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Iran Prefers To Engage With Vice President J.D. Vance Over Steve Witkoff And Jared Kushner; Conflicting Reports On U.S.-Iran Talks Upend Oil Prices; Russia-Ukraine War Drags On As World Focus Shifts To Iran; Russia Ramping Up Attacks More Than Four Years Into the War; Kim Jong-un Says Iran War Justifies Decision to Keep Nukes; Russia Issues Message of Support for Ally North Korea; Pope Leo Urges Diplomacy to Resolve Iran Conflict; Rare Storm Threatens Middle East With Flooding, Wind Gusts; Aid Trickles Into Cuba Amid Energy Crisis, U.S. Oil Blockade; Meta Told to Pay $375 Million in Child Sexual Exploitation Trial; New Details Emerge as NTSB Probes Deadly Runway Collision; DHS Says More Than 450 TSA Officers Have Quit Amid Partial Shutdown; Second Set of Extremely Rare Gorilla Twins Born in DRC; Superstar Mo Salah Announces He's Leaving Liverpool FC. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired March 25, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:34]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

We are nearly one month into the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran and missiles were seen in the skies over Israel and the West Bank overnight, but U.S. President Donald Trump is claiming victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we're going to end it. I can't tell you for sure. You know, I don't like to say this, we've won this. This war has been won.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Sources tell CNN that about a thousand U.S. soldiers are expecting to deploy to the region in the coming days, as President Trump suggests a mysterious goodwill gesture from Iran is helping with diplomatic efforts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They did something yesterday that was amazing. Actually, they gave us a present, and the present arrived today. It was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money, and I'm not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize, and they gave it to us, and they said they were going to give it. So, that meant one thing to me, we're dealing with the right people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that nuclear related?

TRUMP: No, it wasn't nuclear related. It was oil and gas related.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, an Iranian source tells CNN there has been outreach between the U.S. and Iran, and Tehran is willing to listen to suitable proposals to end the war.

The international community is pushing for a swift resolution to the war, with China's top diplomat urging Tehran to initiate peace talks as soon as possible.

But an Israeli official says a deal, "Does not appear tangible right now." So, let's bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks. She joins us live from Dubai. Good to see you, Paula.

So, what more are you learning about negotiations to end this war, and Iran not wanting U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff or Jared Kushner to be involved in those talks?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary, we're hearing from two regional sources that Iranian representatives don't want to be dealing with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy, and also Jared Kushner, Trump's son in law. These are the two men who were leading the negotiations, which failed 26 days ago, resulting in the start of this war.

They, according to the sources, Iranian representatives say that there is a deficit of trust in these two individuals. We've heard from the Trump administration, though, that it's up to the U.S. president who is in his team, not Iran. He has said that he also wants to see the Vice President J.D. Vance and the Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading these negotiations as well.

So, it's a -- it's a fairly significant team. All of his diplomatic staff would potentially be involved.

Now, what we're also hearing, and this is just in a recent interview with India today, is the spokesperson for the foreign ministry speaking more about the distrust, but saying it is distrust in any U.S. diplomacy, pointing out that they were in negotiations this time around when the war started, back in June of last year, they were in negotiations with the U.S. when Israel and the U.S. started attacking their nuclear facilities.

I want to read you part of this interview. He said, "We have a very catastrophic experience with U.S. diplomacy. We were attacked twice within a span of nine months while we were in the middle of a negotiating process to resolve the nuclear issue. This was a betrayal of diplomacy, and it happened not once, but twice."

We are, though, hearing from an Iranian source that there has been what they describe as outreach, that Iran is willing to negotiate, or they are willing to listen to sustainable proposals, pointing out that nothing has actually reached the level of full on negotiations at this point, and that Iran is not just looking for a cease fire or an end to this war, but concrete steps to make sure that it doesn't happen again, something we've obviously heard from the U.S. side as well, President Trump saying that he now has the guarantee that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. That is something that Iran had said consistently before this war started.

[02:05:05]

So, at this point, the positive sentiment appears to be coming from the U.S. president primarily, we have heard a lot more skepticism from Israel, but we are also hearing from the Iranian side that they are open to these discussions. We know there is a flurry of diplomacy in the region. We know, like Turkey, Egypt are believed to be quite heavily involved in this process. Pakistan also offering its diplomats to be able to try and negotiate between the two sides.

