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Trump: "Disappointed" in NATO for Not Assisting U.S. in Iran; Israel Expands Ground Operation in Southern Lebanon; Delta CEO: Airfares Going Up as Jet Fuel Costs Double; Afghanistan Says 400 Plus People Killed in Pakistan Strike on Kabul Hospital; Islamabad Denies Claim; Flash Flooding Destroys Couple's Maui Dream Home; E. Coli Linked to Cheddar Cheese Made with Raw Milk Sickens 7; Sheriff: Missing Air Force General Reported Having "Mental Fog." Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired March 17, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: And do you know what these are? These little red dots are LRDs. They're baffling the scientific community. They don't know. Hundreds of them keep showing up in photos from the Webb telescope since the first images were taken years ago. Scientists say before Webb, telescopes were not advanced enough to pick up LRDs. Some believe they could be the baby phase of black holes or quasi stars, which is a star powered by a black hole. I had no idea that was even a thing, but now I do, and now I'm scared.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: President Trump rebuking allies for not helping secure the Strait of Hormuz as a senior U.S. intel official appointed by the President abruptly resigns over the war with Iran.

And lights out with Cuba's power grid shut down, President Trump says of the island, quote, "I think I can do anything I want with it."

And duel on the diamond, Team USA and Venezuela taking a geopolitical rivalry to the World Baseball Classic.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

So, we're following breaking news from President Trump on the Iran war. The President, just a short time ago, further lashed out at NATO after he announced most of the U.S. allies have refused to get involved in the war. The President repeatedly saying the U.S. doesn't need, doesn't desire any help when it comes to Iran. He also said he's not ready to leave Iran yet, but will be in the near future.

In the meantime, the death toll in the region is climbing. Just moments ago, Lebanon's health ministry said more than 900 people have now been killed in strikes in that country, including 111 children. CNN's Kevin Liptak is standing by at the White House for us. First, though, CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live in the region. He is in Tel Aviv.

Jeremy, tell us the latest. JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the region is still

reeling from the breaking news from today, which is that Israel has assassinated Iran -- a senior Iranian official, Ali Larijani, who played a key role in the functioning of this Iranian regime and was viewed at times as kind of the de facto leader of the country. He was very close to the former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

And in the wake of that leader's killing in that opening wave of strikes by Israel more than two weeks ago, he basically ran the country following that. He served not only as a key bridge between the different factions within the Iranian regime, but also a bridge to Iran's allies abroad. And he was also charged with the violent crackdown on protests in Iran earlier this year.

But despite all of that, he was also viewed as someone relatively pragmatic within the Iranian regime, someone who perhaps the United States could ultimately negotiate with in order to reach an end to this conflict. And it seems that now, with his death, some of the potential off-ramps to this conflict may be taken away. And this could potentially further embolden the hardliners within the regime, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in particular, and its new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who's viewed as very close to that IRGC.

So ultimately, there are questions about what the long-term implications of his killing actually will mean for this conflict, particularly when we know that Israel has killed a slew of other senior Iranian officials, and whether this could, in fact, perhaps prolong this conflict.

We know also that today Israel has continued to carry out airstrikes, not only in Iran, but also in Lebanon, where Israeli military officials warned today that Hezbollah is preparing for another uptick in its rocket fire on northern Israel. Already tonight, we've seen a barrage of some 40 rockets fired by Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed several Lebanese soldiers, not Hezbollah militants, but Lebanese soldiers. Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military, for its part, says it's looking into that claim, Brianna?

KEILAR: All right, Jeremy, thank you for the latest there.

Let's turn to Kevin Liptak, who is at the White House. He has more on what the President is saying today. Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and this statement by the President that these NATO allies are no longer needed to police the Strait of Hormuz is something of a turnabout for the President. He spent most of the day yesterday trying to cajole these countries into sending their own warships to escort tankers through, and also said that numerous countries were, quote, "on their way." Now, the President said that help is no longer needed or desired, essentially putting an end to what was ultimately a very brief attempt at coalition building.

[15:05:06] You know, the President at point seemed relatively unbothered by this, said it would not affect the United States' ability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But at other moments, he seemed extraordinarily frustrated, suggesting this was a failure of a test of loyalty for some of these European nations. Here's more of what he said on that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake. And I -- I've long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So, this is a -- this was a great test, because we don't need them, but they should have been there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, it's worth reminding, NATO is a defensive alliance. It provides for the collective defense of a member state who is attacked. Many European leaders, in rejecting the President's entreaties, questioned why they would come to the support of the U.S. when it was the U.S. and Israel who attacked Iran. But that's not sitting well with the President. He lashed out at individual leaders in that session in the Oval Office. He said of Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, Keir is no Churchill. He lashed out at the French president, Emmanuel Macron, saying that Macron would not be in office very much longer. Macron still has 14 months left in office, so he will have to be dealing with the President for some time.

