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The Situation Room

U.S. Military Says, Four American Troops Killed in Iran Operation; New Video, Large Explosions in Central Tehran; Israel and Hezbollah Trade Attacks as Conflict Widens. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired March 02, 2026 - 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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[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news for Americans killed and the Joint Chiefs chairman says the U.S. should expect additional losses.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And escalating war, new video showing large explosions in Tehran as the conflict now is clearly spreading.

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.

We begin with the breaking news on the spiraling war in the Middle East, that we've now learned that four American troops have been killed in the Iran operation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke about those killed this morning.

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PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We fight to win and we don't waste time or lives. As the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell, and always will be. A grateful nation honors the four Americans we have lost thus far and those injured, the absolute best of America. May we prosecute the remainder of this operation in a manner that honors them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Overnight, three F-15 U.S. fighter jets crashed in Kuwait. All crew members survived parachuting, as you see, to the ground. We're now learning that it was a friendly fire incident. The U.S. military says Kuwaiti air defenses accidentally shot down the jets.

BLITZER: And just moments ago, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited Beit Shemesh, The site of an Iranian missile strike that killed nine people just outside Jerusalem. Listen to his message.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: If this regime, this terrorist regime of the kind we've never seen in the world, if they get nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them ballistic misses, intercontinental ballistic misses, they will threaten all of humanity.

So, we set out to protect ourselves, but in so doing, we protect many others. And I want to say special thanks to our great friends and a great leader of the world, Donald Trump, for joining us in this crucial effort to save the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: This morning, we're seeing large explosions in Tehran as the conflict intensifies. This is new video we're getting into The Situation Room. Iran, meanwhile, is launching retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.

CNN's Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward is witnessing Iranian drones on their border with Iraq. Watch this.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, and you can see that now an Iranian drone literally just flew directly over our heads from Iran into Iraq.

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BROWN: And a major development this morning, Hezbollah has also now joined the war. The Iranian-backed militant group based in Lebanon launched attacks into Israel, prompting a swift response. Israeli airstrikes, meantime, have killed at least 31 people according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. This is Beirut, the top floor of a building there in flames.

BLITZER: And in Cyprus, not that far away, two drones were intercepted, air raid sirens ringing out in that European Union country.

BROWN: According to the government there, the drones were targeting a British Air Force base.

BLITZER: We have extensive coverage from our correspondents around the world. We'll bring you analysis from our experts who are all standing by, and we'll speak to lawmakers from both sides of the aisle about this escalating war.

But let's begin with this morning's news conference, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, hold their first news conference since the U.S. and Israel launched the strikes.

Let's go live right now to CNN National Security Correspondent Natasha Bertrand.

[10:05:01]

Natasha, what did we learn this morning about the U.S. objectives of this war? NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Secretary Hegseth laid out three main objectives. That is to get rid of Iran's ballistic missile capability, to get rid of its navy and also to target its nuclear facilities. But there are still serious questions about the overall objective of the operation and its timeline.

One reporter asked a very detailed, specific question saying, look, President Trump said this could last about four weeks. Do you agree with that? Secretary Hegseth did not like that question. He said that he does not want to put a timeline on it. It could take two weeks. It could take five weeks. It could take less.

And so while he was saying that this is a very well-defined and concise operation that is not going to be endless, like, of course, we saw the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he also could not necessarily say what the exit strategy is when the U.S. military has deemed that its objectives have been completed here.

But here's a little bit of what he said earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both. Our generation knows better and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb, and he's right. This is the opposite.

To the people of Iran, this is your moment. There were -- the world was seized by these crowds and then seized by the reality of this regime killing tens of thousands of innocent protesters. So, we saw the nature of the regime yet again exposed. We saw many of the Iranian people seek a change there. This is their moment to take advantage of it, for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERTRAND: Now, he also said that this is not a regime change war, but, of course, as we and others have reported, the U.S. intelligence community allowed the Israelis to use their intelligence to pinpoint the exact whereabouts of the ayatollah on the day that he was killed. And, of course, President Trump has said repeatedly that he does not believe that the Iranian regime should be staying in power at this point.

And so while Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he laid out a very detailed, you know, picture of what the U.S. military operation has looked like to date, he also said that more forces are continuing to flow into the region and it's just unclear exactly when this is all going to end.

BLITZER: All right. Natasha Bertrand with the update, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, Wolf. And as you heard, the U.S. military is saying that three U.S. Fighter jets were shot down today accidentally by Kuwaiti air defenses. Video right here shows what appears to be one of the jets falling out of the sky and coming down about six miles from a U.S. air base in Kuwait. There's another video showing a pilot, as you see, parachuting to the ground. The U.S. military says all six crew members ejected safely. They were recovered and are in stable condition.

Let's go live now to CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson. He's right there in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, right nearby. Nic, what more do we know about this apparent friendly fire incident here?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. So, this was a case of three U.S. F-15 E Fighter Eagle aircraft, the twin seat-long reconnaissance fighter aircraft. It has multiple uses. It's operated in this sort of theater in the Middle East and the Gulf region over many, many decades.

