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U.S. Carries Out 11th Straight Night of Attacks on Iran; Source Says, Trump Approves Nuclear Deal With Saudi Arabia; Nolan Wells' Cause of Death Undetermined After Independent Autopsy. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired July 22, 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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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, returning home. Minutes from now, four U.S. service members killed over the weekend will receive a dignified transfer. This is happening as the U.S. military carries out an 11th straight day of strikes against Iran.

Also, what happened to Nolan Wells? What a newly released independent autopsy reveals about the Mississippi teen's death.

And Bertha closes in. The tropical storm is inching its way toward Louisiana, but the brunt will be felt hundreds of miles away, where it's expected to drop a month's worth of rain over the next two days.

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.

Breaking news, just minutes ago, President Trump issued a new and very dire warning to Iran and threatens that nation's bridges and power plants. That comes after the U.S. carried out an 11th straight night of attacks on Iran. This video geo-located, by the way, by CNN, shows fires raging near an airport in Southwestern Iran, not far from the Persian Gulf. The U.S. military says it's targeting Iran's ability to hit commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. And this is new video from the U.S. military's Central Command showing U.S. strikes on some of those targets.

But Saudi Arabia, Iran's main regional rival, is capturing the most headlines, at least this morning. A U.S. official tells CNN President Trump has approved, has approved an agreement to allow Saudi Arabia to build a civilian nuclear program, and more importantly, enrich uranium.

CNN's Betsy Klein is over at the White House for us. Betsy, the president just spoke on the tarmac. What did he say?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Wolf, President Trump is set to pay his respects at a dignified transfer just a few moments from now, really underscoring the human toll of this war with Iran. 18 U.S. service members killed since it began back in February, and four have been killed over the weekend, since the -- really marking the first U.S. service members killed since this conflict has re- escalated following the ceasefire falling apart.

Those four service members he will honor today are 25-year-old First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 19-year-old Private Isabella Gonzales, 28-year-old Sergeant Angel Rampersad, and 30-year-old Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton.

The president telling reporters that this is one of the hardest things he does as commander in chief. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're going to Dover. I guess some of you are going with us, to honor our heroes, and they are indeed great heroes, excellent. They said, and they, all of them said very strongly, we can't let -- we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. They won't have a nuclear weapon.

So, we're going to honor them, and it's one of the hardest things to do. For me, it's one of the hardest things to do as a president, but has to be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, this comes at a particularly violent moment for this conflict, the U.S. launching 11 consecutive nights of strikes in Iran, and the president now issuing this warning in a post to social media. He says, quote, from this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by missile, rocket, drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant, including those located next to or in the capital city of Tehran.

The president now weighing those next steps that could include targeting critical infrastructure. Wolf?

BLITZER: Betsy, what can you tell us about this new nuclear deal the U.S. is now pitching with Saudi Arabia?

KLEIN: Well, Wolf, this could be a major win for Saudi Arabia, and could be announced as soon as today. President Trump, according to three sources, has agreed to approve a deal that provides Saudi Arabia with a civilian nuclear program.

Now, this could allow Saudi Arabia to make the material necessary to build a nuclear weapon. And according to our sources, this deal will last 30 years and could be worth tens of billions of dollars as U.S. companies provide technology and expertise.

[10:05:07]

Now, this has already drawing sharp criticism in Israel and is expected to be controversial on Capitol Hill on both sides of the aisle. This is required to be sent to Congress for a review and could face a disapproval resolution that could ultimately block it. Wolf?

BLITZER: We'll see what happens. Betsy Klein at the White House, thank you very, very much.

I want to take a moment to tell our viewers about the four U.S. service members who were killed in Iranian strikes recently, four young soldiers who gave their lives in sacrifice to this country.

This is Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan. He was 25 years old from Hawaii. After deployment, he planned to get married to his fiancee and complete law school. His family said he often quoted Legally Blonde. He was also weeks away from completing his MBA at Southern Utah University. That degree will be awarded posthumously.

His family said in a statement in part, quote, we are so proud of you, Tyler, completely devastated, but so proud. We could not have asked for a better son, and we'll make our mission to continue your legacy, end quote.

And this is Private Isabella Gonzales who was just 19 years old from Carrollton, Texas. She graduated from high school last spring. Her friends describe her as unapologetically herself, and kind, genuine, and full of light.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZULEYKA ACOSTA, FRIEND OF ISABELLA GONZALES: I think she did really just want to make people proud of who she was, and she wanted to be very disciplined. I think she wanted people to view her as someone who was very brave.

MISAEL GALDAMEZ, FRIEND OF ISABELLA GONZALES: We're really proud of her and we just wish we could see her again.

VALERIE RODRIGUEZ, FRIEND OF ISABELLA GONZALES: She was the most funny person I knew. Every day with her it was just laughs. You know, we would crack jokes.

It's just -- I can't even put it into words how heartbreaking it is to get the news that my really good friend, you know, she's not here anymore. And I didn't even get to see her. I didn't even get to say bye.

