00:00Israel and Iran have traded strikes for a fourth day.
00:03Israel says it attacked the headquarters of Iran's state television today,
00:07which was captured during a live broadcast.
00:10The Israeli military had earlier warned people in the capital of Tehran to evacuate.
00:15That strike came after Iran fired another wave of missiles at Israel,
00:20killing at least eight civilians, according to the Israeli military.
00:23CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams is in Erbil, Iraq, with the latest.
00:30Holly?
00:31Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified his country's attack on Iran
00:36by saying that the Iranian nuclear program is a, quote,
00:40clear and present danger to Israel.
00:42Now, Iran has denied any intention of building a nuclear bomb,
00:46but it is engaged in enriching uranium,
00:49and Israel's been striking sites where that's taking place.
00:52We can see the damage very clearly in satellite imagery,
00:55and Israel's also killed several of Iran's nuclear scientists.
00:59Yet some experts say that unless Israel can take out the Fordal nuclear site,
01:05a fortified location which is buried deep inside a mountain,
01:08then this war will have been in vain.
01:11And it's widely believed that Israel does not have the firepower to destroy Fordal,
01:16because it would probably require huge bunker buster bombs,
01:20which the U.S. has, but which it is not supplied to Israel.
01:24So far in this conflict, the U.S. has been aiding Israel by shooting down incoming Iranian missiles.
01:31But if the U.S. decided to join in Israel's airstrikes,
01:34then retaliation from Iran would become more likely.
01:38And Iran has already threatened to target American military bases and ships.
01:42There are around 40,000 U.S. troops here in the Middle East.
01:46But if Iran retaliates, the roughly 2,500 American troops thought to be here in Iraq
01:52would be an obvious target, simply because they are right next door.
01:58Holly Williams, CBS News, Erbil in northern Iraq.
02:02And CBS News Pentagon reporter Eleanor Watson joins us now.
02:06Eleanor, thank you for being with us.
02:07What is the Pentagon saying about Israel's latest round of strikes?
02:11Israel claimed today that it destroyed about a third of Iran's long-range ballistic missile launchers,
02:17potentially limiting Iran's ability to continue to retaliate against Israel.
02:21But arguably, the biggest development came over the weekend
02:24when Israel claimed to have much of the air superiority over most of Iran's skies,
02:29which is no small thing.
02:31Israeli aircraft can now operate over Tehran and in western Iran
02:35without much threat of being shot down.
02:39Iran, though, has threatened, as Holly mentioned, U.S. bases in the region,
02:44which are not only in range of missiles, but also of Iranian-backed militias.
02:49Officially, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth,
02:52has amplified President Trump's social media message to Iran,
02:55which says that if Iran decides to attack any U.S. interest in the region,
02:59the U.S. would retaliate with, quote,
03:01the full strength and might of the U.S. armed forces.
03:04And there's been so much that has been made about the U.S. involvement in all this.
03:09The Pentagon is sending multiple refueling aircraft to Europe now,
03:12as well as a carrier strike group to the Middle East.
03:15What are officials saying about the role that they will play?
03:19Well, President Trump has said repeatedly, even said today,
03:23that he's hopeful and optimistic that diplomatic deals could end the fighting
03:27between Iran and Israel and deny Iran the potential for a nuclear weapon.
03:32To preserve the option for more direct talks with Iran,
03:36his administration has not supported Israel's air campaign,
03:40but has directed the U.S. military to intercept Iranian missiles inbound towards Israel.
03:46So, the Pentagon today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that over the weekend,
03:50he directed additional capabilities to go to the Middle East to enhance defensive posture.
03:55We know from U.S. officials that that includes refueling aircraft that can keep fighter jets
04:00in the air for longer, heading towards the Middle East to be closer in case they're needed,
04:04and a second carrier strike group.
04:07That same support could be turned to offensive operations should Iran decide to attack U.S. bases
04:15in the region, or should President Trump decide to join Israel's military campaign.
04:20And Eleanor, real quick, today Germany announced it's offering to help evacuate its citizens from Israel.
04:25Are there any plans for the U.S. to order or help the evacuation of U.S. citizens?
04:30The State Department over the weekend authorized voluntary departures for non-essential employees
04:36and family members from Israel, but so far has not ordered the departure of the embassy
04:41and has not expressed a need yet for a mass evacuation of American citizens.
04:47All right, Eleanor Watson, thank you very much.
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