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The Source with Kaitlan Collins

Sources: Early U.S. Intel Suggests Strikes Only Set Back Iran Nuclear Program By Months; Senate Races To Pass Trump's Megabill Next Week; Mamdani Leading NYC Dem Primary In Initial Results. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired June 24, 2025 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON POLIN, FATHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: And since then, another almost 40 have been killed, during the ongoing hostilities.

So, for the Americans, who are questioning what America is doing in this region, I just want to remind Americans that 85 Americans have been killed, by the Iranian proxy terror groups, in the last 627 days in this conflict. America has reason to be involved here.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Yes. Rachel, and Jon, thank you so much for your time.

RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, MOTHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: Thank you.

POLIN: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, that's it for us.

The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Tonight, we're coming to you live from the Netherlands, where President Trump is attending the annual summit of the NATO military alliance, after brokering a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran following, those U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Just as the President was landing here, earlier though, new questions arose about the impact of those strikes, and in particular, the President's assertion that they, quote, Totally obliterated Iran's nuclear program.

CNN was first to report on a preliminary intelligence assessment, produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, that found that U.S. airstrikes may have set Iran's nuclear program back by just a few months, and did not destroy its core components.

Now, this is early intelligence from just one of 18 intelligence agencies, and it could change as more analysis comes in. But so far, what we are learning, it appears to be more understated than what we've heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.

JD VANCE (R), U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: First of all, the President, without, knock on wood, having a single American casualty, obliterated the Iranian nuclear program.

PETE HEGSETH, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Iran's nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now, two people familiar with that new assessment that came out today tell CNN, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed in the attack.

The White House acknowledged the assessment, but they argued that it is, quote, Flat-out wrong, in their words. As we spent the afternoon here on the ground, as we were learning about what this report included, getting the administration's response to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: One thing that we've been working on today is getting the White House's reaction to an exclusive report from CNN, on an early assessment that so far, the damage from those strikes that President Trump chose to carry out, by the United States, on Iranian nuclear facilities, on Saturday night, did not have as much damage or as much impact as the President has been saying.

He's been arguing that it completely obliterated and destroyed Iran's entire nuclear program. That's not what we're seeing from our sources, inside this preliminary report.

Now, we've heard from the White House press secretary pushing back on this. I also got a statement from the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth. But the ultimate question is how President Trump himself is going to respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now, in that statement that I mentioned, of Secretary Hegseth, he told CNN, quote, "The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission."

Now, the President has not spoken in front of camera since he arrived here. We did see him participating in opening events, alongside other world leaders. But it was really what he said as he left Washington today that made news. As that ceasefire appeared to be on shaky ground, we heard from the President in an expletive-laden statement, that made clear, he was frustrated with both Iran and Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, 'OK, now you have 12 hours,' you don't go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I'm not happy with them. I'm not happy with Iran either. But I'm really unhappy if Israel is going out, this morning, because of one rocket that didn't land, that was shot, perhaps by mistake, that didn't land. I'm not happy about that.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Well we have -- we basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing. Do you understand that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: I told you, it was expletive-laden.

CNN's Erin Burnett is in the Strait of Hormuz tonight. That's where we start this hour.

And Erin, what's the latest on what you're hearing in the region tonight, as the ceasefire has been playing out, as the President's comments in this intelligence assessment that CNN's reporting on?

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: All right, so, Kaitlan, here, again, dawn, and the ceasefire appears to be holding. It's fragile, it's tenuous, but it is holding.

And that frustration that you just were playing from President Trump really echoed across a region that is still reeling from the disruption of the war, and hoping that this ceasefire holds.

[21:05:00]

Two things, though, to emphasize, in terms of what we're hearing. One, all that reporting that you're talking about, CNN's reporting on the strikes, and how effective they really were, that perhaps only setting back Iran's nuclear program, a couple of months.

Jim Sciutto, as you know, our Chief National Security Reporter, just moments ago, was saying that Israel's BDA, which is their bomb assessment, matches that of the Pentagon's initial assessment, that they're coming out with a similar assessment. Overall, they think that the strikes combined, set the nuclear program back a couple of years. But that, of course, matches what they said before the U.S. launched its strikes at all. So, that is one important thing.

And also, where we are on this ceasefire. Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, not long ago, just speaking, Kaitlan, saying, he has no intention of taking our foot off the gas, talking about their broader campaign against Iran, saying that the campaign against Iran continues and that they will continue to weaken Iranian assets.

