Transcript: Michael Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” March 8, 2026

The next is the transcript of the interview with Michael Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 8, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re joined now by Israel’s ambassador to america, Dr. Michael Leiter. Welcome to ‘Face the Nation.’

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR MICHAEL LEITER: Good to be with you. Good morning.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So your prime minister and – the American president communicate each day, in accordance with President Trump. Have they agreed to starting and ending the warfare on the identical timeline?

AMB. LEITER: We have been collaborating now for months, I might say, even previous to Rising Lion and Midnight Hammer in June, and that collaboration contains each day conversations in which there’s an evaluation of how the warfare is progressing, and I assume that we will attain a whole understanding on the tip of this warfare as effectively.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So that you consider and belief that America will stick with Israel by the period of this, even when there are strains on the American financial system, like fuel costs?

AMB. LEITER: We have reached a degree of collaboration that we have by no means seen between our two nations and between our two militaries. It is a essential operation that does not rely actually on a timeline. You already know, if you’re doing one thing that is so crucial you aren’t going to take a look at a stopwatch. This needs to be completed. It is a terror-sponsoring state that needs to be introduced down and that is what we’re targeted on.

MARGARET BRENNAN: However you agree with the U.S. evaluation from the secretary there he mentioned that is only a matter of weeks?

AMB. LEITER: We consider so. We’re seeing cracks within the edifice of this army safety terror regime. They’re beginning to have very grave difficulties in conveying orders down by the system. There’s arguments inside the system concerning the appointment of a successor to the supreme chief. They’re having grave difficulties. The truth that they’re lashing out irrationally to all of their neighbors and firing these ballistic missiles into all of their neighbors, some 12 nations, into Europe for crying out loud, is indicative of the very fact they’re having large issues. We’re having success in these assaults on their command facilities.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So President Trump was particularly requested yesterday about sending troops in to safe Iran’s provide of enriched uranium. He mentioned he isn’t ruling it out. Does Iran presently have entry to the documented enriched uranium that exists contained in the nation, and what’s Israel’s plan to safe it?

AMB. LEITER: Israel’s plan is to safe it, that is for certain.

MARGARET BRENNAN: How?

AMB. LEITER: How precisely is an operational concern, I do not assume, Margaret, that you really want me to debate right here on a Sunday morning ‘Face the Nation.’ We have to do this. It is an goal we’ve got to perform, however the very first thing we’ve got to do is create a scenario we’re going to have the ability to get to that enriched materials and take away it, and that has to succeed in a degree the place there’s much less kinetic exercise on the bottom. It is clearly on our radar display screen and we will care for it. The entire goal right here of this operation is to stop a terror state from attaining nuclear weapons. So it’s totally a lot on our radar display screen and that is what we will accomplish.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So simply to place a fantastic level on it the priority is that that materials may find yourself within the incorrect fingers if the regime collapses and it is a mess, proper? So, how do you safe it with out floor forces in a roundabout way? Is Israel ruling out floor forces?

AMB. LEITER: We’re ruling out the potential of this regime remaining within the place the place they’ll endanger us and their neighbors. If that features placing boots on the ground- our desire is for the boots on the bottom to be these of the Iranians. These are individuals who have been dwelling beneath the boot of this regime now for 47 years. They need freedom. It is a entire era on the market that is aware of there may be such a factor as freedom however has by no means tasted it but. They should put their boots on the bottom and guarantee their future and the way forward for the area.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You imply the Iranian military, the IRGC?

AMB. LEITER: The Iranian- the Iranian includes- no, I imply the Iranian individuals. 80% of the Iranian persons are against this regime they only have not been capable of categorical themselves.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely and CENTCOM is telling Iranian civilians to remain house proper now. Is there any organized or armed opposition inside Iran that Israel helps?

AMB. LEITER: We have been speaking to the minorities now for a few years.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The minorities that means the Kurds and the Azeris?

AMB. LEITER: The Kurds, the Balochs, the Azeris, however the Iranian individuals themselves, the Persians, we noticed what they did two months in the past. There’s a level of combustion the place the individuals will stand up and say we’ve got had sufficient. We wish freedom. So as soon as we set the stage and there’s no longer regime with one million armed individuals which might be prepared to shoot their fellow residents within the again, these persons are going to stand up and say we would like our nation again.

MARGARET BRENNAN: As a result of President Trump mentioned yesterday he doesn’t need the Kurds, who make up about 10% of the inhabitants inside Iran, he would not need the kurds in neighboring nations to enter the battle. We do not need to make the warfare any extra advanced than it’s already. Turkey’s international minister got here and mentioned he- he mentioned he had spoken to Rubio about it, however he mentioned this, ‘Israel’s intentions on this matter aren’t so secret.’ Turkey appears to assume that your nation is making an attempt to get the Kurds to intervene right here. Is that correct?