Now, they've taken off at a time where there was an incoming Iranian threat, ballistic missiles, drones and we know around about the same time smoke was seen on the ground near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, not the first time Iran had tried to strike Kuwait. And what appears to have happened is that Kuwaiti air defense systems mistakenly misidentified these three F-15 E Fighter Eagle aircraft and -- Strike Eagle aircraft, and shot them down.

Now, the pilots did all get out. They did all parachute out. They did all come down. Actually, locals in Kuwait sort of rushed to the scene to see what was going on, thinking perhaps it was Iranians that have been shot down, discovering that it was Americans, and, of course, stepping in to help them in that scenario.

But it does show the difficulty of fighting alongside allies in complex, high intensity situations, the likes of which ballistic missiles, drones are coming into urban environments. This is not a common theater and type of operation.

BROWN: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: Horrible situation.

Also this morning, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has now entered the war. It started when they launched strikes on an Israeli army base. Israel is now retaliating with attacks on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. Watch this.

BROWN: The State Department is reiterating its warning to U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon now while they still can.

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BLITZER: All right. Let's go live right now to our Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, who's in Tel Aviv for us.

Nick, sources telling CNN the U.S. threatened Lebanon's government with strikes on its infrastructure unless they took steps against Hezbollah. What can you tell us about that?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, I mean, we're into an extraordinary moment here that I think many are quite surprised. Hezbollah decided to put itself ultimately through significantly weakened after the late 2024 war with Israel. And sorry, one second, weakened with its war against Hezbollah in late 2024, and now deciding through a statement given middle of yesterday that it would avenge the death of essentially the leader of the nation that's given it so much support over the year, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that ultimately they would be taking some kind of vengeance.

We saw that through projectiles that were fired into Northern Israel during the early hours of what would be this morning, no injuries as a result but a significant Israeli response.

Now, that has been felt in Dahieh, the Southern Beirut suburb, where Hezbollah are centered. We've heard -- seen reports of buildings hit there. And Lebanese media has reported more strikes again earlier this morning in that area too, and now across Southern Lebanon. It is clear that the Israelis have told many different settlements there to evacuate, to clear out, and we've seen images of people yet again leaving Southern Lebanon deeply fearing what may come ahead now. We've seen immediate evidence of the Israelis preparing for some kind of ground offense, although they have been clear that all options remain on the table.

So, a remarkable moment here where I think many felt Hezbollah was significantly weaker than necessary to attempt another confrontation with Israel, and Israel have long made it clear that they would seize an opportunity like this and appear to be prosecuting it with as much figure as they possibly can. Quite how long they feel they need to take to take out remains of Hezbollah at this stage, unclear, but it's a remarkable new frontier that I think few anticipated, and that also shows how fast this war is expanding into different areas. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Nick Paton Walsh in Tel Aviv for us, thank you very much, Nick.

BROWN: And still ahead here in The Situation Room, a top international group says none of Iran's nuclear facilities, fuel facilities, were hit in these strikes. So, what does this mean for the administration's goals? We'll ask Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke up next.

BLITZER: And we'll also ask the lawmaker about the lack of Congressional approval for these strikes and how the president's allies will handle the lack of public support for this war.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

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[10:15:00]

BROWN: Breaking News, we are learning more details from the Pentagon about the war with Iran, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says has a clear objective.

Joining us now is Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke of Montana. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is a former Navy SEAL commander for SEAL Team 6. Thank you for coming on.

I'm curious to hear your perspective, given your history as a former SEAL commander, the fact that there's already been a loss of life, four American service members, and you heard General Caine this morning preparing for more loss of life. Is this worth it?

REP. RYAN ZINKE (R-MT): Well, remember, there was a loss of life before this engagement. You know, as a former SEAL and in combat, at least 500 if not a thousand U.S. soldiers died as a result of Iran, either supporting tactics, techniques, explosives. You have Hezbollah, you have Houthi, you have Hamas, 2,000 civilians killed by Hamas, that's being directly supported -- that was being directly supported by Iran. So, this is not the first conflict, the first time of American life, and I think the president said it right, we will expect more.

I think the damage that has been done by Iran is significant. What's different is remember the 12-day war, they took out a lot of the senior military leadership, Israel did. Secondly, now you have the political leadership in dismay. The response has been less than effective, but they're still dangerous.

BROWN: And how do you view them as still being dangerous, particularly in the broader context of these sleeper cells?

ZINKE: That's a big concern. It's a big concern also that DHS is in shutdown. What the ironic part of it is by shutting down DHS, it doesn't shut down ICE. So, for the opposition, if ICE is the problem, shutting down DHS doesn't make the solution for ICE. They were funded during reconciliation. What it does shut down though is the backside support for cybersecurity, for a lot of security forces that hunt down and track the sleeper cells, which we know there are. There were hundreds of individuals on the terrorist watch list that came in this country under the Biden administration, hundreds, a preponderance from actually the northern border, if you look at the statistics.

