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U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Crew Member Describes Attack on Ship in Strait of Hormuz; U.S. and Ukraine Set to Hold Talks in Miami in Coming Hours; Tropical Cyclone Narelle Hits Northeast Australia. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired March 21, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello, I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta.

U.S. president Trump is sending some mixed signals about the timeline in the war with Iran. He posted on Truth Social that he's considering winding down military efforts because he believes we won the war. But thousands more Marines and sailors are being deployed to the Middle East. This is what Trump said on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Oh, I think we've won. And we've knocked out their navy, their air force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft. We've knocked out everything we're roaming free from a military standpoint. All they're doing is clogging up the strait. But from a military standpoint, they're finished.

But we've defeated the enemy and they are an enemy. They are a sick group of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Meanwhile, U.S. embassies in the region remain under threat. A U.S. official said Iran unsuccessfully targeted a joint British-U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean with ballistic missiles. Some Gulf states say they continue to intercept missile and drone strikes.

U.S. allies are discussing how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This all comes after Trump called NATO allies "cowards" for not doing more to help secure that vital waterway. CNN's Paula Hancocks joins me now from Abu Dhabi.

Thank you for being here again, Paula. We are now three weeks into this conflict. We know some of the signals that we're seeing about whether or not this is escalating into something bigger or potentially winding down. Tell me more what's happening where you are.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ben, we are hearing mixed signals effectively from the Trump administration. We're hearing the U.S. president saying that they are getting close to achieving their objectives. And so they are considering winding down.

But at the same time, as you said, that you do see thousands more military personnel on their way to the region to beef up those troops that are already there. So it's difficult to know which direction it is going in at this point.

Frankly. Iran says that they do not believe president Trump when he says that he's considering winding down. A senior Iranian official telling CNN that they believe it's Trump's psychological operations to control the market, saying that they the military posture in the region has not diminished. And they don't believe that it will.

They're also, at this point, claiming, through the supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, through a statement, that they are winning the war. So saying effectively the same as president Trump is at this point, both sides claiming victory in a war that is still raging.

It's worth pointing out, in that particular statement, we did not see the supreme leader. We did not hear his voice. So again, questions remain as to his health and his location. Now we have also been hearing about, as I said, this military buildup in the region.

We know that there is this Marine Expeditionary Unit, that it is on its way with the USS Tripoli. And that is going to bring thousands more Marines into this arena. Now what it also does is it brings more techniques, more expertise.

We've heard the MEUs described as the Swiss knife of the military, the fact that they can be put to work in any scenario, whether it's from the air, boots on the ground or Special Forces.

So this raises the question as to whether they are being sent to the region in order to put boots on the ground. There have been questions about Kharg Island, for example, which president Trump says that they have destroyed militarily when it comes to the defenses.

But the significant energy infrastructure, which is the economic backbone of Iran, remains intact. Now we had a town hall on CNN with the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz. He was asked about this question of boots on the ground.

And he said that all options are at his disposal, meaning president Trump's disposal. When he was asked about the beef-up of military, also saying that degrading from the air and sea is the preferred option.

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So on that case, we don't have any clarity as to whether there will be an expansion of the military when it comes to the U.S. intentions in the region.

Now what we are seeing from Iran is they are continuing to fire missiles and drones against their neighbors. We know, overnight, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait were intercepting projectiles. And we also heard from here in the UAE as well. Overnight, we heard from Iran, Iranian officials saying that they have

warned the UAE of heavy strikes on the Ras al Khaimah port city if Iranian islands continue to be targeted. Now this is a common theme we have been seeing from Tehran.

These threats against the neighbors, in particular against the UAE, saying if the United States and Israel target a particular area, then the retaliation will be against the UAE. And we have seen them keep their threats on a number of occasions, as they do continue to threaten this region, Ben.

HUNTE: OK. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much. There is a lot going on. Appreciate it.

Onwards, as more U.S. troops are reportedly heading to the Middle East, their mission actually remains unclear. Some U.S. officials have privately weighed the possible capture of Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. It is considered an economic lifeline for Iran, handling about 90 percent of the country's crude oil exports.

