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U.S. House Passes Its Own Funding Bill, Prolonging Shutdown; U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Iran Maintains Chokehold on Strait of Hormuz; Millions Expected at "No Kings" Protests across the U.S. and Abroad; Hundreds of TSA Agents Quit after No Pay; CPAC Attendees Weigh In on Iran War; Monaco Welcomes Pope Leo XIV for Historic Visit; FIFA World Cup. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired March 28, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. I'm Becky Anderson, live from our Middle East programming headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And I'm Kim Brunhuber in Atlanta.

We start in Washington, where Congress remains deadlocked over how to end the partial government shutdown. The Republican-dominated House of Representatives has adopted its own short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Now that was after House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected a Senate-approved plan.

President Trump didn't support that measure, would have funded most of DHS except immigration enforcement and parts of Border Patrol. So that means, for now, there is no end in sight for the shutdown that's hobbled airports across the country, with TSA shortages, long lineups of passengers and flight delays.

We'll have more on that story coming up. Now let's get back to the Middle East and Becky Anderson with the latest on the war with Iran -- Becky.

Kim, thank you for that.

A significant strike on a U.S. base has left American troops wounded. A U.S. official tells CNN that Iran hit Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. At least 10 U.S. service members were injured. Two of them are recovering from shrapnel wounds. A tanker aircraft was also hit.

Iranian media released this image claiming to show the damage. Meanwhile, Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen say they have launched ballistic missiles against Israel, marking the rebel group's entry into this war. The Houthis said the operation was a direct response to, quote,

"continued military escalation, the targeting of infrastructure and the perpetration of crimes and massacres against our brothers in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Palestine."

Well, this comes as Israel ramps up attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran's foreign minister denounced the attacks, warning Israel will pay a heavy price.

And as the U.S. sends hundreds more troops to the region, we are now learning that it is also expected to deploy a third aircraft carrier. It is not clear if the USS George H.W. Bush will join or replace either of the aircraft carriers already in place. President Trump said Friday the war with Iran is, quote, "not finished yet."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Now we're just going after targets. And again, they have no anti-aircraft, so we're just floating over the top looking for whatever we want and we're hitting it and we have another 3,554 targets left and that will be done pretty quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Let's bring in CNN's Eleni Giokos, live from Dubai.

It's just past midday here in the UAE this Saturday, a month now into this. Get us up to speed on any further detail we have on the latest.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There's a lot happening today, Becky. And as you say, one month in and the announcement by the Iranian proxy group, the Houthis, now joining in the war is potentially a signal of another front opening up.

Remember, the Houthis have been remarkably quiet since the start of the war. Israel saying that they identified a missile that was struck into Israeli territory. Then the Houthi group announcing that they've launched a barrage of missiles because of the escalation.

Of course, this creates another big issue.

You know, what happens to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Gulf of Aden?

That's another significant chokepoint and, of course, another potential risk.

I also want to talk about the strike in Saudi Arabia at the Prince Sultan Air Base. Ten U.S. servicemen were injured. There were no deaths there reported. But also the Iranians releasing this satellite image of a refuel tanker aircraft that was also damaged here in the UAE.

We also saw strikes this morning. Of course, we all received these alerts. But interestingly, you know, one area that has been targeted is the Khalifa Economic Zone. Debris falling there, injuring one person.

Kuwait announcing that drones were intercepted; Bahrain, a fire that they had to deal with today; Riyadh also intercepting ballistic missiles. This all while this 10-day diplomatic window has been opened up, which takes us to the 6th of April.

[04:05:02]

And also president Trump saying they're not finished yet, they have 3,554 targets to still strike in Iran. Interestingly, he also said that they're winning this war. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They are being decimated. They are talking. We are talking now. They want to make a deal. Very simply, our military is the greatest in the world by far. Iran is being decimated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: So the news of the George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier expecting to arrive in this region also brings into question the military buildup that we're seeing in addition to the troops that will be arriving.

