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Senior Iranian Leader Issues Threat, Don't Get Eliminated; White House to Hold Briefing on Iran War at 2:00 P.M. ET; Trump Says He Doesn't Believe Mojtaba Khamenei Can Live in Peace. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired March 10, 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]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, the defense secretary saying Iran's leaders are, quote, desperate and scrambling, the latest reporting from the Pentagon.

Plus, war timeline. Changing definitions from the White House on when the war with Iran will be considered over.

Catastrophic consequences, the world's top oil exporter and its dire warning this morning if the Strait of Hormuz disruptions continue.

Also, new video just coming into The Situation Room, Iranian missile launchers targeted by U.S. forces. The U.S. Military Central Command releases a video showing three strikes on what it says were Iranian missile launchers.

And late breaking news, a new threat to America from a top Iranian official. We will have the latest reporting.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off today. You're in The Situation Room.

We're following multiple breaking news stories this morning. Right now, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is being briefed on the war with Iran. CNN is just outside that meeting, and we will bring you all the late-breaking developments.

Plus, President Trump says Iran has been, quote, trying to activate sleeper cells here inside the United States, but says, the U.S. government quote is watching every single one of them.

And five Iranian women's soccer players now have asylum in Australia. They had been labeled, quote, traitors by Iranian state media for standing silently during the national anthem just before a game. And now even more team members are trying to get asylum as deep concerns for their safety grow.

We have a team of our correspondents and reporters fanned out across the globe with all the late-breaking reporting from the frontlines in the region to inside Washington as well. We'll also talk to U.S. senators and representatives on the Intelligence Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, and we'll hear directly from U.S. military and national security experts.

We're following the breaking news right now, a senior Iranian official is issuing a very stark threat. The head of Iran's National Security Council responded to Trump's social media post writing, and I'm quoting now, even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Watch out for yourselves. Don't get eliminated, end quote.

This Iranian official has previously threatened President Trump, saying he must, quote, pay the price for the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. The president responded directly to that threat telling CBS News, I have no idea what he's talking about or who he is. I couldn't care less, end quote.

Let's go live right now to CNN White House correspondent Alayna Treene. Alayna, are we hearing anything from the White House on these latest direct threats, not only to the United States, but directly to the president himself?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No. So far, what we heard the president say to CBS News, essentially saying, and I'll repeat it, Wolf, what you showed that he said, I have no idea what he's talking about or who he is. I couldn't care less.

I will say we just got newly announced from the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, that there will be a briefing today at 2:00 P.M. I am sure this question is going to be posed to her.

But I do want to get back to some of what we have heard the president say, particularly when it comes to not this top Iranian security official, but to the new ayatollah, the new supreme leader in Iran. Yesterday, speaking at a press conference, the president essentially continue to call him an unacceptable choice, saying that he was disappointed that Iran had selected him to be the new ayatollah.

But then he was asked specifically about whether or not he has a target on his back, the new Ayatollah Khamenei, and the president said, I don't want to say whether or not, because that would be inappropriate. But then he went further in saying that he recognizes that he, the president, has had a target on his back from Iran for a long time.

Now, it also comes, as we heard from the president this morning in a new interview with Fox News, referring to Iran's new supreme leader and saying, quote, I don't believe he can live in peace. So, it's not very much clear what the president means there. It also comes again after he had said he didn't want to say that he has a target on his back.

All of this as we were watching for new questions around the timeline of this. We heard a little bit from the Pentagon this morning about that, and waiting for this press conference later today from the White House. Wolf? BLITZER: All right. We'll stand by for that as well. Thanks, Alayna very much, Alayna Treene over at the White House.

Also this morning, we've heard directly from the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine. Both men were asked about the estimated timeline of this war because there's been some mixed messaging since the first strikes were fired.

[10:05:03]

Listen to the administration's comments over the last 11 days. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: This is not Iraq. This is not endless.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're already substantially ahead of our time projections.

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't know how long it'll take. We have objectives. We will do this as long as it takes to achieve those objectives.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The achievable objectives of Operation Epic Fury we expect to last about four to six weeks.