Earlier, retired U.S. Army general Mark MacCarley explained what it would take to capture it and hold it.

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MAJ. GEN. MARK MACCARLEY, U.S. ARMY (RET.): The department of war issued orders to two Marine expeditionary units. As you well know, in those units there are approximately 2,100 to 2,500 U.S. Marines.

First of those units is coming from approximately, what we call the Okinawa area of operations for the Marine Corps in the Pacific.

And the second orders just recently issued out of San Diego. But what's important is the timing. These are ships. They have no other method of moving that number of Marines and equipment with the Marines but on ships. That's two weeks before we're going to see the presence of U.S. Marines in or about the Persian Gulf.

Now in terms of a campaign or operation strategy and I always have to caveat this by saying, I am no longer privy to the war plans in the department of war.

So any of us who participate as contributors are in a sense speculating based upon experience. But my view of this, if this land operation were to be initiated, would consist of seizing Kharg Island for multiple reasons.

The first and primary is it is the most significant oil processing geographic location for the Iranians. And the second, once that island is taken and pacified to some extent, it will serve as a very significant what we call intermediate staging base.

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HUNTE: A cargo ship crew member whose vessel came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz is now speaking to CNN. It comes amid new questions about the moments leading up to and surrounding the chaos of the incident. CNN's Ivan Watson reports.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Ikarat Upama (ph), face covered in soot moments after an Iranian projectile struck his ship, the MV Mayuree Naree, in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ikarat (ph), the ship's chief engineer, survived. But over one week since the March 11th attack, three of his shipmates are still missing at sea, including 35-year-old Chawarit Chaiwong, who married his wife, Suchawadee Malikaeo, in 2021.

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SUCHAWADEE MALIKAEO, CHAWARIT CHAIWONG'S WIFE (from captions): Every day I'm just waiting and wondering when I'll get to see him again. I just want to know where he is.

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WATSON (voice-over): Twenty of the ships crew rescued and returned to Thailand this week. CNN spoke exclusively to one, who asked to remain anonymous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): We had no idea where the shots were coming from, who was firing or if there was a warship out there.

WATSON (voice-over): The vessel's owner, Precious Shipping, told CNN in a statement, "Based on the information and maritime security advisories available at that time, the vessel was assessed as suitable to undertake the transit with appropriate precautionary measures in place."

But one sailor says the ship's owners pressured the crew to run the gantlet even as Iran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): I think they pushed us to leave because, if the ship just sits there at anchor, it's racking up costs all day long. But to get out we had to sail right through the most dangerous spot. They weren't firing at the ship sitting at anchor. They only targeted the ones that defied them and tried to sail out.

WATSON (voice-over): In response, the company's managing director told CNN the ship was at risk of Iranian attack while stationary before attempting the transit.

CNN has obtained documents signed by the crew before the fateful journey, acknowledging they understood the heightened security risks in the Strait of Hormuz.

The company says the ship has lost power and its exact whereabouts are unknown, as are the fate of the three remaining sailors missing in the world's most dangerous waters -- Ivan Watson, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The outgoing head of the U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency is warning that the organization is on the verge of a catastrophic collapse.

In a letter to the head of the U.N. General Assembly, Philippe Lazzarini, said the breakdown of UNRWA would put Palestinians in peril as the region faces serious political and security challenges.

UNRWA has been struggling for more than two years since the U.S. cut off its financing. and Israel passed a law banning the group from operating in the country. Lazzarini said the destruction of the agency leaves Palestinians callously betrayed.

Israel's battle to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state seems to have taken a dark new turn in the West Bank. Settler violence has spiked since the start of the war with Iran. And there are accusations that Israeli settlers are using sexual violence to try to scare Palestinians off their land.

Israeli authorities say they are investigating. Jeremy Diamond has one man's harrowing story.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: His eyes still bloody and bruised, Qusai Abu al-Kebash is determined to tell his harrowing story. An Israeli settler attack unlike any other.