Marco Rubio says that this is just for contingency if something should transpire. At the same time, Pakistan is also talking about engaging in diplomatic talks, trying to figure out how the 15-point plan by the Trump administration will be implemented. That conversation will be happening between Turkiye, Pakistan, Egypt as well as Riyadh.

ANDERSON: Eleni, good to get you -- get our viewers up to speed from there in Dubai. Thank you for that.

U.S. stocks slid Friday and the Dow closed in a correction, as it's known, down 10 percent from its recent peak above 50,000. Uncertainty about the duration of the war with Iran along with nerves about energy inflation continuing to weigh on these markets.

The Dow and the S&P have dropped for five weeks in a row, posting their worst streak of consecutive weekly losses in almost four years. And the three major U.S. indices each closed at their lowest level since August on Friday.

Now the key factor is rising oil prices, which settled Friday at their highest level since this war began. Oil prices climbed as investors grew skeptical of efforts to end the war. Brent crude, which is, of course, the global benchmark, rose to more than 112 bucks on the barrel.

U.S. crude oil settling at $99.64 and that's after briefly hitting $100 on the barrel.

Auto association AAA in the States says the national average price -- excuse me -- the national average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. is now nearly $4. That's up from $1 from just a month ago. Let me get you to my next guest. Neil Atkinson is a visiting fellow at the National Center For Energy Analytics.

Excuse me, Neil, I'm losing my voice. The energy crisis will not lead to supply shortages in Europe, is what one guest told Richard Quest, my colleague, yesterday. But it will cause a crisis of higher prices.

Do you agree?

NEIL ATKINSON, VISITING FELLOW, NATIONAL CENTER FOR ENERGY ANALYTICS: Well, unless something changes vis-a-vis the Strait of Hormuz, it's difficult to see why there won't be shortages of either crude or products or both.

In pretty well everywhere, other than in the United States, because the flows to the strait of both crude and products have plunged. You know, we're now four weeks into this and there's only about, give or take, 2 million to 2.5 million barrels a day of oil escaping the strait; most of it actually, Iranian shipments.

And, you know, we are in a situation now where a lot of oil was already on the water, having come through the strait at the time the conflict started. But the flows have stopped. Therefore, we're going to get shortages, particularly, of course, in Asia, which is the most hardhit. But elsewhere.

ANDERSON: The threat by the Houthis to enter this conflict, of course, creates a clear risk to shipping in the Red Sea, which is to the west of Saudi Arabia and is a key strategic point for Saudi oil exports.

How do you assess that latest news?

ATKINSON: Well, one of the ways in which the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been offset has been Saudi Arabia's willingness or -- sorry -- Saudi Arabia's ability to ship oil through its pipeline to the Red Sea coast.

Now so far in this conflict, the Houthis have been relatively quiet. We haven't actually heard very much from them. We haven't seen much sign of activity from them. But they are, of course, an Iranian ally, an Iranian proxy.

And it may well be that a part of Iran's long game in this conflict would be to mobilize, if that's the right word, the Houthis and to start attacking ships in the Red Sea, which we have seen fairly regularly over the last few years. And if that threat is to become real, then that, of course, adds to the tension, that adds to the uncertainty.

[04:10:00]

And adds to the pressure on global oil supply and therefore adds to the upward pressure on prices, which I think we're going to see anyway.

ANDERSON: You are the former head of the oil division at the International Energy Agency. I want to lean into that experience. We've already had the IEA announce members will release 400 million barrels of emergency stocks. Frankly, that did little to stabilize these markets.

Does that leave countries with enough reserves?

ATKINSON: Well, when I was head of the oil division at the IEA, so, you know, the IEA has made a major contribution by agreeing with its member countries to release nearly 420 million barrels. And that's a good thing.

But it in no way comes even remotely close to offsetting the impact of the closure of the strait. And the other problem with the IEA stock release is that the overwhelming majority of its member countries are Atlantic Basin-focused -- the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe.

