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"No King" Rallies Across the U.S.; Minnesotans Rally Against Deadly ICE Raids; Iran Threatens to Hit U.S. and Israeli Universities in Mideast; Philippines Warns of Dire Fuel Shortages; U.S. Travel Troubles Continues; U.S. House Rejects Senate Deal; Pope Kicks Off Holy Week. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired March 29, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Calls for No Kings ring out from coast to coast as Americans protest against the Trump administration. Our teams on the ground speak to organizers and protesters. Iran vows to strike back against a new type of U.S. and Israeli target in the region. We'll have details. Plus, a look at how one country is coping with the energy crisis brought on by the war. And Pope Leo is kicking off Holy Week with Palm Sunday services at St. Peter's Square. We'll have a live report.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: For the third time since Donald Trump took office, huge crowds of people jammed streets and parks in the U.S. for No Kings rallies. They're making a direct challenge to what they call his authoritarian tendencies. Protesters joined more than 3,000 peaceful demonstrations across the nation on Saturday. They argued the U.S. should have democratically elected leaders, not powerful monarchs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWS: Say no Trump. No KKK. No fascist USA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Demonstrators marched in Washington, DC, just steps from the White House. Many were angry with policies they blame on Trump, the war with Iran, the soaring costs of living, and violent immigration-related crackdowns across the U.S.

Crowds in Los Angeles flew a giant balloon depicting Trump as a baby in a diaper. And Americans abroad and others joined protests in Spain, Italy, France, and Germany. Celebrities and politicians lent their voices.

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: He must be stopped, and he must be stopped now. It's time to say no to kings. It's time to say no to Donald Trump. We've had enough.

RIZ HORTEGA, PROTESTER: I would actually like to see him step down, and that would probably be the best thing for this country and the world.

LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: The law matters in this country, and we have challenged illegal federal actions in court. And we, Democratic attorneys general, have stood up to those who think that they can use fear and division to control our communities. But we are winning, and I guess that's why I'm a target.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SINGER/SONGWRITER: The power and the solidarity of the people of Minneapolis and of Minnesota was an inspiration to the entire country. Your strength and your commitment told us that this is still America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, Bruce Springsteen there, speaking to crowds in Minnesota, which is still dealing with the aftermath of the Trump administration's sweeping immigration raids. CNN teams were at several rallies on Saturday, including Shimon Prokupecz, who was in St. Paul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Some of the largest crowds we've seen for the No Kings Day marches are here in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of people were lining up the state capitol all around the state capitol, holding signs.

A big performance from Bruce Springsteen, who sang about Minneapolis. He wrote a song after the death of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Those were the two protesters that were killed at the hands of immigration officials and ICE officers. And so, he wrote a song after that to highlight some of the unfair practices by ICE officers and some of the aggressive tactics, certainly. So, that was one of the big, big moments here. And we heard such loud cheers from the crowd as he sang. And then we heard from a number of politicians, from Governor Walz, from the Lieutenant Governor, from the attorney general of the state.

The thing about today, for most of the people that were here, a lot on their minds, certainly, over what happened here earlier in the year with ICE, but they're also thinking of the war in Iran. And they're also thinking of all of the other, what they feel are unfair practices by the Trump administration. And they're out here saying they want it to stop.

And for most people, they were just at times smiling just to be together, to be with their community, to be with their neighbors, given everything that they've been through here the last several months.

Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, St. Paul, Minnesota.

[04:05:00] DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: This third No King's demonstration really taking over Midtown Manhattan. This crowd going for blocks and blocks and blocks through the city. We spoke to some of the people here today and asked them why did they turn out. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This democracy is only as strong as the people who defend it. And so, what we're seeing here in New York and across the country is that as we have more incursions from this president, from the MAGA movement, attacks on public education, on healthcare, on immigration, on workers, tenants, consumers, queer people that everyday Americans are realizing that we have to come together to stand up to defend our democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People like me, the youth, are against this administration. We are anti-fascist, we're anti-authoritarian, anti- tyranny, and we do not believe in ICE, nor Israel, nor the war in Iran.

CYNTHIA NIXON, ACTRESS AND FORMER NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I think that the rest of the world looks at us and is so horrified by what's happening and can't believe that we've elected this man and that we're going along with it. And we have to show out as we're doing today in record numbers to say, this is not OK with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'SULLIVAN: As you can hear there, a whole range of reasons, anti- ICE, anti-war against the Iran war. And overall, as you can see with a lot of the signs here today, just a lot of people who believe that American democracy is really under threat. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, the Republican Party is already looking ahead to the future of its leadership. At this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, attendees zeroed in on who they'd like to see take the reins from President Trump in 2028. In a straw poll, Vice President J.D. Vance once again had the most support with 53 percent, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio came in a strong second with 35 percent.