So, there is certainly the will in the region for this to go forward and a quick look at the region to see what sort of impact there was overnight from Iranian missiles. We did see Kuwait, once again, being hit by projectiles. Now we understand that a fuel depot at Kuwait International Airport was hit. We understand emergency teams are on the scene to put that fire out. There is not an airport that is open at this point, so that there were no casualties, no one on the ground that there has been material damage.

And that comes after yesterday, when we saw a number of power lines that were hit in Kuwait and they were down. Saudi Arabia also saying that they have intercepted drones heading into their country.

So, at this point, at the same time as we're hearing all this talk of diplomacy, we're not hearing and seeing any letter in what is happening when it comes to the war itself, Israel and the U.S. still continuing to carry out their bombardments in Iran as well. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Our thanks to Paula Hancocks bringing us that live report from Dubai. Appreciate it.

Cedric Leighton is a CNN military analyst and a retired Air Force Colonel. Thanks so much for joining us.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's my pleasure, Rosemary, thanks so much for having me.

CHURCH: Of course. So, we are hearing that U.S. officials have approved orders to send a thousand soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division's first Brigade Combat Team, which included the immediate response force. What does that signal to you in terms of what these soldiers will likely be doing when they deploy, in addition to, of course, the thousands more already en route to the region?

LEIGHTON: Yes, Rosemary, when the 82nd airborne deploys somewhere, especially with its immediate response force, that indicates that they are at least planning for the possibility of doing something.

So, the various scenarios could include them going after targets on Kharg Island, going after targets around the Strait of Hormuz, possibly doing other missions in the area, possibly going after some other islands within the Persian Gulf, but the most complicated mission, and probably the most unlikely mission, would be going after the nuclear enriched uranium stockpiles.

So, that is basically what could be on the menu for the 82nd Airborne Division. But what's interesting also is that the commanding general of the 82nd airborne division is also apparently going to deploy, and with his presence, that usually indicates that their planning efforts are actually very serious at this point, and could result in actual movement of forces and a further increase in ground troops in the Middle East.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, meantime, Tehran initially denied it was talking with the U.S. s but now an Iranian source confirms that the U.S. has initiated outreach to end the war. President Trump says he's open to talks because Iran is giving him a in his words, very big president, worth a lot of money, he says, that's related to the flow of oil in the Strait of Hormuz. But he wouldn't give any more specifics than that, but he added that the U.S. has won this war. What's your reaction to all of this as a military expert?

LEIGHTON: Yes, it's, well, it's a very odd victory to say the least. You know, when I look at this Rosemary, I'm looking at what war aims were actually achieved. And one of the difficulties that you have in assessing this particular situation is that the war aims actually changed. At one point we were talking about regime change. At another point we were talking about going after the nuclear materials, the enriched uranium. And that seems to have fallen by the wayside.

The one area where there is a, you know, certain congruence is going after the ballistic missile threat, but that ballistic missile threat is still in existence, and in fact, the Iranians demonstrated that they have long range capabilities that were not previously admitted to.

So, there are a lot of things that indicate that this is, at best, a standoff, and at worst, you know, something much less than a victory.

[02:10:09]

CHURCH: Yes, and of course, as there's talk of the possibility of ending this war, it rages on, doesn't it? What is your assessment of where things stand right now on the ground militarily?

LEIGHTON: So, it's very clear, Rosemary, that the actual military force on force efforts have been fairly successful by the U.S. and by Israel. And by that, I mean the destruction of the Iranian Navy, the destruction of a large proportion of their air force, and a large proportion of their ballistic missile arsenal.

But there still are remnants of that arsenal, in existence, of that ballistic missile arsenal, and the Iranians have a lot of asymmetric capabilities. Those asymmetric capabilities include things like their small boats, things like their drone fleet, and also their cyber capabilities, and none of those have been decimated at this point. CHURCH: And Colonel, reports indicate that Saudi Arabia wants the U.S.

to continue this war, to degrade Iran's missile capabilities as much as possible, adding that this is an historic opportunity to remake the Middle East. That's according to Saudi Arabia and Trump, of course, has two buildings in Saudi Arabia and a planned resort and golf club. How likely is it that the U.S. president will listen to the Crown Prince and continue this war, as Israel would prefer to do?

LEIGHTON: Yes, I think it's very interesting the congruence between the Israeli and the Saudi Arabian positions in this case. So, it is, I think, at least 50-50 that President Trump will continue some form of conflict with Iran, but he may seek to basically have a pause at this particular moment in time because of high gas prices here in the U.S. and, of course, around the world as well.

