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Trump Threatens to Hit Iran Very Hard, Seize Control of Oil; Iran Calls U.S. Strikes Blatant Violation of Ceasefire; Trump Says, I Love the Inflation, Amid Three-Year High. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired June 11, 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, escalating threats. President Trump says the U.S. will hit Iran, quote, very hard tonight, and that he's going to take an Iranian island that's a key oil hub.

Plus, more bad news about inflation, a brand-new report shows businesses are feeling the pinch, too. So, how soon could their costs trickle down to you?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And at any moment now, the U.S. Supreme Court will release decisions. There are several major cases before the justices, including birthright citizenship, whether President Trump can fire federal officials, and transgender sports bans.

And later, a comeback for the ages, the Knicks rally in the final few seconds from a 29-point down deficit to beat the Spurs in game four.

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, major breaking news. The United States and Iran are trading new rounds of attacks right now, and President Trump says a third round is on the way just hours from now. Here's what he told Fox News just minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Yes, there will be more bombing tonight. It'll be bigger, bigger, more powerful. Don't forget, we've knocked out all of their anti-aircraft. They don't have any anti -- they have nothing. I mean, they may get lucky with a shoulder weapon or something, but for the most part, you know, they have no -- they have no defense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did the representative say in your phone call with him?

TRUMP: They're finished. Excuse me, they're finished, but the papers, the media refuses to write it. They're finished. We can walk in there tomorrow. We could take soldiers. I don't want to have boots on the ground, but if I wanted to, we could put a small group of soldiers and take over the whole place. They're finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Also, this morning, the president posted on Truth Social that he would like to seize Iranian oil assets, and I'm quoting him now, at some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure points and assume total control of their oil and gas markets, end quote.

CNN's Alayna Treene is over at the White House for us. Alayna, you have some new reporting, I understand, that this plan for Kharg Island has been drawn up for months now. What's the latest?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, I mean, this is just a remarkable statement, Wolf, from the president, specifically what you mentioned about this idea of previewing a potential plan in the not too distant future, Trump's words there, to capture Kharg Island. This is something the Pentagon has drafted up, a plan that they have had now for months.

But Pentagon officials and Trump administration officials have told us, me and our colleague, Natasha Bertrand, that the potential risk of such an operation is almost too risky, and that's why they haven't moved forward with it previously. That's in part because Kharg Island, which I should note, it's a critical island, it's five stretch -- a five-mile stretch right off the Iranian coast. It is responsible for roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude exports. But an operation to try and capture it or to wipe out its energy infrastructure, we're told, would likely require ground troops, significant ground troops, and also potentially could have heavy casualties. These are things that officials have told me they have communicated to the president.

I do want you to listen because President Donald Trump addressed this in this interview with Fox News and essentially said he's long had this preference but wasn't sure if Americans could stomach it. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know, look, my preference has always been take Kharg Island. I said my preference would be that. I don't know that America has the stomach for it, to be honest with you. You're going to make a fortune, but I don't know that America has the stomach. I think they'd like to see us come home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So as you could hear there, he's kind of nodding to the fact that this would require ground troops, something the president and his top administration officials have been really reluctant to do thus far. So, look, we'll see.

I think, one, it's also fascinating that he's even previewing these plans at all.

[10:05:00] I think it goes to show just how frustrated and impatient he is growing with the Iranians, and also with, as you played in that clip earlier, Wolf, with the media. The coverage of what he argues is not strong enough, portraying the U.S. as strong enough, and perhaps portraying Iran as too strong. That is something I'm told as well that has been frustrating to him behind the scenes.

So, look, we'll have to see whether or not he's really using this as leverage to force Tehran to the table and if he believes that it could work. Unclear if the Iranians agree with, you know, that assumption at this point. Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, a very sensitive moment indeed. We'll see if the U.S. and Iran are both on the potential for a full-scale war resuming right now.

Alayna Treene at the White House, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: And it was just earlier this month, Wolf, that Trump said that the U.S. doesn't need to put boots on the ground in Iran. So, you have that.

I want to go now over to Iran. That's where we find our CNN Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen. He's in Tehran. Now, we should note that CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government, but maintains full editorial control of its reports.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, the Iranians are completely denying that they called President Trump last night and demanded an end to these strikes. Several Iranian news agencies and official channels also saying that that simply is not true.

And then as far as negotiating through bombing is concerned, that's also something where Iranian officials are saying that bombing is going to achieve exactly the opposite of what the president wants it to achieve.

I actually spoke to a senior Iranian official just a couple of hours ago, and he told me that, from the Iranian perspective, they believe that the Trump administration needs to respect the resilience of the Iranians, also needs to respect the military capability of the Iranians as well, specifically looking at the Strait of Hormuz.

And I asked that official whether or not there was a chance that the two countries would go back to war, and he said it all depends on the Trump administration right now. If they want to make a deal, if they stop firing, then there can be a deal. However, if they continue to bomb Iran, then a full-on war and a return to full-on war is certainly something that is fairly possible.

