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Authorities: Iranian Missile Hits Building In Southern Israel; Former FBI Director And Special Counsel Robert Mueller Dies At 81; Trump Threatens To Send ICE Agents To Airports Amid Shutdown; Long Security Lines Form At Airports As TSA Officers Go Unpaid; Gov: 200+ Rescued As Oahu Receives 40-50 Inches Of Rain Over Days; Lebanon: 100+ Children Killed Since Start Of War. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired March 21, 2026 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:00:35]
JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.
It is day 22 in the war with Iran. And tonight we have dramatic new video that's being shared on social media. And it shows an Iranian ballistic missile slamming into a building in southern Israel.
That attack hitting the city of Dimona. That is home to Israel's nuclear program. Iranian state media claiming the attack was in response to the U.S. and Israel striking a key nuclear facility in Natanz, Iran.
Israel earlier today announcing joint attacks on Iran will, in their words, significantly increase this week. That despite President Donald Trump posting this on social media on Friday saying he would consider winding down U.S. military efforts in the Middle East.
However, as CNN reported this morning, the president has yet to completely rule out putting U.S. boots on the ground.
Let's bring in CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Oren Liebermann, who joins us now live with more on this.
Oren, I know a number of people injured in that strike in Dimona. Tell us more about that.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Jessica, We have seen several waves of incoming Iranian ballistic missiles at southern Israel and other parts of the country this evening. And it seems that at least a couple of these have pierced Israel's missile defense array.
We start in Dimona, where there is remarkable video of the incoming Iranian ballistic missile as it struck the city. And you can see and hear that here, that incoming missile, streak in the sky as it comes down and impacts a one-story building and destroys it, according to Israel's fire and rescue services. Several people were wounded in that strike, according to Israel's emergency response service, Magen David Adom. And there were other reports of impact sites in that area. But you see the result of that Iranian ballistic missile.
Dimona is home to Israel's nuclear program. Iran's national broadcaster said the strike on Dimona was in response to a U.S.- Israeli strike on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran.
Now, the Israeli military says it's not familiar with the strike there. But in June, we did see the U.S. strike the Natanz nuclear facility. So it's possible the U.S. going after that nuclear facility one more time.
But as I said, that strike in Dimona was not the only one. We are now getting reports of a mass casualty event in the city of Arad, which is also in southern Israel. Magen David Adom declared it a mass casualty event with at least 30 wounded, but that number is expected to rise. Several of those are seriously wounded.
And the videos from that scene in the center of the city of Arad show buildings destroyed. The walls of those buildings torn apart and a huge impact area right in the middle of the city of Arad.
So we have seen what seems to be at least two Iranian ballistic missiles getting through Israel's air defenses this Saturday evening, as this war very much intensifying.
And, Jessica, if I'm not mistaken, my IFB cut out just a moment ago.
DEAN: Ok. I -- then if he is -- has no IFB Oren, I'm not going to ask you any more questions. But thank you so much for your reporting, Oren Liebermann from Jerusalem. They're doing great reporting.
LIEBERMANN: I think Jessica, I'm with you now.
DEAN: Oh, great.
LIEBERMANN: I'm with you now.
DEAN: Ok.
LIEBERMANN: I apologize.
DEAN: I stalled just long enough to get you back. No, that's great.
Because I did want to ask you about just the broader strategy that we're -- we should expect to see. What are Israeli leaders saying about that as we head into this week? Because we are seeing this intensification today.
LIEBERMANN: Defense Minister Israel Katz said this morning in a situational assessment that U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran will increase significantly this week.
Today marks the beginning of the fourth week of the war. Israel has clearly laid out plans for thousands of more targets over at least several more weeks of this war, as Israel continues to go after Iran's military, the Iranian regime, and just about every arm of the regime itself.
But it's President Donald Trump who said he's considering winding down the military efforts in Iran. So a very different story were getting from Israel here, who have clearly signaled they are ready and very much intend to continue this war, at least in the immediate future here.
DEAN: Yes.
All right. Oren Liebermann from Jerusalem, thank you so much for your reporting.
