Saudi Arabia 'VERY CLOSE' to striking inside Iran as war expands

JUDY WOODRUFF, PBS NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR

CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSHOUR coming. Much of the Middle East is on high alert. This is day four of Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion, which is the Israeli part of what you see now. Iran and its terror proxies are escalating retaliatory attacks striking Israel and now most of the Gulf nations, if you can believe that. Now when we first saw this we thought, is that on purpose? Didn't really know what to make of it. Day four, Iran is unleashing on their neighbors at this point. U.S. embassies and bases are also under fire.

I'm Harris Faulkner. You are in the Faulkner Focus. Israel is moving fast to destroy Tehran's missile capabilities. The Israeli Defense Force is also launching simultaneous strikes in Tehran and Lebanon, in Beirut. The conflict is rapidly expanding now, and Iran is destroying any good will it may have had in that region. Gulf states are seeing hundreds of Iranian rockets, missiles

and drones fired by Iran. President Trump posted just this morning Iran's air defense Air Force Navy and leadership gone. They want to talk. I said too late the US embassies in the region are Also on high alert as they've have been but it's a little bit of a difference now after today's drone strikes And the Riyadh embassy. Nobody was in it. It had been evacuated, but still a lot of damage. And so we have our eye on all of the embassies in that region, our diplomats and spokespeople where they normally would be.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Brett Baier.

And Iran, this terror regime in Iran, is the weakest point that has been here since it hijacked Iran from the brave Iranian people 47 years ago. So we're—this is going to be a quick and decisive action. And we're going to create the conditions, first, for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny, to form their own democratically elected government.

If we go through what we plan to do, I think it will create conditions for peace. This is not an endless war.

We are covering the breaking news from the Middle East and here at home. General Charles Wald coming up in focus. Chief National Security Correspondent, Jennifer Griffin, also standing by. First though, I wanna go to Chief Foreign Correspondrespondent Trey Yinks in Tel Aviv. Trey.

Harris, good morning. We start with some major updates from the region. Iran's Supreme Council was meeting earlier today just south of the capital of Tehran when the Israelis struck the building, killing everyone inside, according to initial reports. They were meeting to determine who the next supreme leader of the country would be. And when they were counting the votes, the Israelis say that's when they struck.

All of this coming as the Iranians are still launching new ballistic missile barrages into central and northern Israel. Earlier today, one of those missiles was a cluster munition. It broke up in the air over Israel's second largest city of Tel Aviv, and those pieces of shrapnel rained down below. This video here is from a scene that we just returned from in a religious community called

Bnei Brak. First responders say at least seven people were wounded. When we arrived at the scene, there were families and children everywhere, the Israeli people celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim. Looking to Israel's northern border, the war has erupted between Iran's largest proxy, Hezbollah, and Israel.

The Israelis are striking back deep into the heart of Beirut, targeting the Hezbollah stronghold of the Dakhia neighborhood. Israel says they are bracing for more days of war ahead in the north, and overnight they moved ground forces into southern Lebanon to build up a defensive posture there. Harris. Trey Yinks, thank you very much for getting us started.

Now this.

This was our last, best chance to strike what we're doing right now and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime.

President Trump making the case to the people, laying out the need to launch Operation Epic Fury. When he did, his choice and why and when. Israel launching strikes after strike now, directly into Tehran and Beirut, a crushing Israeli air campaign targeting Hezbollah military assets in Lebanon, leaving behind smoldering rubble. And a map shows Israeli forces are extending

their retaliatory strikes beyond Beirut, stretching into several Lebanese cities. Saudi Arabia could be on the brink of joining the regional conflict as well. A source telling Fox News that country is considering Air Force strikes on Iran targets and in response to unprecedented missile and drone attacks from Iran.

Brand new video from U.S. Central Command shows the equipment engaged in the Middle East mission, high powered jets adding to the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation. mission, high-powered jets adding to the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation. Those assets being used to take out Iranian mobile missile launchers. CENTCOM posted this video on X with the caption referring to the U.S. effort as surgical,

overwhelming and unapologetic in destroying Tehran's offensive missiles. Here's Secretary of State Rubio.

We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces. The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also defending U.S. coordination with Israel and Iran.

Why in the world they waited if they had exquisite intelligence, knowing that that would happen, that we would suffer such staggering losses, why did they not act to prevent it? So I am convinced that they did the right thing.

The regional unrest also is affecting the world's most vital oil export route. Iran's military has threatened to set on fire any vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with a senior adviser in the IRGC saying the waterway is now closed. However, CENTCOM has confirmed to Fox News the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and it's released this video showing a U.S. attack on an Iranian ship. A message posted with the video says,

two days ago the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have zero.

Here's Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg.

80% of the oil comes through the Straits of Hormuz. So by taking out their navy, which is really good, put them in the bottom of the sea, you kind of freed up one option. Now that means they should have pretty good freedom of maneuver for the oil routes.

It was a good move by the president. It was a great move by Second War and also by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, building up a systematic takedown of the Iranian forces.

And the chief national security correspondent, Jennifer Griffin, joins me now. I don't know if you're starting here, but from what General Kellogg just said, I think it's up to 10 naval ships that our U.S. military has, as the president says, put at the bottom of the sea.

Jennifer, even 11, Harris, 11 now, 11. And that's the total number of large Navy vessels that the Iran Iran's Navy has. Separately, Harris, well-placed military and diplomatic sources in the region tell me Saudi Arabia is very close to allowing its air force to strike targets inside Iran after facing unprecedented missile and drone attacks on its civilians, including incoming missiles today targeting Daman, its fifth largest city.

