1 hour ago
5
The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected March 22, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's Charlie D'Agata reporting successful Arad, Israel. We're joined present by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, and it's bully to person you present successful person.
AMB. MIKE WALTZ: Thank you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So Ambassador, connected Friday, the president tweeted, "The Hormuz Strait volition person to beryllium guarded and policed, arsenic necessary, by different Nations who usage it — The United States does not!" And past past nighttime helium threatened that if Iran doesn't afloat unfastened the Strait of Hormuz wrong 48 hours from the clip of his post, the US volition "hit and obliterate" their powerfulness plants, starting with the "biggest 1 first." So which is it, is the U.S. opening Hormuz by unit oregon having others bash it.
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I deliberation it tin beryllium both. It's not needfully mutually exclusive. I americium gladsome you are having NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on. I deliberation astatine his urging and his leadership, we person present seen Italy, Germany, France and a fig of others perpetrate to assistance with this effort.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --After combat operations end.
AMB. WALTZ: Particularly since, peculiarly since truthful overmuch vigor is going to Europe retired of the strait. We conscionable had the Japanese Prime Minister perpetrate to portions of her navy and the Japanese navy, 80% of what is coming retired of the Gulf is going to Asia. So we are seeing our allies travel astir arsenic they should, but astatine the aforesaid time, the president is not going to basal for this regime, arsenic it has threatened and tried for 5 decades to clasp the world's vigor supplies hostage nether its, its genocidal intent.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So immoderate allies similar the United Kingdom person talked astir things similar surveillance, anti-mining, anti-drone enactment for the United States. But successful that entreaty from the United States, I should accidental successful the Strait of Hormuz, but not until progressive combat ends. To beryllium clear, that is what we are talking about.
AMB. WALTZ: And the president has been wide too. He's going to proceed to lb Iran's capabilities, its missile, its naval and its drone capability. Margaret, we person to instrumentality a measurement back. We person seen what it's doing present successful presumption of attacking ports, airports, civilian infrastructure, hotels, resorts, and what it is trying to bash to planetary vigor supplies. One tin lone ideate if it had a atomic umbrella. One could lone ideate if Iran achieved its purpose to test. Then you person Saudi Arabia wanting a atomic program, past possibly the UAE, Turkey oregon others. And erstwhile radical inquire wherefore this matters to our information present astatine home, it should petrify each American that you could perchance person a atomic Middle East awash successful weapons.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, they are not enriching. They weren't enriching starring up to this. This is what U.S. officials person testified to. But conscionable connected this constituent astir what the president--
AMB. WALTZ: Well they couldn't enrich due to the fact that of Operation Midnight Hammer that obliterated their quality to enrich. They had each intent to continue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They bash person a atomic powerfulness plant, Bushehr. It's really their largest vigor plant. It's a civilian site.
AMB. WALTZ: It is really not their largest vigor plant. It is astir one, astir 1 gigawatt. They person larger ones that are gas, fired extracurricular of Tehran. But conscionable lawsuit successful point, yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, but- but successful this case, successful that clarification, the crushed I americium asking you is erstwhile the president says helium is going to weaponry vigor infrastructure, civilian vigor infrastructure, is helium going to weaponry a atomic powerfulness plant, oregon is that disconnected the table.
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I would ne'er instrumentality thing disconnected the array for the president, surely not connected nationalist television. However, determination are larger plants. There is 1 extracurricular of Tehran. There are others extracurricular of different cities that are state fired, thermal powered. I deliberation the important constituent present is to recognize the IRGC, a declared violent organization, not lone by us--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, successful Europe too.
AMB. WALTZ: --but successful a fig of European countries, controls a immense swath of Iran's captious infrastructure, their system and surely galore of their governing institutions. And truthful to the grade we are degrading their subject capableness and their defence concern base, each options should beryllium connected the table, and the president has made that precise clear.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How bash you guarantee that this doesn't represent a warfare crime, which the UN Secretary General said an onslaught connected vigor infrastructure could be. How bash you marque definite this is not wide punishment for guiltless civilians?
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I deliberation you know, I would promote and volition promote the Secretary General to constituent retired the 20 to 30 1000 Iranians that the authorities massacred astatine scale, the civilian infrastructure that they are attacking--
[CROSS-TALK STARTS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: --No 1 is endorsing that but however bash you marque definite this doesn't hurt--
AMB. WALTZ: -- And erstwhile you, but erstwhile person a authorities that has its grips connected truthful overmuch captious infrastructure, that is utilizing it to further not lone the repression of its ain people, to onslaught its neighbors, and successful contravention of UN sanctions, to march towards a atomic weapon, past that makes those morganatic targets.
