Monday’s CBS Mornings had senior foreign correspondent Debora Patta who was live on the scene of the Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv. Debora pivoted quickly from the carnage in Israel to clutch her pearls about Iran death tolls and how Israel was killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists.
After noting that at least 24 Israelis were killed, she wanted to play a numbers game as she parroted Iranian propaganda and skimmed over their dead generals:
But the toll Israel has inflicted on Iran is far higher, 224 killed including women and children, as well as the ongoing assassination of top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the capital Tehran, they are not used to being under attack and we understand the regime is concerned it could spark unrest.
Patta grouped together the loss of civilian life with Israel's success in killing top personnel within the Iranian regime in an attempt to make Israel look bad. She chose to group these events together in order to downplay Israel's ability to precisely target and kill top military personnel and nuclear scientists.
By fearing the “unrest” that the regime warned about, Patta was essentially fearing for the future of the oppressive Islamic regime. This became clearer when she pivoted to talk of regime change:
PATTA: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already hinted at regime change. Israel has said the purpose of the war is also to cripple Iran’s nuclear capability. When pressed on why they acted now, Netanyahu had this to say.
PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: They were marching quickly. They would achieve a test device and possibly an initial device within months and certainly less than a year.
“There are reports that President Trump rejected an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's supreme leader, but the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told CBS news these are fake,” she concluded.
Patta has a long history of siding with terrorist groups in the Middle East, as NewsBusters has long documented.
This example shows that she has embedded civilian casualties when talking about military operations in order to gain sympathy for her cause before. This article shows her mourning the death of a top Hamas political leader, showing that unfortunately for Debora, most countries don’t negotiate with terrorists.
Back on Monday, Patta called to attention that thousands of civilians are fleeing the Iranian capital of Tehran and that they are not used to being under attack. Contrast that with her flippant description of how Israelis had a “rough night,” under Iranian ballistic missiles.
The full transcript is below. Click "expand" to view:
CBS Mornings
7:05:48 AM EST
June 16th, 2025(…)
GAYLE KING: Debora Patta’s in a Tel Aviv neighborhood that was damaged in last night’s attack with the latest. Debora, good morning.
DEBORA PATTA: Good morning. The American Consulate is just down there, as you can see it’s in a densely populated area that was the scene of a devastating attack overnight. Behind me, buildings have been destroyed, windows blown out, some reduced to rubble, shops have also been demolished. It’s been a rough night.
[Cuts to video]
A direct hit right in the heart of Tel Aviv, the night sky lit up with explosions as Israel’s air defense system intercepted one Iranian missile after another. The strike destroyed homes of people living in this densely populated neighborhood. Not far from Tel Aviv in the city of Petah Tikva, at least four Israelis were killed after a missile slammed into this building, bringing the number of deaths since last week to at least 24.
But the toll Israel has inflicted on Iran is far higher, 224 killed including women and children, as well as the ongoing assassination of top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the capital Tehran, they are not used to being under attack and we understand the regime is concerned it could spark unrest.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already hinted at regime change. Israel has said the purpose of the war is also to cripple Iran’s nuclear capability. When pressed on why they acted now, Netanyahu had this to say.
PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: They were marching quickly. They would achieve a test device and possibly an initial device within months and certainly less than a year.
[Cuts back to live]
PATTA: There are reports that President Trump rejected an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's supreme leader, but the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told CBS news these are fake. Nate?
NATE BURLESON: Debora Patta in Tel Aviv. Thank you.