The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 1, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Imtiaz Tyab reporting from Muscat, Oman. We flip now to the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton, who joins us from Bentonville. Good morning to you, Senator.
SEN. TOM COTTON: Good morning, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The President of america warned the American public that there may very well be casualties, American casualties. Does that imply the U.S. is placing boots on the bottom?
SEN. COTTON: No, Margaret, the president has been clear that what we should always anticipate to see is an prolonged air and naval marketing campaign that is designed not solely to proceed to set again Iran’s nuclear ambitions, however most significantly, to destroy its huge missile arsenal. Many extra missiles than america and Israel have air defenses mixed, in addition to the missile launchers and its missile manufacturing functionality. Now clearly one danger of that sort of marketing campaign is that an plane may very well be shot down, and the president would by no means depart a pilot behind. So little doubt we now have fight search and rescue belongings within the area which can be ready to go in and extract any downed pilot. However barring that sort of uncommon circumstance, Margaret, the president has no plan for any sort of giant scale floor power within Iran.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The New York Occasions is reporting that it was the CIA that supplied the intelligence in regard to the precise location of the Supreme Chief after which he was subsequently killed. You are smiling as I say that. Are you confirming that it’s true that it’s the United States that pinpointed his location resulting in his dying?
SEN. COTTON: No, Margaret, I am unable to affirm something concerning the intelligence that america intelligence group collects. I can inform you that, after all, we now have beautiful intelligence assortment strategies, that the situation and the intentions of the Supreme Chief and the opposite Ayatollahs in Iran, or for that matter, the leaders of different adversaries all over the world, is clearly one of many highest priorities of our intelligence group. However clearly, this operation is pushed by intelligence collected by Israel and america that has as soon as once more confirmed that our nations have capabilities that no different nation on earth has.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Certainly. There are questions, although, about what occurs subsequent. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified to Congress final month and was requested particularly, what occurs if Iran’s regime fails. Take a hear.
[ON TAPE]
DATE: JANUARY 28, 2026 SECRETARY RUBIO: So I do not suppose anybody may give you a easy reply as to what occurs subsequent in Iran if the Supreme Chief and the regime had been to fall, apart from the hope that there can be some skill to have any individual inside their techniques that you possibly can work in direction of an analogous transition.
[END TAPE]
MARGARET BRENNAN: That was a month in the past. We’re seeing some succession planning occurring inside Iran. Is that this a managed regime change right here, or is america betting on regime collapse?
SEN. COTTON: Effectively, Margaret, first, I need to stress what occurs subsequent within the days forward and doubtless the weeks forward. Iran does have an enormous missile arsenal, and that is going to be the prior- prior- precedence goal for this army marketing campaign. It’s destroying that arsenal that threatened American troops from bases as faraway because the Indian Ocean to Western Europe, and ensuring Iran cannot rebuild it–
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: –A lot of these are being fired proper now–
SEN. COTTON: –So far as the future- properly, however we’re stopping a number of them from being fired earlier than Iran can hearth them. It is a lot simpler to kill the archer on the bottom than it’s to shoot his arrows out of the sky. So far as the long run way forward for Iran’s authorities, Secretary Rubio is correct, I do not suppose anybody may give you a easy reply. There’s in all probability a number of jockeying within Iran proper now, they’ve a really consultative, deliberative course of to interchange the Supreme Chief. There is a motive why he did not need to have a transparent succession plan in place. It is exhausting to do this when america is pummeling their management each second of the day. I am certain, although, that there are additionally some supreme- or there are additionally some leaders within Iran who is likely to be jockeying to audition for the position of Iran’s Delcy Rodriguez.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, however what you simply described when it comes to Delcy Rodriguez feels like it’s a managed transition, not regime change. Is that correct?
SEN. COTTON: Margaret, once more, as Secretary Rubio stated, it isn’t a easy answer–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Proper, however we’re in the midst of it now. So do not you want a solution?
SEN. COTTON: –We will proceed to hit not simply their army capabilities–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Not less than an final result, a purpose?–
SEN. COTTON: –However we will proceed to hit their army capabilities, and we will proceed to hit their senior management, the ayatollahs, who’ve additionally been complicit in 47 years of heinous crimes, not solely in opposition to Individuals however in opposition to their very own folks. Once more, there is no easy reply for what is going on to return subsequent. However as President Trump promised final month when the Iranian folks had been rising up in opposition to their very own regime, assistance is on the way in which. Assist has arrived.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, precisely. You are speaking about what comes subsequent, however then you definitely’re additionally telling me you do not know what comes subsequent. So do you imagine that regime change is feasible from air help alone? Has a pacesetter of the opposition been recognized? Is the opposition unified to ship in a manner that President Trump is looking on the folks to do? Are we arming anybody to truly problem the regime?
SEN. COTTON: Margaret, the opposition is 90 million Iranians who’ve suffered underneath the brutal Islamic Republic Revolutionary regime for the final 47 years.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure, and the president–
SEN. COTTON: –We have seen in latest months that there’s–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –called them to take over their authorities.
SEN. COTTON: And we might all have fun if the Iranian folks had been in a position to stand up and reclaim their freedom and reclaim their future. And because the president stated when he promised assistance is on the way in which, assist has arrived. And that is why you have already seen some protests out celebrating the dying of the supreme chief, the person who has brutally repressed his personal folks for nearly 40 years. Now, we will not essentially dictate what course that’s going to take, however the assist that the president promised is on the scene, and it is going to proceed to be on the scene for in all probability a number of weeks, as we guarantee that Iran’s army is now not able to threatening our personal troops, our Arab mates within the area and Israel, and in addition repressing its personal folks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It is a massive gamble by the president. Earlier than the strikes, in line with CBS polling, 74% of Individuals stated that Trump would want approval from Congress for army motion in opposition to Iran. He didn’t search that. If this operation takes weeks, which is the way you described it, do you imagine the administration has successfully made its case to the American public to anticipate casualties to help this motion?
SEN. COTTON: Margaret, I believed the president’s eight minute video yesterday was excellent. It laid out Iran’s 47-year marketing campaign of terror and revolutionary violence in opposition to america and our folks and actually, the civilized world. I am certain the president will converse extra within the coming days, may have briefings to Congress–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –47 years, he didn’t describe imminence or justify that in that video. Do you imagine that the American public is owed one thing greater than a Twitter video?
SEN. COTTON: Margaret, I feel an eight minute deal with to the American folks, whether or not the president posted on social media or whether or not it occurs in your community, is consistent with presidential customized of addressing the American folks. Once more, I am certain that he’ll be talking extra in coming days. The administration shall be briefing Congress, and we will have a vote within the Congress. The Democrats are forcing a vote–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –On the Struggle Powers Act.
SEN. COTTON: I anticipate there will be overwhelming Republican help for our troops, for the, for our troops, and for the president’s choice to lastly eradicate the specter of Iran. And I’d invite Democrats within the Congress to affix their Democratic colleagues like John Fetterman and Josh Gottheimer and Greg Landsman in supporting our troops, in lastly placing America’s foot down in opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Cotton, we respect you in your position in oversight of the Intelligence Committee, making the case for the administration. Now we have extra questions, and we might like to put them to the administration as properly. Thanks very a lot on your time this morning. Face the Nation shall be again in a single minute. Stick with us.