Quote, the next 24 hours is going to be intense, I'm told. A line has been crossed, a well-placed official in the Gulf tells me. What's truly extraordinary, Harris, about this development is that it would not have been possible if Israel had not been brought in under U.S. Central Command at the end of the first Trump administration. Carrying out airstrikes takes tremendous deconfliction and coordination.

CENTCOM used to be attached—or, excuse me, Israel used to be attached to the European command due to sensitivities with the Arab states that did not recognize Israel. That changed with the Abraham Accords. No U.S. personnel were killed or injured when the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was struck last night by at least two Iranian Shahid drones. No U.S. personnel were killed or injured when the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was struck last night by at least two Iranian Shahid drones. The embassy was largely empty at the time.

There is a division of labor right now in terms of targeting. Israel is targeting Iranian leadership, like that meeting that Trey mentioned of top religious scholars in Qom earlier today, where Iran's remaining top religious leaders were meeting to decide the successor to the supreme allied leader, supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The U.S., for its part, is focusing on Iran's vast ballistic missile stockpiles and launchers and, of course, sinking the Russian Navy.

The president said the U.S. has sunk all 11 of Iran's large naval vessels. The Iranian president has decentralized decision-making to regional governors today. These satellite images from VantorTech and analysis from David Albright from the Institute of Science show recent airstrikes targeting the access points to the underground nuclear facility at Natanz, the enrichment plant there. These buildings—these buildings had been struck last summer, but they are—they are—they

were not destroyed completely, and Iran had started to essentially rebuild there. At Bushehr, which is a nuclear power plant, the Russians say that they have told the 600-plus Russian engineers working there to shut down the facility. We have no confirmation of that, but Bushehr nuclear reactor is certainly something to watch. And, lastly, Harris, we understand that the Gulf states are feeling that they're running

low on interceptor missiles, so they are asking CENTCOM to send interceptor missiles, like for the Patriot and THAAD missile batteries. Those, of course, are in somewhat short supply, given how much they're needed in Europe and in Ukraine right now. But I am told that that help will be forthcoming. Lastly, the president has added a fourth goal to this operation, suggesting that the U.S. would also target Iran's proxies in the region.

Harris? All right, Jennifer, thank you very much. In focus now, retired U.S. Air Force General Charles Wald, a former deputy commander of U.S. European Command. Sir, it is a pleasure and an honor to have you in focus today. Let's start with our reporter, and I don't know if you could hear Jennifer Griffin there, but she said that now some of our allies in the region have asked for interceptor missiles because they may be running low or running out of them to take some of the incoming.

What's your take on that?

Well, I think that's true. I think everybody needs more interceptor missiles. We did a report after the June attacks last year on the nuclear facilities in Iran by the U.S. and Israel. And one of the things we recommended is that, number one, that we increase the number of interceptors and the integrated air defense systems in the region amongst the U.S., Israel, and the GCC

allies. And number two is that we continue to address the ballistic missile development and capability in Iran. And so it's easier to take out the ballistic missiles than to intercept them, although we've got a great capability technologically in the region with our allies to do that. But, yes, we need more interceptors.

We'll need them in the future. And we ought to continue to take out their ballistic missile capability in Iran.

If we, from our own CENTCOM, start to give away some of our interceptors, are you, do you have any concerns that we will ourselves not have enough? Like, what is our stockpile like?

Well, I think it's a share stockpile. So when I was the commander of the US Air Forces in the central region where CENTCOM is now, we had a meeting with the air chiefs from all the GCC countries and talked about collaboration, coordination

and integration of all our systems. That's still ongoing, but I think could have been accelerated. But I think our systems in another country coordinated with our commander, Brad Cooper, who is the CENTCOM commander, and his forces out at Al-Aidid is the best way to do it because of the geographical location and dispersion of the forces. So I see us sending missiles to our allies or their nations, let's say,

with our coordination to be a good thing for everybody. General Wald, in just a few minutes, we were told to expect the president to host the chancellor of Germany. And when he meets with Chancellor Frederick Meurs, we know that Germany, along with France and the UK now, have put out this joint statement that at least on the defensive end, to protect their own citizens, they will engage in in what's happening with Iran. They're not going to go on the offensive with us,

but that was what that statement said. But also, the UK now has opened up its airspace, and British pilots are in the skies, as the UK Prime Minister Starmer has said, in defense of its own people. Talk to me, because you know that part of the world so much. What do we actually need from our allies at this time,

and what should they be giving?

Well, I think what you just outlined with the collaboration from Germany, France and Britain is a huge step in the right direction for a lot of reasons. Number one, it's an increase of the force. Two, it's a collaboration of an alliance. But I think more importantly, and we talked about it a minute ago, is they have weapons

themselves that they can put into the fight, precision targeting weapons for defense and other types of weapons. So I think you see the world understanding this. This is time for the

Iranian regime to go away. Endgame and all of this, the president has said he's promised no forever war. Your last quick thought on that, because we've seen so many of them that seemed like they would go on forever.

Well, I think the president's right, I mean, I think all of us don't want any forever wars. I think what we need to do is defeat the capability of the regime, the military, particularly the IRGC and the Bajis and other military capabilities in Iran to be defamed and to quit threatening their regional you know, the people in GCC and the other countries and our allies. So I see the end game of diminishing Iran's capability to export terrorism for one thing, that's tough, but also to export conventional capability. And the more we can defeat and decline their capability to have a conventional capability is best for everybody.

General Wald, you sound optimistic. You have led so many in the name of this country. I appreciate your time and your expertise, sir.

Thank you. Thank you.

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