I'm never going to forget her, and I miss her so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And this is Sergeant Angel Ramprasad who was 28 years old from Ozone Park, New York. She had been missing for days after Iranian strikes in Jordan. The U.S. Defense Department identified her as believed to have been among those killed in the attack.

And this is Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton. He was 30 years old from Fayetteville, North Carolina. His mother told the Associated Press that Swinton's wife and kids were the center of his world. His mother told the A.P. this as well, and I'm quoting now, his legacy will live on through life, countless lives -- through the countless lives he touched, the laughter he shared, the strength he gave others, and the unconditional love he poured into his family. He will forever be missed, forever honored, and forever our son, end quote.

Next hour, President Trump will attend the dignified transfer of these service members. My deepest, deepest condolences to their friends and family. May they rest in peace, and may their memories be a blessing.

For more on the breaking news out of the Iran war, I want to bring in Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. He serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

I know you questioned the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, up on Capitol Hill yesterday about this conflict, this war with Iran. I was watching. Let me play a little clip of your exchange. Listen to this.

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SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): The president said on March 24th, and I'm quoting, we've won this war. This war has been won. Do you know what the president meant by that back in March?

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, Senator, I would just note that militarily, I mean, Iran has been completely overmatched and crushed from the beginning, militarily.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: What did you take away from the secretary's answers Senator, and were you satisfied with any of them?

HOLLEN: Well, Wolf, first, I join you in saluting the heroes who sacrificed their lives for our country. And I asked Secretary Hegseth those questions because Donald Trump did say that we'd won the war back in March, and so it, of course, begs the question, why is it that Americans are still getting killed? Why is it that oil prices are going through the roof?

And Secretary Hegseth did not have a good answer to the question. His answer was, well, we've imposed a lot of military damage on Iran. Of course, we have. I mean, we're the world's strongest military. That was never in question. But what came across clearly, Wolf, was that this administration has no clue about what its objectives are, and they have no clue about how we're going to achieve them.

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They said this war would be over weeks ago, and now they can't tell us how it will end, and they can't define victory.

BLITZER: As you know, Secretary Hegseth and other members of the Trump administration have repeatedly stressed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Would you support the U.S. attacking Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, the suspected underground nuclear site that it has, or is that too far -- is that too far going for you? HOLLEN: No, Wolf. Look, we should end this war. I mean, the best thing we can do for our troops, the best thing we can do for our country is to end this war. In my exchange with Secretary Hegseth, I pointed out that just last year, he said, and this is a virtual quote, that the United States had obliterated, obliterated Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons during the 12-day war.

Well, that was either true or not true, but what we know is true is that this administration ripped up the JCPOA, the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration that did prevent, did cut off Iran's path to a nuclear weapon, and putting American troops at risk at this moment, and having the American people suffer at this moment is a huge mistake and a huge blunder. When you're digging a hole, stop digging.

BLITZER: President Trump is attending a dignified transfer of U.S. service members recently killed in this Iran war. Today, he's doing that. Yesterday, he posted on social media this, comparing the 18 troop deaths at Iran's hands to larger numbers of service members killed in other wars, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.

What was your response to that social media post making that comparison?

HOLLEN: Well, Wolf, I thought that downplaying the deaths of 18 American service members to kind of trivialize it by saying that Donald Trump had done a great job compared to the number of American deaths in other wars, wars which he has said himself should never have been started, I thought that was a great disservice and showed great disrespect to the men and women who've been killed in this Iran war.

BLITZER: On another important foreign policy issue, Senator, two U.S. officials are now telling CNN that President Trump has approved a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that potentially could lead to the kingdom enriching its own fuel for civilian reactors. What is your position on that deal and could it signal Saudi Arabia may be willing perhaps to join what's called the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel?

HOLLEN: Well, Wolf, when it comes to nuclear enrichment, my view has always been that any agreement the United States reaches should abide by the strictest safeguards to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. And as you know, there is something called the gold standard, the 123 standard, which is the standard actually we applied in the deal with the UAE that would prevent Saudi Arabia from essentially enriching material, keeping it, and potentially making a weapon down the road. And so that is the standard that has to be applied here.

With respect to the Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia has been very clear that their condition for joining the Abraham Accords is a self- determination and security for the Palestinian people, along with -- you know, side by side with the state of Israel. That has been their very clear condition, and I have no reason to believe that that has changed.

BLITZER: Yes, the Saudis have long maintained they will normalize relations with Israel once Israel accepts what's called a two-state solution, Israel living alongside a new state of Palestine.

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, thank you so much for joining us.

HOLLEN: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: And still ahead, new details emerging just coming into the Situation Room about the mysterious death of a Mississippi teen over the 4th of July weekend. What the attorney for Nolan Wells' family just said about the newly released independent autopsy results.

And sparks fly on the runway at a Kentucky airport. Now, the FAA is investigating. We'll update you.