So, right now, certainly, these negotiations still at a very difficult state. Iranians, from their perspective, have said that this was a serious breach of the ceasefire, what happened last night and the night before. At the same time, both sides are still saying that they want to move towards that memorandum of understanding, which we have to say is just the next step in these negotiations that would end the hostilities between the two countries and then lead to a period of larger negotiations for a possible full peace agreement.

But, again, right now, especially after what happened last night, it seems a little bit more difficult. But, certainly, from what was also going on here overnight, we certainly had a busy night here in Tehran, it certainly seems as that diplomatic process is still on.

One of the things that happened was that during these overnight hours, even as the bombing was going on, there was a team of Qatari negotiators here on the ground in Tehran trying to move that process forward. Those negotiators have now left. Going to wait and see whether or not much progress was made on that.

Certainly, again, the Iranians are saying they're up for a deal, but at the same time, if the U.S. keeps pressing and especially dropping bombs, it will have exactly the opposite effect.

BROWN: All right. Fred Pleitgen in Tehran, thanks so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: Important to have him on the scene over there.

CNN Political and National Security Analyst David Sanger is joining us right now. He's also a correspondent for The New York Times.

David, first of all, what's your reaction to this new reporting about Trump wanting to take over Kharg Island? Let me read once again what he posted on social media. At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure points and assume total control of their oil and gas markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America. What's your point that he's comparing Iran now to Venezuela?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Wolf, the president's compared the Iran conflict to Venezuela consistently since it started in late February. And it's an analogy that I think we've learned time and again simply doesn't apply. Venezuela's a small country of a few million people fairly contained in size. Oil resources are in a fairly contained area that we know well. Iran's a country of 93 million people, a vast country, and the idea that the U.S. could go in and control that infrastructure without having people on the ground, it's hard to imagine.

As for Kharg Island, telegraphing this seems strange. Imagine, Wolf, if we at CNN or at The New York Times had written, they'll take Kharg Island in the next X number of hours, probably some government would charge us with violating American national security.

[10:10:08]

So, there is some question about how seriously to take this in part because while the United States could grab Kharg Island, holding it would be very difficult, and the Iranians could easily cut off the oil supply that is going to Kharg Island. BLITZER: You know, David, you make an important point. If some lower level official, an intelligence official or a national security official, were publicly announcing that the U.S. is getting ready within a few hours to take over Kharg Island, and all the plans are in place already, that person could be arrested potentially for undermining national security, releasing classified information in advance of a major military operation, right?

SANGER: Right now, the president's an original classifier, which means he can declassify and say anything he wants. But, certainly, if he's serious about taking Kharg Island, it seems like he may have made life more difficult and perhaps jeopardized the operation. If he isn't serious about it, well, then he will have made a claim that the Iranians would conclude was not, in fact, viable.

And, you know, the whole thing is underscored, Wolf, by this concept that if you threaten the Iranians, you will get an agreement more quickly, or if you bomb them, you will. And he tried that experiment for 38 days, and it did not actually result in making much progress in the negotiations. Now, we reported the other day the details of where those negotiations now stand, and while certainly they have not closed up everything, it's not as if they've made no progress at all.

BLITZER: What do you make of Trump also now conceding that Americans might not necessarily have what he called the appetite to take over Iran's Kharg Island?

SANGER: Well, that's interesting, because I think what he's saying is Americans don't have the appetite for having troops on the ground, and thus taking casualties. So far, there have been, I think, 13 or 14 casualties, all quite -- lives lost, quite tragic. But as the president himself has said, you know, it has been a relatively low casualty operation.

If you move to Americans on the ground occupying Iranian space, it's hard to imagine. It's already an unpopular war, and I think the Iranians are betting, rightly or wrongly, the president's not willing to take that risk.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens. David Sanger, as usual, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Wolf, still ahead --

SANGER: Great to be with you.

BROWN: -- President Trump facing backlash for saying this about inflation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know what I really love? I love that inflation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And now, new numbers shed light on what inflation is actually doing to the economy.

You're in the Situation Room, and we'll be right back.

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[10:15:00]

BROWN: President Trump is reacting to the news that Americans are paying the highest prices in three years. Here's what he said about the latest consumer inflation numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I love the inflation. You know why? Because as soon as this war is over, you know, I can say it now, something you didn't know. Do you know we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil? I think they're going to want to make a deal, but we're going to find out.

REPORTER: Do you expect inflation to come down between now and November?

TRUMP: Oh, when the war is over?

REPORTER: Yes.

TRUMP: It's coming down. It's going to come down like a rock.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So, the president says he loves inflation, the inflation that's happening right now, but lawmakers on Capitol Hill, they have a different take.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): The folks at home, they say our prices are too high. We need some relief. And Congress can deliver some relief. And if Congress doesn't deliver the relief, you know, I mean, I think voters are not going to be pleased.

SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): People often vote their pocketbook.

Inflation is as big an issue to voters as any other issue. Probably as high as any issue to maybe even include their personal safety that generally trumps inflation. But yes, it's obviously a factor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And all this comes as we have a brand-new look at wholesale inflation this morning.