But the crisis affects countries most acutely in Asia, Japan, Korea, India and many other countries. So there is a mismatch in terms of where the IEA stock release will take place and the needs of the countries that will -- may come to rely on some of that emergency oil.

And then, of course, that's before we get started on the issue of the quality of the oil that is made available to the market, because, as your viewers may know, oil varies enormously in quality and its desirability on the part of refiners.

ANDERSON: There is clear concern from investors that higher oil prices will lead to faster inflation. And in the Asian markets and economies, we are already seeing the impact of these -- this supply shock on energy prices.

I guess the question is, at this point, where do you see the biggest risks in terms of assets?

And which assets do you see as benefiting to a degree in the short to medium term?

And feel free to concentrate on that Asian bloc, because I think you're absolutely right to underscore the enormity of the impact there.

ATKINSON: Well, I've just come back from India. I was in India for most of this past week. And it was very, very clear in talks with policymakers and corporate representatives from the energy sector in India and one or two people from other parts that they are very, very concerned indeed.

Unless something changes, their economies as a whole are going to be very, very badly hit. Indian officials that I spoke to were very angry. They don't see how this is their war. It is not their war. It has nothing to do with them. And they resent the fact that their economies are being hardhit.

There may well be shortages of energy products and indeed other products, eventually, further down the food chain, literally the food chain, because of the shortages perhaps of fertilizers and other agricultural products. So there's all -- pretty well every sector you can think of could well

be affected if we -- if the blockage continues. And the final point here is that, earlier this week, the OECD put out a global economic outlook. And it pointed out that that they foresee inflation rising in many countries around the world, not least in the United States.

Because, of course, oil, and gas for that matter, is used in every single country in the world in some application or, rather, lots of different oil products. And prices are rising and it will hit every economy and Asia even more so because it is very dependent on oil and gas imports from the Middle East Gulf.

ANDERSON: Neil, it's good to get your perspective, particularly that very acute perspective from India. It's good to get you on this morning with that. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

We're going to have a lot more from the Middle East at the bottom of the hour.

But straight ahead, golf superstar Tiger Woods has been released from jail in Florida and is facing charges after getting into another car crash. What we know about that incident is up next.

Plus, president Trump issues an order to end the chaos at U.S. airports.

Will it fix the long lines and TSA shortages while the Department of Homeland Security remains shut down?

More with Kim after this.

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BRUNHUBER: U.S. House Republicans have pushed through their own Department of Homeland Security funding bill, prolonging the partial government shutdown. Now the short-term measure would extend funding for all of DHS for eight weeks.

This comes after the House rejected a bipartisan Senate deal that didn't fund immigration enforcement or parts of Border Patrol. Senate Democrats have already said the House GOP plan will be dead on arrival in their chamber.

Now regardless of how long the partial government shutdown lasts, the Department of Homeland Security says TSA workers could start seeing paychecks as early as Monday. That's after president Donald Trump signed a promised executive action to allocate other funds to pay them.

A record number of security screeners called out from work on Thursday and have now missed two full paychecks. Immigration agents have been assisting at airports where we're seeing long lines and frustrated travelers without a paycheck. Some TSA agents have been rationing food, others are getting eviction notices. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANESSA MATURANA, AIR TRAVELER: They just need to pay the guys. Just get them their salary on time and do what they need to.

ARTHUR TSABETZIS, AIR TRAVELER: It's an absolute nightmare. So I don't blame all the airports but this one here is absolutely an abomination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Millions of people in the U.S. are expected to take part today in more than 3,000 "No Kings" protests across the country.

[04:20:06]

Organizers say they oppose the, quote, "authoritarianism and corruption" under the Trump administration. In addition to the protests in all 50 states, organizers say they expect a number of events to take place internationally. The protests are built on the notion that the U.S. elects democratic leaders, not all-powerful monarchs.

All right. I'm joined now by Richard Johnson, senior lecturer in U.S. politics at Queen Mary University of London.