HEGSETH: This is only just the beginning.

TRUMP: We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough.

We're achieving major strides toward completing our military objective. And some people could say they're pretty well complete.

You could call it a tremendous success right now, as we leave here, I could call it, or we could go further, and we're going to go further.

REPORTER: June, you said it would be over soon. Are you thinking this week it will be over?

TRUMP: No, but soon.

REPORTER: Are you talking about days?

TRUMP: I think soon.

REPORTER: Okay.

HEGSETH: This is not endless nation building.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: CNN Senior National Security Reporter Zachary Cohen is here with me in The Situation Room. Zach, Hegseth says American voters rejected wars with an unguided end state then justifies this one.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Wolf. I think Hegseth appeared to be almost intentionally vague when describing the timeline for ending this conflict, trying to be careful not to contradict President Donald Trump's assertion that the war was very nearly complete, just yesterday saying that, but also making very clear that the U.S. military was still carrying out its mission and trying to accomplish its ever shifting objectives in this war.

Take a listen though to what Hegseth said when he was asked explicitly about the timing for ending of this war.

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HEGSETH: Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran, the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever.

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COHEN: So, we're on day 10 going into 11. Donald Trump saying the war is nearly complete. Hegseth saying today will be the most intense military strikes of the war so far.

BLITZER: He was also asked, Secretary Hegseth, about the U.S. role in a post-war Iran. What did he say?

COHEN: Yes, this is very interesting. He suggested that a post-war Iran would be in America's best interest, but didn't really describe how the U.S. plans to get to that instate. Obviously, the new supreme leader is widely regarded to be more hardlined than his father. There's little opportunity there to potentially go back to the negotiating table on Iran's nuclear program. But listen to what Hegseth said when he was asked to describe a post-war Iran.

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HEGSETH: Ultimately, the aftermath is going to be in America's interests, our interests. We are not -- we won't live under a nuclear blackmail scenario of conventional missiles that can target our people, which is why the objectives have been scoped from the beginning. Missiles, missile production, a defense, industrial base, navy, all in service of ensuring they don't have nuclear power projection capabilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, the one issue Hegseth did not address there though is the issue of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which U.S. officials believe to be still buried underneath some of the nuclear facilities that were hit last year by the U.S. military strikes. That plan for recovering that, extracting that, potentially destroying it, very uncertain at this stage.

BLITZER: All right. Zach Cohen, thank you very much for that update. We'll stay in very close touch with you. Also this morning, we have new reporting from Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen. CNN is operating inside Iran with the permission of the Iranian government as required under local regulations. CNN maintains full editorial control over what it reports. The Iranian government does not review, approve, or preview CNN's reporting prior to publication or broadcast.

Fred Pleitgen is in the Iranian capital of Tehran on this, the 11th morning of this conflict.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a very kinetic night here in the Iranian capital, Tehran. We ourselves witnessed several waves of what appeared to be very heavy airstrikes in the building that we're in right now, and that we're staying in, was shaken on several occasions from the sheer force of the impact.

Now, from our vantage point, it appeared as though, especially targets in the east of Tehran, were being attacked, also possibly around Mehrabad Airport, which is in the west of Tehran, and is actually an area that has been attacked in the past as well.

All this as the airstrikes conducted mostly by the U.S. and Israel continue not just here in Tehran but, of course, throughout this entire country.

Meanwhile, the political standoff also continues as well, President Trump, of course, saying that he vows to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for oil shipments into the world's markets, whereas the Iranians are warning that they are the ones who control the Strait of Hormuz. A source close to the Iranian government telling me that the Iranians are the ones who control the taps of the world's oil supply, they say that Iran is even thinking of imposing duties on ships carrying oil that are affiliated with countries friendly to the United States.

[10:10:15]

At the same time, the Iranians are saying also at this point in time, they see no sense in negotiations with the United States under preparing for what could be a long war.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And thanks to Fred for that report.

