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Hegseth Warns Iran's Military, We're Watching You; 16 Killed in Massive Russian Drone Attack; Police Say, Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Fairfax Kills Wife, Himself. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired April 16, 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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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, new warning to Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tells Tehran to, quote, choose wisely or face a continued blockade of its ports, as the leader of CENTCOM says U.S. troops in the Middle East are re-arming.

Plus the pope warns of tyrants, new forceful comments from the pontiff and what appears to be a veiled response to President Trump's attacks.

And emotional testimony and shocking admissions, what we learned during a hearing tied to a wrongful death lawsuit against Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors died in the flooding. I'll talk to the parents of this nine-year-old little girl, Ellen Getten, who was killed. I'll also speak to an attorney for Camp Mystic.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And murder/suicide in Virginia. Police now say the state's former lieutenant governor killed his wife and then himself. We will bring you all the latest developments on this breaking story.

Plus, double tap strike on Kyiv. Truly shocking video showing one of the Russia's largest drone attacks on Ukraine this year, killing 18 people.

And later, Pentagon pressure, The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that the Trump administration is pushing automakers to be more involved in weapons production, similar to what happened during World War II.

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 with the breaking news, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, delivering a message to Iran on the ceasefire that's due to expire next week. He says, Tehran has overwhelming reason to negotiate an end to this war.

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PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We're watching you. Our capabilities are not the same, our military and yours. Remember, this is not a fair fight. And we know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving them to. While you are digging out, which is exactly what you're doing, digging out a bombed out and devastated facilities, we are only getting stronger. You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them. You have no defense industry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: It is the first Pentagon briefing since the U.S. Navy began blockading Iranian ports in and around the Strait of Hormuz. This morning, we heard this warning from the U.S. military central commander to ships in the area. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not attempt the breach of blockade. Vessels will be boarded from interdiction and seizure and transiting to or from an Iranian port. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Into Tehran today, Iranian officials and Pakistan's key negotiator are due to meet this, for the second day in a row. Pakistan has kept communications open between the U.S. and Iran. And the White House has voiced optimism for a deal to end the war.

And turning to Israel Strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon this morning, CNN has learned that Lebanon's president has declined, yes, declined to speak directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that despite U.S. and Israeli reports on what would have been the leader's first direct talks in decades.

Meanwhile, Lebanon state media's reporting that Israel has destroyed the last bridge over the Litani River, isolating thousands of people in Southern Lebanon from crucial aid.

BROWN: Joining us now is Zachary Cohen, CNN senior national security reporter. Zach, thanks for being here.

Walk us through Secretary Hegseth's press conference. What stood out to you?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Pam. The first thing is really Secretary Hegseth's warning to the Iranians to, quote, choose wisely and pick a diplomatic off-ramp, if you will, to this ongoing conflict, accept the U.S.'s terms for essentially ending the war. And that is something that Hegseth made clear, if the Iranians do not choose to do that, the U.S. military is prepared to resume combat operations and continue this ongoing blockade of Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz.

And I want you to listen to how Hegseth described the choices that Iran is currently presented with.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: You, Iran, can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge, and we hope that you do for the people of Iran.

In the meantime, and for as long as it takes, we will maintain this blockade, successful blockade. But if Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, U.S. Central Command Commander Admiral Cooper also making clear today that the U.S. is using the ceasefire to re-arm, though it remains unclear how long the U.S. Navy can maintain this blockade, but Hegseth, again, stressing that they will do whatever it takes unless Iran agrees to some sort of a deal.

BROWN: All right. Zach Cohen, thank you so much for that. Wolf?

BLITZER: I want to continue this conversation right now. Joining us, retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Peter Zwack. He's a fellow, a global fellow, I should say, at the Kennan Institute. General, thanks so much for being with us.

I want to begin with the latest development, Secretary Hegseth's direct warning to Iran this morning. If it refuses to negotiate, he says, the U.S. is ready to restart combat operations and will maintain its blockade. Do you believe Tehran is actually ready to strike a deal?

BRIG. GEN. PETER ZWACK (RET.), U.S. ARMY: I think that any deal that Iran would strike would be just to buy time. As long as a deal involves the giving of their nuclear stockpile, if you will, they are going to, I think, more stall, equivocate and not fully back whatever is agreed.