Now, that's a reference to proxies, to Hezbollah, to Gaza. It's a reference to a lot of things. But they're making it very clear that they view this as one step. This is a ceasefire. But that their overall, their fundamental issue here, against Iran, and its nuclear program, that still is unchanged, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: Any word, Erin, on the Supreme Leader in Iran, and where he is in all of this, since the United States' strikes on Saturday night?

BURNETT: Yes, this is a crucial question. It has been 24 hours, since all of this began, in terms of the talk about the ceasefire, actually a little bit over that. We have not heard from the Supreme Leader in that time. The last image he posted was of a burning American flag, threats, saying that Iran would never surrender. That is the last we've heard of him.

We understood from our reporting that he was in a bunker. Sources telling me that they were unable, the Foreign Minister, to even get in contact with him during the ceasefire itself. One expert on Iran, Karim Sadjadpour, said that the Foreign Minister has still not talked to the Supreme Leader. So, huge questions tonight.

Fred Pleitgen on the streets of Tehran, Kaitlan, saying, of course, what you might expect people to say, supporting the Supreme Leader, all-in, images of him.

But we are hearing, and I am hearing from people I have never heard this kind of commentary from before, incredible anger and frustration that the Supreme Leader was hiding in a bunker, and everything that Iran had given so much up for in this nuclear program, has caused the country to descend into the crisis that it is in right now.

But it is an important thing to focus on. 24 hours. Nothing from the most important religious leader in Iran, the Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: Yes. Erin Burnett, on the ground, near the Strait of Hormuz. Thank you.

Also, CNN's Jeremy Diamond tonight is tracking the latest developments from the ground in Tel Aviv.

And Jeremy, Erin just mentioned Israeli officials, what they were seeing in this. Are they responding at all to what we've been seeing play out in this preliminary intelligence report so far?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kaitlan, there's been no official comment from the Israeli government, or the Israeli military, to that initial U.S. intelligence assessment regarding the status of Iran's nuclear program.

We have heard from the Israeli prime minister directly, however, and he is frankly echoing a lot of the language that we've heard from President Trump, talking about Iran's nuclear program having been destroyed or thwarted. Those were two of the words that he used, in an address to the nation, earlier today.

But as far as the official assessment from the Israeli military, and the Israeli intelligence community, they are still gathering information. Like the U.S. intelligence community, yes, there are early assessments as to the extent of the damage at the Fordow nuclear facility, for example. But the jury still seems to be out. A lot more information going to be needed to be able to assess the full extent of the damage, and how far back exactly this has all set Iran's nuclear program.

COLLINS: Which are obviously the key questions here, not just for these governments, but also for the people of these governments.

Jeremy Diamond, thank you for that reporting. We'll check back in with you as the news warrants.

And as we look at this in the comments that we are hearing from the administration, we just heard a few moments ago, from Vice President, JD Vance. He's speaking at a dinner in Ohio, for the Republican Party there. And this is what he had to say about what is the result of those strikes, and what it means for Iran's nuclear program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: Not only did we destroy the Iranian nuclear program. We did it with zero American casualties. And that's what happens when you've got strong American leadership.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: My inside sources tonight joining me.

David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times.

Natasha Bertrand, CNN's Pentagon Correspondent.

And former CIA officer, Paul Pillar.

And it's great to have you here, Paul, as well, joining us, as we're looking at this reporting and breaking it down.

[21:10:00]

But Natasha, let me start with you, because you, and Katie Bo Lillis, and Zachary Cohen, our colleagues, were working on this reporting today, kind of disseminating what it means that, yes, it's an early intelligence assessment, but the first one that we're seeing. What were your biggest takeaways, as you were kind of hearing from these sources, as to what they're seeing in this? NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, I mean, as everyone before me has reiterated, it is an early assessment. It is not the judgment of the entire intelligence community, as it is simply one agency.

But our first reaction, obviously, is that it indicates that President Trump's comments about the destruction of these nuclear facilities and the obliteration of Iran's nuclear ambitions appear to have been vastly overstated. Even if you take his comments that these nuclear sites have been obliterated, it appears that this intelligence assessment rebukes that.

And ultimately, what the DIA found, which was based on an assessment from U.S. Central Command, was that much of the core components of Iran's nuclear program remain intact. Even though there was significant damage that was done to some of the aboveground structures at these nuclear facilities, much of the underground structures were not touched.