You're in The Situation Room.

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BLITZER: The breaking news, civil rights attorney Ben Crump releasing new details surrounding the death of college football player Nolan Wells. Crump says an independent autopsy ordered by the Wells family shows that the cause of death and the manner of death are undetermined pending investigation.

Wells' body was found on July 6th on Mississippi's Horn Island, two days after the 18-year-old went on a Fourth of July boat trip with friends.

Let's go live right now to CNN Senior National Correspondent Ryan Young. Ryan, what more are we learning from that independent autopsy?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. We continue to watch what's going on right now, the news conference is still ongoing. There are questions being asked of Ben Crump and the family as we speak.

But some of the things that stood out to us at this very moment from listening to the news conference is they talked about not having, excuse me, his neck to examine.

[10:20:00]

They also said there was some sort of injury to the back of his head.

But Crump has made it very clear that this investigation will still be ongoing. They have a tip line where they hope people call in more information. But let's take a listen to some of the things that Crump had to say early on during this news conference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR NOLAN WELLS FAMILY: Focal area of red discoloration in the soft tissue of the back of the head, the occipital region. He said the etiology is unknown at this time. He said the body was received after the initial autopsy. He said the body had marked decompensation.

He ruled out there were no fractures or deep tissue injuries identified.

This pathologist cannot rule out injury to the neck as a contributing -- a contributor or a cause of death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, one thing I want to point out, again, Crump said Nolan Wells' throat was missing when he got his body, so they're also hoping to get more information when it's connected to that.

This is obviously painful for the parents to hear. They actually moved them off stage while they were doing this conversation about the body. But you can understand after being in the funeral Monday, the pain that this family is going through. It's been 18 days since their son was initially reported missing. This pain is all too real for them.

Let's take a listen to some of what they said today at the news conference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE WONSLEY, NOLAN WELLS' MOTHER: There're so many people out in the public asking all of these questions, but the only question that we have is what happened to our son?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we want to know what happened to our son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes. One of the things that stands out to me, Wolf, is everyone seems to be asking the family and asking Ben Crump for the information they have, and so far, what they're saying is also they want to know the information that investigators have.

So, you know this is an ongoing situation. We're also looking to get down to the bottom of this as well and talk to investigators soon. Wolf?

BLITZER: And by all accounts, he was a very special young man. Our deepest, deepest condolences to his family. May he rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing.

Ryan Young, thank you very much.

Joining us now, the civil rights attorney and legal affairs commentator, Areva Martin. Areva, the attorney Ben Crump says the independent autopsy shows that the cause and manner of death of Nolan Wells remains undetermined at this time. What do you make of those new details?

AREVA MARTIN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, I'm not altogether surprised, Wolf, by the determination by this independent you know, coroner who did this investigation of Nolan Wells' body. I'm sure not what the family expected. I'm sure they hope, and so many in the community hope for some definitive answers. But, unfortunately, at this point, we don't have those answers.

I think what is comforting, though, to me as a civil rights attorney, I think in so many -- to so many in the community, is the level of attention that's being brought to this case, the media spotlight, the fact that, according to reports, 60 people have been interviewed, and there's been a commitment from the district attorney in this community to put this case before a grand jury.

There're so many unanswered questions, so many concerns about the fairness of process that would happen in Mississippi, particularly when you have an African American young man like Nolan Wells who died by, by all accounts, mysterious circumstances. But there is some comfort in knowing that it won't be that district attorney or that law enforcement agency, but there will be an investigation and presentation to a grand jury.

BLITZER: And Ben Crump also says that the preliminary independent autopsy ruled out there were fractures or deep tissue injuries. What do you make of that?

MARTIN: Well, so many conspiracy theories, so many theories on the internet, Wolf, about what happened to this young man, all kinds of stories about him being in a fight, being in an altercation. Seemingly from these findings, no altercation that would suggest, you know, resulted in any kind of fractures or broken bones.

So, again, so many unanswered questions. We know initially coming out of this state what we heard from the, the county coroner was that there was no evidence of foul play, and that concerned a lot of folks in the community because there was, again, so many unanswered questions.

Again, I hope that the investigation continues, as Ben Crump has said, as the law enforcement agencies in that community have said, and that we ultimately will get to some answers that will be satisfying for this family and for the entire community. Such a troubling case, kid goes on a trip with friends and doesn't come back.

BLITZER: Areva Martin, as usual, thank you very much for your expertise. I appreciate it very much.

And coming up, walking back arrest threat. Why New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani now says he does not, repeat, not have the authority to arrest the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

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BLITZER: Happening now, at least ten people are dead after the latest Russian-launched strikes in Ukraine. Officials say 12 locations across the country were hit by the Russians, and this comes after the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Ukraine hit key targets in Russia, including an oil depot and logistics center for the Russian army.

[10:30:01]

In New York, meanwhile, the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, now says he does not, repeat, not have the legal authority to arrest --