Coming up, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, joins us live here in The Situation Room to discuss what he's learning about the ongoing war with Iran and what the actual timeline is looking like.

But before we go to break Vice President Vance attended the dignified transfer of U.S. Army Sergeant Benjamin Pennington. The 26-year-old from Glendale, Kentucky, died after being injured in an Iranian attack in Saudi Arabia. SERGEANT Pennington enlisted in the U.S. Army back in 2017 as a unit supply specialist. The army says he will be posthumously promoted staff sergeant.

Seven Americans have now been killed in this war with Iran. Our condolences, deep condolences to their families, may they rest in peace, and may their memories be a blessing.

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[10:15:00]

BLITZER: Breaking news, President Trump says he is not happy with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader, and, I'm quoting him now, I don't believe he can live in peace, end quote.

Joining us now is the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

As you probably have heard, Israeli officials have publicly said Iran's new supreme leader will be a target for elimination. Do you suspect the U.S. also seeks to take him out?

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Well, let's put it like this. Let's go through the four goals that President Trump has laid out. Regime change, it doesn't look that way. The new supreme leader is literally more conservative, more hardline. And since America and Israel has killed his father, his wife, and his kid, I'm not sure there's any room for negotiation.

The second goal was taking care of Iran's nuclear capability. Clearly, the conversation about going, boots on the ground to go after the enriched uranium, there was conversation about that, but the fact that there's been no action on that indicates there's not a success there.

The third was ballistic missiles. And while we have taken out some of the launchers, I'm not going to get into percentages, but the Iranians still retain a great deal of ballistic missile capacity.

And the fourth, taking out the Iranian navy, which was added late last week, I think we have sank some of the ships. But Iran has a huge number of these small kind of speed boats, small, small boats that can still really mess up the Strait of Hormuz. So, I'm not sure we've even accomplished that goal.

And I do think it was more than a little unusual that the president yesterday came out about 3:00 in the afternoon when the markets were tumbling and gave what appeared to be a very positive outlook. The markets rallied. And then once the markets rallied, I'd like to know who made all the money there. The president then later in the evening went back to a more accurate assessment, and the markets are down today.

So, I don't think any of the four goals have been met. And I do wonder about this, frankly, manipulation of the markets they seem to be taking place. BLITZER: Well, let me just follow up and press you on this. Do you think the U.S., one of the objectives of the U.S. in addition to the four you just mentioned, is to take out Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader of Iran?

WARNER: I think he is even more conservative and hard line than his father. And, you know, I don't know how he can stay in power and still think the Americans and the Israelis, we could meet any kind of long- term goals that wouldn't have on Iran that would constantly be trying to reconstitute. But this tit-for-tat, you know, I'm not sure again where this leads us and the specific goals that the administration has laid out. Well, they didn't have goals then they laid out a series. I'm not sure we've accomplished any of them regardless of the president's comments to boost the market yesterday afternoon,

BLITZER: We've heard some conflicting accounts, as you know, Senator, from key members of the Trump administration, including the president himself, about how long this war could last. Based on your briefings, and I know you're well briefed, do you have a clear understanding of the timeline for the U.S. military operation in Iran?

WARNER: I don't have a clear timeline. If the timeline was going to be actually to meet the four goals that the administration has laid out, that will take an indeterminate amount of time. It appeared yesterday because the president was spooked about the rising gas prices, you know, about $125 million a day, Americans are paying an additional gas prices and that he was looking for an exit ramp. That seemed to last a little while. It seems we're back today to Hegseth saying, you know, we're going to have the biggest attack of all of the war so far today. And, clearly, if they're going to meet the goals, we've got a great deal of time to come.

BLITZER: How concerned, Senator, are you about the possible threat that Iran could pose to Americans here in the United States as well as abroad?

WARNER: Well, I think a couple things here. One, the amazing thing, Iran really has not even turned on all its proxies in the region.

[10:20:00]

Well, Hezbollah and Israel are engaged. We've not seen the Houthis strike yet. We've not really seen the Iraqi Shia militias who are backed by Iran's strike. That concerns me.