So, there are certain imperatives that you know he's going to be answering to on that front, but he also is going to pay very close attention to what the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince tells him, and I think, at one point or another, that could result in a resumption of hostilities.

CHURCH: Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your military analysis.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Rosemary, thanks so much again for having me.

CHURCH: Appreciate it.

The war's disruption to energy markets is now being felt in more countries around the world.

In Chile, people rush to fill up their gas tanks before a sharp increase in fuel prices goes into effect on Thursday, the capital Santiago is looking at a 30 percent hike for regular gas and 60 percent for diesel.

In Kenya, hundreds of retailers say they are running short on fuel. Regulators recently froze prices, but consumers are expecting an increase next month.

And for more on this, we have CNN's Eleni Giokos in Dubai and Hanako Montgomery joining us from Tokyo. Good to see you both.

So, Eleni, let's start with you and get an update on where oil prices stand right now, and, of course, how countries are dealing with this.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, it's been very volatile and significant moves in Brent crude and WTI. Every time you sort of hear any good news of a potential diplomatic off ramp, you see a massive move to the downside on Brent crude. And Brent crude right now is now around $100 a barrel.

And that's pretty significant, because we were seeing, you know, highs that were last seen during 2022 but I've been speaking to a lot of traders as well as experts, and they say these sort of intraday moves need to be taken sort of with a pinch of salt, and for what they are right now, Brent crude, you can see just at a hundred, but the point is Rosemary, and I think you just spoke to this is the supply constraints that the world is experiencing on those downstream products, on those refined products already having an impact.

And don't forget that the International Energy Agency is calling this a massive crisis, the largest disruption in supply in the history of markets. And people have been told, don't drive if you don't need to, don't take flights because there's a jet fuel shortage that is starting to hit so many countries, specifically emerging market nations, specifically countries that are not oil producers.

And this is a scary reality, even if the war ends today, you still have so much disruption that needs to be sort of sorted out before you get back to normal levels.

In the meantime, we know that the Gulf states have been under assault for 26 days now. It is not letting up, despite the fact that you're hearing from President Trump that they are engaged in some kind of talks. There's a lot of mistrust between the Iranians and the United States, and of course, Pakistan might be getting involved as a mediator. But how does this end when both sides have such enormous demands.

And Iran still very much in control of the Strait of Hormuz. I want you to take a listen to what the Qatari Foreign Minister spokesperson said, that they had warned that there would be a chain reaction if there was conflict in this region, take a listen.

[02:15:14]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJED MOHAMMED AL-ANSARI, QATAR FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: We've said since 2023 escalation left unchecked in the region will lead to not only regional spillover, but the total regional war that will engulf all of us, and this is exactly what we are in right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: All right, so this is exactly what we're in. Interestingly, Iran keeps saying that the Strait of Hormuz is open to anyone that isn't related to what they say is the enemy.

What has been interesting, and we've been tracking this on marine traffic, is that some vessels are able to pass through, but going into Iranian territorial waters, and now experts are calling it the Iran toll booth, where they have to engage with Iran and pay a fee to pass through the Strait.

President Trump, of course, wants to open that up completely, and I think that as we head to the Friday deadline, because that's what President Trump has said, they're pushing back on targeting Iranian critical energy infrastructure. What happens next? And I think this is going to be one of the big priorities.

CHURCH: Indeed. And Hanako, to you now, of course, as we've been discussing, the war is causing these fuel supply issues for many countries, but particularly across Asia. What is the latest from there?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary, as we just heard from Eleni, a lot of countries around the world are being affected by the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran and Asia is one region that is extremely vulnerable, given that more than 80 percent of its oil actually crosses through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now we've seen, for example, in India, some factories needing to shut down because they don't have enough energy to run those factories. Also drivers who need to get to work to get to school, they don't have enough gas in the tank to get to places that they need to in fact, here's what one rickshaw driver said about how long he's waited at a gas station just to get some gas. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There are long queues. There's a shortage of gas here. Pumps are shut everywhere. How are we supposed to run our businesses in this situation? We have been standing in line for four hours. Gas is expensive everywhere. We are waiting for four or five hours. How will we even cover our vehicle expenses?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: Now, meanwhile, in the Philippines, Rosemary, the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared the first state of a national emergency -- energy emergency because of a war being fought thousands of miles away.