Good to see you again. Thanks so much for being here with us. So the House and Senate, both in Republican hands, they've passed competing DHS funding bills. And then, you know, basically skipped town for two weeks.

How do you make sense of what's happening between speaker Johnson and Senator Thune right now?

RICHARD JOHNSON, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY: Yes. So I mean, if you look at it, the situation, of course, is that, in order to pass the funding bill, you need to get about seven Democratic senators in the Senate, of course, to support any measure because of the Senate filibuster.

And so Johnson and Thune are operating with different partisan logics in mind. Johnson can and has shown that he can just pass something on a straight party vote. Only three Blue Dog Democrats backed him up last night, whereas he needs to find seven Democratic senators out of the Senate of 100, a much smaller body.

So the middle ground is quite different. I think the other thing to say is that for speaker Johnson, the Freedom Caucus, the more kind of right-wing element in his caucus, is effectively the tail wagging the dog because, if they pick up their toys and walk away, he's going to struggle to make up those votes with other Democrats.

I think he's pretty much maxed out on Democrats he can find in the House. So both men on paper are dealing with Republican majorities. But in practice, they're very different types of majorities and institutional hurdles.

BRUNHUBER: So given, I guess, what you just said and the fact that that president Trump didn't seem to back the Senate proposal, do you see a political path forward to get a deal done anytime soon?

JOHNSON: Well, look, I mean, basically, this boils down to, are Republicans willing to make a few policy concessions on ICE in order to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security?

So Democrats, for months now, have been talking about wanting operational changes to ICE. They want body cams. They want ICE agents not to be wearing masks. They want other forms of accountability.

And they know that if they if they hold out on -- holding out on funding is for the whole DHS is the way to do it. ICE is in a peculiar situation because of Trump's big, beautiful bill act last year. It actually has quite a lot of funding. It's quite flush.

So what's happening is the rest of the Department of Homeland Security is where the leverage is being made here and, most visibly, for everyday Americans, the transport and security agency, the airport security agents.

So I guess the game now is, are Republicans willing to annoy Americans to have agents not paid?

Or are they willing to actually just make a few operational changes to the way that ICE does its business?

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Although we should mention, in the Senate bill, I mean, Democrats didn't even get any of those reforms that they were looking for. And then the House of Republicans didn't want, didn't even want to go that far.

I want to pick up on what you just said and that's the annoyance. I mean, for many workers and travelers, the pain will continue.

Who do you think voters are going to blame for this mess, do you think?

JOHNSON: Well, as with so many aspects of American politics, people are going to view this through a partisan lens, I think. And so people who are inclined to the Democrats will blame the Republicans. People who are inclined to the Republicans are going to blame the Democrats. There's always the question about where independents go.

And I think the at the moment, independents are trending against the Republican administration. I think it's notable. Donald Trump now has, I believe, his highest disapproval rating of either of his presidential terms at the moment.

So I think, you know, if I were to bet on this -- and it's, you know, it's more of a hunch than anything else -- I would guess that ultimately there will be some kind of concessions made, maybe not to the extent that Democrats want something, maybe, let's say, on body cameras but not on masks or something like that.

[04:25:00]

And ultimately, back in November when there was a shutdown, it was the moderate Democrats in the Senate who moved, who ended that. And so I think you just look at the types of senators who moved a few months ago. Those are the ones who I think will end up bringing this to an end.

BRUNHUBER: We shall see. I appreciate your perspective as always, Richard Johnson, thank you so much.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Golf legend Tiger Woods was released from a Florida jail just a short time ago. He's facing charges following his arrest Friday afternoon on suspicion of driving under the influence. The Martin County sheriff says Woods was driving a Land Rover when he clipped a pickup truck that was pulling a small trailer.

The collision caused Woods' vehicle to roll over onto its side. The investigation showed that Woods appeared to be driving erratically just before the crash. The 82-time PGA winner has been trying to mount a comeback to professional golf.