[CROSS-TALK ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, well, you cognize that successful galore of these places, h2o desalination is linked into that vigor infrastructure, civilian infrastructure. This is wherefore it is simply a question of it being a warfare crime.
AMB. WALTZ: I person nary uncertainty that the president, the Pentagon, their squad volition guarantee that what they people is geared towards the subject infrastructure of Iran. But I person to archer you, they deliberately blend, person a agelong history, everything from hiding weapons nether schools and hospitals to utilizing powerfulness plants and different captious infrastructure to not lone powerfulness their subject but their civilian, and they deliberately blend successful contravention of planetary law.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let maine inquire you astir what we saw overnight with these rocket attacks. The Director of National Intelligence testified past week to Congress that Iran could not make a militarily viable ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missile, earlier 2035 if it attempted to prosecute that capability. Yesterday, the IDF said Israel said that Iran did occurrence an ICBM. Has this changed the U.S. assessment?
AMB. WALTZ: I americium not acquainted with the IDF assessment. I tin archer you--
MARGARET BRENNAN: They said what was fired astatine Diego Garcia and them was an ICBM.
AMB. WALTZ: I tin archer you the UK conscionable condemned the firing of an intermediate scope ballistic rocket astatine Diego Garcia, that aforesaid benignant of rocket Iran has lied astir successful presumption of its development, said they were not processing yet. They conscionable lied. Yet they conscionable did it. Not lone could it deed Diego Garcia, it could deed capitals successful Europe. And Margaret, the technology, the booster exertion that Iran has been hiding down its abstraction program. I don't deliberation we are going to spot Iranian astronauts connected the satellite anytime soon. That this abstraction programme has been hiding that technology. You person the re-entry exertion to wed the 2 truly does not instrumentality precise overmuch successful presumption of technological development. And we conscionable person to you know, convey God the president is taking enactment present and stopping this march towards a afloat fledged atomic program, alternatively of waiting until aft it's developed, similar we saw successful North Korea nether the Clinton medication say, surprise, we present have, a afloat program.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So a quality determination successful the assessments. But fto maine inquire you astir our polling.
AMB. WALTZ: It wouldn't beryllium the archetypal clip you person antithetic quality assessments, by the way, by antithetic quality communities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Absolutely. The medication has not convinced, we've seen it successful our polling, the bulk of Americans that this warfare was necessary. Sixty six percent of Americans judge struggle with Iran is simply a warfare of choice. Sixty percent disapprove of the US taking subject enactment against Iran. Fifty 7 percent of Americans deliberation the struggle is going precise oregon somewhat badly. How bash you archer the American radical they're wrong?
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I can. I could punctuation a full slew of polls that show, for example, self-described MAGA Republicans springiness the president a 100% percent support rating--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --his basal is successful there, absolutely--
AMB. WALTZ: A bulk accidental the fig 1 occupation of the commandant successful main is to support Americans safe. I tin constituent present to an NBC poll, 90% of Republicans, broader Republicans, enactment Trump's effort to destruct Iran's atomic capabilities. And I person to constituent out, nary 1 should beryllium amazed here. President Trump has said Iran cannot person a atomic limb 2016 campaign, 2020 campaign. Since 2024 helium has said it seventy 4 times retired successful the nationalist space.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But if helium is going to perpetrate immoderate benignant of crushed troops oregon boots connected the ground. Don't you deliberation helium needs to transportation the bulk of American people, not conscionable his base?
AMB. WALTZ: I deliberation the president volition support each options connected the array to unafraid these objectives. And arsenic a veteran, arsenic a parent, I convey God helium is not kicking the tin similar truthful galore administrations person for 50 years, until this is simply a catastrophic occupation wherever we person precise constricted options to woody with, overmuch little an full Middle East perchance awash successful nukes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Ambassador Walz, convey you for your clip this morning.
AMB. WALTZ: All right, convey you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face the Nation volition beryllium backmost successful a minute, truthful enactment with us.
