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

The following is the text of the interview with Sen. Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 1, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Imtiaz Tyab reports from Muscat, Oman. We now turn to the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton, who joins us from Bentonville. Hello to you, Senator.

SEN. TOM COTTON: Hello, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The President of the United States has warned the American public that there may be casualties, American casualties. Does that mean the US is putting its boots on the ground?

SEN. COTTON: No, Margaret, the president has been clear that we should expect to see an expanded air and naval campaign designed not only to continue to roll back Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but more importantly, to destroy its major missile arsenal. More missiles than the United States and Israel have integrated air defenses, as well as anti-missile and missile production capabilities. Now obviously one danger of that kind of campaign is that the plane could be shot down, and the president would never leave the pilot behind. So there is no doubt that we have search and rescue equipment in the region ready to go in and extract any downed pilot. But outside of that kind of unusual situation, Margaret, the president doesn’t have a plan for any kind of superpower under Iran.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The New York Times reports that it was the CIA that provided the intelligence regarding the exact location of the Supreme Leader and he was killed. He smiles as I say that. Are you confirming that it is true that it was the United States that identified his location that led to his death?

SEN. COTTON: No, Margaret, I can’t confirm anything about the intelligence being gathered by the United States intelligence community. I can tell you that, of course, we have very good means of gathering intelligence, that the location and intentions of the Supreme Leader and other Ayatollahs in Iran, or for that matter, the leaders of other enemies around the world, is obviously one of the most important things in our intelligence community. But apparently, this operation is driven by the intelligence gathered by Israel and the United States which has proven once again that our nations have capabilities that no other nation in the world has.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Absolutely. However, there are questions about what happens next. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in Congress last month and was asked specifically what happens if the Iranian regime fails. Listen.

DATE: JANUARY 28, 2026 SECRETARY RUBIO: So I don’t think anyone can give you an easy answer as to what will happen next in Iran if the Supreme Leader and the regime were to fall, other than the hope that there would be the ability to have someone within their programs who could work to change the same.

MARGARET BRENNAN: That was last month. We are seeing some planning going on inside Iran. Is this the change of state that is held here, or is the United States of state betting falling?

SEN. KOTONI: Well, Margaret, first of all, I want to emphasize what’s going to happen in the coming days and maybe in the coming weeks. Iran has a large arsenal of missiles, and that will be the main objective of this military campaign. It destroys that vehicle that terrorized American forces from bases as far away as the Indian Ocean to Western Europe, and ensures that Iran cannot rebuild it–

MARGARET BRENNAN: — Many of those are being fired right now–

SEN. COTTON: -Until the future- well, but we are preventing many of them from being deported before Iran expels them. It is much easier to kill an arrow on the ground than to shoot his arrows from the sky. As for the long-term future of the Iranian government, Secretary Rubio is right, I don’t think anyone can give you an easy answer. There is probably a lot of competition within Iran right now, they have a consultative, consultative process to replace the Supreme Leader. There is a reason why he does not want to have a clear succession plan. It’s hard to do that when the United States is pushing its leadership around the clock. I am sure, however, that there are very high- or even some leaders inside Iran who may be chasing the role of Delcy Rodriguez in Iran.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, but what you just described following Delcy Rodriguez sounds like a managed transition, not a regime change. Is that accurate?

SEN. COTTON: Margaret, and, as Secretary Rubio said, it’s not an easy answer–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –Okay, but we’re in the middle of it now. So you don’t need an answer?

SEN. COTTON: –We will continue to attack not only their military capabilities–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –At least a result, a goal?–

SEN. COTTON: –But we will continue to attack their military power, and we will continue to attack their top leadership, the ayatollahs, who have also participated in 47 years of heinous crimes, not only against the American people but against their own people. Again, there is no easy answer to what comes next. But as President Trump promised last month when the Iranians revolted against their regime, help is on the way. Help has arrived.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, absolutely. You talk about what’s next, but you also tell me you don’t know what’s next. So you believe that regime change can only happen with air support? Has the leader of the opposition parties been identified? Is the opposition united to deliver the way President Trump is calling people to do? Are we arming someone to actually challenge the regime?

SEN. COTTON: Margaret, the opponents are the 90 million Iranians who have suffered under the brutal regime of the Islamic Republic Revolution for the past 47 years.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, and the president–

SEN. COTONI: –We have seen in the past months that there are–

MARGARET BRENNAN: — called on them to take over their government.

SEN. COTTON: And we would all celebrate if the Iranian people could rise up and take back their freedom and take back their destiny. And as the president said when he promised that help was on the way, help has come. That is why you have seen the protests that come out to celebrate the death of a supreme leader, a man who brutally oppressed his people for almost 40 years. Now, we cannot say what course that will take, but the aid that the president promised is there, and will continue to be there for about a few weeks, as we make sure that the Iranian military can no longer threaten our military, our Arab friends in the region and Israel, and oppress its people.

MARGARET BRENNAN: This is a huge gamble by the president. Before the strikes, according to a CBS poll, 74% of Americans said Trump would need congressional approval to go to war with Iran. He didn’t want that. If this operation takes weeks, which is the way you described it, do you believe that the administration has made its case to the American public that they expect the injured to support this action?

SEN. COTONI: Margaret, I thought the president’s eight-minute video yesterday was very impressive. It put an end to Iran’s 47-year campaign of terrorism and revolutionary violence against the United States and our people and the truly civilized world. I’m sure the president will be speaking a lot in the coming days, he’ll have briefings in Congress–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –47 years, he didn’t explain how close it is or justify that in that video. Do you believe that the American public owes more than a Twitter video?

SEN. COTTON: Margaret, I think that an eight-minute speech to the American people, whether the president posts it on social media or it happens on your network, is in keeping with the president’s culture of speaking to the American people. And, I’m sure he’ll be talking a lot in the days to come. The administration will inform Congress, and we will have a vote in Congress. Democrats force voting–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –On the War Powers Act.

SEN. COTTON: I expect there will be overwhelming Republican support for our military, our military, and the president’s decision to end the Iranian threat. And I will invite Democrats in Congress to join their Democratic colleagues like John Fetterman and Josh Gottheimer and Greg Landsman in supporting our military, to finally put America’s foot on the ground against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Cotton, we appreciate you in your role of overseeing the Intelligence Committee, speaking for the administration. We have many questions, and we would like to put them to the management as well. Thank you very much for your time this morning. Face the Nation will be back in one minute. Stay with us.