The Iranians do have cyber and terror networks around. I think we have to be on guard on that. I fear that with the kind of cutbacks we've had at the FBI in terms of senior counter-terrorism expertise, we may not be as well prepared. And I would, you know, one point, there were a series of targets of senior American officials after the Soleimani strikes years ago, during President Trump's first term, the previous supreme leader turned off those assassination attempts. I'm not sure now that he's gone and he's been replaced by his son what the status of those, and those included individuals like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. BLITZER: Senator Warner, I know you're among a group of key Democrats demanding information about that controversial strike at an elementary school in Iran that killed a lot of young school girls. Did it reassure you at all that President Trump seemed to soften his previous assertion that Iran was actually behind that deadly strike?

WARNER: Yes. I was glad to hear that. I mean, it seemed a little absurd that he was claiming the Iranians somehow had obtained an American Tomahawk missile and struck the school. But let's let the facts get out. You know, again, in this kind of armed conflict, horrible things happen. Let me acknowledge that. But with our ability to strike, and I would say this school was close to an Iranian military base, but let's get the facts out first.

BLITZER: So, have you been briefed now, do you agree that the U.S. was probably responsible for that bombing of that school?

WARNER: I'm going to get a brief on that later today. But I -- so I can only comment based upon what is in the open press, open source, but it appears there was some indication that there was American materials similar to what we're using at Tomahawk, but that's purely based upon public reporting. I'll have more information later.

BLITZER: Before I let you go, Senator, a quick question. We're learning that the Arizona State Senate complied with a federal subpoena about its review of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, which President Trump baselessly claims was stolen from him. How alarming is this development to you?

WARNER: I'm extraordinarily alarmed about the security and fairness of our elections this year. And we've seen the inappropriate -- I believe, inappropriate compensation of the Georgia ballots. Now, if they're going after the Arizona ballots, I'm increasingly concerned that we may have, you know, the president using some excuse. There was even reporting that they may try to blame it on China or Tulsi Gabbard putting out some false piece of intelligence as an excuse to federalize these elections.

And you don't have to, you know, take my word for it. Look at the president's own words. And if that happens, if we don't stand up and in a bipartisan way protect the integrity of our election process and not allow an inappropriate federal seizure, then the very future of this democracy could be at stake. I don't want to overstate, but this is as serious as anything I've seen, frankly, in my lifetime, when the very integrity of our elections may be under assault by, frankly, a president that still can't acknowledge a loss in 2020.

BLITZER: You're the ranking Democrat, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Have you received a briefing yet from the director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, about her inquiry into the 2020 U.S. presidential election?

WARNER: Absolutely not. Now, we will get a chance, and if unless she decides to skip, we have a worldwide threats hearing on March 18th. And let's just say this, me and a lot of the, frankly, members on both sides of the aisle will have a number of questions for Director Gabbard.

BLITZER: We'll be anxious to speak with you after that.

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, as usual, thank you so much for joining us.

WARNER: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Coming up, gas prices rising overnight again as the administration works out a way to try to get oil out of the Middle East. When could we actually see that trickledown to our corner gas stations? We're making it make sense. That's next.

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[10:25:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, gas prices rising another 6 cents here in the United States. According to AAA, the national average price of a gallon of gas today is $3.54.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People out here taking pictures, they don't even believe it, $8, $8.21. You might as well get you a horse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, I'm a little worried. We already are paying, you know, more in the grocery store. We're paying, you know, more at the gas pump. We're paying even more than we were paying before at the gas pump. So, I don't know. It's a little concerning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Oil prices have dropped a bit on hopes that the war will end soon, but CNN has learned that the Trump administration has started to panic over its rapid rise. Trump officials have now broached the idea of tapping into the U.S.'s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, despite days of firmly ruling it out as an option. But that might not necessarily change the price at the pump.

This is a perfect opportunity for our new segment here in The Situation Room called, Make It Make Sense, where we break down the headlines and cut through the white -- the noise of economic news.

[10:30:00]