Now, the President did not necessarily offer a new plan for how the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, but he did insist that it would be reopened very, very soon, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. Kevin, thank you so much. Omar?

JIMENEZ: Well, new today, a high-profile resignation within the Trump administration is shining a spotlight on the deep divide in the MAGA movement when it comes to the war with Iran. The director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, who was appointed by President Trump, sent a letter imploring the President to end the war while adding, quote, "Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States." CNN Senior National Security Reporter, Zachary Cohen is with me now.

So, Zach, what -- what more are you learning about that? That's obviously not all it said in -- in the letter here.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Omar, this is the most high-profile resignation we've seen from the second Trump term, and it's over this disagreement about the war in Iran. And Joe Kent, who really was in charge of monitoring intelligence related to foreign terrorist threats to the United States and to U.S. assets abroad, he is coming out saying that he is stepping down from his post because he cannot fundamentally support Donald Trump's decision to initiate and continue this conflict, writing in his resignation letter, quote, "I cannot, in good conscience, support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat." You may remember imminent threat is a very specific phrase that the Trump administration has leaned on in justifying its decision to join Israel in conducting this military operation. It's also one that has been the source of controversy as top officials have struggled to explain exactly what that imminent threat looks like. And we've heard from sources for weeks now that Pentagon briefers even acknowledged that the intelligence, underlying intelligence, did not show that Iran was planning to preemptively attack U.S. forces or U.S. assets abroad or at home. They would respond if attacked first.

And then, there was the evolving explanation that the U.S. had indications Israel was planning to attack Iran and that may prompt some retaliation. But still, Joe Kent's resignation going to once again raise questions about the Trump administration's reasoning for conducting this military operation.

And Donald Trump was asked about Kent's resignation today, really dismissing Kent as somebody who was not very strong on security, ironically, because of Kent's position. Trump putting him there also raises some questions as well. But take a listen to what the President said when he was asked about Kent's resignation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I read his statement. I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security. When I read his statement, I realized that it's a good thing that he's out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, technically, Joe Kent saying Iran was not an imminent threat or did not pose an imminent threat. But still, this resignation does underscore those divisions within the Trump universe over this ongoing conflict. There is a portion of Trump's base and the supporters that make up that Trump base that really fundamentally disagree with the U.S.'s joining of Israel and conducting this operation.

So, Kent, really the first public defection that we've seen so far, and we -- it could raise questions about whether other senior Trump officials may soon follow.

JIMENEZ: And he posted believing that -- that Israel brought the United States into this, which the White House has pushed back on. We heard from the press secretary as well on that. Zach Cohen, really appreciate you being here. Thanks for the reporting.

All right. Still to come, Delta CEO warning that ticket prices will go up because of the rise in fuel costs. We'll take a look at just how high they could go.

Plus, New Mexico officials are sharing new details about the search for a retired high-ranking Air Force general who's been missing for more than two weeks. [15:10:07]

And then later, President Trump says he'll be doing something with Cuba, quote, "very soon" as the island's government works to restore power after a nationwide grid collapse. That and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:14:45]

JIMENEZ: The ripple effects from the war with Iran are hitting consumers hard from the land to the air. The Delta Airlines CEO says the price of jet fuel has doubled as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz. Ed Bastian told CNBC today that airfare has already gone up several times and the hikes are going to keep coming as the war goes on.

I want to bring in CNN Senior Business Reporter David Goldman, who's here.

So, David, airfare, just one thing that's going up at this point, what other forces -- what other price jumps should -- should Americans be bracing for here?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, we all know about oil, right? So, oil is the big thing. Twenty percent of the world's oil is stuck in the Strait of Hormuz right now. But there's a lot of other stuff that comes out of that region. Fertilizer is the really big one because that has so many implications for food prices around the world. But it's not just that, it's helium. Why is helium important? Well, that is a critical element for making semiconductors. Those are the processors that are in your smartphones, in your computers, and power the world's A.I. chips. That's really big, too. Airfare, as you mentioned, but also natural gas, which powers electricity. And that is something that we're watching, too. Prices could really just start to rise across the board the longer this goes on.

JIMENEZ: Well, and at this point, obviously, we're talking about the Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf here, but Iranian media reports that Iran's military command is going to consider U.S. naval assets in the Red Sea on the other side of Saudi Arabia as potential targets. Look, we've seen the reaction to -- to Iran's hold on the Strait of Hormuz. What is the dynamic with the Red Sea? What happens if Iran starts targeting assets there?

