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Russia Helping Iran in War?; Mixed Trump Messaging on Iran War Continues. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired March 11, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And drone collaboration. CNN's exclusive new reporting on Russia and the growing level of help Moscow is now providing for Iran.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: We're following the breaking news, President Trump now telling Axios' Barak Ravid that the war with Iran will end -- quote -- "soon" because there is -- quote -- "practically nothing left to target," a direct quote.

President Trump told Ravid, who is also a CNN analyst -- quote -- "Little this and that. Any time I want it to end, it will end. The war is going great," he says. "We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six- week period" -- end quote.

Last hour, I spoke with Barak Ravid about this phone call he had with Trump. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: He also said something interesting, that this war against Iran is a result, according to him, of everything the Iranians, all the bad things the Iranians did against the U.S., Israel, and the region for the last 47 years.

And he said -- I quote -- "This is payback. They're not going to get off easy."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, let's go live right now to our correspondent Alayna Treene, who is over at the White House for us.

Alayna, we have heard many different timelines from the Trump administration on the length of this war. What's the latest? ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, look, I think the many

different timelines you have heard by several different administration officials is all coming back to one reason and essentially it's by design.

They do not want, Wolf, to box themselves into a definitive timeline with this war. It's something I have heard in my conversations with people in that building behind me. However, at the same time, one of the through lines, particularly from the president himself, has been to project optimism.

And some of this, this idea of him saying that the war will end very soon or that really just a little this and -- a little this and a little that is, what he told Barak Ravid, is essentially him trying to project confidence that this is not going to be some long, drawn-out war.

Now, I will get to get back to your assessment of how this has been several different conflicting messages. We heard exactly that on Monday night, when the president gave a press conference, I should say an impromptu, kind of hastily arranged press conference in Florida, where he said at one point that the end was near.

He was suggesting that the United States' objectives with this war in Iran were being quickly met. But then he also would say that they could perhaps go much further. And this was something that was brought directly to the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, yesterday, when he also addressed the press in a conference, in a news conference.

And he said, essentially -- would not put a definitive timeline on this, but tried to bring it back to the one thing that I know the administration and several officials talking about this are being told to say, which is that this is not 2003.

That is something they are trying repeatedly to remind Americans, that they do not want this to be a yearslong type of conflict that the U.S. is embroiled in, because, at the end of the day, that is something, Wolf, that this administration recognized many Americans do not want.

They are very wary of protracted military involvement of this magnitude for a very long time. And so it's something they're consistently trying to put out there, that this is not going to be drawn out, while also not giving really many definitive or clear answers on what this timeline actually looks like.

And it all comes as well as I know that there have been many people inside the administration, but also several people outside of the administration, many allies of the president, who are calling him and telling him directly, you need to make sure that you're being clear that this -- that we are finding a way out of this war and try to articulate what that will look like.

And so that's kind of a constant struggle, I think, that this administration has, and there are no questions that they're trying to answer, while also, again, not being very specific and definitive about the timeline itself -- Wolf. BLITZER: All right, Alayna Treene at the White House for us.

Alayna, thank you very much.

We also have new CNN reporting on the status of Iran's new supreme leader. CNN is learning that Mojtaba Khamenei suffered a broken foot on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, that according to a source who said Khamenei also has cuts on his face.

Rumors of his injuries have swirled for days. Khamenei has not been seen in public, nor heard from since he was appointed to succeed his father.

I want to go live right now to CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who is on the scene for us in Tel Aviv.

Jeremy, what are we learning this morning?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we had already previously reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in that strike that killed his father, the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

But now we have new details on that, according to a source who was familiar with the situation, saying that Khamenei suffered a fractured foot and several other minor injuries on that day, including a bruise around his left eye, as well as mild lacerations around his face.

[11:05:10]

We have also had this confirmed now by Iran's ambassador to Cyprus, who spoke with "The Guardian" newspaper today, and confirmed indeed that he did suffer injuries to his hand and legs as well. And so that's the most official confirmation we have heard of that so far.

