Transcript: Sen. Tom Cotton on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” March 1, 2026

The following is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, who 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 the United States warned the American public that there may very well be casualties, American casualties. Does that imply the US is placing boots on the floor?

SEN. COTTON: No, Margaret, the president has been clear that what we must 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 the United States and Israel have mixed air defenses, in addition to the missile launchers and their missile manufacturing functionality. Now clearly one danger of that form of marketing campaign is that an plane may very well be shot down, and the president would by no means go away a pilot behind. So little question we’ve fight search and rescue property in the area which might be ready to go in and extract any downed pilot. But barring that form of uncommon circumstance, Margaret, the president has no plan for any form of giant scale floor drive inside Iran.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The New York Times is reporting that it was the CIA that supplied the intelligence in regard to the precise location of the Supreme Leader after which he was subsequently killed. You’re 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 can not affirm something about the intelligence that the United States intelligence group collects. I can inform you that, after all, we’ve beautiful intelligence assortment strategies, that the location and the intentions of the Supreme Leader and the different Ayatollahs in Iran, or for that matter, the leaders of different adversaries round the world, is clearly one in every of the highest priorities of our intelligence group. But clearly, this operation is pushed by intelligence collected by Israel and the United States that has as soon as once more confirmed that our nations have capabilities that no different nation on earth has.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Indeed. 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 assume anybody may give you a easy reply as to what occurs subsequent in Iran if the Supreme Leader and the regime have been to fall, aside from the hope that there could be some skill to have somebody inside their techniques that you can work in direction of the same transition.

[END TAPE]

MARGARET BRENNAN: That was a month in the past. We’re seeing some succession planning occurring inside Iran. Is this a managed regime change right here, or is the United States betting on regime collapse?

SEN. COTTON: Well, Margaret, first, I wish to stress what occurs subsequent in the days forward and possibly the weeks forward. Iran does have an enormous missile arsenal, and that is going to be the priority-priority goal for this navy marketing campaign. It is destroying that arsenal that threatened American troops from bases as far off as the Indian Ocean to Western Europe, and ensuring Iran cannot rebuild it–

[CROSSTALK]

MARGARET BRENNAN: –Many of these are being fired proper now–

SEN. COTTON: –As far as the future- properly, however we’re stopping plenty of them from being fired earlier than Iran can fireplace them. It’s a lot simpler to kill the archer on the floor than it’s to shoot his arrows out of the sky. As far as the long run way forward for Iran’s authorities, Secretary Rubio is true, I do not assume anybody may give you a easy reply. There’s in all probability plenty of jockeying inside Iran proper now, they’ve a really consultative, deliberative course of to switch the Supreme Leader. There’s a cause why he did not wish to have a transparent succession plan in place. It’s arduous to do this when the United States is pummeling their management each second of the day. I’m positive, although, that there are additionally some supreme- or there are additionally some leaders inside Iran who could be jockeying to audition for the function of Iran’s Delcy Rodriguez.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, however what you simply described by way of Delcy Rodriguez seems 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: –Right, however we’re in the center of it now. So do not you want a solution?

SEN. COTTON: –We’re going to proceed to hit not simply their navy capabilities–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –At least an final result, a objective?–

SEN. COTTON: –But we will proceed to hit their navy 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 Americans however in opposition to their very own folks. Again, there is no easy reply for what is going on to come back subsequent. But as President Trump promised final month when the Iranian folks have been rising in opposition to their very own regime, assistance is on the means. Help has arrived.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, precisely. You’re speaking about what comes subsequent, however you then’re additionally telling me you do not know what comes subsequent. So do you consider that regime change is feasible from air assist alone? Has a frontrunner of the opposition been recognized? Is the opposition unified to ship in a means that President Trump is asking on the folks to do? Are we arming anybody to really problem the regime?

SEN. COTTON: Margaret, the opposition is 90 million Iranians who’ve suffered beneath the brutal Islamic Republic Revolutionary regime for the final 47 years.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, and the president–

SEN. COTTON: –We’ve 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 have been capable of stand up and reclaim their freedom and reclaim their future. And as the president stated when he promised assistance is on the means, assist has arrived. And that is why you’ve got already seen some protests out celebrating the dying of the supreme chief, the man 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 just a few weeks, as we ensure that Iran’s navy is not able to threatening our personal troops, our Arab associates in the area and Israel, and likewise repressing its personal folks.

MARGARET BRENNAN: This is an enormous gamble for the president. Before the strikes, in line with CBS polling, 74% of Americans stated that Trump would wish approval from Congress for navy motion in opposition to Iran. He didn’t search that. If this operation takes weeks, which is the way you described it, do you consider the administration has successfully made its case to the American public to anticipate casualties to assist this motion?

SEN. COTTON: Margaret, I assumed 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 the United States and our folks and actually, the civilized world. I’m positive the president will communicate extra in the coming days, could have briefings to Congress–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –47 years, he didn’t describe imminence or justify that in that video. Do you consider that the American public is owed one thing greater than a Twitter video?

SEN. COTTON: Margaret, I believe an eight minute tackle to the American folks, whether or not the president posted on social media or whether or not it occurs on your community, is in conserving with presidential customized of addressing the American folks. Again, I’m positive that he’ll be talking extra in coming days. The administration will probably be briefing Congress, and we will have a vote in the Congress. The Democrats are forcing a vote–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –On the War Powers Act.

SEN. COTTON: I anticipate there will be overwhelming Republican assist for our troops, for the, for our troops, and for the president’s determination to lastly get rid of the risk of Iran. And I might invite Democrats in 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 recognize you in your function in oversight of the Intelligence Committee, making the case for the administration. We have extra questions, and we’d like to put them to the administration as properly. Thank you very a lot on your time this morning. Face the Nation will probably be again in a single minute. Stay with us.