QUSAI ABU AL-KEBASH, PALESTINIAN WEST BANK RESIDENT (through translator): I was standing here. The settlers came. They attacked me. They dragged me in here. Says, these are the zip ties they used to bind my hands. They cut my trousers and belts. And here are my boxers. They took them off me.

DIAMOND: Abu al-Kebash says the masked and armed settlers then sexually assaulted him.

AL-KEBASH (through translator): They zip tied my genitals and squeezed tight on them while continuing to beat me. They dragged me from there and then poured water over me and then dirt. They were dragging me while I was undressed with my hands and legs bound, my genitals bound all the way up the hill.

DIAMOND: What was going through your mind when that was happening?

AL-KEBASH (through translator): I thought they were going to kill me, beat me to death.

DIAMOND: Abu al-Kebash's relatives who were present at the time also corroborated his accounts. So did two foreign activists, volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement, who told us they were beaten and violently dragged by the settlers.

Abu al-Kebash said the settlers also stole his livelihood, hundreds of sheep that once filled these pens. He says the settlers also beat his father, wife and even his children, threatening to return if the family doesn't leave their land.

They said we're going to steal your sheep. We're going to steal your women. We're going to rape your women. We're going to take your girls. It wasn't a single I'll phrase that wasn't uttered.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, come on. don't fuck. Hit her.

DIAMOND: Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has skyrocketed since October 7th but sexual assault appears to be a new weapon in the settler Arsenal of intimidation.

The assault came days after prosecutors dropped charges against five soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner inside a notorious detention facility, drawing uproar from Israeli human rights organizations.

Israeli police are now investigating the attack on Abu al-Kebash and his family, telling CNN they've arrested seven suspects. Police said the case is under a court issued gag order. But there is little faith here in Israeli investigations. Settler attacks in the West Bank are rarely prosecuted and Abu al-Kebash's wait for justice is filled with fear.

AL-KEBASH (through translator): I'm worried they'll come back, that they'll kill us in the middle of the night, beat us to death or burn our village like they said they would.

DIAMOND: What will you do if they come back?

AL-KEBASH (through translator): What can I do?

We'll get beaten once again.

DIAMOND: "What can we do?" he asks.

"He'll beat us and burn us. Finish us once and for all" -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Khirbet Humsa, West Bank.

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HUNTE: Ukrainian peace negotiators are set to meet their U.S. counterparts in Miami in the coming hours. That is happening as president Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks more clarity about future talks down the line.

Russia and Ukraine are still far apart on the territory issue. That is despite a series of recent trilateral talks with the U.S. Zelenskyy says Saturday's meeting will focus on laying the groundwork for future negotiations. But he says there's a missing piece that's still holding back the progress.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As I

mentioned, there has been progress in the trilateral meeting and the military format. All three sides agreed on the mechanism for monitoring a ceasefire once there is political will.

However, that political will does not yet exist. This is why the political group is now on its way to the United States, where they will speak with the U.S. side.

We understand that the Russians do not want to travel to the U.S., while the Americans, given the war in the Middle East, say their presence in the U.S. is a priority. This is why our group is going to the United States.

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HUNTE: Despite pressure from the U.S. government, Cuba says that regime change or its political system is not up for negotiation. This comes as the U.S. continues its oil blockade on the island, which has resulted in an ongoing energy crisis.

Just last week, Cuba's president confirmed talks had been held with White House officials to find a way to end that current oil blockade. The Cuban vice foreign minister rejected the idea of regime change on Friday when asked about the ongoing talks

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CARLOS FERNANDEZ DE COSSIO, CUBAN VICE FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Cuba has long maintained a consistent position of being willing to engage in dialogue with the United States in a respectful and responsible manner; of course, on the basis of international law and respect for each country's sovereignty.

This has been a position we have consistently upheld and we are not going to change it at this time, despite the increased hostility from the United States.

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HUNTE: The oil blockade has led to a severe energy and economic crisis in Cuba as power outages occur daily across the island.

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum says a ship carrying aid is on its way to the island and more help is expected.

