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Strikes On Desalination Plants In Region Expose Major Vulnerability; Cuba Holds Talks With U.S. Amid Economic Crisis, Trump Pressure; U.S. Refueling Plane Crashes In Iraq, Killing All Six On Board; Israel Targets Area Near Site Of Rally In Tehran; FBI Says Convicted Isis Supporter Behind Deadly Shooting At Old Dominion, Investigating As An Act of Terrorism; Officials Say Synagogue Attacker's Relatives Killed In Israeli Airstrike In Lebanon. Aired 2- 2:30p ET

Aired March 13, 2026 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:00:00]

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: That is such a key concern right now because so much of the Persian Gulf, they live on desalinated water. This is a process. It takes a lot of energy to take seawater, push the salt out of it, either through a membrane or by heating it up.

Something like 90 percent of the freshwater in places like Kuwait and Oman is desalinated, 70 percent in Saudi Arabia. There was that attack on one in Bahrain, but it didn't affect drinking water supplies. The problem is a lot of these plants are next to other infrastructure, so they could be collateral damage.

But attacking a nation's water is seen in this region as tantamount to a nuclear strike. If that happens, if we see deliberate action against drinking water, that would take it to a new troubling level.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": All right. Bill, thanks for walking us through all that context around this. Really appreciate it.

A new hour of CNN starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": A tragic crash and many lingering questions. Investigators are trying to figure out what caused an Air Force refueling plane to crash in Iraq, leading to the deaths of six U.S. service members. Plus, on high alert, we're going to show you the heightened security measures being taken across the country after the attacks on a synagogue in Michigan and a university in Virginia.

And Cuba's president confirming talks with the U.S. as the island faces an economic crisis and intense pressure by the Trump administration. So, could a deal between the two nations be on the horizon? We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

Today, the Pentagon says that all six U.S. service members on board a military refueling plane that crashed in Iraq have died. Their families, we're told, are being notified today. Since the war began, 13 U.S. service members have now been killed. And this hour, we're learning the total loss of life across the region now stands at more than 2,000, including hundreds of civilians and children.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live for us in Tel Aviv with more. First, Jeremy, update us on the deaths of these U.S. airmen as we now get our first look at the other aircraft that was involved in the incident.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, really extraordinary images, Boris, coming out of Ben Gurion International Airport, not far from where I am right now. That's where that second KC-135 refueling aircraft that was apparently involved in this crash landed back safely. But you can see the damage to the tail of that plane that has been partially snapped off, it would seem, perhaps as a result of some kind of a midair collision that led the other plane, the other KC-135 plane, to crash in Western Iraq.

As far as we understand it, and according to the Pentagon, all six U.S. service members who were aboard that other plane are confirmed dead. The U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth today, summing it up by saying that war is hell, war is chaos, talking about bad things can happen. But he and other Pentagon officials insisted that this was not the result of enemy fire or friendly fire, despite the fact that the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, an Iranian proxy group, has claimed responsibility for downing this plane. Although we should note they've offered no evidence to support that claim so far.

So from the Pentagon's perspective, this appears to be a tragic incident, one that is now under investigation.

SANCHEZ: And Jeremy, what is the latest on attacks across the region?

DIAMOND: Well, Boris, we're continuing to see the Israeli military and the United States carrying out strikes in Iran. Quite extraordinary images actually coming out of the Iranian capital today, where there was a pro-regime rally taking place with at least thousands of people in attendance. And in the background of that, at one point, you can see an Israeli airstrike that took place very near to that regime rally.

According to the Israeli military, it was a strike on a checkpoint of internal security forces, the Basij in Iran. Not the first time that we've seen the Israeli military striking such targets in the Iranian capital. But what was especially notable was the fact that there were several senior Iranian officials, including the Iranian president, who were in attendance at that rally. Quite a show of defiance from these Iranian officials, despite the fact that we know that Israel has and is continuing to try and target senior Iranian officials.

We're also continuing to watch Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, where in Lebanon, we now have more than 800,000 people displaced, 14 percent of that country's territory now covered by Israeli evacuation orders. And then the latest here, Boris, in Israel, just moments ago, we had an Iranian ballistic missile coming through. Videos that I've seen from that missile coming in show -- indicate that it was outfitted with those cluster munitions, and we're getting several reports of impacts as a result of those small bombs that drop from that larger missile.

There is a fire currently active on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, but no casualties reported so far. Boris?

[14:05:00]

SANCHEZ: Jeremy Diamond, live for us in Israel. Thank you. Jessica?

DEAN: We're also learning new details about the man suspected of a shooting at an ROTC class at Old Dominion University in Virginia. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh was a National Guard veteran, originally from Sierra Leone. Officials say he was convicted of attempting to help ISIS carry out an attack back in 2016, and was released from a prison in 2014.