[17:04:48]
DEAN: And we are joined now by CNN political and global affairs analyst and Axios correspondent Barak Ravid. Barak, it is always good to have you here on the program with us.
We were just talking with Oren about these Iranian strikes on Israel. What are you hearing? And give us additional context as to what these mean and what you're kind of gleaning from that?
BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Jessica, I think what we see at this stage, after three weeks into this war that we are in the stage where each side is trying to basically get the other side to say, "that's it, I can't do it anymore".
Israel and the U.S., obviously, when they strike Iran and increase their strikes by the day, are trying to break the will of the Iranian regime at this point.
While there are some military units in the Iranian military and the IRGC that have become very chaotic, there are some defections, but still overall, the system is intact.
The Iranians, on the other hand, they're trying to do the same, by first continuing those missile launches towards Israel, that even if they do not cause significant damage or don't hit, many strategic targets, they create terror in Israeli society, which means that the public opinion in Israel is becoming more and more nervous about this war.
The same thing the Iranians are doing in the -- in the Gulf itself, with their strikes on Gulf countries. So I think that each side is trying to basically wear down the other side with the hope that the other side will say, well, I can't do it anymore.
DEAN: Yes. And to that end, you have some new reporting tonight on work toward potential peace talks. What are you learning about that?
RAVID: So I think it's still very, very early. I don't see peace talks around the corner. But we are in sort of a middle point in this war. We are three weeks in. The original timetable was six weeks. So we have another two or three weeks of high-intensity fighting.
It might be even longer, but let's say this is ballpark of how it's going to be, which means that inside the Trump administration, there are people that are starting to think, ok, if we want to, in two or three weeks or a month, bring this to a close, we need to start thinking, for example, number one, who are we negotiating with on the Iranian side? Who's the best person they can make decisions?
Number two, who's the best mediator to do this? Because we will need a mediator. Oman was the mediator in previous peace talks. I do not see the Omanis doing it right now. There's very little trust between them and the U.S.
The U.S. would like the Qataris to do it. I think the Egyptians might be a very good option because the Egyptians are sort of like looking from the sidelines at this war.
They have good contacts with the U.S. They have good contacts with Israel. They have good contacts with the Iranians. So they're definitely candidates.
But the question is who's the right -- who's the person that makes decisions in Iran today? And I think that might be the number one question the administration is asking itself today as it is thinking about maybe within a few weeks, start some sort of diplomatic process.
DEAN: And so in all of that, we were just hearing from Oren, too, about kind of the two different signals we're getting on time -- on timing of all of this and what happens next if we potentially move toward that path that you were just describing, the Israelis saying one thing and the president saying -- the U.S. president, of course, saying that maybe it's time to wind it down.
What is your sense of where they might diverge, or do you feel like they're still on the same path -- Israel and the U.S.?
RAVID: I have to say, I have to say I don't see a lot of divergence when it comes to, you know, the timeline for the war. I think what I hear from both U.S. and Israeli officials is more or less the same thing, you know, give or take a week, some people will take two weeks, some people will take three weeks. Some people will tell you a month. But that's more or less what you hear from both sides.
Could it be longer? Definitely. I think, for example, if you start seeing a ground operation, even if it's relatively limited, for example, taking over Kharg Island. That could significantly prolong the war. But I think the -- if there is a divergence, it's not with the timeline at the moment.
At the moment the divergence is, what is the overall objective?
DEAN: What's the objective? Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
[17:09:45] RAVID: For Israel, the overall objective -- the overall objective is creating conditions for regime change. For the U.S., it's a bunch of military objectives with, let's say, if all of that brings regime change, that's a nice bonus, but it's definitely not, you know, a solid objective.
DEAN: I think that's such an important point and one to really keep in mind as we keep watching how this plays out.
Barak Ravid, always good to have you. Thank you so much.
RAVID: Thank you.
DEAN: And still to come, we're going to take a look back at the life and legacy of Robert Mueller, who served as FBI director for 12 years, starting just one week before the September 11th attacks.
Plus long lines on this Saturday for passengers at many airports across the country. Is there any hope that it ends soon?