Now this makes Philippines -- the Philippines the first country to ever declare this type of emergency.

Now, in an executive order signed by the president. It reads, "The declaration of a state of national energy emergency will enable the government to implement responsive and coordinated measures under existing laws to address the risks posed by disruptions in the global energy supply and the domestic economy."

Now, Marcos has said that a committee has been set up to try to distribute those supplies evenly across the population, especially to those most vulnerable, for example, Jeepney drivers, those who drive public busses in the Philippines who are unable to get gas and actually do their work so that they can feed their families.

In fact, we've already seen protests across the country in the past couple of weeks or so, protesting against, of course, rising gasoline prices in the Philippines.

Now, also, if you take a look at South Korea on Tuesday, the president called for a 12 point country wide energy saving campaign. Now this campaign isn't actually mandatory. It's not set by law, but these are recommendations.

And those include, for example, urging people to take shorter showers, ride bicycles for short trips. Also avoid charging phones and electric vehicles at night.

So, you know, simple things that people can do in their day-to-day life, to try to avoid consuming a lot of energy.

But again, I mean, these are specific case studies across Asia, and it really speaks to this larger problem that we are seeing, of course, across the region, across the globe, as many countries are wondering when they'll see some kind of reprieve from this war that seems to be crunching a lot of energy supplies, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Hanako Montgomery and Eleni Giokos, many thanks to you both for those live reports. Appreciate it.

Ukraine's president is calling for more pressure on Moscow to renew peace talks. Coming up, the latest on a massive barrage of Russian drone strikes targeting key cities across Ukraine. We're back with that and more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:23:58]

CHURCH: Russia appears to have launched one of its largest attacks in the war with Ukraine so far. Ukraine's president says at least 40 people were injured across the country after Moscow reportedly fired almost a thousand drones in just 24 hours. More than half of those strikes occurred during a rare daytime assault. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argues the escalation is a clear sign that Russia is not trying to resolve the conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The scale of this attack clearly shows that Russia has no real intention of ending this war, and considering that Russia is also helping the Iranian regime carry out strikes across the region. The conclusion is obvious, without additional and strong pressure on Russia, without tangible losses for them there in Moscow, they will not develop any desire to move away from the war or return to peace. It is precisely pressure that is currently lacking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:25:00]

CHURCH: According to Ukraine's Air Force, the drones mainly targeted the country's central and western regions. One of the strikes damaged part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a monastery complex in the western city of Lviv.

The city's mayor says at least 22 people were wounded in the attacks. Meanwhile, in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, drones struck six apartment buildings and city infrastructure. The regional governor says one person was killed and five were injured.

Joining me now live from Kyiv in Ukraine, is the president of the Kyiv School of Economics, Timofiy Mylovanov, appreciate you talking with us.

TIMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, after Russia launched one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine since the start of this war. President Zelenskyy said it's proof Russia has no intention of ending the war. He wants to see more pressure applied to Moscow to end it. But how will that happen while the world's attention is on the war, pretty much fully on the war with Iran right now?

MYLOVANOV: I think that's absolutely true and very unfortunate, because Russia is using this opportunity, has been using the destruction of attention to escalate, and President Zelenskyy is absolutely right. I've been here in this war for four years, full scale invasion for years, nonstop. I'm used to missiles, but yesterday was pretty bad, and for the first time, it was during the day, when people are at work in traffic jams, you know, in shops. This is actually much more deadly than before.

So, I think we need to speak about this and to draw a connection that Russia is an ally of Iran, and then they are coordinating not only intelligence, but also technology and their military capabilities. So, I think we shouldn't view it in isolation.

CHURCH: Right, and of course, Russia fired nearly 1,000 drones didn't it in just the 24 hours, and during the day, as you mentioned, which is it can be very deadly, with residents working and living, walking the streets directed at Ukraine's central and western regions.

So, how bad were those attacks, and what is the strategy behind them? And how likely is it that the supply of Iranian drones could run dry for Russia very soon, because Tehran needs them for its war.

MYLOVANOV: Yes, I'm hopeful that's going to be the case. But Russia so far has been using much, you know, many more drones and much more intensive approach than is used in Iran.

And so, in fact, I think, I hope it will never come to that in Iran, to that level of intensity.