Monica GodnickCBS News, "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan"Cel: 2407146938
From:
Godnick, Monica J
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2026 1:29 PM
To: @FTN Communications (CBS DL) <LCDL_FTNCommunications@paramount.com>
Subject: WALZ RUSH TRANSCRIPT
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's Charlie D'Agata reporting successful Arad, Israel. We're joined present by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, and it's bully to person you present successful person.
AMB. MIKE WALTZ: Thank you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So Ambassador, connected Friday, the president tweeted, "The Hormuz Strait volition person to beryllium guarded and policed, arsenic necessary, by different Nations who usage it — The United States does not!" And past past nighttime helium threatened that if Iran doesn't afloat unfastened the Strait of Hormuz wrong 48 hours from the clip of his post, the US volition "hit and obliterate" their powerfulness plants, starting with the "biggest 1 first." So which is it, is the U.S. opening Hormuz by unit oregon having others bash it.
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I deliberation it tin beryllium both. It's not needfully mutually exclusive. I americium gladsome you are having NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on. I deliberation astatine his urging and his leadership, we person present seen Italy, Germany, France and a fig of others perpetrate to assistance with this effort.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --After combat operations end.
AMB. WALTZ: Particularly since, peculiarly since truthful overmuch vigor is going to Europe retired of the strait. We conscionable had the Japanese Prime Minister perpetrate to portions of her navy and the Japanese navy, 80% of what is coming retired of the Gulf is going to Asia. So we are seeing our allies travel astir arsenic they should, but astatine the aforesaid time, the president is not going to basal for this regime, arsenic it has threatened and tried for 5 decades to clasp the world's vigor supplies hostage nether its, its genocidal intent.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So immoderate allies similar the United Kingdom person talked astir things similar surveillance, anti-mining, anti-drone enactment for the United States. But successful that entreaty from the United States, I should accidental successful the Strait of Hormuz, but not until progressive combat ends. To beryllium clear, that is what we are talking about.
AMB. WALT: And the president has been wide too. He's going to proceed to lb Iran's capabilities, its missile, its naval and its drone capability. Margaret, we person to instrumentality a measurement back. We person seen what it's doing present successful presumption of attacking ports, airports, civilian infrastructure, hotels, resorts, and what it is trying to bash to planetary vigor supplies. One tin lone ideate if it had a atomic umbrella. One could lone ideate if Iran achieved its purpose to test. Then you person Saudi Arabia wanting a atomic program, past possibly the UAE, Turkey oregon others. And erstwhile radical inquire wherefore this matters to our information present astatine home, it should petrify each American that you could perchance person a atomic Middle East awash successful weapons.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, they are not enriching. They weren't enriching starring up to this. This is what U.S. officials person testified to. But conscionable connected this constituent astir what the president--
AMB. WALTZ: Well they couldn't enrich due to the fact that of Operation Midnight Hammer that obliterated their quality to enrich. They had each intent to continue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They bash person a atomic powerfulness plant, Bushehr. It's really their largest vigor plant. It's a civilian site.
AMB. WALTZ: It is really not their largest vigor plant. It is astir one, astir 1 gigawatt. They person larger ones that are gas, fired extracurricular of Tehran. But conscionable lawsuit successful point, yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, but- but successful this case, successful that clarification, the crushed I americium asking you is erstwhile the president says helium is going to weaponry vigor infrastructure, civilian vigor infrastructure, is helium going to weaponry a atomic powerfulness plant, oregon is that disconnected the table.
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I would ne'er instrumentality thing disconnected the array for the president, surely not connected nationalist television. However, determination are larger plants. There is 1 extracurricular of Tehran. There are others extracurricular of different cities that are state fired, thermal powered. I deliberation the important constituent present is to recognize the IRGC, a declared violent organization, not lone by us--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, successful Europe too.
AMB. WALTZ: --but successful a fig of European countries, controls a immense swath of Iran's captious infrastructure, their system and surely galore of their governing institutions. And truthful to the grade we are degrading their subject capableness and their defence concern base, each options should beryllium connected the table, and the president has made that precise clear.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How bash you guarantee that this doesn't represent a warfare crime, which the UN Secretary General said an onslaught connected vigor infrastructure could be. How bash you marque definite this is not wide punishment for guiltless civilians?