And there is catastrophic flash flooding in parts of Hawaii. We're going to talk with the mayor of Honolulu.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
[17:10:37]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: Robert Mueller, the former FBI director, who led the historic probe into the alleged collusion between Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and the Russian government, has died at the age of 81. Mueller's family says he died Friday night. A cause of death has not yet been released. But last year, his family announced that Mueller had been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer looks back at Mueller's life and legacy.
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ROBERT MUELLER, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: If you are not honest, your reputation will suffer and once lost, a good reputation can never, ever be regained.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Attorney Robert Mueller's reputation in government was virtually unquestioned until he got the most controversial assignment of his career.
We have major breaking news right now. The U.S. Justice department has just named a special counsel in the Russia investigation.
The job -- investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race. The race Donald Trump won.
Mueller was a Princeton grad, a decorated U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam. After law school, he became a litigator, a federal prosecutor who worked his way up the ranks. And in 2001, President George W. Bush tapped him to be the sixth director of the FBI.
MUELLER: To enforce our nation's laws fairly and with respect to the rights of all Americans.
BLITZER: Mueller was confirmed unanimously by the Senate and sworn in on September 4th, 2001, seven days before the event that defined much of his tenure.
After the 9/11 attacks, Mueller led the bureau into the war on terror.
MUELLER: We will leave no stone unturned.
BLITZER: Mueller was respected by both Republicans and Democrats and continued to serve through the first term of the Obama administration, turning over the reins of the FBI to James Comey in 2013.
MUELLER: I have found him to be a man of honesty, dedication and integrity.
BLITZER: But President Trump fired Comey in 2017, and eight days later, deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein announced that Mueller would investigate the Trump administration as special counsel. It set off a flurry of unprecedented criticism of Mueller, starting from the commander-in-chief.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. Mueller is highly- conflicted. In fact, Comey is like his best friend.
A message driven home by right-wing media messages and the president's own tweets. All the while, Mueller kept quiet, letting a series of indictments do the talking instead.
Two months later, Mueller completed his report. He finally broke two years of silence.
MUELLER: The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing.
BLITZER: The lack of a direct conclusion on obstruction frustrated Democrats. Mueller reluctantly appeared before a House committee and declined to go further than his report.
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): Did you actually totally exonerate the president?
MUELLER: No.
BLITZER: Without producing a smoking gun, Mueller retreated back to private life. A public servant who survived wounds in Vietnam but found the partisanship of the Trump era, especially bruising.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: And that was Wolf Blitzer reporting.
I want to bring in CNN's senior national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem. Juliette, thanks for being here with us.
Robert Mueller will be remembered for that historic probe that looked into the alleged collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and the Russian government.
But he was also a former FBI director who served presidents on both sides of the aisle, who took office as that -- as the director one week, I think after 9/11.
How do you remember him and how do you think he should be remembered?
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So it's so interesting to now just get the survey of his life now that he's passed away. There's these three major moments in America's history which align with his -- the Vietnam war and a war that would prove to be, you know, so damaging to America that he volunteered for. He's an elite. Comes from an elite family. He has, you know, everything that any kid could want.
He does not defer. And he serves and he serves valiantly and is awarded.
Fast forward. He then, you know, has a long career as a prosecutor. He then finds himself as the head of the FBI in the -- in the -- in the moments of 9/11 and in the aftermath and spends that time transforming it.
[17:19:48]
KAYYEM: That's the -- that's the era when I knew him and his work was he took an FBI that was very reactionary, very focused on domestic threats, and had to transform it into an agency that was looking at foreign threats, that was looking for -- at disruption as much as prosecution, and looking to work with state and locals to protect essentially our domestic safety.
And then fast forward again, he returns in the, you know, I know we make his investigation about Trump. The investigation was really about Russian collusion and Russian involvement in, in our democracy in the 2016 election. That he found he had indictments about it, clear that the Russians had been involved. And clear that there was obstruction of justice by the Trump administration. Those are not debatable.
The thing that has become the focus is, of course, him not either finding Trump guilty or finding him innocent on the most serious of charges.
DEAN: And again and again, we saw Robert Mueller serving his country and stepping up and serving the American people in those different capacities.