So, let's go straight to CNN Business Senior Reporter David Goldman. So, David, explain these wholesale numbers to us and why they matter to the everyday consumer.

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, certainly not a lot to love about inflation today or yesterday. So, this wholesale inflation number that came out, that is what businesses pay, right? So, those prices are going up, too. It's not just consumer prices, it's also what wholesalers take in and sell to other businesses before eventually they make it to consumers.

Now, this is not a great number because 6.5 percent is the highest that we've had since 2022. And then when we get into 2022 comparison territory, well, what are we talking about? We're talking about when prices went all the way up when we had that inflation crisis that led to 40-year highs in inflation. We don't want to be anywhere close to comparing anything to 2022.

But the thing is there is a little bit of good news. Most of why inflation is rising is because of energy prices. And remember, we're always in the economy looking just a little bit backward.

[10:20:00]

This is the May report. We're in June now, obviously.

Now, energy prices have come down significantly since this report was issued. Oil prices are down more than 15 percent. Gas prices have fallen for 21 straight days. So, that is good news, and it means that this month's report that will be issued in July might have some better news for us.

However, this is the big but, right? There's always that. We need to get that Strait of Hormuz reopened to make sure that oil can start flowing again to keep those prices lower. If we don't get that, there is reason to believe that oil and gas could start rising again, and that is the opposite of loving anything about inflation, Pam.

BROWN: Always the but, as you say. Just a quick follow-up question. You heard the president there say he loves the inflation and seemed to release this secret that the U.S. has been taking all of this oil from Iran. Can you help us just better understand that and how that fits into the overall picture here?

GOLDMAN: Yes. My colleague, Matt Egan, has been so strong on this, and he's talked a lot about how the Strait of Hormuz is almost leaking oil, right? There are these ships that turn their transponders off, and they make a run for it, and they've been getting out of the strait. And, actually, almost 2 million barrels of oil a day has been escaping the Strait of Hormuz. That has helped to keep oil prices lower.

But Iran today said, well, we're not going to let any ships out. The United States disputes that. So, what's really the case? It almost doesn't matter because we have lost close to 15 million barrels of oil a day. And until we get back to that number, until the strait fully reopens, we're still in this energy crisis.

BROWN: All right. David Goldman, thank you so much, as always. Wolf?

GOLDMAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: All right, good analysis.

Coming up, soccer's biggest stage is finally here, the World Cup kicks off today in Mexico. We'll have a closer look at the first of many matches.

And history in the Gardens, the Knicks make a truly historic, amazing comeback to take game four, but the NBA Finals aren't over yet. Can the Spurs survive in San Antonio? We'll have a detail on all the latest action just ahead.

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[10:25:00]

BLITZER: New this morning, and we've got the first up-close look at the UFC octagon on the South Lawn of the White House, while new court documents submitted by the Trump administration reveal the events scheduled through the weekend will cost more than $60 million.

CNN Senior White House Reporter Betsy Klein explains.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Wolf and Pamela, in normal circumstances, building a televised sporting event that can accommodate up to 100,000 people without any existing arena infrastructure is a massive production. But doing that at the White House adds many layers of challenge and complication. It cost $60 million, took 900 subcontractors, and months of close coordination between the UFC and the highest levels of the U.S. government.

And when the president first announced this fight in Iowa last July, he said there would be about 25,000 people. A year later, that number is up substantially. And according to new court documents released by the Trump administration responding to a lawsuit to stop this fight, they are expecting about 125,000 people spread out across the Ellipse and the White House South Lawn watching the fight card on Sunday.

Now, the documents more broadly reveal that this has been a major production and undertaking for the UFC, bolstered by that support from the federal government, building that arena from the ground up with the claw and the octagon, and multiple days of programming planned, all culminating in this televised fight on Sunday, which is President Trump's 80th birthday. It's cost the UFC that $60 million in preparation for production, labor, construction, and promotion, while the federal government is supporting things like first aid and security.

Now, this load in and build process began on May 20th, and since then, every day, 20 to 30 trucks filled with UFC equipment have come here to the White House to be screened before going in and building that setup.

Now, that has also required significant security features, including bike racks and anti-scale fencing, and also planning for other details, like food and beverage, as well as the requirement that there be at least one port-a-potty for every 300 guests. Now, as quickly as it came up, it's all going to be torn down. According to those documents, breakdown will begin on Monday morning. Wolf and Pamela?

BLITZER: All right. Betsy Klein reporting from the White House for us, Betsy, thanks very much.

And, Pamela, you and I, later today, will be heading over to the White House for a little tour, a walk and talk, if you will, around there. We'll broadcast that tomorrow.

BROWN: We absolutely will. A lot has changed since we covered the White House back in the day, Wolf.

BLITZER: True.

BROWN: All right. A historic comeback, the New York Knicks closed a 29-point gap in game four of the NBA finals last night to beat the San Antonio Spurs. They are now just one win from clinching the team's first title in 53 years.

[10:30:00]

Fans, as you see right here, took to the streets of New York to celebrate, and even this subway conductor got in on the fun.