So, you have things like the power facilities, you have things like aboveground facilities that were used to turn uranium into metal for bombmaking. Those were very severely damaged, if not destroyed.

But ultimately, those can be rebuilt. And the question now is, how long is it going to take Iran to rebuild those, how long is it going to take them to dig out of this? And the DIA found that it is likely that the Iranians could reconstitute within a matter of months. And so, the U.S. basically set it back by several months rather than destroying it entirely.

Another really important point in this is that the assessment, apparently, according to our sources, found that much of the enriched uranium that had been stored at these sites, which obviously is such a key part of the nuclear program, was actually moved out of the facilities prior to them being hit.

And so, I think all of this taken together suggests that, whereas President Trump is saying that this was all obliterated, you know, it is far too early to say that. And in fact, that's something that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, he made clear on Sunday as well. Look, this assessment is still ongoing--

COLLINS: Yes.

BERTRAND: --but early reports, you know, he did not go as far at all as to say that it had been obliterated, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: Yes.

Well, and David Sanger, when you look at this -- and the DIA may not be a household name to a lot of people. And as Natasha, I think, has been very cautious to point out in her reporting, is that it is one of 18 intelligence agencies. When you're registering though, the DIA, where it looks at this, what would you say?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST, WHITE HOUSE & NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Well, the DIA obviously spends a lot of time looking at things like underground bunkers and so forth. So, they have some expertise in this.

The intelligence agency I'm actually waiting to hear from the most is the Energy Department's intelligence agency.

COLLINS: Huh.

SANGER: Because they're the ones who know the most about centrifuges, about the process of doing a nuclear -- putting a nuclear chain of manufacturing together, because it's the Energy Department that does that for the United States, and has since the 1950s.

But I think the core problem here was the President spoke before there was any battle damage assessment at all. And he spoke in the way Donald Trump frequently talks. And now, you've got the White House trying to defend a statement that he made before the facts had been assembled.

And what I worry about here is that in this administration, the way they deal with intelligence that they don't like the conclusions of, is they simply declare it's wrong, but don't give you an evidentiary basis for that.

And the biggest example of this comes from something that Natasha was just saying, which is the whereabouts of that enriched uranium. This is the uranium, 400 kilograms of it, 880 pounds or thereabouts, that is enriched to nearly bomb-grade, and it was all stored in that Isfahan site.

Now, the head of the Atomic Energy -- International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, told me two days ago, he believes that that material was picked up and moved out of the site, several days before the bombing. And the White House is saying, No, it's under the rubble. And I'm not sure I understand what their evidentiary basis is for that.

COLLINS: Well, and that would back up what the intelligence, the DIA report is based on, that the uranium enrichment was also moved, which is what they found, it would back up what he had to say.

And Paul Pillar. Just to read the White House statement. We had the statement from the Secretary of Defense. But also, the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, called it an alleged assessment. She said it was flat-out wrong, and said it was classified as top secret, but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community. The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump.

[21:15:00]

Obviously, I mean, as we're just reporting on this, it's just getting to the basis of what are the findings here. And I think we've stressed very clearly that this is just a preliminary assessment, the first one.

But you're a former intelligence officer. So, when you look at this, what is your reaction and your assessment of this?

PAUL PILLAR, FORMER CIA OFFICER, FORMER NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: Well, the assessments we've heard so far, it's not so much a matter of which agency did it, although I would add that the Defense Intelligence Agency is at least as adept as anyone else in doing battle damage assessment, looking at the imagery and trying to assess the extent of destruction. But it's a matter which sources are available, when.

So, I think this preliminary assessment was probably based on what was immediately available, which is mainly the overhead imagery, as well as that collateral information about moving out the substances, the enriched uranium, before the attacks occurred.

We can expect that the intelligence agencies, it's not just CIA, but CIA and Energy, which David mentioned and the others, will be getting further reports, over the next several days, based on technical or human sources, that will add a little more perspective on this.

I mean, obviously, if you have some information about what the Iranians are saying among themselves, especially people in the military, talking about the damage, that will be a further indication.

But I think, the main story, just to expand on what David Sanger got into, is this disconnect between President Trump, and the judgments of the intelligence community.

And on this very issue, of course, we had a big one not long ago, before the attacks occurred, when the President basically blew off his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, when she was conveying the intelligence community's judgment that Iran had not decided to build a bomb, and it was not in the process of building a bomb. And in response to that, Mr. Trump said, Well, she's just wrong.