The FBI says they are now investigating that deadly shooting as an act of terror. ROTC instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shaw, was killed in that attack. Two students were injured.

Let's bring in CNN's Brian Todd, who's in Sterling, Virginia, where the suspect lived before the attack. And Brian, there are still a lot of questions in this case. The investigation is ongoing. You're there in the suspect's former neighborhood. What are you hearing from people?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, there is some frustration here that this man was allowed to come back and live in this neighborhood after he was released from prison after having served time for collaborating with ISIS. I'm going to get to that in just a moment.

First, some new information this afternoon from hospital officials in Norfolk about the victims. One of the victims has now been upgraded from critical condition to fair condition. Another victim was released after being treated earlier. So, good news there as far as the two surviving victims.

And, of course, that one victim, the ROTC instructor, was killed in this attack. According to court documents that CNN has reviewed, the shooter, identified as 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Sierra Leone.

As we mentioned, he was a former Virginia Guard member. And he served nearly seven years in prison after pleading guilty to trying to help ISIS, the terrorist group. Now, according to officials at the time of his arrest in 2016, he tried to procure weapons that would be used in an ISIS attack.

Now, as for what the neighbors are saying here, and actually what his family is saying, I did interact with his family briefly. Last night, I knocked on the door three different times. Twice, an older gentleman answered.

I asked him if he was his father. He wouldn't answer that question. But the first time, he pointed to a sign on the door, which was taped to the door saying, we do not wish to talk to the press. And he said, I can't talk to you, and then he closed the door. Later on, when I knocked, he answered the door and he said, look, I'm trying to be nice to you, but we really just don't want to talk to anybody right now.

He said, you have to understand we're going through a very tough time. Now, a couple of hours after that, we were told and we got accounts from neighbors here that the FBI basically swooped in around nine o'clock or so, yesterday evening, and said -- with loudspeakers and with heavily armored vehicles, sirens blaring, strobe lights blaring, saying on a loudspeaker, this is the FBI. Come out with your hands up. We have a warrant.

They brought family members out of the house while the FBI went in and did further investigation and carried out some items. So -- and they were there apparently for a few hours last night. So that was an ongoing situation last night. This is video that we got from a neighbor that I was just able to turn around a short time ago. Pretty frightening here for the neighbors.

The neighbors say that this is a family that really did not interact very much with their neighbors. They say it was a large, extended family who lived here, multiple generations, a lot of people living in the house, a lot of people coming and going all the time. But according to the neighbors, the family really did not interact hardly at all with the rest of the neighborhood.

One man who saw Mohamed Jalloh on his walks said to me that when he would say hi to him, he would sometimes just look to the ground and not even engage. And he said that that happened a number of times. So a family not necessarily engaged with the neighborhood here.

And as I mentioned, there is some anger in the neighborhood as to why this man was released and allowed to come back into this neighborhood and live. He was released in December of 2024 after having served 11 years in prison. He got -- he had received an 11-year sentence. He had served seven of those years in prison, then was released in December of 2024.

I talked to three neighbors, all of whom were just angry and frustrated and surprised that he was allowed to come back and live here. Now, we've inquired to the Justice Department about that. The White House has issued a statement saying that he was released during the Biden administration and that it never should have happened. Jessica?

DEAN: All right. Brian Todd with the latest from Virginia. Thank you so much for that.

And still to come here, more of our coverage on the war with Iran as our crews are live from the ground in the Middle East. Plus, we have new details about the anti-semitic terror attack on a Michigan synagogue and the background of the dead suspect. And later, Cuba and the U.S. sitting down for talks as the island nation faces a fuel crisis and pressure campaign from the Trump administration.

We have those stories and much more coming up right here on "CNN News Central."

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[14:14:30]

DEAN: Today, we are learning new information about the suspect in yesterday's attack on a Michigan synagogue. Officials say that a week before that 41-year-old man rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel, several members of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Whitney Wild is live on the scene for us in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Whitney, what's the latest?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: What we're learning is that DHS is identifying this man as 41-year-old, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali.

[14:15:00]

What we know now, according to officials both here and in Lebanon, is that he had family who was killed in -- by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon in recent days. Two of his brothers, a niece and nephew were killed in that airstrike. Two sisters-in-law were injured and his parents were injured as well.

Our investigative team is also learning a lot more about his history. He was born in Lebanon. He became a U.S. citizen in 2016. He was married to a U.S. citizen, but he was later divorced. That divorce finalized in March of 2025. We're also learning more about the heroism of the first responders.

And what we know is that about 30 first responders, as they rushed into this building that was quickly engulfed in flames after this man drove into the building, drove into that front hallway, hit one of the security officers who was later taken to the hospital. This man had explosives in the back of his vehicle.