He, of course, hasn't been seen since being selected as Iran's third supreme leader in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran just last week. We know, of course, that he likely has a target on his back now, as Israeli officials won't say that officially, but they are making clear that they do want to continue to pursue this goal of regime change in Iran.

And, today, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz making clear that Israel will continue this military campaign for as long as it takes until all of the goals are achieved and until Israel achieves victory over Iran. That seems to include the goal of regime change, because Katz talked about the idea of continuing to try and create the conditions on the ground in Iran for the people to rise up and ultimately overthrow this regime.

But nearly two weeks into this military campaign, Wolf, by the United States and Israel, we have yet to see any evidence of that actually happening on the ground, but those Israeli strikes certainly continuing, as are American ones, just today, CENTCOM confirming that a ballistic missile production facility was taken out in a U.S. military strike -- Wolf. BLITZER: And, Jeremy, I just want to follow up.

As you note, Israel is launching new waves of strikes on Tehran, and they did so overnight. What else can you tell us about Israel's strategy with all these new strikes?

DIAMOND: Well, listen, both the United States and Israel are continuing to target Iranian facilities, everything from those ballistic missile production facilities to Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets, the internal security services known as the Basij, and a range of other targets really across Iran's geography.

We know that there were Israeli strikes in the capital city of Tehran overnight. And Iran has also continued to fire back at Israel. We had a relatively large barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Israel overnight, although no reports of any direct impacts as a result of that, as Israel's air defense systems were certainly working overtime overnight and then into this morning.

But, as I said, Israel is saying that they are committed to continuing to carry out this military campaign for as long as it takes. The question is whether they will continue to have the support and the participation of the United States, as we hear mixed messaging from President Trump on how much longer this war will last, and particularly as we're seeing the impact that this is having on oil prices and on stability in that critical Gulf region -- Wolf.

BLITZER: So, I take it, Jeremy, sirens are still going off in Tel Aviv, in Central Israel, where you are?

DIAMOND: Yes, that's right, Wolf.

We had several sirens both overnight, as well as this morning, but, again, no reports of direct impacts as a result of those incoming missiles.

BLITZER: All right, Jeremy Diamond, stay safe over there. We will stay in touch. Thank you very, very much.

Now to a CNN exclusive. A Western intelligence official says Russia is helping Iran in developing advanced drone tactics to hit U.S. targets and sites in Gulf nations. Russia developed its expertise in its war with Ukraine, and Iran has been unexpectedly successful in penetrating the air defenses of several of these Arab Gulf nations.

This is the first confirmation of Russia's offering specific tactical advice and not just general assistance and targeting.

CNN's chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, is joining us. He's now in Jordan. He's live in Jordan.

Nick, this is your exclusive reporting. Tell us what else you're learning.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's important, Wolf, because this suggests that we have gone from a phase in which U.S. officials are saying the Russians were more generally assisting with satellite imagery and locations of targets to something way more sophisticated and potentially dangerous.

As you said, it is clear that some of the drones Iran is firing are getting through, are getting through complex air defenses. Remember, these drones, the Shaheds, which the Iranians gave to the Russians for their war in Ukraine, now it appears that there's some gifting back from Moscow here.

Now, a Western intelligence official I spoke to said, what was more general support is now getting more concerning, including targeting strategies that Russia employed in Ukraine. Now, the official didn't specify exactly what kind of strategies we're talking about here, but after much time in Ukraine, we have seen hundreds of drones launched in swarms, in waves each time, Ukraine sometimes subjected to 1,000 in just one night.

They come in large groups. They often appear to be heading in one direction, then suddenly turn to another. I have seen them on radar doing strange circular movements, all simply designed to evade air defense strategies.

[11:10:12]

The Ukrainians adapt every single week. They have in fact been offering to here, Jordan, and other Gulf nations some of their expertise, to send people across and potentially technology, potentially $2,000 tiny 3-D printed drones that can be used to intercept the larger Shaheds that cost about $50,000.

But, ultimately, it's the idea that Russia could use this sort of real-time learning it's had on the battlefield, ultimately about three years' worth of actual battlefield experience, and then deliver that all to the Iranians over the period of potentially 10 days to enable them to get better at getting through the air defenses.