But yes, I think there are at least several very practical things which can -- which can be done. And one important of them is bypassing of sanctions on electronics for production of these drones, I think the world can do much more in terms of enforcing and imposing secondary sanctions on those companies and individuals which facilitate production of these drones.

CHURCH: And what is your assessment of where the war in Ukraine stands right now?

MYLOVANOV: So, I'm still thinking that we have a chance, about 50 to 60 percent chance, to get to some kind of ceasefire, whether it's formal or informal this year. It's not going to happen next week, obviously, this is not going to happen in a month, but it can happen before the midterm elections in the United States. Unfortunately, I think if that window of opportunity closes, I think

the war can go for at least another year or two, which is going to be devastating and really disrupting, not only for Ukraine, but for the entire of Europe.

CHURCH: And Timofiy, why do you think President Trump has said so little about evidence that suggests Russia is helping the Iranian regime carry out strikes across the Gulf region as the war with Iran rages on?

MYLOVANOV: I think that's a consistent strategy of the current presidential administration in the United States, not to aggravate Russia and in public rhetoric to speak about them naturally, if not positively, with only very rare, occasional negative remarks.

And yet, when things like sanctions are taken, you know, happen and imposed on Russia, or some other negative actions are taken by the United States, you know, that comes as a surprise.

So, I think I would separate the rhetoric and the actions by the United States, but it is true that the United States could do so much more than I'm putting it diplomatically, in terms of putting pressure on Russia. And of course, it would be great if it was done, and it would help bring the war to close.

[02:30:00]

And the problem is we can't afford -- the world can't afford to have multiple prolonged conflicts around the globe. It is going to be devastating and really disrupting for the entire global economy.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Tymofiy Mylovanov in Kyiv, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

A U.S. citizen imprisoned for more than a year in Afghanistan has been released. 64-year-old Dennis Coyle was detained by the Taliban in Kabul in January of last year and was held in near solitary confinement without ever being charged with a crime. The academic had spent nearly 20 years working in Afghanistan. According to U.S. officials, nothing was traded or given to secure Coyle's freedom.

A defiant message from North Korea's Kim Jong-un, why he is accusing the U.S. of state-sponsored terrorism and saying he will never ever get rid of his nukes. Back with that in just a moment.

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[02:35:32]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Kim Jong-un says the war with Iran proves North Korea was right to push ahead with its nuclear program. And he has leveled some strong accusations against the U.S. president following another round of missile tests earlier this month. CNN's Will Ripley has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WILL RIPLEY, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un walks into Parliament with confidence. State media claims he just won re-election by a landslide with 99.93 percent of the vote.

In front of a packed house in Pyongyang, Kim has a defiant message for President Donald Trump. The United States is now resorting to acts of state-sponsored terrorism and aggression. The hostile forces wanted us to make a different choice, preaching a payment for our giving up of nuclear weapons. But the present situation clearly proves our nuclear possession is irreversible.

Kim never names Iran, he doesn't have to. His message to Trump is blunt. When diplomacy fails, only brute nuclear force will do.

Ever since the Iran war broke out, a string of high-profile North Korean weapons tests, this salvo of cruise missiles fired from Kim's flagship destroyer, the Choe Hyon. Days later, a barrage of what state media calls a dozen nuclear-capable rockets. Kim, joined by his daughter and rumored successor-in-training, the teenager believed to be named Kim Ju-ae.

She's even getting behind the wheel of a brand-new tank, with her father riding shotgun. Kim and his daughter busy flaunting their firepower. And Russia, praising its anti-U.S. partnership with Pyongyang.

During coverage of the Iran war, Russian state TV airing footage of North Korean troops training near the Ukrainian front, glorifying soldiers who chose suicide over capture, a clear signal Russia has North Korea's back.

And back in Pyongyang, Kim is honoring families of fallen troops, doubling down on nuclear weapons, and telling his military and his people to prepare for war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY (on camera): There are still signs diplomacy is not completely off the table. Just this month, South Korea's prime minister sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office, raising the possibility of another meeting with Kim Jong-un. Trump has made it clear he's open to it, and Kim is signaling he could actually be too, but with one condition, North Korea's nuclear weapons are not up for negotiation.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

CHURCH: Pope Leo is calling for diplomacy to resolve the Iran conflict. The first American pope expressed his concern about the war to reporters on Tuesday.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I want to renew the appeal for a ceasefire, to work for peace but not with weapons, rather through dialog, truly seeking a solution for everyone. Now hatred and violence are increasing, getting worse and worse.