Again, the situation became so volatile, so dangerous, and even still, first responders rushed in. Thirty of them were treated for smoke inhalation. It was simply a miraculous thing that no one else was injured. It was solely due to the heroism of the security team who reacted quickly and neutralized that threat.

Senator Elissa Slotkin spoke today about what this means right now. What we are seeing is this spike in anti-semitic rhetoric and anti- semitic incidents throughout the country, thousands throughout the country, according to the ADL. One ADL official I spoke with here said there have been 900 incidents in Michigan, so an extremely troubling trend.

Here's more from Senator Elissa Slotkin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELISSA SLOTKIN, (D-MI): Whether anti-semitism is coming from the left or the right, whether it's coming from some group that you like or don't like, you have a responsibility to call it out. Because when you don't, it gives permission for people to climb that escalation, that ladder of escalation that goes from saying hateful things online to saying them in person, to graffiti, to ultimately violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Law enforcement has been reluctant to detail a specific motive, but certainly what we're learning about his recent experiences, certainly the last week, the troubles that he was having at home, that's giving greater clarity to this man's mindset as he went into this incident. Law enforcement, again, not detailing a specific motive, but saying for sure this was a hateful attack and it was absolutely a targeted attack of the Jewish community. Back to you.

DEAN: All right. Whitney Wild with the latest in Michigan. Thank you for that.

As Cuba faces an economic crisis and intense pressure from President Trump, the island's leaders sit down for talks with the U.S., and we've got details on those up next.

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[14:22:24]

SANCHEZ: The Cuban government today admitting that the island nation and the United States are holding rare diplomatic talks as Cubans have been openly protesting the country's dire living conditions, banging pots and pans over the lack of water, food and electricity. The situation has worsened since President Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba following the capture of Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, and also threatened to impose tariffs on other countries that sold crude oil to the island.

Cuban President, Miguel Diaz-Canel saying in a nationally televised speech today that international factors led to the moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, CUBAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Cuban officials have recently held talks with representatives of the United States governments. These talks have been aimed at seeking solutions through dialog to the bilateral differences between our two nations. This is an issue unfolding as part of a very sensitive process conducted with seriousness and responsibility because it affects the bilateral ties between the two nations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's go to the island with CNN Havana Bureau Chief, Patrick Oppmann. Patrick, how are people reacting to this news, Miguel Diaz- Canel saying officially that they're talking to the U.S. government?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: You know, this had been a long time coming. There have been rumors and leaks that these conversations had been going on. The Cuban government up until now had really been denying them or just refusing to speak about them.

And so, you had this extraordinary appearance this morning by Cuban President, Miguel Diaz- Canel, where he said that the talks are ongoing between the Trump administration and his government. He said that these are not going to be easy talks. They are talks that he said previously that would not be carried out if Cuba was under this pressure campaign.

No oil, he says, has reached this island for the last three months. It is essentially crippling the already ailing economy. But these talks are in fact, you know, previously being held in secret, are going forward.

And there is a huge difference between what the Cuban government says they're willing to discuss and with the Trump administration which calls Cuba a failed state. And Donald Trump has said that his government might take over Cuba if the government here cannot run the country. And so, how do you find a deal that both sides can live with? It's really kind of impossible to imagine.

But as you mentioned, Boris, as the economy gets worse and worse here, the situation gets worse and worse here, currently, we are spending more hours a day without power than with it.

[14:25:00]

And so that's why we have seen people increasingly go out, you know, in small groups so far, go out banging pots and pans, protesting. And as you know, this is something that the Cuban government just does not allow here. There have already been reports of some arrests.

But in many neighborhoods, as these power outages go on longer and longer, people are risking the government's wrath in going out and protesting, blaming their own government for the power failures. And so, this is obviously probably in the back of the Cuban government's mind, that as the situation gets worse and worse here, there will be more popular discontent.

SANCHEZ: And to the point about more reported arrests of people for demonstrating, Cuba has something, by some estimates, like 1,200 political prisoners in detainment. Fifty-one of them, the Cuban government announced, are going to be released as part of an agreement with the Vatican. Is that correct?

OPPMANN: Absolutely. So, and the Vatican, traditionally, is the broker between the U.S. and Cuba. So, this is not happening independently of talks with the U.S. Obviously, this is some kind of gesture of good faith that the Vatican has been able to obtain from the Cuban government. So, 51 people that have been or will be released, but of course the Cuban government reserves the right to re-arrest them if they should choose to do so, but certainly a sign of perhaps how the Cuban government has been driven by this pressure campaign to the negotiating table.

SANCHEZ: We'll certainly see if they release more than those 51, again, some 1,200, according to independent organizations around the world, political prisoners being held in Cuba. Patrick Oppmann, thank you so much for that reporting.

Still ahead, we turn back to the war with Iran. A former Air Force leader joining us to discuss what could have happened with that plane crash that killed six U.S. service members. Stay with us.

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