GOLDMAN: The Red Sea is an alternate way out, right? So there really aren't a lot of ways out of the Strait of Hormuz, and that's why we've seen oil prices go up to a hundred bucks a barrel, and that's why we've seen gas prices go up to nearly $3.80 a gallon. But if the Red Sea, which is one of the ways that you can get around that, is also blocked, I mean, we've talked to folks that think that this could mean $140 oil if that's prolonged. So, that's something to really watch out for and that could be a, you know, real escalation in this conflict if the Red Sea is also choked off. You're looking at very, very few ways for all of this stuff to get out of the region, if that's the case. JIMENEZ: Yes, it's a location shipping companies have been -- have

been dealing with for years, trying to reroute and risk assess and things of that nature. Dave Goldman, appreciate the reporting as always.

All right, just ahead, new details on the disappearance of a retired Air Force general that once commanded a military base rumored to house extraterrestrial debris. Stay with CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:22:07]

JIMENEZ: I want to get you to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Another hot spot in the Middle East, this time in Afghanistan. That's where, according to the Afghan-Taliban government, more than 400 people were killed and 265 injured in an airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul.

Now, Pakistan rejected the statement as false and misleading. The country also says it had precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure. And the attack comes after China said it remained ready to continue efforts to ease tensions between the neighboring countries. Beijing is urging both sides to avoid expanding the war and returning to the negotiating table. \

Meanwhile, back here in the United States, a couple in Hawaii could only watch. I mean, look at that, as flash flooding swept their dream home away in literally just a few seconds there, you can see their garage completely destroyed. Extreme rainfall has really been hitting Maui hard, leaving a trail of destruction across the island. Thankfully for this family, they were all able to make it out before the water took their house. But you see how quickly and how powerful that water was as it came through there.

And then, at least seven people have been diagnosed with E. coli poisoning linked to cheddar cheese made from raw milk, according to federal health officials. Now, the FDA says the outbreak is likely linked to a California-based company called Raw Farm. But it also noted that none of their products tested positive for E. coli during the outbreak period. The FDA recommended Raw Farm voluntarily recall its raw cheese products, but the company refused, saying investigators have not definitively linked their products to any illnesses. The FDA's investigation is ongoing. Brianna?

KEILAR: Potential new clues in the search for a missing retired Air Force general from New Mexico. Investigators say they recovered clothing from Major General William Neil McCasland, and CNN has also learned that the general, who has been missing for over two weeks, reported experiencing mental fog in the days before he disappeared from his home. Let's get more now from CNN's Veronica Miracle. Veronica, what else are you learning here?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, every passing day is making it that much harder for search and rescue crew -- rescue crews, rather, to find William Neil McCasland. You mentioned that mental fog. His mental state. Investigators were really clear to talk about that because they said that recently he'd actually stepped away from working with certain groups he was involved in because of a mental fog issue, but they want people to know that he has not been disoriented or confused, and that he would still be the smartest person in the room. They're also fixating on what McCasland did have on him and did not have on him.

Now, they were able to find his phone, his glasses, and wearable devices. He did not take those with him, and whenever he left the home, he always had those three items, so that is a concern.

[15:25:03]

They were able to find his hiking boots at his second home, so they know he didn't have his hiking boots on him, but what they still cannot find is his revolver, a red backpack, and his wallet. To make matters worse, it is very hot out west. That is complicating search and rescue efforts. Take a listen to what -- what an investigator had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. KYLE WOODS, BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Unfortunately, we have one of the warmest springs we've had in years, and the imagery coming off of the flare, the mountain is just -- lit up like a candle, even at night. So, we flew early in the morning at the coldest hours possible, and it was still just lit up like a candle. We couldn't differentiate between a heat signature and the rocks that were just emitting so much heat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: And I do want to show you this gray sweatshirt. Well, you can see there the -- the hiking boots that they were able to find. That red backpack may be on his person, so they're asking people, if you see this red backpack or somebody with a red backpack, to notify the sheriff's office. And then there's a -- a gray U.S. Air Force sweatshirt that was found about a mile away from McCasland McCaslin's home. This was eight days after he disappeared.

Now, McCasland's family hasn't been able to confirm that this sweatshirt was actually his. No blood was detected on the shirt in initial testing, but it did expand their area of searching. Investigators say they have canvassed about 700 homes at this point. They've also received a lot of tips.

Now, McCasland held very highly sensitive positions in the Air Force before he retired. Some of it rumored to be connected with UFO research. After his retirement, he also loosely worked with a group researching UFOs, and so they're getting a lot of phone calls, some of them helpful, some of them not so helpful, some conspiracy theories. And they're asking people to really bring advice and bring tips to them that can actually be helpful to the sheriff's office as they continue their search for McCasland, closely approaching three weeks now. Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Veronica, thank you for the latest there.

Coming up, a senior counterterrorism intelligence official appointed by President Trump abruptly quits in protest over the U.S. war with Iran. We'll discuss it after the break.

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