That is, of course, deeply troubling. Today, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was aware the Russians were helping the Iranians with drones and he's offered his own experts, as I said. But it potentially shows here how this war is expanding, escalating in ways that might have been hard to anticipate 11, 12 days ago.

Clearly, Moscow here, who has seen the United States openly provide intelligence and weaponry to Ukraine to fight off the Russian invasion, might be seeking to exact some kind of price here -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, who's now in Jordan for us.

Nick, thank you very much.

Still ahead: Iran says it's attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz right now, the world's most important energy transit point, with explosive mines. Chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, is standing by. She will join us live in THE SITUATION ROOM and we will discuss. That's next.

And as Iran strikes out at other countries in the Persian Gulf, one of them is now demanding that Iran stop its attacks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:16:32]

BLITZER: All right, look at this. These are live pictures coming in from Beirut, Lebanon.

You see the smoke, Israel clearly continuing to target Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy militant group, and the smoke from those Israeli bombs continuing in the Lebanese capital right now. We will stay on top of this part of the story, to be sure.

Also new this morning, a CNN exclusive, a Western intelligence official telling our Nick Paton Walsh that Russia is providing Iran with advanced drone tactics to strike U.S. targets and sites in neighboring Arab countries. Russia, of course, developed this expertise during its war with Ukraine. This is the first confirmation of Russia offering specific tactical advice and not just general assistance in targeting.

I want to bring in CNN's chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, who's joining us from London.

Christiane, give us your analysis, the geopolitical perspective, if you will. How significant is this new level of Russian involvement in this conflict?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Look, it's significant, for sure, and it's horrible, obviously.

It also directly contradicts what the administration said. Steve Witkoff, the envoy, said, we have talked to the Russian leadership. They deny they're providing Iran any intelligence or help. We can take them at their word, which, frankly, is shocking to anybody who knows anything about Vladimir Putin and the fact that he lies point blank to their interlocutors all the time, hence no resolution on the Ukraine- Russia war.

But this is serious. On the other hand, the fact that -- and I'm going to talk about Ukraine now. The fact that Iran is using Shahed missiles on drones, which it used to give to Russia for use in Ukraine, has probably very vastly diminished, because it needs to use and it is using all those Shahed drones and others against the U.S. and Israel and the allies in the Gulf.

So I think that is very, very clear. The other thing is, how does this all end? And you know, because you have been monitoring it very closely, there's been quite a lot of surprise expressed in the administration. It appears that, neither for the United States, nor for Israel, is this going as they planned, in that -- or as they believed it would, in that they believed that the initial massive decapitation would lead to a crumbling of the regime or some kind of weakening that would mean that this would be over with an uprising or whatever it might be much, much sooner. BLITZER: This morning, Christiane, President Trump told Barak Ravid

of Axios, one of our analysts, that the war with Iran will end, in his words, in Trump's words, soon.

He says -- and I'm quoting him again -- "Practically nothing, there's nothing left to target."

What does that tell you about Trump's possible, possible endgame?

AMANPOUR: Well, I think it does say that they're looking for a proper exit ramp. They have not been able to articulate an exit strategy or what would constitute the ability to declare an end to this, what they needed to achieve to declare an end to this.

So, interesting, you tell me about Barak Ravid, because I'd only just seen it, because I have just come from interviewing Trump 1.0 Venezuela and Iran special representative, and that was Elliott Abrams, who you know is pretty neocon, pretty hard-line on Iran.

And when I specifically asked him what the exit strategy was or how he thought it was end -- let me just try and pull it up on my very strange phone here.

[11:20:02]

He basically said: "Well, I think the goals have been set out. We will come back to that. I think the clear exit strategy is this. Either there is some kind of uprising against the regime or in probably a week or two the president will call it off. He will say we have hit all the targets we plan to hit and now it's over."

So that seems to be kind of what he's saying to Barak Ravid, that we have hit the targets that we need to, we have weakened the regime and there won't be a threat for a while.