Well now, the President has an incentive to, in a sense, go in the opposite direction and to try to tell us that there isn't a problem anymore, because the program was supposedly obliterated.

But for all the reasons you mentioned in your reporting, it really hasn't been obliterated.

COLLINS: Yes, I think that's really helpful perspective, in terms of just the view of the intelligence community. In general, obviously, Trump himself has been skeptical of them, since his first term, even though it's his own people that he's certainly selected this time around.

And so, David, when you look at that point, I just think the key question is, when do we know? When will we get the other assessments, from other places in the intelligence community, as to what this looks like. And after having this come out the way it did, do we think it will be made public? Do we think we'll have a good understanding from the public of where this stands?

SANGER: Well, it's very possible that what comes through the U.S. intelligence community may not be public. Parts of it may leak out. But what's really important here is the international inspectors to the IAEA are in Tehran. They've been there through the -- through the war. They couldn't obviously be inspecting. They last were at that site, where the enriched uranium was around June 10th, I'm told. So, now that the fighting is over, presumably, if they are allowed back into these sites, we're going to learn, and they will be publicly reporting, what it is they find.

Now, it's also possible that Iran will conclude they're not going to participate in IAEA inspections anymore, because they believe the IAEA has been penetrated--

COLLINS: Yes.

SANGER: --that the information they provide gave targeting data, deliberately or not deliberately, to the U.S. and to Israel.

COLLINS: That's a good point, in terms of what the inspection looks like, going forward, because we learned so much from that.

David Sanger, you're a gem for staying up late with us. Thank you so much for that.

Paul Pillar, great to have your expertise.

And Natasha Bertrand, and our team, great reporting on that.

Up next. We're going to hear from a key ally of the President's, on this new reporting, and also just these strikes overall and where this goes in the Middle East. Obviously, this would be a key part hanging over the NATO Summit, here on the ground, in the Netherlands.

[21:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The top Republican in the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, says that he has not seen intelligence to confirm President Trump's assertion that Iran's nuclear program was, quote, Completely and totally obliterated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As a member of the Gang of Eight, do you agree with the assessment from President Trump that the key nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran have been completely and totally obliterated?

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Well, I don't -- I'm not sure I have -- you might want to hear from Senator Cotton, who chairs the Intelligence Committee, an answer on the full extent. But we know for sure that their nuclear program was set back considerably, and that is a victory, not only for that region, but for our country's national security interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: The Senate was scheduled to get a classified briefing on Iran, and these strikes today. It was postponed, though, until Thursday. The White House cited the, quote, Evolved circumstances in the Middle East, in explaining that delay. Of course, a lot of the President's Cabinet members are here on the trip with him.

My next source tonight is a Republican, who sits on the Armed Services Committee. Oklahoma senator, Markwayne Mullin.

And Senator, thanks for being here tonight.

You heard the Majority Leader there, saying he has not seen intelligence to confirm that Iran's nuclear program was obliterated. Have you seen any of that?

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): Well, actually, that isn't exactly what he said. He said, you need to ask the question to Tom Cotton, who sits on Intel.

[21:25:00]

I'll tell you, the reports that we've received is that this was a complete success. I mean, you think about this, Kaitlan. And I don't understand why this is such a hard thing for CNN, or other people, to celebrate the victory that the United States just achieved.

We had 30 Tomahawk missiles, we had 14 30,000-pound bombs, delivered, on target and on time. We had no detection, no boots on the ground. Complete mission success with Midnight Hammer.

And this is a victory that we should celebrate for the simple fact, Kaitlan, that the world is safer because Iran cannot develop their nuclear weapon. And keep in mind, this is a country that is the number one sponsor of terror around the world. So, this should be something that we're celebrating, not something we're trying to bring some division between us on.

COLLINS: And no one is trying to bring any division, and it has nothing to do with--

MULLIN: Well--

COLLINS: --celebrating it or not celebrating it, sir. It's a question of what the intelligence shows. So my question is, have you seen intelligence that shows that the nuclear program has been obliterated?

MULLIN: Well, we haven't had the -- we haven't had the report on this. But President Trump, and those that are in that world, have said, quite frankly, that this is a complete mission success.

I know the initial reports that we have been told, but not in a complete briefing that has been -- that it has obliterated their nuclear program. Now, that doesn't mean that they can't start their program again, because you can't eliminate knowledge. They have knowledge. But we know, they won't be using these facilities anymore. We know that for a fact. Now, as far as -- as far as the in-depth report, we expect to have that in-depth report, come Thursday. The reason why they had it postponed is, like you said, a lot of the -- those that will be briefing us are with you, in Netherlands today.