There are more than a million people are displaced, and many have died. We want to pray for peace, but I also invite all authorities to truly work through dialog to resolve the problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Pope Leo has been increasingly vocal about calling for an end to the war with Iran. He said on Sunday, the conflict is a scandal to humanity and a "cry before God."

A rare powerful storm is bearing down on the Persian Gulf region, and it is expected to bring severe thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts, and isolated tornadoes. The storm will cap off a week of heavy rain, high winds, and treacherous seas.

CNN's Derek Van Dam has the Middle East forecast.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have a rare severe weather threat for parts of the Middle East going forward this week, and with all the global attention focused on this part of the world, this is an important weather forecast. We have the potential for hail, damaging winds, and we can't even rule out an isolated tornado with this set up.

It's already been very active across the region. Here's our satellite loop over the past 24 hours or so. Heavy rainstorms have moved through portions of the Persian Gulf. You can see into Qatar as well as the United Arab Emirates.

[02:40:00]

These locations have, in some instances, experienced over two times their monthly average rainfall for March and nearly two-thirds of their annual rainfall. We'll give those examples in just one moment. Here's a look at the rain just recorded here in the past day or so.

And in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, they received about 57 mm of rain with more rainfall in this forecast. But again, this is two times their monthly average for March and nearly two-thirds their average for the entire year. Here's a climatological kind of breakdown of the rainiest months for Abu Dhabi. Their average yearly rainfall total 89 mm. And again, over the past 24 hours, it has been 57 mm.

We typically get rain this time of year, starting to peter out as we head into April and May into our dry summer months across this part of the world. But that's a lot of rain to contend with in what is normally a dry part of the planet. And here's what's coming.

It's a robust storm system that will bring the potential of severe weather and heavy rain once again. It's the last thing we need. Remember back in April of 2024, when Dubai received a significant amount of rain, even flooding Dubai's international airport. We don't want to see a repeat of that. But with this current set up, you can see the additional forecast rain in an already saturated desert environment. This could spell at least some potential for localized flooding.

So heads up if you live in northern Oman into the UAE, including Abu Dhabi, even into Qatar, Bahrain and portions of Kuwait. This area could experience significant rainfall for this time of year, even into southern sections of Iran. Again, a lot of eyes focused on this part of the world.

So this is an incredibly crucial weather forecast. Back to you.

CHURCH: An international convoy delivers humanitarian aid to Cuba, but it is nowhere near what's needed as the country faces an energy crisis and U.S. oil blockade. CNN is on the scene in Havana. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:46:44]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Desperately needed aid is slowly trickling into Cuba after the country was plunged into total darkness twice last week. A humanitarian aid ship carrying solar panels, toiletries, food and medicine docked in Havana on Tuesday. The island is grappling with a deepening economic crisis and a U.S. blockade of critical oil supplies. A crew member for the aid flotilla says they want to show solidarity and support for Cuba.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THIAGO AVILA, MEMBER, NUESTRA AMERICA FLOTILLA (through translator): This is an immense emotion for us being here, because we know Cuba is the most solidarity driven country in the world. We come in return. A country that sent medical brigades, teachers, and made so many gestures of solidarity now needs our support. We are here to say Cuba is not alone, that solidarity cannot be blockaded, that we do not fear imperialism, big tech or the millionaires of the arms industry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports from the scene as the humanitarian ship arrived in Havana.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, right behind me, you can see this boat that is coming from Mexico. It is bringing aid, humanitarian aid, food, medicines, solar panels, all items that are very badly needed in Cuba at this moment. It is part of an effort, part of a flotilla of boats that will be arriving to show solidarity with Cuba.

These are activists that to support the Cuban government that have wanted to show that the Cuban government is receiving backing as the U.S. tries to strangle off all energy, all oil shipments to this island. So, it's not a very large boat but it has tons of aid aboard. We've seen other aid arriving by air over the last several days. Certainly, there's much more demand on the island right now than any one group of activists can meet and we hear them singing and shouting to us.