Authorities say Woods showed signs of impairment, although the sheriff said he wasn't under the influence of alcohol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF JOHN BUDENSIEK, MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA: So Mr. Woods did a breathalyzer test, blew triple zeros. But when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. He has a right to refuse that test. There is a Florida statute which he will be charged with for refusing to take that test.

But we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Friday's crash isn't the first car accident that Tiger Woods has been involved in nor is it the first arrest for allegedly driving under the influence for the man who has won 15 majors. CNN's Nick Watt reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Great with a driver but a terrible driver. Tiger Woods' most infamous motoring mishap was back in 2009 when, as his personal life was collapsing under multiple infidelity allegations. He left his home at around 2:25 one morning and crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant, then a tree.

DANIEL SAYLOR, WINDERMERE POLICE CHIEF: He was on the ground semi- unconscious and had lacerations to his upper and lower lip. WATT (voice-over): His wife, who would soon leave him after those allegations became a flood, apparently smashed a window with a golf club and dragged him from the wreck. He was cited for careless driving.

"I'm human and I'm not perfect," Woods posted later on his website. "I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again."

Then in 2017 --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you had anything to drink tonight?

TIGER WOODS, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I have not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you sure?

WOODS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you taken any medication?

WOODS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you remember being asleep in the car?

WATT (voice-over): He'd been fined parked, engine running asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes. He wasn't drunk. Later explained he had an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications and pled guilty to reckless driving.

His body suffered a lot during his stellar career on the course -- multiple back surgeries, knee issues, a lot of much needed prescription meds.

Then in 2021, clocking 87 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone, the SUV he was driving in Palos Verdes, California, crossed the median, left the road and rolled down an embankment.

WATT: He flipped multiple times in that SUV through all this undergrowth and look -- look how far he traveled all the way down here.

WATT (voice-over): Ruled an accident, his legs broken in multiple places, the bones piercing through his skin, Woods was lucky to escape from that one with his life -- Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, we want to take you live to Monaco, where Pope Leo has just arrived. He touched down moments ago by helicopter. We're seeing his motorcade there. And he is the first pontiff to visit the small city-state in hundreds of years.

The pope will be meeting with Prince Albert II before spending some time with the island's young Catholics. The Vatican describes it as a chance to highlight the importance of small nations. The Holy See says they're the natural guardians of multilateralism and

an essential bulwark against authoritarian tendencies. We'll have more on the significance of the visit in a live report later this hour.

The U.N. has said that women are second class citizens in Iran and face blatant discrimination at every step. But Iran's state media still use women as props to rally support during the war. That's ahead.

And CNN's Donie O'Sullivan will take us inside CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. We'll hear some rare dissent from within the movement on Trump's war with Iran. Those stories and more coming up after the break. Stay with us

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ANDERSON: Well, welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson, live from our Middle East and Gulf programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have officially entered the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The group says it launched a barrage of ballistic missiles against Israel a short time ago. A Houthi official previously told CNN they were prepared to back Iran if the U.S. and Israel escalate their attacks.

And that is exactly what Israeli forces appear to be doing, hitting Iranian nuclear facilities.

On Friday, Iran's foreign minister condemned the strike, saying Israel will pay a, quote, "heavy price" for what he called "crimes."

Well, this as the death toll in the Middle East climbs. The Iranian Red Crescent reporting at least 1,900 people there in Iran have been killed during the month of war. And the Trump administration says it is not over yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to destroy their navy. We're going to destroy their air force and we are going to significantly destroy their missile launchers so they can never hide behind these things to get a nuclear weapon.

We can achieve -- we are achieving all those objectives. We are ahead of schedule on most of them and we can achieve them without any ground troops

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Iran continues to attack these Gulf nations. We're learning of an Iranian attack on a U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia that wounded at least 10 American troops. A U.S. official tells CNN that it is not immediately clear what happened but at least two of the service members have shrapnel wounds that are not life threatening.

Let's get you live to CNN's Larry Madowo. He's following all of this for us in London.