COLLINS: But on terms of -- in the terms of this report that we are getting from the DIA itself, what it has put together. It says the core components of the nuclear program were not destroyed, and that neither was the enriched uranium.

MULLIN: Well, Kaitlan--

COLLINS: That's more than just the knowledge.

MULLIN: Yes. But Kaitlan, this is a report from DIA not -- for your listeners, let's break down what DIA is, and what DNI is, which is what Tulsi Gabbard is, because I think that's important. Tulsi Gabbard is the Director of National Intelligence. DIA is the Director -- or is the Defense Intelligence Agency. They don't have eyes in the ground. They have eyes in the sky.

This is a report that was incomplete, that wasn't supposed to be released, and we don't even know where they were finding their findings, because the ICs, the intelligent community that actually have eyes on the ground, eyes on the target, which is where we're getting our initial reports from, those were the people that were in country. DIA does not have people in country that was providing this assessment.

We know that this was a complete success. Now, that success means that our delivery system and what our target was, was on time--

COLLINS: But Senator--

MULLIN: --and was -- effectively did exactly what we wanted it to -- wanted it to do.

COLLINS: Well, first off, let me say, no one is doubting that the B-2 bombers carried out their mission, and struck exactly the targets that they were told to hit. No one is doubting that. The question is the claim being made by the President that it obliterated this.

You just said, the DIA does not do this. But the DIA is part of the Pentagon. The Pentagon is what carried out these strikes, sir. And the Director of the DIA is a three-star military officer who is the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense. Is he not?

MULLIN: That doesn't mean that they have eyes on it. Our eyes on it did not come from DIA. I was -- I was in the intel--

COLLINS: But that means you just don't trust their report at all?

MULLIN: Absolutely, a 100 percent do not trust this, because the report wasn't a collective of the ICs, which the ICs, by the way, would go through, which is why I wanted to say this, DNI, which is, it would go through the Director of National Intelligence. For the DIA to put out a report, without the collective bargaining of all our ICs, as you said, there's 18 of them. And we -- I can assure you, Kaitlan, we don't have 18 agencies, intelligence agencies, working on Iran. That would be disastrous. We have a few. Actually, we have less than a few. We have really only one, plus our allies, that are working in there, and that did not include any of their assessment.

So, how could you have a complete report, given it from their assessment only, and their assessments are only coming from eyes in the sky--

COLLINS: But, sir, you just said--

MULLIN: --not eyes on the ground.

COLLINS: Well, and we have made clear, it's a preliminary report, but this is the only intelligence report--

MULLIN: And--

COLLINS: --that so far has been made available--

MULLIN: Well then why would you run with it? Because you're assuming--

COLLINS: --that people have known about and--

MULLIN: But you're assuming this report is the report. And it is absolutely not even close to a report. Do you know how many intelligence agencies' briefings I have sat in?

COLLINS: We have said it is one report, Senator. And you sit on Armed Services, and you just said you do not trust the Defense Intelligence Agency's report.

MULLIN: What -- no, what I said is--

COLLINS: And is that something that you are going to bring up with the Pentagon?

[21:30:00]

MULLIN: No. That -- what I said is I don't trust this report, because I have sat in briefings now, for 12 years. I was on the -- I was on the Intel Committee in the House. Not one time did we have DIA ever come in and brief us. That was not where our briefings are coming from.

In fact, go back and see all the intelligence briefings we've had, that's been public, and been in private, that's been released. Have you ever seen DIA, one time, ever brief Congress? Ever? One time ever brief Congress? No, they have not.

COLLINS: Have you seen intelligence, though, that contradicts what the DIA is saying so far? MULLIN: Well, I've seen -- I've seen reporting, not reporting from you, but I've seen reports come out. As far as a full briefing, we haven't -- as you know, and we've already said this, the briefing has been -- has been pushed to Thursday. But the initial reports we have, 100 percent contradicts what DIA was saying here.

And I'm not saying DIA isn't capable. DIA is capable. I'm saying, this report is not an accurate report. I don't even know where this report came from. I don't know who authorized this report, or where they gathered their intelligence. But there's no way I'm--

COLLINS: It came from the DIA.

MULLIN: Well, there's more--

COLLINS: What reports are you citing, Senator?