BTS fans have been waiting for almost four years and, in just a few hours, thousands of them will experience the K-pop group's comeback concert. We'll go to Seoul, South Korea, for a live report next. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE: We are just a few hours away from the highly anticipated concert by K-pop megastars BTS in Seoul, South Korea. It comes after the seven member group dropped its long-awaited album, "Arirang," on Friday.

This will be their first concert in almost four years. They had to put their music careers on hold to complete mandatory military service. CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins us live now from Seoul, South Korea, living her best life over there.

We see lots of people in the background with you.

Was it hard to get tickets and expensive, too?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ben, this concert that's happening in just a couple of hours is actually a free concert. And you had to apply to get them. Of course, because we are media, we have the amazing privilege to be able to cover this event and actually be a part of that concert.

But I do want to show you just these huge crowds right in the heart of Seoul behind me. This is the security check they have to go through to enter the concert venue. Already you can see massive lines. I think you can see some fans also wearing purple, which is the BTS color, clearly showing their pride as part of BTS' fan base, also known as Army.

Now Ben, also, I just want to show you here, I mean just a constant stream of people as they're going through this public square. You can also see some police barricades up here because the police and the authorities are very much trying to control these crowds.

They are expecting over a quarter of a million people to show up to this concert. I mean, those are huge numbers. And again, only a fraction of those people actually have tickets. So they're doing their best to make sure that the crowds don't get too big, don't get too congested to avoid any accidents or any, of course, incidents.

Now also, I just want to show you here. This is one of three stations also blocked off, which is again a measure to control the crowds on this very, very exciting day.

Now we spent some time speaking to fans earlier about just how excited they were and how they can't wait for their favorite boy band to take the stage after a nearly four-year hiatus. Listen to this.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's our first time. We are -- we are too much excited.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you answer the question, I feel like this.

(LAUGHTER) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it's really unbelievable for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: And Ben, as you know, they just released their latest album, "Arirang," on Friday and it's already broken records. According to Apple Music, they have now the title for the biggest pop album by a group and also biggest K-pop album based on first day streams worldwide.

I mean, it just speaks to how popular this group is, not just in South Korea but also around the world.

Some analysts also predict that this world tour that's set to begin from April will generate as much as US$ 2 billion. I mean, that rivals Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, which, as you know, was a massive, massive deal.

So again, just so much excitement. The whole of BTS taking over the entire city of Seoul as we are celebrating this huge moment in K-pop music history. Back to you.

HUNTE: I love it. We love good news. It's so exciting. Quarter of a million people is crazy. Thank you so much, Hanako Montgomery. Appreciate it.

Parts of Australia's northeast coast are assessing the damage brought by tropical cyclone Narelle. Destructive winds, heavy rain and power outages were reported across the far north Queensland region when the storm struck on Friday.

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The storm made landfall as a category four storm but was downgraded to a category three tropical cyclone as it moved inland. There are reports of damage but no injuries or fatalities so far. Rescue and response teams have been pre-positioned in case they are needed.

Your chocolate Easter bunny may come with a little sticker shock this year. Raw cocoa prices have dropped by nearly 70 percent since a record high year back in 2024. But that drop hasn't reached store shelves yet. That is because candy makers buy their ingredients months in advance and work through existing inventory first.

Chocolate prices should start to ease later this year but, for now, that sticker shock hasn't stopping spending. Americans are expected to shell out over $3 billion on Easter candy this year.

Thousands of worshipers in Indonesia packed a football stadium to celebrate Eid and mark the end of Ramadan. The massive crowd came together from nearby towns and villages outside of Jakarta to pray.

So many people there.

Many worshipers said the struggles of Muslims all around the world were top of their minds, particularly as the conflicts in the Middle East do rage on. As we told you earlier, many attendees expressed their hope that the holiday does bring a sense of peace and reflection and togetherness to all of those who are struggling.

And there are so many people struggling at the moment.

That's all I've got for you for now. Thanks for joining me and the team. Of course, I am Ben Hunte in Atlanta and I will see you exactly the same time tomorrow. "INSIDE AFRICA" is next. And then there's so much more CNN NEWSROOM in about 30 minutes' time. See you tomorrow.

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