So, are there sleeper cells in the U.S.? Yes. Can they inflict damage? Absolutely. Is it a threat? 100 percent.

BROWN: And we're just checking those numbers, but, I mean, what is the risk, in your view, on threats to Americans right now in the wake of this war?

ZINKE: I think it's time to be vigilant. Look at where the strikes would occur. We saw an incident in Texas.

[10:20:01]

There likely would be more. Remember, you know, weapons are easy to get and they're prolific. So, you know, an incident -- and remember it wasn't that long ago in memory when we had a sniper, remember, in D.C. That shut down D.C., just the fear. It wasn't a lot of firepower, but that single incident affected the country for weeks.

BROWN: Right. And in 2011, there was a foiled Iranian plot to bomb a restaurant in Washington, D.C., Cafe Milano. So --

ZINKE: A great restaurant, by the way,

BROWN: Great restaurant. But we have seen in the past Iranian plots to harm Americans here. I mean, the target there was a Saudi ambassador, but, of course, it would have killed others. There have been foiled assassination attempts against Trump.

But in terms of the objective here, CNN is reporting that Pentagon briefers acknowledged the Congressional staffers that Iran was not planning to strike U.S. forces or bases in the Middle East unless Israel attacked Iran. This is contrary to what the administration has said. Has the White House provided a sufficient answer to Congress and the American people as to why the U.S. attacked Iran and we're now at war without Congressional authorization?

ZINKE: Well, remember what the president said. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. And they should have took the deal. Because the deal was is that no notice inspections. We know they have nuclear material. That's not in dispute. We know they do. They had to give up their aspirations, their stockpile, and stop working on a nuclear weapon, which was we found unacceptable. They didn't take the deal. They should have. And as a result, they lost their leadership. They're losing their navy. They're losing their cybersecurity. They'll lose military forces until they capitulate.

BROWN: But President Trump said this was about an imminent threat. This was about an imminent threat. That's what he said initially. Pentagon briefers said, no, actually there was no intelligence indicating there was an imminent threat against U.S. service members overseas. So, how do you respond to that? And President Trump, I'm just hearing in my ear, just told my colleague, Jake Tapper, that the big wave is yet to come. So, clearly, things are going to be escalating, not deescalating in the future.

ZINKE: Well, I think the imminent threat goes back to nuclear weapons. I mean --

BROWN: Yes. But, I mean, the assessment was it could take ten years, ten years for an ICBM.

ZINKE: But we know they have.

BROWN: But Trump said it was obliterated. The nuclear weapons were obliterated. So --

ZINKE: We know they have stockpiles of nuclear material. Are the facilities down? Were they rebuilding them? Yes, we know that. We know they had nuclear material. We know that too. We know they had the will to launch them. They already have. They put on missiles, kill, destruction of Israel. They support the Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah. This is an evil empire. BROWN: No one disputes that in terms of being anti-American. But in terms of the justification for this, how are Americans supposed to believe this administration when they've thrown out different justifications, and part of what they said in terms of this imminent threat has been contradicted by the intelligence provided to Congressional staffers? And we know in the America's history, justifications for war publicly have been lies.

ZINKE: All right. You and I both watched the State of the Union. Was there any doubt in your mind where the president was on Iran? They will not have nuclear weapons. He said that clearly, concisely. It was crystal clear. And the negotiations clearly were ending where they weren't going to give them up. They weren't going to provide no notice inspections. Trust but verify. We've seen them lie before. We've seen them inspect damage on -- with Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas. We saw 2,000 people being supported by Iran being murdered, unspeakable crimes, you know, out of Gaza.

So, was it a threat? Yes. Do we have sleeper cells in this country? That's a threat too. What I'm hoping is this. I'm hoping the war is small and I'm hoping the people of Iran rise up and take control of a better future. The Middle East without an Islamic radical regime, such as Khameini, could be a golden age for prosperity in the Middle East.

BROWN: But just look at the other side is they're concerned that vacuum could be filled with more terrorists or people who are anti --

ZINKE: And that's a risk. Now, I don't think there's anyone worse than Khameini and his disciples of evil, so I don't know how you can get any worse than Hezbollah, Hamas, or the Houthis, but we'll see.

What I'm hoping is the rich culture of Iranian people, which historically has not been an Islamic radical country. It has been a democracy, somewhat secular, I'm hoping to return to that and understand that prosperity comes with trade and peace and not through war.

BROWN: All right. Congressman Ryan Zinke, always nice to have you on the show --

[10:25:01]

ZINKE: Always a pleasure,

BROWN: -- to hear your perspective. Thank you. Wolf?

BLITZER: Thanks very much for your service as well.

Coming up, the Trump administration says this war isn't about regime change, but it's also calling on Iranians, and I'm quoting, now to take advantage of the situation. When we come back, we're going to get some analysis from CNN's Christiane Amanpour about what comes next for Iran and its people.

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BLITZER: All right. Take a look. We're getting these pictures in from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, just moments ago.

[10:30:00]

Look at the smoke coming up, clearly another strike against some targets in Beirut, the Lebanese capital. We will watch this unfold.