MULLIN: There's multiple people inside DIA, Kaitlan. But how does -- how did this person that brought this report together, how did they get their information? Where did their information come from? Because they did -- it wasn't collective around the ICs, as I've said before, not to repeat myself, of gathering the information with individuals that was actually on ground, not the assumption. So, I don't -- I don't know where this report was generated from. I know where it was reported out of, was the DIA. But why?

COLLINS: There is a reason, obviously, that people want to know about the intelligence here, that the American people do, because, I mean, there have been moments in the United States' history, pretty recently, where flawed intelligence has led the United States into war.

So, do you believe that the case should be made to the American people, to back up the President's claim that he is making, based on intelligence, not just what he is saying?

MULLIN: Well, Kaitlan, that's a far-fetched compared to where we have been, to where we are today. Different presidents, different reasons behind. President Trump's mission going into this was very clear. And--

COLLINS: And Trump criticized those presidents.

MULLIN: Well, I would say that in some cases rightfully so, criticizing the presidents.

But when you start looking at what our mission was, every president since Bill Clinton has made it very clear that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Every single president has said that. And President Trump actually delivered it and did something about it.

When you start talking about the assumption of miscrediting what information -- there's some that will be shared. There will be a success report come out, to the American people.

But we can't go into full detail, because there's a lot of this stuff that is classified and should stay classified for obvious reasons. Like, the way we were able to get the Intel. The way we were able to get in without being noticed. Why we delivered the 30 Tomahawk missiles before the B-2 showed up. How we knew what weapons to be used. How we knew how to calculate those weapons. What our entry points were, where we knew to precisely hit, where the -- where it'd be most effective. All that information will not be shared. But the success of it has already been told.

But the full reports of it, that we can share, will be shared with the American people. President Trump's the most transparent president we've had--

COLLINS: So you're saying intelligence--

MULLIN: And--

COLLINS: You're saying that intelligence will be shared, will be made public--

MULLIN: No, no, no. I said the stuff -- no, no, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: --showing that the nuclear program was obliterated?

MULLIN: Kaitlan -- and Kaitlan, don't -- don't put words in my mouth. What I said is, the stuff that can be shared will be shared.

COLLINS: No, I'm just clarifying.

MULLIN: I did -- well, I thought I was pretty clear. The stuff that can be shared will be shared.

COLLINS: OK, Senator, let me ask you about what Republicans are working on, on Capitol Hill, as well as waiting on those intelligence briefings, when it comes to the signature legislation that Republicans are working to get passed.

I want to ask you about a comment that was reported on by Punchbowl News, that Senator McConnell said to your colleagues earlier, talking about failure is not an option here in getting this passed. He was reportedly quoted as saying, I know a lot of us are hearing from people back home about Medicaid, but they'll get over it.

Is that how you heard that comment?

MULLIN: No.

COLLINS: And do you think that is an effective message from your Republican colleagues?

MULLIN: That is absolutely not the way I heard that message.

What I do remember, a 100 percent, Mitch McConnell only spoke for maybe 60 seconds and said, Failure is not an option. We've been in these positions before. We have to make tough decisions. We're elected to make tough decisions. But the American people chose this Republican Party to lead, and we have to lead, and failure is not an option. That was -- pretty much summed it up.

The other part about the Medicaid, I don't remember that at all. And I was in the meeting, obviously, and I don't remember that being stated.

COLLINS: Senator Markwayne Mullin, thank you for your time tonight.

MULLIN: Thank you.

COLLINS: Up next here on CNN. What we are learning from Israel's intelligence assessment that they have been seeing in this. And, of course, the President's frustration, this morning, that was on clear display, not just at Iran, but at Israel as well.

My next source tonight is Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations.

[21:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Tonight, as CNN learns that early U.S. intelligence shows that U.S. strikes did not destroy the core components of Iran's nuclear program. We're also hearing from sources that Israel's assessment of the damage at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility is less than expected.

We're still learning more about this. Of course, Fordow is that underground nuclear plant that the United States targeted, with 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs. Despite initial assessments, we heard from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who said, today, quote, We have thwarted Iran's nuclear project.

[21:40:00]

My source tonight is Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon.

And it's great to have you here, Ambassador.

And I want to ask you about this intelligence and where this stands. But first, I just want to remind people of what we heard from President Trump, this morning, when he used some explicit language about Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: What was Israel's reaction to that comment?

AMB. DANNY DANON, ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Thank you for having me, Kaitlan.

First of all, we are grateful for President Trump, for everything he did, for the brave decision he took to deal with the nuclear threat. We had so many talks over the years.