I think in Hegseth's statements, it's pressure, following our presidents. But I think that we're learning is that the Iranians, I think, shrug our statements off in most cases.

I think, finally, you know, I think we're at the point, it's still -- we have the blockade. Ideally, we don't use ground forces. The mission is to seize the enriched uranium one way or the other and keep Hormuz open.

BLITZER: As you know, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are already filed articles of impeachment against the Defense Secretary Hegseth. They include serious allegations of mishandling the war with Iran and his leadership, in general. A slight GOP majority will likely prevent this move from going anywhere. But if Democrats capture the House in the midterm elections coming up in November, does Hegseth face, do you believe, a very real threat of impeachment?

ZWACK: Oh, Wolf, this is hard to speak to. I just don't know. Certainly, the banter of such, discussion of such is out there. If the Democrats do take the House, then that type of legislation is out there. I wouldn't be surprised. It's put forward how much support or momentum it gets. I don't know.

But winning the House majority will open up all kinds of opportunities, if you will, for the Democrats to more aggressively, politically push forward on these things.

BLITZER: The Washington Post, General, is reporting that the Pentagon is sending more than 10,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East right now. And this comes as the White House is voicing some optimism of an eventual deal to today. Pakistan's key negotiator, as we've reported, is meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran. Is the movement of these troops, these U.S. troops, some 10,000 U.S. troops, a negotiating lever?

ZWACK: I think everything right now is a negotiating lever, but they've got to back that lever with palpable presence. Now, when we hear of 10,000 forces, remember, a single aircraft carrier is 4,000 to 5,000 people. So, we're not talking about, I don't think, a massive, more ground troops above what we're hearin, but, clearly, that is a possibility.

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Oh no, it's upping ante, it's upping the stakes. It is certainly rattling the cage, but it is a real capability and we're just going to have to see what happens.

BLITZER: Yes. I think it's fair to say most of those 10,000 additional troops are U.S. sailors and Marines aboard various warships heading towards that region right now.

Retired General Peter Zwack, as usual, thanks so much for joining us.

ZWACK: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Pamela?

BROWN: And still ahead, Wolf, after days of gut-wrenching emotional testimony, a judge says that Camp Mystic's campsite wrecked by deadly flooding must remain untouched. We're going to speak to a family of 1 of the 27 who lost their lives at last July and the attorney for the camp.

BLITZER: And coming up next, Russia launching one of its largest drone attacks on Ukraine this year, killing 18 people across the country. The new images just coming into CNN.

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

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BROWN: New this morning, Ukraine's Air Force says Russia launched hundreds of drones on major Ukrainian cities in a new wave of attacks over the past 24 hours.

Stunning body cam video from a Kyiv police officer shows police arriving on the scene of a Russian airstrike today, and it captures the moment three follow-up strikes hit that area. You see it right here in this video. Ukraine's Police Service says one officer was hit with shrapnel and two others suffered concussions.

And in the past day alone, at least 18 people were killed, including a child, and more than 100 others were injured across Ukraine as Russia carried out one of its largest drone attacks this year.

I want to bring in CNN's Clare Sebastian from London. Claire, tell us more about the scope of this latest attack.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pamela. This came just three days after Russia unilaterally announced that Easter ceasefire. So, I think the concern with that is that they will use those moments, not that there have been that many of them, but that they will use them to pause and reconstitute.

So, this was, as you say, one of the biggest attacks of the year. It was pretty widespread. President Zelenskyy saying that Kyiv was the main target, though, when it came to the ballistic missiles fired and we've seen four deaths reported in that city, including, as you noted, a child, a 12-year-old, pulled from the rubble of a building. Firefighters battling blazes there overnight.

Odesa also saw a very deadly strike in apartment building. It was targeted first overnight by drones, and then in the morning hours hit by a ballistic missile, eight people reported dead there.

So, look, this is not new. We see this pattern over and over again with Russia, but it comes for Ukraine amid a critical shortage of air defense interceptors in particular, useful, of course, for dealing with these missile attacks. And we did see 13 missiles out of 44 fired get through and hit targets in this attack.