We just heard from secretary of state Rubio there, criticizing allies during his meeting with G7 leaders, criticizing what he sees and the Trump administration sees is their unwillingness to help the U.S. out here, not least with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

What have we learned from that G7 meeting and what have we further learned from the U.S. administration at this point?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Secretary Rubio's message here in Europe for the G7 was simple, that the allies have to step up.

[04:35:03]

And that is the message from the Trump administration. Secretary Rubio, after that G7 meeting, said capable countries, countries that are able to support and especially countries that rely more heavily on the Strait of Hormuz, have to do more to protect it.

To make sure that Iran does not run essentially a tolling service, paying, requiring payments to get through the Strait of Hormuz.

And it seemed to get the European leaders, Japan, Canada, all of them, to agree that, after the conflict ends, that they would be involved in a coalition to ensure safe, toll-free passage through the through the Strait of Hormuz.

And that is an important clarification here. He told these leaders that this conflict will be over in a matter of weeks, not months. He didn't set a firm deadline on it. But at least that's some timeline here.

They understand that this war is extremely unpopular within the European public and therefore no governments have been willing to commit military resources to a war that might drag on for a while.

But secretary Rubio essentially repeating what president Trump has been telling the Europeans here. And president Trump had made it quite clear in his sortie (ph) about NATO and European leaders' inability to support this war more fully. Listen to what president Trump said Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, hundreds, protecting them and we would have always been there for them. But now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ANDERSON: He called it breaking news, maybe a developing story, that the Americans are willing to withdraw support for NATO if they do not, in return, match their energy. And, you know, make sure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open.

The German foreign minister, the French foreign minister, said that they essentially agreed in principle that, after this conflict is over, they would agree to some kind of way to open the Strait of Hormuz.

And secretary Rubio saying, Becky, that so far he has not heard from any of these European leaders, that they're unhappy with president Trump's comments. Nobody's screaming or raising their voices in their meetings with him.

ANDERSON: Yes. A month into this war, it is really unclear what happens next at this point, as you rightly point out. Rubio speaking about weeks, not months. There is somewhat of a pause at this point from the U.S. with regard at least its threats against Iranian energy infrastructure.

But what happens during this, what, 10-day pause is really unclear at this point. Larry, good to have you. Thank you.

Well, it is hardly a surprise that Iran's propaganda machine is trying to rally support for the regime as the war grinds on. As part of that message, Iran's Revolutionary Guard says more volunteers are coming forward to join its ranks. But as Jomana Karadsheh reports, some of these future recruits may not even be in their teens.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They call them the Lionesses and they're ready for American troops, they say. This is the sort of propaganda the Iranian regime has been rolling out on state media.

They claim they have more than 1 million troops organized to join the battle against U.S. forces to create a, quote, "historic hell" for U.S. troops on Iranian soil.

Part of this so-called wave of enthusiasm to protect Iran was a disturbing clip we saw on state media, a Revolutionary Guard Corps official announcing they've decided to lower the recruitment age for the security forces to 12.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARADSHEH: Now they don't say kids will take part in active combat. It sounds more like manning checkpoints and other support roles for now. But it's worth remembering, the regime has previously used child soldiers. International law bans the use of kids in armed conflict. It's

something that could amount to a war crime. Independent sources estimate that Iran has 600,000 to 650,000 active duty forces.

But as U.S. threats ramp up and an escalation is looking more and more likely, we will probably be seeing more of this kind of rhetoric and propaganda to rally more than just the hardline regime supporters around the flag.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Jomana Karadsheh reporting for you. I will be back with the very latest developments on this war with Iran at the top of the hour. For now, let's get you back to Kim in Atlanta.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Becky.

So when conservatives gather for the CPAC conference, you'd expect pretty solid support for a Republican president. But with the U.S. now at war with Iran, some Trump supporters are having second thoughts. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan reports from the conference in Dallas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: When it comes to Iran, how do you feel about that?

[04:40:00]

ALEX STONE, CPAC ATTENDEE: I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all. I mean, President Trump ran on no new wars.