AMB. LEITER: I would not take the phrases of President Erdogan too severely. He is speaking about his personal caliphate spreading all through the Center East.

MARGARET BRENNAN: He was the international minister.

AMB. LEITER: He is speaking about taking over- effectively that is coming down from the president- he is speaking about taking up Saudi Arabia and Israel on the identical time. Look, we would like a united Iran, there is not any query about it, however we need to empower the minorities to have their say within the course of, within the political course of. They have been denied of their freedom, so it isn’t matter of supporting this specific minority or one other, it is supporting all of the minorities. What we’re encouraging them to do is to coalesce, is to return collectively, to unify. If over the previous 47 years the opposition of Iran would have unified, this regime would have come down a very long time in the past. So we can assist them coalesce, we can assist them unify, we can assist them come collectively and stand up and say we’re taking our nation again. That is in the end the tip sport.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So your prime minister gave an handle Saturday and mentioned to the IRGC, to those that lay down their arms no hurt shall come. To those that don’t, their blood is on their very own heads. If there aren’t any Israeli floor forces who would you like the IRGC to give up to? How does that work?

AMB. LEITER: There are various precedents in historical past the place the individuals themselves- like Romania, they turned their weapons round towards Ceaușescu. When persons are disadvantaged of freedom, there is a sure level the place they are saying sufficient. And all they should do is put down their weapons and never participate- look they do not to take part when the individuals stand up in taking pictures their very own civilians, their very own neighbors, their very own households in lots of instances. So look the target right here is to realize a scenario the place Iran is not an exporter of terrorism, is not raining ballistic missiles down on its neighbors and is not within the pursuit of nuclear weapons. That is achievable and collectively the collaborative effort between Roaring Lion and Epic Rury we will accomplish that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Ambassador, we’ve got to depart it there for the second, however we’ll have extra questions shortly. We have to take a fast business break. Stick with us.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to ‘Face the Nation.’ We return to our dialog with Israel’s Ambassador to america, Dr. Michael Leiter. Simply to select this again up, once we speak about what’s coming subsequent in Iran, it has large impression probably for all the area and American pursuits there. The president mentioned on the subject of Iran’s subsequent leaders the general public we had in thoughts are lifeless. The New York Occasions is reporting the Israeli strike that killed the supreme chief additionally took out Iranian pragmatists, that was how they phrased it, who have been additionally in that very same compound, however the White Home had hoped that these people may assist lead a brand new Iran. Have been they deliberately focused by Israel or was this unintended?

AMB. LEITER: No. Pragmatists are very restricted of their capacity to affect in Iran. There have been pragmatists all all through the 47 years of this terror regime, they’ve had completely no affect. The individuals influencing, deciding for Iran are these ayatollahs who’ve a really apocalyptic view of the long run and do not actually care about how many individuals they kill of their very own or others. So look, what we’re hoping for is that we transfer right into a interval of a transitional authorities the place the minorities come collectively, the place the vast majority of the individuals come collectively. All the varied opposition events come collectively for a transitional authorities the place they’ll lead the nation for a 12 months or so, along with the steerage from america, and Israel and different regional allies, who will not reside beneath the worry of being hit by ballistic missiles after which transfer right into a mode of a democratic course of. Let the individuals select. Let’s not neglect the individuals of Iran are essentially the most pro-western individuals after Israel.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, however after I hear that is going to take weeks not months, referring to the fight, what you are speaking about takes a protracted time- that type of transition. So we’re not simply speaking a few restricted army operation. U.S. Stress, Israeli stress goes to should be there for a very long time.

AMB. LEITER: Nicely, this is not Iraq or Afghanistan as a result of on this case 80% of the individuals oppose the regime. They only want the power to specific themselves. That is what we’re emphasizing right here. This isn’t a repeat of endlessly wars. They have to place their boots on the bottom they usually’re starting to be motivated and to really feel that they are going to have the ability to accomplish that. They’re starting to maneuver ahead, it is simply going to take a little bit bit extra time. There is not any long-term acquire with out some minimal ache. Look, I do know what warfare is all about. I hate warfare. I misplaced my son in warfare. I do not need to see warfare. None of us in Israel need to see warfare, however we will not have a scenario the place our existence is threatened each day by a regime that claims they are going to get rid of us.

MARGARET BRENNAN: However simply to place a fantastic level on it, did Israel deliberately goal these different Iranian leaders that the president had known as among the individuals he had in thoughts to guide?

AMB. LEITER: You already know Margaret, we’re fairly good at precision, I feel we have confirmed that, however the diploma of precision the place on this exact same room there are these individuals sitting and people individuals sitting, we’re not that good.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Ambassador, thanks to your time this morning.

AMB. LEITER: Good to be with you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be proper again