How gullible can Audie Cornish be? Can't she tell the difference between democracy and theocracy? 

On Thursday's episode of CNN This Morning, host Cornish claimed that in addition to Iranian leaders:

"The people of Iran are striking a defiant tone." 

Audie's evidence: a video clip of a motorcycle parade in Tehran, featuring people waving Iranian flags.

Can Cornish possibly believe this was an authentic, organic demonstration of the views of most Iranians, and not an astroturf event staged by the regime? What does Audie think would happen to people who tried to stage a "No Ayatollahs!" protest in Tehran?

Of course, it's difficult to get reliable public opinion data in a harshly authoritarian country like Iran, where women have been killed for not wearing a hijab. But this 2023 survey by a Dutch institute found that 80% of Iranians reject the Islamic Republic and prefer a democratic government. 

If Audie wanted an image of the authentic feelings of those supposedly "defiant" Iranians, she should have displayed this photo of hordes of people trying to leave Tehran.

Earlier, CNN's Nic Robertson reported from the site of an Israeli hospital that had been badly damaged by an Iranian missile strike. Does Audie also believe the Iranian regime's claim that the hospital was hit by mistake, the real target being an Israeli military facility?

In light of the strike on the hospital, Robertson was dubious that diplomacy could work for now. Some might say that—even better than a strongly-worded letter—nothing delivers a diplomatic message like a 30,000-lb. bunker buster.

Cornish then played a clip of an Iranian official clumsily claiming that if the United States gets involved militarily, Iran will retaliate against American targets. Where is Baghdad Bob now that the Ayatollah needs someone like him in Tehran?

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh said that the most obvious targets would be US bases in the region. That would surely be the mother of all FAFO moves. 

Here's the transcript.

CNN This Morning
6/19/25
6:06 am EDT

and charred. And charred. When you get a little bit away from the building, maybe, Sanjeev, you can pull up, see the side of the building there. You can see the concrete ripped back, toppled down. 

A 1,200-bed hospital. Like all hospitals in Israel, this one, as a precautionary measure, had been moving patients to the basement. And that's why the director said that the casualty toll here was not worse. It could have been far worse. 

And I think when you try and look at this and you know, the question at the moment is diplomacy. Is diplomacy going to work? Is it possible at the moment. Days like today, when such an emotive site as a hospital, the cancer ward, the urology ward, pregnancy clinic here as well, children's wards, part of this hospital, when that happens, that raises the temperature. 

And it does feel on this seventh day of the conflict, clearly diplomacy, it, it hardly seems it's a question at the moment, Audie. 

AUDIE CORNISH: Yes, Nic, thank you so much. I mean, it's kind of shocking to see such a direct hit by Iran there. Nic Robertson is going to be joining us from Israel throughout the day. 

Now, the leaders and the people of Iran are striking a defiant tone as they wait for President Trump to decide whether the U.S. will get involved in attacking them. 

Late last night, a motorcycle parade of Iranians waving flags filled the streets of Tehran just hours after the country's supreme leader and other high-ranking officials vowed to never surrender. 

IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MAJID TAKHT-RAVANCHI: If the Americans decide to get involved militarily, we have no choice but to retaliate wherever we find the targets necessary to be acted upon. 

CORNISH: Joining me now is CNN's chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh. 

Nick, we just heard him say whatever targets would be necessary. What kind of U.S. targets could be vulnerable to an Iranian counterattack? 

NICK PATON WALSH: Certainly, all eyes will point towards U.S. bases in the region.