the reason why he was on the run is because it was an alert law enforcement officer after they arrived to the initial lawmaker's residence, they had the wherewithal to then go kind of proactively check on another lawmaker's residence where they then encountered the suspect.

And that is just so chilling. I mean, all of us have covered so many of these cases involving the police. But to think that this person was equipped and had planned to maybe conduct multiple murders allegedly but was actually stopped in the act by law enforcement, again, just so chilling.

I think one aspect of this, when I say the definition of a fugitive without a plan is because he was found so close to his own residence. In these fugitive cases, what analysts will do, investigators, they'll try to map out where is this person likely to go? Where are their sources of resources? Where are their properties, you know, their homes and the like? But the fact that he was found so close, this appears to be someone who was panicking.

And then the last thing I'll note is that we see these ending so many ways differently, where sometimes as suspect engages in a shootout with law enforcement. Sometimes they take their own life. This was a suspect who was surrendering. You had him actually called out of the woods by law enforcement, thankfully, peacefully arrested.

BLITZER: You know, Josh, looking at this suspect's history and background, does he fit a profile that would raise the attention of law enforcement?

CAMPBELL: Well, that's something that investigators will look at. I mean, we've been, obviously diving into his background. There's nothing in and of itself that presents a red flag. We know that he worked in the security industry. That itself wouldn't be a red flag. We know that he was involved in evangelical ministries, again, that itself not a red flag. He was somewhat of a job hopper, as they say, you know, moving from jobs to jobs.

But I think one thing that's interesting that we see, as we cover these cases, is that the FBI, their, you know, famed profilers have actually looked into suspects who engage in violent activity.

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And they indicate that, you know, they don't just snap. Oftentimes there's what they call a pathway to violence, where they, you know, have various grievances, and then they obviously plan out what they're going to do.

But one thing that will be interesting to watch, and this is what investigators will be looking into, is whether there was anyone in his orbit who actually knew what was about to happen. Were there red flags exhibited? Did he telegraph things? Again, that doesn't mean that those people necessarily will be criminally liable, but in so many of these cases, we see people are exhibiting these warning signs. It's just that people don't actually pick up the phone and call law enforcement.

BROWN: Yes, you see that time and time again in so many of these cases.

You know, when you look at the evidence that police have found so far, you have the notebook, dozens more potential targets, three AK-47s found in what's believed to be the suspect's vehicle, I mean, what does that tell us about how far this could have gone and how important it was that police went to check on the Hortman's home, as you noted?

CAMPBELL: Yes, it, it is frightening. I mean, to think that this person was mapping out multiple potential targets. Obviously, you know, in reality, could someone actually make it to the homes of 70 different people? Obviously, very unlikely without being caught. But still, I mean, just think about, we don't know what his next target was after the second lawmaker's home, but he had addresses. You know, he knew where they lived. For whatever reason, he was going to go to these different locations. Because he is in custody and he is alive, he can be questioned. And so maybe some of those answers will come.

But, again, all credit to the cops here for going to that second residence, encountering that suspect. Again, it's just so chilling to think what might have happened after that had they not intervened.

BLITZER: Yes, possibly. Josh Campbell reporting for us, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: Thank you, Josh. And coming up right here in The Situation Room, Israeli President Isaac Herzog joins us here in The Situation Room as attacks escalate between Israel and Iran.

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BROWN: The Israel-Iran conflict is expected to be the top issue at this week's G7 Summit in Canada. President Donald Trump, he has just arrived there. The White House says he will meet with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, and Ukraine during this trip.

CNN's Kevin Liptak has the latest.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The G7 this week here in Canada will be the first international summit of President Trump's second term, and it will be a good window into how he plans to use these international gatherings to address some of the world's stickiest issues. The biggest of which is this conflict between Israel and Iran. That will really be the overhang.

I think a lot of the world leaders who are gathering here want to hear out and suss out President Trump on exactly how he sees that conflict going. Of course, he says that he thinks there is still room for diplomacy, but there are a lot of questions about how exactly that would proceed.

And, in fact, earlier Sunday, President Trump said that he thought the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, might be able to mediate this conflict, but already at least one other G7 leader, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said that he doesn't think that that's a workable option. So, already you see some differences emerging even before this summit begins.

You know, discord and acrimony really colored these kinds of summits during President Trump's first term in office. And I'm thinking specifically back to the last time Canada hosted a G7 back in 2018. Kind of the enduring image of that summit was of President Trump sort of glowing with his arms crossed and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, sort of leaning over him as they tried to hash out this joint statement that President Trump later tore up as he left the summit site.

The hosts of this week's gathering do want to avoid that open level of acrimony. And to that end, they don't plan on releasing a joint communique. They'll release some shorter individual statements instead. And instead of sort of these large, lengthy group meetings that sort of go on and on, they're planning more one-on-one time for the president to meet some of his counterparts.

Of course, Ukraine will be a big topic at the G7, just as it has been for the last three years. President Trump has made clear his differences with some of the European leaders, particularly when it comes to applying new sanctions on Moscow. Of course, trade talks are the other big topic that have caused divisions between President Trump and his counterparts. And we are approaching that July 9th deadline that the president has set to negotiate all of these new trade deals in order to avoid some of the harsh new tariffs.

And there are leaders here that are in active conversations with the president about trade, whether it's Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, or Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, who is an invited guest of this year's G7.

Now, whether President Trump is act actually able to make progress on those trade deals or whether this will continue to be a point of contention, I think, remains to be seen. But certainly it is a very stacked agenda for President Trump and his counterparts as they gather here in Canada for the G7.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, near the G7 in Alberta, Canada.

BLITZER: Kevin, thank you very, very much.

Amidst all of this, Israel and Iran, of course, are trading major strikes for a fourth straight day, Iranian strikes hitting multiple locations across Israel, including residential buildings in the heart of Tel Aviv.

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At least 24 people have been killed so far with many more injured, that according to the Israeli government.