So yes, it was very intense hours or minutes regarding the ceasefire. You never know if it will be honored or not. But at the end of the day, when you look at the outcome of the operation, and the ceasefire, I think it's beyond imagination what we have achieved, together with the United States. The level of cooperation between the Israeli government and administration, I think it's unprecedented.

COLLINS: But is Israel's argument that they do know what they are doing? I mean, what is your response to what the President had to say directly in that moment?

DANON: Well, unfortunately, Iran chose not to honor the ceasefire. They launched missiles, after the time that they were not supposed to do it.

And in Israel, we had a consultation about what to do, how to do. There were different opinions. And we decided to retaliate, which was a target in the northern part of Iran. And I think the President was referring to that. Those discussions, whether we should retaliate or not.

But when you look at the overall picture, if I would have told you two weeks ago that Israel and the U.S. would push back the Iranian regime so many years back? Nobody would believe us. And today, we are arguing about this assessment or that assessment. But when you look at the overall picture, we are in a very good position today.

COLLINS: Well, the assessments do matter. Does the Israeli intelligence raise questions about the extent of the strikes, and what they mean for Iran's nuclear program?

DANON: Well, first, I think it's too early. It's very early. We will have our own assessment. We have our own intelligence. And I'm sure, we will gather data on the ground, and we will know exactly what was achieved. But you know, the imminent threat of nuclear Iran is over. That's what counts today.

If you look at what happened with North Korea, while they were negotiating, they developed a nuclear bomb, they tested it, and that was too late. And that's why we took action before it was too late. And I think today, with Iran, it's not the case. Even if they will have the desire to rebuild their capabilities, it will take them years.

COLLINS: Do you believe it's too early to say if the program itself was obliterated?

DANON: Well, I think that, today, Iran is not a threat. But we have to be cautious, because they have the knowledge, and if they will continue with their radical ideas. You know, they can acquire the products, enriched uranium. And so, that's why we have to be cautious about it, and we have to build a mechanism that we'll know -- will not allow them to continue.

But I think today, no one expected that we will see the results we have. And we need to be grateful for the Israeli pilots, for the American pilots, for the leadership of both countries, for bringing us to where we are today.

COLLINS: And does Israel -- is Israel committed to making sure that this ceasefire holds? I mean, obviously, the President was upset about that. It does seem to have held throughout the day today, since his phone call with the Prime Minister. Is Israel committed to that, sir?

DANON: We are a peaceful nation. You know, we have no dispute with Iran. We have no border with Iran. It's only about their radical ideas to destroy us. That's why we had to take these preemptive measures.

Yes, we will honor the ceasefire. But if there will be any violation? You know, we showed our capabilities, we can get to any target in Iran. So, I would advise them not to test us.

COLLINS: Ambassador Danny Danon, thank you for your time tonight.

Up next. Democrats, on Capitol Hill, were not happy, after the White House postponed classified intelligence briefings on those strikes in Iran. We'll hear from a Senate Democrat, on what they're hoping to learn, next.

[21:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Tonight, the top Democrat in the Senate is criticizing the administration, after they postponed classified briefings that were scheduled to happen, for the Senate, on Iran, today.

As of course, CNN is reporting on people briefed on that preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment that showed that the U.S. strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program, likely by a matter of months. Of course, we are waiting on further intelligence to come in.

But as we are, my source tonight, up next, sits on the Armed Services and the Homeland Security committees. Democratic senator, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

And sir, it's great to have you here.

First off, what was the reason, that the senators were given, for why these briefings were postponed?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): No reason, Kaitlan. No reason was given to us, other than perhaps the convenience of the administration. But canceling this classified briefing deprives not only members of Congress, but also, in my view, the American people with the facts they need and deserve.

[21:50:00]

There's a constitutional obligation here, for any president, to inform Congress, and seek approval for acts of war, bombing in other countries certainly is. But the president, as a matter of policy, put aside the legalities, has an obligation to tell the American people what the results are, rather than relying on the seemingly accurate, and I stress they certainly appear to be accurate reports, by CNN and others, about this defense intelligence assessment.

COLLINS: Do you trust the assessment by the DIA?

BLUMENTHAL: I trust the DIA assessment as a preliminary finding. We are yet to have the final battle assessments. It may take days, perhaps weeks, to know exactly the extent of the destruction at Fordow, which has a set of complex chambers, 250 feet down.