Now, despite some recent efforts at diplomacy by the U.S. and Iran, the rhetoric and military actions appear to be heating up. Tehran is now vowing to strike U.S. and Israeli-affiliated universities in the Middle East. That threat after Israeli strikes damaged buildings at a university in Tehran overnight. Iran's state-affiliated media also reported heavy bombardment and several explosions across the capital earlier today. Iran's president says Tehran will retaliate strongly if the country's infrastructure or economic centers are targeted.

The U.S. and Israel's war with Iran is also reaching a new front, expanded to involve Yemen. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility yesterday for two missile strikes against Israel. An Iranian missile also made it through Israel's air defenses. The strike injured several people and left extensive damage just outside Jerusalem.

I want to bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks, who's live from Abu Dhabi. So, Paula, more strikes, more parties involved in this war. What's the latest?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, it's certainly an escalation over the past 24 hours as the Houthi rebels became involved in this war as well. As you say, they fired two missiles towards Israel, which were intercepted, but the fact that they are now involved as well opens up another front for Israel.

And it also opens up concerns that there could be another key chokehold when it comes to waterways that is under jeopardy. This is the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which runs into the Red Sea, a very key area where both oil and goods all around the world are transported. And we have heard from the Houthis that they have threatened to disrupt commercial shipping through that area.

Now, we've seen that they can do it. There is a precedent. During the war in Gaza, we saw the shipping very disrupted in that area. And of course, that is a concern that while the Strait of Hormuz is severely disrupted, it adds concern of the economic impact of this war expanding.

Now, we have seen and heard from the U.S. Central Command as well that more Marines and sailors have arrived in the Middle East. This is one of the Marine expeditionary units that had been deployed to this region. They say some 3,500 sailors and Marines are now in place, which of course is increasing speculation as to what exactly their mission is and whether or not this will lead to boots on the ground.

But we're seeing from Iran what appears to be an increased response. Certainly, here in the UAE over the past two days, we have seen an increasing number of projectiles being fired here. We heard from the Ministry of Defense there were some 20 missiles, 37 drones in the previous 24 hours from when they reported that on Saturday afternoon.

[04:10:00]

Now, that's well over double what we had been seeing in previous days. So, there is concern of this escalating. And also, there was damage to the Khalifa economic zone. Fires broke out and there were some injuries. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. I appreciate that. Paul Hancocks in Abu Dhabi. Thanks so much.

Well, Asian nations are already facing soaring fuel costs and shortages from the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran. The president of the Philippines warns that his country's energy supply is an imminent danger of running out. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Iran energy shock is getting very real across the Philippines. We have transport workers there protesting over rising fuel prices. Jeepney drivers, ride-hailing service drivers, others, they were all struggling because of the rising cost of fuel. So, they've been marching through the capital Manila to the presidential palace. And this is part of a two-day general strike happening across the country.

And this follows that declaration from the president of the Philippines a couple of days ago announcing this national energy emergency, making the Philippines the first country in the world to make such a declaration. It also follows this very interesting comments from the foreign secretary of the Philippines. She spoke to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, and she said that her country only has 40 to 45 days left of petroleum supply. That's it. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA THERESA LAZARO, PHILIPPINES FOREIGN SECRETARY: It's already taking a toll on the ordinary Filipino. The transportation cost, the price of food, because it also affects the fertilizers that are being used for our food security. So, these are all now -- it has its cascading effect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: The war in the Middle East is disrupting energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and the Philippines is vulnerable. In fact, 98 percent of its oil imports comes from the Middle East. And it's not just the Philippines, this entire region, all of Asia is vulnerable. Asia relies more heavily on oil and gas from the Middle East than any other part of the world.

This is Kristie Lu Stout from Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: I want to bring in Sharon Garin, who's the Philippine Energy Secretary, and she joins us now from Manila. Thank you very much for being here with us, Secretary. So, your country was the first to announce a state of emergency because of the energy shortages caused by the war. I mean, just give us a sense of how bad the situation is right now. How many days of fuel do you have left?

SHARON GARIN, PHILIPPINES ENERGY SECRETARY: We do have sufficient fuel for now. There's about 45 days of supply, and we have time to look for more supply. But the pressure is there. If the war escalates and prolongs, then we have to stock up, and we're stocking up. So -- but other than the supply issue, we have the issue of price. The price has more than doubled here in the Philippines, and this is a pressure on the buying capacity of our people and it's affecting schools, hospitals, and even just the day-to-day commerce.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, schools, hospitals. I know transport workers have been striking in the country because of those fuel prices, as you say, that have doubled. They say the government isn't doing enough to help lower those prices. What more can you do?