O'SULLIVAN: What do you think of the war with Iran at the moment?

BRENDA PASSIALES, CPAC ATTENDEE: Unfortunately, I think it's necessary.

O'SULLIVAN: You do?

PASSIALES: Yes and he is the only president that had the backbone to take it on.

O'SULLIVAN: Here at CPAC in Dallas, opinion is divided about the war in Iran.

COLE KORNELL, CPAC ATTENDEE: Right now, I'm optimistic about it. Am I a Republican that wants a forever war and do I want a bunch of boots on the ground?

Do I want Iraq 2.0?

No. I don't. But through what he has accomplished in the past, what he did with Maduro, I'm very confident that this will be a success as well and as long as it's a temporary thing. I mean, if this is something that's still going on months from now, then Republicans can kiss the midterms Goodbye. O'SULLIVAN: Are you concerned that it's going to drag out into a long-term war?

PASSIALES: Of course. Of course. But I don't think that's going to happen. I don't think Trump will allow that to happen. He is a president of peace. He was in for four years and there was no war.

STONE: I feel like we have been co-opted into a war. That shouldn't be ours. It should be Israel's. Obviously, I don't think that Iran should have a nuclear weapon. But for 20 plus years, they have been saying Iran is on the verge of a nuclear weapon. OK. Where is the nuclear weapon?

O'SULLIVAN: What do you say to people who say, well, this is Israel's war, it shouldn't be America's war?

DOC COLLINS, CPAC ATTENDEE: That's not so. Israel is God's people and those that bless Israel will be blessed. Those that curses Israel, they better watch it.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you believe that Israel forced the U.S. into this war?

PASSIALES: Absolutely not. Donald Trump does what Donald Trump wants to do. Period. End of story.

KORNELL: I don't think Trump is really controlled by anybody as much as everyone would like to control him but I do question some of the things when it comes to, are we just going to bend over everything for Israel?

O'SULLIVAN: Do you feel disappointed in the president?

STONE: Sure.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you still support him?

STONE: I want him to succeed. I think it's to be determined on if I can remain to support him.

O'SULLIVAN: Are you concerned that this war drags on?

STONE: Absolutely. We hear the phrase America First. Let's put America First. And I'm concerned that this isn't putting America First.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): America First sentiments are strong here and while not all Iranian Americans agree with the war --

O'SULLIVAN: Are you from Iran?

REZA GHAFFARIAN, CPAC ATTENDEE: Yes. I've been here for 50 years.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Many of those who came to this year's CPAC --

O'SULLIVAN: Hello. Are you also Iranian? SINA KHODAEIFAR, CPAC ATTENDEE: I miss my country. I'm 15 years here.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): -- have come here to plead with the president to stay in the fight.

O'SULLIVAN: There is pressure here in the United States on Trump, on the administration, to end the war quick.

MATIN SAMIMIAT, CPAC ATTENDEE: I get the concern because people have trauma from Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But think about a future alliance between a best friendly Iran and United States. How much your prices of oil will go down.

REZA FARNOOD, CPAC ATTENDEE: Iran is not Iraq and it is not Afghanistan. We don't want money. We don't want anything. We want our country back.

O'SULLIVAN: If Trump is watching this, what is your message to the president?

FARNOOD: Mr. President, thank you and we know you're playing right. People of Iran thank you for your help and support.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. Pope Francis touches down in Monaco, bringing a pro-poor message. We'll have a live report coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: We're watching live pictures now. Pope Leo has just arrived in Monaco. He arrived earlier this hour by helicopter and was welcomed by Monaco's Prince Albert II. He is the first pontiff to visit the small city-state in hundreds of years. Want to bring in CNN's Christopher Lamb in London.

So Christopher, Monaco is a small country and the visit won't last very long but the visit is significant in its way and symbolic. Walk us through what we're expecting.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, on the face of it, some people were wondering why Pope Leo has chosen Monaco for his first international trip of 2026.