And in that last big job, again investigating potential Russian collusion, he was attacked again and again by the president, by the president's allies.
And we heard from the president today on Truth Social. And he posted this, which is --
KAYYEM: Yes.
DEAN: -- I don't even know, like what -- what do you even say to that?
KAYYEM: You know, I don't -- the polluting of the public discourse by the president and the coarsening of how we talk, how we would expect not only a president to talk, but a human being to talk.
So, I mean, it's not even -- you know, it's just sort of the one doesn't do this. I mean, unfortunately, it's not shocking. And I think -- but it does, it does coarsen the way we think about people like Bob Mueller, who had critics on the right and the left.
I mean, the left was very angry at him after the Mueller report for not.
DEAN: Yes.
KAYYEM: -- yes, for exactly for not thinking. I also think about this honestly, you know, as a -- as a parent, just the kind of that kind of language. And how do you, you know, how do you think about the way we talk in America today about people we even disagree with?
And -- and silence would have been better, by President Trump. But this is just coarsening. It's degrading. It's embarrassing, again, for the -- for the president mostly.
Bob Mueller, whatever you think of him, if you're on the right or the left is someone who, again, I say it again, these three key moments -- Vietnam, 9/11 and Russian collusion in our election.
He served and he served without seeking the limelight or seeking much except for trying to enforce the law or trying to protect our country.
DEAN: Yes. All right. Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much. It's good to see you as always. We appreciate it.
KAYYEM: Thank you.
DEAN: Long lines snaking through many of the nation's airports as the DHS shutdown drags on. We're going to have the latest from Newark, New Jersey.
Plus, hundreds are rescued as massive flash flooding hits the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
[17:23:06]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: President Trump is threatening to deploy ICE agents to take over security at airports if Congress doesn't end the partial government shutdown. Lawmakers remain at a stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, with each side blaming the other.
Early this morning, security wait times stretched to over two hours at Atlanta's airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
CNN correspondent Gloria Pazmino is joining us now from Newark Liberty International Airport.
Gloria, TSA agents now going without a paycheck. This is on top of the longest shutdown -- that incredibly long shutdown we had where they went without paychecks earlier just a few months ago.
So what are you seeing at Newark today?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Jessica, we've been here for several hours at this point. And the reality is that the lines and the wait time drift dramatically depending on what time of day it is. We've seen it be as long as 30 minutes, 20 minutes. Right now, it's actually very quiet, it's less than ten minutes. And the line behind the TSA checkpoint behind me is actually very short and moving very quickly.
But when we were here earlier, we were seeing a significantly more crowded line. And this is the thing with these delays -- they really ebb and flow depending on the time of day, depending on the airport where you're at.
Gere at Newark in Terminal A, the biggest terminal at this airport, things have been moving pretty smoothly.
That is not the case across several other airports around the country. We've seen delays of more than an hour in places like Houston, Texas. J.F. Kennedy Airport seeing delays of up to 40 -- 45 minutes. So it is dramatically different depending on which airport you may be traveling out of.
Now, as you said in the beginning, this government shutdown has become extremely familiar for tens of thousands of TSA workers who are going without a paycheck. This is now the third funding lapse that we have been seeing in the last six months.
All of this over DHS funding and the larger debate over immigration enforcement. Now, that is on the minds of a lot of travelers that we have spoken to here today.
PAZMINO: Many people came prepared, came early, but they're also thinking about the workers who are here pointing out that there are people here right now who are working without getting paid, and that many of them are having a very hard time making ends meet.
[17:30:01]
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE BARNES, TRAVELING TO WEST PALM BEACH: Our government, federal government, not getting good grades. You know, it's not good for any of us.
PAZMINO: What would your message be to the federal government in this moment?
BARNES: Get it together. Make it -- make it better. We are paying for you to do the best for us.
CHRIS FLETCHER, TRAVELING TO WYOMING: So, I'm not happy with the government. We need -- we need to give them the money and let them work. And I understand why they can't all work because they have no money to even get here.
PAZMINO: Right.