GARIN: Yes, our oil industry is deregulated. It's a liberalized industry, and hence, it's private-driven. So, with the declaration of energy emergency, the government can demand more transparency and probably put more -- put in more regulation as to the price, although the price is determined by the international market. As mentioned earlier, it's about 98 percent of our oil that comes from the Philippines, the price. And that's the bulk of the price. And it's --

BRUNHUBER: Yes.

GARIN: -- not just the Middle East, but also every household in the Philippines.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. So, many people in desperate straits right now. In terms of getting more supply, I understand you've received hundreds of thousands of barrels of Russian crude oil. Those were the first from Russia to the Philippines in five years.

Now, President Zelenskyy has warned that if countries buy Russian oil, it could hand Putin billions of dollars to fund the war on Ukraine. I mean, what would you say to him?

GARIN: Our country has to survive. We have to get as much oil wherever it's available. And we've put all our baskets in the Middle East, and now we're at risk. So, we have to diversify our sources. But this has been allowed. This has been cleared as to the procurement. We procured -- our companies have procured 1.4 million barrels of crude oil from Russia. And we're also getting more of the finished products in the other parts of the world.

[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes, important to diversify. But those -- on the Russian oil, I mean, the U.S. sanctions waiver on buying that oil expires in less than two weeks. I mean, what's your plan if that window closes?

GARIN: Well, good thing with this window, we have enough until June 30. So, this gives us some more leeway. So, once it closes, and if we do see there's another need, then we'll ask for another window, or hopefully find other sources also, because we're also exploring South America, Canada, and other countries, including India.

So, this will make it -- this -- the window has given us much more space or time. But yes, we don't know how long the war is going to be or how it will escalate or deescalate. So, we're just protecting our country in that sense.

BLACKWELL: Yes, that's right. Certainly, no sense, at least right now, that there's any de-escalation going on. In fact, quite the opposite. Finally, I want to ask you, I mean, there has been some criticism, including from senators who are allies of President Marcos, that the administration was slow to act on this and sort of initially downplayed the situation. So, looking back, should the government have acted sooner, do you think? GARIN: I think we have done sufficient and the response was immediate. Getting these volumes, like 1.4 million barrels and another million coming in this week and next week, this took time. It took time, like about three weeks, just to find new sources and funding we had to get. So, it's -- the government is working. Even the assistance to our drivers, farmers have been rolled out already.

I think -- the president was clear the day after the war happened, make sure our people are safe, that they're in the Middle East. Don't rush to bring them home, make sure they're safe. And then the second order was to make sure we have supply. And three weeks later, we do have supply and that gives us some cost.

I do think there was immediate response. And in fact, this has not been an easy task, getting more supplies with government money, despite the deregulated industry. So, it has been a lot of work for the government.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, no easy task, certainly for your country and so many others hit by the effects of this war. Secretary Sharon Garin, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. Really appreciate it.

GARIN: Thank you very much.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come here on CNN Newsroom, as the partial government shutdown drags on here in the U.S., airports struggle with long lines of travelers. We'll have the latest on the impact of the TSA coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: The ongoing partial government shutdown in the U.S. continues to cause delays and long lines at airports across the country. While some airports are finally reporting a bit of relief, others continue to have major wait times. CNN's Rafael Romo spoke to some travelers trying to get to their destinations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have seen almost no lines and very happy passengers here at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, although that's not the case at other airports like Bush Intercontinental in Houston, where lines extended for more than two hours early Saturday morning. Here at the main checkpoint area, at one point as many as 11 out of 18 lanes were open, which is among the most active we have seen since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February. What we have seen at this airport, and it's also happening at others across the nation, is that ICE agents have started verifying travelers' IDs as DHS confirmed on Wednesday.

It's unclear if ICE's presence has made a difference in the lines. DHS added that the agents have also been guarding entrances and exits, helping with logistics and crowd control after receiving what they called standard TSA training. According to a union steward here in Atlanta, that kind of training takes about four hours to complete.

We spoke with several passengers here at the airport who were relieved to find out that the lines were not bad at all, but we're still concerned that Congress hasn't been able to come to an agreement to pay TSA screeners.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY BROOKS, TRAVELER: I think it's horrible, you know. So, many people are working very hard. I know the TSA agents are working very hard, so definitely hope they get paid what they're deserved very soon and quickly.

BILL MUSGRAVE, TRAVELER: Well, it looks surprisingly below where I figured it would be. But, you know, it's always nice to be pleasantly surprised every once in a while.

