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WH Issues New Iran Threat, Says Regime "Looking for an Exit Ramp"; Sources: Iran Building Up Defenses of Kharg Island to Protect Against Potential U.S. Ground Attack; Netanyahu: War with Iran "Still Ongoing" Amid U.S. Diplomacy; Sources: Israel Fears U.S. May Declare Truce for Iran Talks; Jury Finds Meta and YouTube Liable in Social Media Addiction Trial; More than 11 Percent of TSA Workers Did Not Come to Work Tuesday 3-3:30p ET

Aired March 25, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:00:36]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Twenty-six days into the war with Iran and there are signs that both sides are ready to talk. How Tehran and Washington are now spelling out their demands even as more U.S. troops get ready for Middle East deployment.

Plus, TSA turmoil: frustrated flyers and Congress now on the clock. We have the latest on talks to fund DHS, as painful security lines at airports increase the pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And a jury finds Meta and YouTube liable in a case that accused the tech giants of intentionally addicting a young woman and injuring her mental health. What this could mean for similar cases, hundreds of them making the way through the courts.

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

SANCHEZ: We begin this hour with a new White House warning to Iran, just hours after CNN learned the Trump administration has been actively trying to secure diplomatic efforts to find an off-ramp in the war. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered this message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: That's why you're beginning to see the regime look for an exit ramp. It was made clear to the United States that Iran wanted to talk. If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We also have breaking news on Iran's military response. Sources say that Iran is now building up defenses around Kharg Island to protect against potential U.S. ground attack there. Right now, roughly a thousand more U.S. troops are reportedly on standby to deploy to the region. Let's get the latest from CNN's Natasha Bertrand.

Natasha, what more are you learning about Kharg Island?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that the U.S., the -- but the Trump administration has been considering sending troops there in order to potentially occupy the island as a way to kind of squeeze the Iranians, to pressure them to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The island is a very important economic lifeline for the Iranians. It's responsible for about 90 percent of their crude exports. So, the U.S. has been considering sending a ground contingent there to take over the island.

The Iranians have picked up on this clearly, and they have begun reinforcing the island with additional air defenses, including shoulder-fire surface-to-air missiles, including laying mines around the island, including along the shoreline, and they have begun sending additional personnel, we're told, according to sources familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting on the issue.

Now, this is all very significant because if the U.S. were to send troops to try to occupy the island, they're going to face huge risks, according to all the officials we spoke to, according to military experts. This would not be a simple task. And Iran's speaker of its Parliament has also issued a very stark warning to anyone considering potentially occupying any one of Iran's islands.

He said on X just a few hours ago, based on some intelligence, Iran's enemies, with the support of one of the regional countries, are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands. All enemy movements are under full surveillance by our armed forces.

So, a very clear warning there that if the U.S. tries to take that island, the Iranians are prepared to respond. And we are told that they have been booby-trapping the island for quite some time now, and that has only picked up in recent weeks in preparation for this.

SANCHEZ: And what are you learning about the troops that are going to be deploying?

BERTRAND: So, these are troops from the 82nd Airborne Division, and they're going to be heading over there, roughly a thousand of them, as well as the commander of -- of the -- of the Airborne Division, in order to essentially serve as a ready force, in order to be there just in case the President decides to use them for any kind of potential operation that involves troops on the ground.

It's not clear what they're going to be doing at this point. It seems like they're going to be heading over to the Middle East and awaiting further orders. But it's still significant, of course, because in addition to those 1,000 soldiers, we are also seeing two Marine Expeditionary Units being deployed to the Middle East, and those are the ones that would likely be involved in any operation to take Kharg Island, for example. So, significant movements of troops that would be involved in these kinds of operations.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Natasha Bertrand, thanks so much for the update. Brianna.

KEILAR: Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war with Iran is ongoing, as the White House works toward a possible off- ramp.

[15:05:00]

Two Israeli sources telling CNN Israeli officials are concerned the U.S. may declare a temporary ceasefire to allow for talks. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is with us now from Tel Aviv.

Jeremy, what more did Netanyahu say?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israeli prime minister made clear that the war against Iran is ongoing, despite the discussion about potential negotiations to end that very same war. And indeed, we have seen the Israeli military backing that up with strikes on the ground in Iran, a continuation of strikes to try and debilitate Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, weapons production facilities, research facilities, just kind of spanning the gamut here, and certainly no slowdown in that effort.