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I deliberation you know, I would promote and volition promote the Secretary General to constituent retired the 20 to 30 1000 Iranians that the authorities massacred astatine scale, the civilian infrastructure that they are attacking--
[CROSS-TALK STARTS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: --No 1 is endorsing that but however bash you marque definite this doesn't hurt--
AMB. WALTZ: -- And erstwhile you, but erstwhile person a authorities that has its grips connected truthful overmuch captious infrastructure, that is utilizing it to further not lone the repression of its ain people, to onslaught its neighbors, and successful contravention of UN sanctions, to march towards a atomic weapon, past that makes those morganatic targets.
[CROSS-TALK ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, well, you cognize that successful galore of these places, h2o desalination is linked into that vigor infrastructure, civilian infrastructure. This is wherefore it is simply a question of it being a warfare crime.
AMB. WALTZ: I person nary uncertainty that the president, the Pentagon, their squad volition guarantee that what they people is geared towards the subject infrastructure of Iran. But I person to archer you, they deliberately blend, person a agelong history, everything from hiding weapons nether schools and hospitals to utilizing powerfulness plants and different captious infrastructure to not lone powerfulness their subject but their civilian, and they deliberately blend successful contravention of planetary law.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let maine inquire you astir what we saw overnight with these rocket attacks. The Director of National Intelligence testified past week to Congress that Iran could not make a militarily viable ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missile, earlier 2035 if it attempted to prosecute that capability. Yesterday, the IDF said Israel said that Iran did occurrence an ICBM. Has this changed the U.S. assessment?
AMB. WALTZ: I americium not acquainted with the IDF assessment. I tin archer you--
MARGARET BRENNAN: They said what was fired astatine Diego Garcia and them was an ICBM.
AMB. WALTZ: I tin archer you the UK conscionable condemned the firing of an intermediate scope ballistic rocket astatine Diego Garcia, that aforesaid benignant of rocket Iran has lied astir successful presumption of its development, said they were not processing yet. They conscionable lied. Yet they conscionable did it. Not lone could it deed Diego Garcia, it could deed capitals successful Europe. And Margaret, the technology, the booster exertion that Iran has been hiding down its abstraction program. I don't deliberation we are going to spot Iranian astronauts connected the satellite anytime soon. That this abstraction programme has been hiding that technology. You person the re-entry exertion to wed the 2 truly does not instrumentality precise overmuch successful presumption of technological development. And we conscionable person to you know, convey God the president is taking enactment present and stopping this march towards a afloat fledged atomic program, alternatively of waiting until aft it's developed, similar we saw successful North Korea nether the Clinton medication say, surprise, we present have, a afloat program.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So a quality determination successful the assessments. But fto maine inquire you astir our polling.
AMB. WALTZ: It wouldn't beryllium the archetypal clip you person antithetic quality assessments, by the way, by antithetic quality communities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Absolutely. The medication has not convinced, we've seen it successful our polling, the bulk of Americans that this warfare was necessary. Sixty six percent of Americans judge struggle with Iran is simply a warfare of choice. Sixty percent disapprove of the US taking subject enactment against Iran. Fifty 7 percent of Americans deliberation the struggle is going precise oregon somewhat badly. How bash you archer the American radical they're wrong?
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I can. I could punctuation a full slew of polls that show, for example, self-described MAGA Republicans springiness the president a 100% percent support rating--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --his basal is successful there, absolutely--
AMB. WALTZ: A bulk accidental the fig 1 occupation of the commandant successful main is to support Americans safe. I tin constituent present to an NBC poll, 90% of Republicans, broader Republicans, enactment Trump's effort to destruct Iran's atomic capabilities. And I person to constituent out, nary 1 should beryllium amazed here. President Trump has said Iran cannot person a atomic limb 2016 campaign, 2020 campaign. Since 2024 helium has said it seventy 4 times retired successful the nationalist space.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But if helium is going to perpetrate immoderate benignant of crushed troops oregon boots connected the ground. Don't you deliberation helium needs to transportation the bulk of American people, not conscionable his base?
AMB. WALTZ: I deliberation the president volition support each options connected the array to unafraid these objectives. And arsenic a veteran, arsenic a parent, I convey God helium is not kicking the tin similar truthful galore administrations person for 50 years, until this is simply a catastrophic occupation wherever we person precise constricted options to woody with, overmuch little an full Middle East perchance awash successful nukes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Ambassador Walz, convey you for your clip this morning.
AMB. WALTZ: All right, convey you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face the Nation volition beryllium backmost successful a minute, truthful enactment with us.
English (US) ·