But Monaco is a place where Catholicism is the state religion. Monaco and the Vatican share various priorities diplomatically. And Monaco is a place where they've been pushing ahead on environmental initiatives. That's something that Pope Leo is concerned about.

And Prince Albert last year vetoed an abortion law in Monaco. So there is a sense that you have, in this visit, is two of the smallest states' leaders of from two of the smallest states in the world, coming together to try and find shared priorities.

And for the Vatican, it's an opportunity to build alliances and work together at a time of growing instability, conflict. So there is both deep cultural ties between the Vatican and Monaco but also diplomatic cooperation that the pope and Monaco are trying to deepen

BRUNHUBER: I appreciate that, Christopher Lamb. Thank you so much.

LAMB: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Still to come, one of soccer's most iconic stadiums reopens tonight ahead of the summer's FIFA World Cup. And CNN has been granted exclusive access for first look at the state-of-the-art renovated venue. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Now to March Madness, the U.S. college basketball championships or the Elite Eight, the last eight teams in the playoffs, is taking shape. Top seed Michigan is moving on after a comfortable 90-77 win over Alabama.

And Tennessee cruised past Iowa State in a real upset to head to their third straight Elite Eight. The other matchups were far closer. Top seeded Duke survived a real scare from St. John's, holding on for an 80-75 win. Caleb Foster led the late surge after returning from a foot injury.

And UConn had to dig deep for their win despite an early 19-point lead, ultimately fending off a late Michigan State comeback to advance. Two more Elite Eight games are set for later today.

Mexico's iconic Azteca Stadium will reopen tonight with a fitting curtain raiser. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal side will meet the hosts in a friendly ahead of this summer's FIFA World Cup.

The stadium was under redevelopment since 2024 but is now set to host five matches, including the tournament's opening game. CNN's Valeria Leon has been given exclusive access to go behind the scenes at the new look venue.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm inside Mexico City stadium for the first time since its major renovation and this venue will host five World Cup matches.

In this exclusive look, we've seen a complete transformation. Let me show you around. The stands, fully renovated now with new seating, designed to improve visibility for nearly every angle of the stadium.

A hybrid grass system with airflow technology; above it all, a new LED lighting system meeting international broadcast standards.

And connectivity is a key part of the upgrade, with more than 1,000 wi-fi antennas throughout the stadium, allowing high-speed internet access for thousands of fans.

But as you can see, remodeling works are still underway on the field and in this area, people cleaning these seats that are going to be used by around 80,000 people on Saturday, March 28th, in a friendly between Mexico and Portugal here in Estadio (INAUDIBLE).

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Security has also been reinforced with a new video surveillance system strategically placed across the venue.

The stadium is aiming to preserve its legacy while meeting the demands of modern and global tournaments.

And this is the new hospitality area, where people here can comfortably watch the match but especially with a wonderful view of this amazing stadium that's almost ready to welcome thousands of fans -- Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

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BRUNHUBER: NASA's first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years is entering its final phase. The four members of the Artemis II crew have arrived in Florida ahead of their launch, which may come as early as April 1st.

The mission will also mark several firsts, including first woman and first Black astronaut to travel into the moon's vicinity. The roughly 10-day mission will send the crew on a high-speed loop around the moon and back to the Earth.

The astronauts will travel farther than any human spaceflight in history. They'll test NASA's new Orion spacecraft and pave the way for future missions aimed at landing humans back on the lunar surface.

And speaking of back, BTS is back on top, leading the British music charts with a smash comeback album. The K-pop stars went on hiatus in 2022 so that members could complete South Korea's mandatory military service.

That was until last week, when their 10th studio album was released and topped the charts in the U.K., Australia and Germany.

Their lead single, titled "Swim," also topped the British singles charts for the first time. The K-pop titans performed recently to tens of thousands of fans in Seoul and their concert aired live on Netflix and ranked among the streamer's weekly top 10 in 80 countries.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Becky Anderson and I will be back with more news in just a moment