And it comes, of course, as Zelenskyy has spent this week touring European capitals, pleading with partners for more defense interceptors. And he did note that again in comments today. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, very troubling. Clare Sebastian, thank you so much.

BLITZER: Very troubling indeed.

And coming up, we're following two breaking stories. Police now say the former lieutenant governor of Virginia shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself.

And in Georgia, a man has been arrested in connection to a string of deadly attacks across the Atlanta area. What we're learning about the suspect's criminal history.

Stay with us.

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BLITZER: All right, there's more breaking news. Police now say Virginia's former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife and himself inside their home overnight. Authorities say the shooting stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute over what seemed to be a, quote, complicated or messy divorce.

CNN's Brian Todd has been traveling to the scene for us. He's getting ready to join us right now. This is a really, really depressing story, those of us who are familiar with what's going on over there. It's really a horrible story. Brian, if you're ready, tell us what you're learning.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, our team just got here a short time ago. We have some images to show you here of the police tape around the house here. And we did capture some video a short time ago of the bodies being brought out of the house. From what the police chief of Fairfax County has described, it was just a horrific scene overnight here with the former lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, and his wife dead in the house overnight.

Their two teenage children, according to the police chief, were in the house at the time of the murder/suicide. And, again, as we've been reporting, and the police chief has alluded to, this was part of a domestic dispute, which the police chief alluded to was connected to potentially a messy divorce between the two.

We do know that, again, we witnessed the bodies being brought out and a white van leaving the house a short time ago as they were brought to presumably the coroner's office. That is what we can tell you right now from the scene here, Wolf. We're going to get some more information, as much information as we can from neighbors in a short time. We literally just got on the scene here.

But, again, the news overnight, Justin Fairfax, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia, and his wife, dead in an apparent murder/suicide, according to the police chief. The couple's, two teenage children were inside the home when the shootings occurred. That is according to Kevin Davis, the police chief of Fairfax County.

They responded to the home, and here this is in Annandale, shortly after midnight on Thursday this morning where they found the two people dead inside. The same firearm appears to have been used in both shootings, according to the police chief, Kevin Davis. And, again, as he said, the shooting stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding, quote, what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce.

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Those are the words of the police chief, Kevin Davis.

Justin Fairfax had recently been served a paperwork indicating when he was next scheduled to appear in court in the divorce proceedings. That is according to Kevin Davis. Detectives have reviewed the incident using a lot of cameras, which were apparently set up inside the home as part of the couple's ongoing divorce proceedings. That is according to Kevin Davis. That is a wrinkle that is worth pursuing, of course, as the investigation continues.

He noted that the call to police -- that there was a call to police by Justin Fairfax in January alleging assault by his wife, but that report -- that allegation was not corroborated. So, those are the circumstances, according to the police chief, Kevin Davis, surrounding this murder suicide here in Fairfax County, Virginia.

And, again, we'll zoom into the house here. The police teams have been coordinating off the house here in Annandale, Virginia, several teams going in and out of the house. And we were here probably less than 20 minutes ago when the two bodies were removed and brought to the coroner's office. Wolf?

BLITZER: And Fairfax County, Brian, and Annandale, just outside of Washington, D.C. It's a suburb of Washington, D.C. You're not very far away from the nation's capital, are you?

TODD: No, not very far at all, Wolf. Annandale is a suburb here in Fairfax County, just a few miles from the from the D.C. border. This is a very nice and pleasant neighborhood. No indication of any other, you know, incidents going on here, any trouble in this neighborhood.

We're going to try to talk to some neighbors in a short time to see if we can find out more about whether there were any disturbances leading up to this. But, again, the police chief, Kevin Davis, forthcoming with a lot of information about the divorce proceedings, the disputes between the two and the just horrific nature of how it ended.

BLITZER: And so horrific, the fact that the two teenage kids were in the house at the time. It's just heartbreaking to think about that.

Brian Todd on the scene for us, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: Yes, truly heartbreaking, those poor kids.

Just ahead here in The Situation Room, Pope Leo's warning to, quote, tyrants, the new comments in the war of words between President Trump and the American-born pope.

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