But, of course, it does not meet the maximalist goals that the president and the Israeli prime minister had set at the beginning, which was regime change, and then they backed off it. But they keep calling on the people to rise up. And they had hoped that this decapitation and this huge military commitment that first day would, as I say, totally weaken the regime.

Instead, it's kept them in place and they're defiant. Of course, they're outmatched by the U.S. and Israel, but they are not surrendering and they are not giving up. You see what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz. Perhaps that is also playing on President Trump's calculations with the spike in oil prices, the disruption it's causing to all allies in the region, the concurrent closure of the Suez Canal, which means no goods can be shipped through there either, not just oil, but proper retail and other sort of commercial goods cannot be shipped through there.

It's a complete massive effect on the global economy. So I think that they have decided that regime change probably is not going to happen and that apparently they say that they have probably committed enough damage to the missiles. We don't yet know about the extent of the nuclear damage, because they told us in June that it'd been obliterated.

But we do know that there's that 400 kilograms of very highly enriched uranium that clearly the U.S. and/or Israel wants to get out of Iran. We don't know. But just yesterday, they were talking about maybe ground troops. So it's pretty difficult to figure it out on an hour- by-hour basis.

BLITZER: We will see what happens in the next few days.

Christiane Amanpour in London, thank you very, very much.

Up next: So, what will Russia's assistance mean for the U.S. and for Israel, for that matter, as well as the Arab allies in the Gulf region when it comes to the battlefield? We will ask a retired U.S. army brigadier general. We will get his analysis right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:26:57]

BLITZER: More now on our breaking news, President Trump telling Axios' Barak Ravid, who is also a CNN political and global affairs analyst, that the war with Iran will end, in President Trump's word, "soon" because there is -- quote -- "practically nothing left to target."

Joining us now, retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Steve Anderson.

General, thank you so much for joining us. Good morning.

The president says the war could end soon. How soon do you believe that could be?

BRIG. GEN. STEVE ANDERSON (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Thank you, Wolf.

Well, this war will end whenever Donald Trump says it's going to end, whenever he decides to declare victory. And if he was smart, he'd declare victory today and go home, because this is not going well.

We have a more radicalized regime in place now. The IRGC does not seem to be impacted at all. In fact, they have become perhaps even stronger. Sure, they have lost a lot of military facilities. They have lost a lot of assets. But there's nothing that they can't reconstitute quickly.

And I just remind you, Wolf, of what Henry Kissinger said in the war of Vietnam. He said the United States loses by not winning and the Vietnamese win by not losing. And that is certainly the case here. The Iranians will win by not losing.

BLITZER: Let me follow up. Do you believe Iran is looking to end this war soon as well?

ANDERSON: I think that they probably want to inflict as much pain as possible. I think that they would like to end the war. But if you look at what they're doing now in the Strait of Hormuz, for

instance, I mean, they have got incredible asymmetric capabilities. They have got mines, perhaps 5,000. They have got ballistic missiles they can fire. We know that they have about 120 launchers left. They have drones.

I remind viewers of what the Ukrainians were able to do with air and sea-based drones against the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. They have homemade cruise missiles, again, back to the war in Ukraine. Remember the sinking of the Moskva four years ago, the Russian battleship.

It was sunk by essentially a surfboard loaded with munitions fired by the Ukrainians. The Iranians also have suicide bones. Once again, remember -- excuse me -- suicide boats. Remember, once again, the USS Cole in Yemen that was attacked in 2000 by a suicide boat.

And, of course, they also have speedboats, perhaps 1,000 of them. They could be loaded with RPGs and all kinds of munitions. They could wreak havoc. There's lots of asymmetric threats that the Iranians can use. And I think that they're looking at inflicting as much damage as they possibly can to end this war is quickly as they can.

BLITZER: And, as you know, General Anderson, CNN has some exclusive new reporting this morning.

According to Western intelligence -- a Western intelligence official, Russia is giving Iran specific advice on how to use Iranian drones that are mass-produced by Moscow to hit U.S. and Gulf nation targets in the Middle East. What do you make of this new CNN exclusive reporting?