And so, this is really more about the optics, the support that Cuba still receives. This group is not without its criticism though because they're delivering the aid to the government, but we have seen some of this aid already arriving to hospitals either (ph) arrived by air. So, while Cuba is dealing with the worst energy crisis and many, many years dealing with the U.S. administration that is trying to bring the island's government to its knees, to force political and economic change here. Certainly, there are groups around the world that will continue to support this island and the government that is in control here.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

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CHURCH: A jury in New Mexico found social media giant, Meta violated state law by failing to warn users of its platform's dangers and protect minors from sexual predators. The landmark decision marks the first time Meta has been held accountable over concerns about risks to children and teenagers. CNN's Clare Duffy has more details.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Really significant decision in New Mexico here. This case was filed back in 2023 by New Mexico's Attorney General, accusing Meta of creating a breeding ground for child predators by failing to keep bad actors off of Facebook and Instagram, failing to prevent them from messaging teens and kids they don't know on the platform, and for failing to warn users and parents about these risks.

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Now, Meta had pushed back saying that it is honest about the fact that some bad actors and bad content slip through its safety filters, but the jury here found Meta liable on all counts for violating New Mexico's consumer protection law, finding that the company willfully engaged in deceptive and unfair and unconscionable trade practices. And they've ordered Meta to pay $375 million in damages.

Now, Meta says it will appeal this decision, and I'll read you what a Meta spokesperson told me in response to this decision. They said, "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content."

And just to take a step back here, look, $375 million is sort of a drop in the bucket for a company as big as Meta, but this is nonetheless a very important moment. This company has for years faced concerns from parents and advocates and lawmakers over the risks to children on its platform, and this is the first time that we are seeing a jury hold the company accountable for those risks. This is also just the first phase of this trial, so there will be another phase presented directly to the judge where we could see the company ordered to pay additional financial damages and also potentially to make changes to its platform. And I certainly think that you'll see other state AGs watching this result closely. Potentially, this presents an approach for other states to follow with the success of this New Mexico decision. Back to you.

CHURCH: New details are emerging in the investigation into the deadly runway collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday laid out the final few minutes leading up to the crash between an Air Canada flight and a fire truck over the weekend, and revealed that the truck was not equipped with a transponder which helps air traffic controllers identify and track vehicles.

The NTSB chair also explained why an alert never came from the airport's surface detention equipment.

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JENNIFER HOMENDY, CHAIR, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: ASDE-X did not generate an alert due to the close proximity of vehicles merging and unmerging near the runway, resulting in the inability to create a track of high confidence.

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CHURCH: We've learned that less than three minutes elapsed between the plane being cleared to land and its collision with the fire truck. Both pilots were killed. The NTSB chair says there were two air traffic controllers in the tower at the time of the crash.

U.S. officials say more than 450 TSA agents have resigned since the start of the partial government shutdown. More than 3,200 TSA workers called out on Monday. That figure isn't far off from the record number of call-outs on Sunday, which came close to 12 percent of workers across the nation.

TSA employees have been working without pay, and union leaders say they feel abandoned and undervalued, especially as ICE agents who are getting a paycheck have stepped in to assist at select airports.

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EVERETT KELLEY, AFGE NATIONAL PRESIDENT: The administration sent ICE agents to airports as replacement workers. That's like giving a person dying of pneumonia a teaspoon of cough syrup. It doesn't address the problem, and it's not going to work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are we making TSA employees the pawn on the chessboard?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not that these employees and their families are hungry. They're beginning to starve. CHRISTINE VITAL, AFGE LOCAL 777 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: I just have a message for Washington. Pay us. Stop holding us hostage. Give us our money.

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CHURCH: Extended passenger wait times are already expected for Wednesday in some places. Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport warns travelers may have to wait upwards of four hours before catching their flights.

An endangered mountain gorilla family welcomes two new members. Why their birth is so rare. We'll take a look at that after the break.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. A rare set of gorilla twins were born in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park. Newly released video shows the mother holding onto her two-week-old twins, one female, one male.

Park officials say this was an extraordinary event because it's the second set of twins born at the park this year. They say the likelihood of endangered mountain gorillas having twins is less than one percent. How about that?

All right, before we go, some major news out of the English Premier League. The superstar nicknamed the Egyptian King is leaving the club he led to glory. Forward Mo Salah says he will part ways with Liverpool at the end of the season. Salah, who is 33, said in a video message that he never imagined how deeply this club, this city, and its people would become part of his life.

Salah scored 255 times for Liverpool, becoming the club's all-time third-highest goal scorer. He also played a key role in helping Liverpool win two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, and an array of additional trophies. No word yet on his next move.

I want to thank you so much for joining us this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" after a short break. Do stay with us.

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