At the same time, the prime minister has publicly said that, look, he is backing up President Trump's decision to see if he can transform those military gains into diplomatic successes. But privately, make no mistake, Israeli officials are far more skeptical of this diplomatic effort by President Trump than the prime minister is letting on publicly.

They are concerned, for one, that the United States could agree to a month-long ceasefire to pursue these negotiations. And then, beyond that, they are also just in a state of disbelief that -- that the Iranian regime is going to, you know, offer any concessions that it would have previously.

The Israeli officials don't believe that Iran is in a position right now to make the kind of concessions that would meet the U.S.'s 15- point requirements for a ceasefire with Iran. And so, it is a bit of a wait-and-see game.

I think it is notable, though, that that concern about Iran, you know, not being ready to make concessions, it does come on the heels of Israel's targeted killing campaign that has left the most hardline officials in the Iranian regime in power and increasingly empowered, including Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. And we have seen that in a slate of recent appointments, including Iran's new security chief, who is a hardliner and associated with that new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

So, a wait-and-see game here for how that diplomacy takes shape, but certainly Israeli officials prepared for this war to escalate should that diplomacy not come to fruition.

KEILAR: All right, Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much.

Still to come, in a landmark case that could set a precedent for hundreds of similar cases, a jury found Meta and YouTube liable in a social media addiction trial.

Plus, how those agonizing lines at airports across the country are fueling a boom in private jet travel.

And then later, the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, is facing extreme drought and could soon run out of water. We'll have that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:12:06]

SANCHEZ: We're watching a watershed moment in a California courtroom, a jury finding Meta and YouTube liable after a now 20-year-old woman accused them of addicting her to their apps, causing her years of mental health issues, including body dysmorphia, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

After more than eight days of deliberations, the jury ordered the companies pay the woman $3 million in compensatory damages. Jurors are still figuring out what punitive damages are going to be. Legal experts see the verdict as a landmark decision that could set precedent for some 1,500 similar cases against social media giants. Hundreds more lawsuits are coming from schools and state attorneys general. Joining us now to discuss is Andrea Mata, a clinical child psychologist.

Andrea, thank you so much for being with us. I just first want to let you know that we are listening live to Mark Lanier, the plaintiff's attorney, and he's speaking outside the courthouse. As soon as we get some sound from him, we'll turn it around and -- and ask you about it. But first, I just wanted to get your thoughts on today's verdict.

DR. ANDREA MATA, CLINICAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST: I mean, I think it's -- it's going to change how our teens use social media, because I think we've known, at least the books that I've read, we've known that social media is addicting and, like, it's just all about, like, can we get those dopamine hits? Can we get them? We need more dopamine. We need more dopamine. And we're just wanting more and more likes, and what else can we put on there? And it's just playing so -- it's doing so much damage to not only our youths' mental health, but, like, anyone who's using its mental health.

SANCHEZ: What does it mean for a young developing brain to have access not only to the content that's on social media, which may be problematic, but just to the format itself? It's sort of like I've heard it described as an attention casino, where there's no easy way out and you -- you just wind up endlessly scrolling. What does that do to a young brain?

MATA: I mean, I think it -- it makes them just search for the next hit, the next dopamine head. And, I mean, if you think about it, these companies are spending billions of dollars trying to figure out how to gain your attention much more. And when you're trying to compete, you -- and you're an individual teenager, and you're trying to compete against companies that are investing billions of dollars into their platforms being more addictive, we're going to -- us individuals are going to lose every single time.

SANCHEZ: Yes, responding to the verdict, a Google spokesperson said that this case misunderstands YouTube, which a -- is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site. Do you see a distinction between YouTube and, say, Meta's platforms, Facebook or Instagram?

MATA: I mean, I think in YouTube's original format, where it's like the long-form content, where people are going to get, you know, information.

[15:15:04]

Like, I have my own YouTube channel that's talking about, like, parenting advice for teachers, and coaches, and parents and those kind of things. But I think, like, when they started to move more towards, like, the shorts, where it's just trying to gain attention, I think that's when they moved more towards, like, a social media platform compared to what its true form was.

SANCHEZ: What's your advice then to -- to parents who have kids that are on social media?