But here's the hard truth. Very likely, as we've been informed by experts, and assessments, in the past, including Israeli intelligence, a lot of the enriched uranium has been moved already and dispersed around the country. The scientists have been moved to other locations. And destroying the Fordow complex would require more than one or two waves of bombing, which is all that has been done, even though 14 separate bombs apparently were done.

So, there's a lot of reason to question the administration's assessment that this site was obliterated, or completely destroyed. And even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, said, in very much--

COLLINS: Yes.

BLUMENTHAL: --more measured terms, that probably it was damaged but not destroyed.

COLLINS: And when you go into this intelligence briefing that you are going to get, could you be shown intelligence that changes your mind, on President's decision to conduct these strikes? Could you go into this, and come out, and say, Actually, this was the right call, and here's what did happen, and what we were told?

BLUMENTHAL: Absolutely, Kaitlan.

A nuclear-armed Iran is a threat to the entire world, including the United States. I really hope that maximum damage was done to eliminate that threat. But of course, confronting the threat requires more than just boasts of strength. It requires a strategy. There is yet to be a strategy.

And if there's a classified briefing that shows me hard evidence, that convinces me that in fact, the damage was extensive, and that it will take years, not just months, to reconstruct this facility? I would welcome it, because we all ought to, in effect, reject the idea of a nuclear-armed Iran.

COLLINS: Senator Richard Blumenthal, please let us know, after you do get briefed, and what you find out, what you can tell us. Thank you so much for joining tonight.

And coming up, here on THE SOURCE. Polls just closed in New York City, one of the closest-watched races of this year. We are now getting the first results in the City's Democratic primary race for mayor. My source tonight is the former New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio.

[21:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Some breaking news for you, this hour. CNN can now make a projection in the New York City mayoral race, as New York State Assemblyman, Zohran Mamdani, right now, leads the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. But CNN projects, his initial support will remain below 50 percent, meaning, this race will be decided by ranked- choice votes.

My source tonight is former New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio.

And it's great to have you here, sir.

Just first, as you are watching this development, tell me what's going through your mind tonight.

BILL DE BLASIO, FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: It's an amazing upset.

I mean, when you look at this number, right now, this lead that Zohran Mamdani has, right now, with the early vote numbers, which were staggering. 25 percent of all early votes were people who had never voted in a New York City election, and we know a lot of that was younger voters coming out for him. This looks like he's in a very strong position to be declared the winner, when the full count is done on July 1st.

COLLINS: So you do, right now, as you're saying instead -- I should note that you are urging people, not to rank former Governor, Andrew Cuomo. He was -- they were the two frontrunners going into this, it seemed like, based on the polling. But you do think that ultimately he's going to pull it out here, based on what you're seeing so far?

DE BLASIO: Yes, Kaitlan, I think it's a combination. I did not expect Zohran to be leading with the overall number-one votes. With our ranked-choice system, the number-one votes tell you something, but they don't tell you the whole thing. I did not expect him to be leading at the end of Election Night. I think this is a stunning result. I think the early votes, who they came from, where they come from, are staggering. We've never seen anything like it.

Now, also, we have to reflect what's happened here. Zohran ran a positive campaign, talking about affordability. Cuomo ran a very negative, fear-based campaign. This has made a huge difference.

People, at this point, in New York City, they are hurting, for sure, but they didn't just want to hear how bad everything was. They wanted to have some sense of hope, some sense of solution and vision.

And I think the big story here is Zohran Mamdani, as a person, came across as a much more likable person, a much more connected person, in terms of everyday New Yorkers. But he also spoke of going somewhere good, not just what a horrible situation we're in, and keep the -- keep the negative influences away. And he actually created a vision of something positive--

COLLINS: Yes.

DE BLASIO: --that could change this city.

[22:00:00]

COLLINS: And we got like 30 seconds left. What does this mean for politics, in New York City? I mean, would you have imagined a candidate with a platform like what he's run on, would be in this position? What does that say?

DE BLASIO: It takes us right back, honestly, to where we were in 2013, when I ran. It was all about everyday kitchen-table issues, income inequality, affordability, the same issues. I think it says, the New York City electorate wants change, and they are progressive, and they had a candidate who actually made them feel comfortable.

COLLINS: Mayor Bill de Blasio, we'll wait to see who is the next Mayor. Thank you so much for joining us on this breaking news.

Thank you all so much, for joining us live, from the Netherlands tonight. We'll be back, tomorrow night.

"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" though is up next. Don't go anywhere.