FLETCHER: It's not right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: So, I would say, you know, despite the frustration that we have heard from some travelers here today, there is certainly a lot of empathy for these workers who are not getting paid. And for those who are here right now helping the security process go through. We have been seeing significant TSA call outs across the nation's airports.
Houston is seeing some of the highest numbers, hovering in the high 30s. And we know that thousands of TSA workers are calling out sick because they are not getting paid. We also have been told by the Department of Homeland Security that at least 366 of those workers have quit their jobs. And we know that there are just tens of thousands of people who are being affected by the shutdown.
So, both travelers, but also, of course, the employees of TSA, many of them who live paycheck to paycheck, like many other Americans, and really need to make sure that they are getting paid, and cannot do so, cannot show up to work if they are not being paid their salary. Jessica?
DEAN: Certainly. All right. Gloria Pazmino at Newark Airport for us. Thank you so much for that.
Massive flash flooding on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. This is flooding like they have not seen in two decades. The mayor of Honolulu joins us next. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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[17:36:35]
DEAN: This hour in Hawaii, catastrophic flooding is forcing people from their homes on Oahu.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the police. Mandatory evacuation.
(END VIDEO CLIP) DEAN: A woman who took that video said, overnight, an evacuation bus took her from her home in Waialua to a shelter. She lives near the Waialua dam, which local authorities fear will fail, "at any time." And they are telling evacuees, don't stop to pack or prepare your home. Just get items and get ready to go.
The Oahu Department of Emergency Management says about 5,000 people are in the dam risk area. Rescuers have already saved hundreds from the flooding, which the governor calls Hawaii's largest event of its kind in 20 years.
Joining us now, Rick Blangiardi, the mayor of Honolulu City and County which makes up the island of Oahu.
Mayor, thank you so much for being here with us. I know this is a critical time for you and the people you serve there. Give us the latest on how the dam is faring and what you are seeing right now.
RICK BLANGIARDI, HONOLULU, HAWAII: Well, Aloha, Jessica, and thank you for having us on.
Right now, we are focused primarily on saving people's lives and protecting our people. And to date, we have had 233 emergency rescues from very treacherous situations with no one dying, in fact, despite the storm now for nearly two weeks in length, nobody has died, and that's been a big priority for us.
But you're absolutely right about having sustained what will amount to by the time that the rain is predicted to finish, some 40 to 50 inches of rain on this island in many locations. Suffice to say, that causes lots of problems in lots of ways.
DEAN: No -- yes, yes, there is no doubt about that. So, help people understand what kind of damage you all are seeing right now. I understand airports have been damaged. Some towns may have even been cut off.
BLANGIARDI: Yes. Well, what's really --
Yes. But what's really fascinating about the storm, given the fact of its length, if you will, is that the compound effect of these inches of rain, because all the ground was saturated last week, and all of our reservoirs got full to capacity, is that the compound effect of this rain, every inch makes it problematic.
So, you know, we -- I'm actually going to get on a helicopter as soon as I finished this interview with our fire department and go out and do some sights -- sightseeing. We have been in the emergency operating center. But, you know, we've had lots of flash flooding, highly dangerous. We've had sinkholes and roads, obviously, with some of the wind effect, we've had trees down. We had the obvious power outages. We've had concerns about dams topping over.
I can promise you this. And even though we've issued an evacuation order in Waialua, our dams are structurally sound by every indication, and our Board of Water Supply is working with pumps to alleviate them from topping over.
And right now, there's been a bit of a downward trend as a result of some really great diligence and people who know what they are doing, I'm very, very proud of the way our communities responded, our first responders, especially, but across the board, everybody, given the unprecedented nature of this storm, everybody is putting everything out there to keep as much safe as we possibly can.
But there is no question, once we get done with this. The governor last night announced, at a minimum, over a billion dollars in property damage has already been assessed.
So, we are looking right down the barrel of some things here that we are just not used to having here in what most people call paradise.
[17:40:06]
DEAN: Yes, it's -- we are looking at these images, and they are really astounding to see.
What are you hearing from people there that you are talking to? How are they doing? Are they all heeding these evacuation orders?