MATA: I think one of the big things, like in the book "The Anxious Generation," Dr. Jon Haidt always talks about, like, no social media before the child is 16, and no phones -- like no smartphones before high school. And so, I think if parents start to stick to those guidelines -- and I know it is so challenging. I was just having a conversation with a client yesterday because he's like, I want a smartphone and I want to go on social media. And I'm like, I wouldn't recommend that you go on social media until you're 16 anyways, and you shouldn't have a smart phone until you hit high school. And he's like, ah -- and I'm like, that's what the research suggests.

SANCHEZ: Yes, I -- I sense that frustration with my nephew. He -- he's younger, and many of his friends at school have smartphones. Lastly, I -- I wonder if you think Congress should get more involved in this and set some of these guardrails the way that we've seen governments of other nations do this, setting age limits on social media.

MATA: I mean, I think the social media platforms try to set those age limits, right? But I think in order to get out of this, in order to really help our youth, we're going to have to take a much more systemic approach. So, now the social -- the Meta platforms are kind of getting their, you know, they're getting their consequences. They're being held accountable.

But in Congress, it would be great if they could come in and help us, you know, create laws and those kind of things that limit ages and those kind of things. But I think the other big piece that we are -- that no one is really talking about is what responsibility do parents have for limiting their child's social media? You don't have to buy your child a smartphone before they're in high school. You don't have to allow them to -- on social media before they are 16. Where's the responsibility of parents to set these expectations and these behaviors and set their children up for success instead of addiction?

SANCHEZ: Dr. Andrea Mata, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. We appreciate the time.

MATA: Thanks so much for having me.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Up next, the TSA is deploying extra officers to Houston as pressure builds on Congress to reach a deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. We'll take you live to George Bush Airport when we come back.

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[15:22:22]

KEILAR: New today, the TSA says more than 3,100 employees did not show up for work yesterday. That is more than 11 percent of staffers. Additionally, at least 480 TSA officers have quit as they continue to be asked to work without pay during the DHS shutdown.

Earlier today, the TSA's deputy administrator detailed the struggles that many agents are facing.

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HA NGUYEN MCNEILL, TSA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR: Many in our workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities shut off, lost their child care, defaulted on loans, damaged their credit line, and drained their retirement savings. Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on jobs -- second jobs to make ends meet, all while being expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the traveling public.

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KEILAR: "Selling their plasma," she said. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a plan to reopen the department appears to be hitting more hurdles. Senate Majority Leader John Thune rejecting the latest counteroffer from Democrats, who have been pushing for major reforms for immigration enforcement. And right now, there's no clear path to end the nearly 40-day stalemate before Congress leaves in two days for a two-week recess. CNN's Ed Lavandera is live from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

A lot of partisan back and forth, but the lines that people are having to wait in, that's everyone who's there where you are.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you don't want to bring up politicians around this crowd of people. Over the last three days, that conversation does -- does not go well. And we've heard, you know, everybody being blamed for everything, but, you know, politicians in general, not something this crowd wants to talk about.

But I'm going to show you some glorious news, at least for these travelers. You see the line of people here still having to make their way through various lines to get to the TSA screening lines, but I'm going to show you something we have not seen all week. Look at this, this is the -- the spill out area out into the main lobby of Terminal E. The lines have emptied up.

Now, we're getting later into the afternoon here on a Wednesday, but these lines had filled up this entire lobby. They'd even spilled outside of the terminal gate, out onto the area where passengers are dropped off, and then back downstairs, and not down to another level, as we've been talking about, Brianna. But, this is -- Wednesday is the lowest-travel-volume day of the airport, for this -- for this -- for this airport. So, that's why we're seeing this lull, which is welcome news.

[15:25:00]

So, if you booked a flight for a Wednesday afternoon out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, you have hit the jackpot. But even with that, this is about an hour-and-a-half wait, and that is still pretty -- pretty daunting.

Now, the bad news is that the lines -- the miserable lines that could be more than four hours long, expected to return tomorrow, because airport officials do tell us that the travel volume will continue to increase here in the coming days, as -- on a Thursday, Friday and into the weekend as well.

So, this is the -- the -- the nice little moment that we can share with you in what has been a very dreadful and -- and a difficult week for passengers here at this airport. Brianna.

KEILAR: You know, Ed, if that's your moment of zen for the week, an hour-and-a-half wait, that really says something. Ed Lavandera live for us at the Houston airport.

President Trump saying the Iran war is over. The White House says it's hoping to hold negotiations in Pakistan this weekend. So, why are 1,000 additional soldiers being deployed to the Middle East? We'll have that next.

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