BLANGIARDI: Well, you know, the resiliency of Hawaii people is really amazing. And there is always such a great spirit about it. And people are taking comfort, if you will, and going with family and friends. But I can tell you, pretty much, everybody is in disbelief. And everybody wants to, you know, hang on to a better tomorrow, if you will, and to keep talking about, we'll get through this -- we'll get through this.
And, you know, I get inspired as mayor. I get inspired by that. You know, even the people have come into our shelters. Right now, we are only sheltering a little bit more than 100 people, although, we have shelters open in multiple locations, primarily because island style, the people of Hawaii, most people who are in evacuation zones went to stay with other family and friends.
So, we have that spirit amongst us, you know. Being island dwellers is a little bit different than being elsewhere. And so, we are not used to this kind of event, but people are responding, given its unprecedented nature, as much as in as best as you can hope for.
DEAN: And there is more rain, I believe that is forecasted. What's your biggest concern right now? And are you getting the help you need, also, at the federal level?
BLANGIARDI: Yes, our biggest concern, obviously, as I said earlier, is the compound effect of this rain. So, six inches of rain is not a typical six inches of rain when you are already -- your ground is so saturated, and you are already flooding in so many places. So, that becomes concern because it's hard.
Despite looking at the Doppler radar, it's hard to gage in some of these surges, in these rain bands, which is the nature of the system, how much water will come down. Case in point, two nights ago, they were predicting two to three inches, and we have got eight to 10. So, it's the unpredictability and the strength of the storm.
And as far as federal, I've talked with Senator Schatz and Congressman Case, and so, is the governor in constant contact. We are going to need help from the federal government, but right now, our military, Coast Guard, everybody else who could possibly be on hand, along with other federal authorities and our state in the city, everybody is working together beautifully.
It's -- look, in the midst of all of this, I don't want to sound Pollyannaish here, but we are truly trying to do the best we can against difficult circumstances. I'm inspired again by the cooperation and the attitude of everybody I deal with.
DEAN: Yes, yes, you are lucky to have them. Mayor, thank you so much, and we wish you well, and all the people there in Oahu. I hope it dries out very soon. Thank you so much.
BLANGIARDI: Jessica, thank you again. We appreciate it.
DEAN: Yes.
New strikes in Israel and Iran, as the war rages on in the Middle East. We are going to have the latest following this quick break here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:47:35]
DEAN: The Israeli military says it struck over 200 targets in Iran and Lebanon, so far, this weekend. The IDF launching a fresh wave of attacks on regime targets in Tehran, and also, Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in Beirut.
Israel has also deployed tanks near its border with Lebanon. We have learned more than a million people there have been displaced due to the current conflict. And CNN chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh has more on that.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, here in Lebanon, continued exchanges of fire over the border between southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Israel saying it's hit 200 targets inside of Lebanon over the weekend, and there clearly have been rockets return fire by Hezbollah as well.
I would say, in the last 24-48 hours, as we have been in the south, there appears to be something of a downturn in the intensity of the violence that may be related to the appalling weather we've been seeing here, or the Eid holiday. But certainly concerns, I think we may see an escalation in the days ahead.
Israeli officials have suggested, for their part, they believe Hezbollah have over 11,000 rockets inside of southern Lebanon, about thousand militants. But they seem to suggest they think the rockets are potentially being more directed towards their troops inside of southern Lebanon.
For our part, though, what we saw in southern Lebanon clearly showed continued Hezbollah militant control over much of that area as well, and a significant drop in the local population, certainly, many fleeing for their lives. Thousand killed, at least, here in Lebanon since the start of this latest Israeli offensive.
But it is one of multiple different strands of this conflict here that now, as we enter into its fourth week is becoming increasingly full of complex problems that seem distant from an immediate solution. The potential strike by Iranian longer-range missiles towards the Diego Garcia, US-UK military base, although nothing hit that shows Iran's capability to fire intermediate range ballistic missiles, about a 2,000 miles, or so. Significant development there, technologically.
U.S. decision to permit 140 million barrels of Iranian oil to be put onto the market and sold. A release of sanctions. There, a remarkable move by the United States, a bid to calm the oil market, certainly that U.S. officials say, won't benefit Iran's pocket. But a stark move here, I think, that exposes how the energy markets have certainly been disrupted.
[17:50:03]
Continued Israeli strikes inside of Iran, targeting around, it seems, the Natanz nuclear facility, and may indeed been an Iranian reprisal directed towards the Dimona nuclear research facility inside of Israel, where there have certainly been over 20 people injured.
But a remarkably fast-moving situation here. Even though President Trump has suggested he is interested in winding down this conflict, there are so many separate strands, including here between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, a conflict that Israel has said it will resolve through disarming that militant group. But that solution far away as is the immediate way of resolving so much of this conflict now sprawling in so many different ways that many thought was perhaps predictable, but seems so far from resolution.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Beirut, Lebanon,
DEAN: All right. And Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much for that.
Israel's latest fight with Hezbollah heated up following the death of Iran's supreme leader, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel to avenge the death of Khamenei. Now, Israel firing back, and as Nick was just reporting, that continues, and the impact is being felt among the Lebanese.
CNN's Isobel Yeung, met one family caught in the war and suffering the devastating consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): I swear, she was like moon, her face so bright.
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This mother is carrying the body of her 6-year-old daughter, Yasmina. Israeli bombs pierce her grief. She is also burying her three other daughters, 9-year-old Mallika, Zara, 12, and Zaynab, 13, along with their cousin, 11-year-old Sadiq.
YEUNG: YEUNG: Just absolutely heartbreaking scene, as body after body after body -- just tiny little bodies.
These ones having to be carried on the bed because there is just only parts and remnants and pieces of them left.
YEUNG (voice over): These are just five of over 110 children killed this month. The IDF say they're targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and that Hezbollah are using civilians as human shields.
CNN obtained permission from Hezbollah to film in southern Lebanon.
YEUNG: It is just apocalyptic around here. And to think that, I mean, just a couple weeks ago, this was a buzzing, lively neighborhood with shops and these are people's houses. And now, it's just all been turned to rubble. It must be so eerie staying here. And yet, you still do see people. You see people in their homes.
What are you still doing here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I stay here.
YEUNG: Why are you staying?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I go where? This, my house.
YEUNG: Are you the only person who stayed or is there other families who stayed as well?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I no get family. I no marry. You want to marry me?
YEUNG (voice over): These kids obviously have been out of school for the last two weeks since the beginning of the war. And this group now is trying to do some activities with them, try to have some semblance of normality.
ANGIE, SHELTER RESIDENT (text): I feel like we are scared and terrified and displaced.
YEUNG: What are you scared could happen?
ANGIE: I'm scared one of us will be killed.
SANAA GHOSN, SHELTER RESIDENT (text): Lebanon used to be prosperous. The whole of Lebanon is finished completely. There is no Lebanon anymore. Hopefully, what happened in Gaza doesn't happen to us.
YEUNG: What would you say to the people who have power over this war right now? ANGIE: What do you want from us? Children can't continue their education or do anything. You've ruined our lives.
YEUNG (voice over): It's a pain no child should know. A generation who should have their entire lives ahead of them.
Now, pulled into a war they never chose and crushed beneath the violence that engulfs them.
Isobel Yeung, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Isobel, thank you.
And the IDF has said that it will look into the incident CNN documented in that report. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:54:06]
DEAN: Tomorrow on a new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER". Pamela Brown explains -- examines the role of Christian nationalism in our society today. She spoke with former members who say that they are taught that defying authority meant defying God with eternal consequences.
Here is a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR (voice over): Within strict reformed churches, disobedience demands discipline, whether from a parent, a husband or a teacher.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The goal of biblical discipline is to get them back into fellowship with God, with one another. And nine times out of 10, our teachers are able to get that done in the classroom.
BROWN (voice over): But when they can't --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do have a paddle.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's a paddle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do have a spanking policy. We'll make a phone call to the parents and say, we have to resolve the issue. So, whether it's you coming to pick them up, or you coming and administering your own discipline, or us administering a spanking.
[18:00:00]
The root of the problem is the sinful heart. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not ever leave that room after a spanking, and the student is sulky, angry, mad. It is always a restoration of fellowship, and it's a beautiful picture. It really is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