ROMO: What do you make of the whole situation that the government shutdown is still going on, TSA workers are still not getting paid?

MUSGRAVE: I don't want to really get political on camera, but I will tell you in November, I will remember.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: TSA screeners received a message from their employer Friday night saying that, quote, at the direction of President Trump, TSA is paying all employees what they're owed, adding that employees should expect most of their back pay in their direct deposit starting on Monday, March 30th. A union steward here in Atlanta shared with me the message that TSA employees across the nation have received, and that also specifies that all employees must return to work on their next scheduled workday.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And joining me now is Simon Calder. He's the travel correspondent for The Independent. Thanks so much for joining us again. So, from what you're seeing, I mean, does it look like we're kind of turning the corner here in terms of the travel disruptions?

SIMON CALDER, TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT, THE INDEPENDENT: Well, we are just in time, hopefully for the Easter rush, but there's still a lot of uncertainty, and it's going to be extremely interesting, as Rafael was saying, to see what happens on Monday.

[04:25:00]

This instruction for TSA workers to return to work. My understanding is that while some airports are seeing basically 40 percent of their TSA staff calling in sick, the average is about one in eight who is not working as normal. And of course, if you have extremely busy airports gearing up for the holiday season, that is a serious concern. The trouble is, and I know that we're hearing from happy travelers at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, but you just don't know. I've been talking to some international visitors to the U.S. who are saying, yes, we're going to get to the airport five hours early. Now, they, I think, will be pleasantly surprised, but they're also going to be wasting a lot of their vacation.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. Five hours. Gosh, that's a lot. I mean, you speak of there being lots of uncertainty, and part of the uncertainty is how long this will still go on. I mean, we know TSA workers could get paid soon, but the shutdown itself isn't over. Congress has gone home for two weeks. What does your experience tell you about how quickly things could actually get back to normal once workers start getting paid?

CALDER: Well, obviously, as you've been reporting, a lot of workers, they see their income dry up. What are you going to do? You've got to feed your family. You're going to perhaps find an alternative source of income, which means that you are not available for work. And I think a lot of people will have sympathy with that.

Once the backdated pay starts dropping into those accounts, I hope people will be feeling more inclined to show up. It's a really tough frontline job. I've worked in aviation security in the U.K. And you don't show up at 5:00 in the morning because it's lots of fun. You're going to be working with lots of stressed passengers and crew. So, it's a tough job. And if you're not being paid and you've got no idea of when that cash is going to be arriving, then clearly there's many incentives not to work as normal.

But I hope now that the executive order has been signed and money will start arriving, that things will improve. Of course, everything about the industry is stretched at the moment, including, of course, we're just a few days on from that terrible tragedy at New York's LaGuardia Airport, where there is discussion about the levels of overstretch among air traffic controllers.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Now, some of the airlines are offering sort of they're waiving rebooking fees if you miss your flight because of these long lines and so on. I mean, we were talking about some people showing up five hours before their flight and so on. What is your advice for travelers now with all of this uncertainty facing them?

CALDER: Well, part of the problem is that people are showing up five hours early. From an individual point of view, that makes perfect sense. You've got a flight at 10:00 a.m. Show up at 5:00 a.m. The trouble is you are going to be getting in the way of people who've got a 7:00 a.m. flight just two hours ahead.

So, my advice is certainly do not turn up more than two hours ahead because, exactly as you say, the airlines understand the problem. If you are stuck in a line for two hours and you miss your aircraft your flight, you will still be flown to your destination. It's extremely frustrating.

But I think those two-hour queues that we've been hearing about, those are relatively rare. Most people are actually going, I think, in the days ahead to be pleasantly surprised. Just don't get in everybody else's way. So, two hours, quite enough.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Great advice. Simon Calder, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

CALDER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, as I mentioned, members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate are now on their break after failing to end that partial government shutdown. The House has rejected a deal cut by their Senate counterparts. Republicans and Democrats had strong reactions to the impasse. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: It is unconscionable to me that the Democrats would force some sort of negotiation at 3:00 in the morning and try to hoist this upon the American people and then get on their jets and go home for their holiday and pretend and think that we're going to go along with that. So, we're going to do something different. We're going to do the responsible thing. Republicans are going to continue to govern.

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): Completely unserious Mike Johnson is. I mean, that he could say that with a straight face when it was a unanimous bipartisan deal that came out of the Senate to move this funding forward. And he just rejected it. Just rejected it out of hand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Have a look at this. You're watching live images from the Vatican as Pope Leo holds Palm Sunday services. We have a live report on his message as the pontiff ushers in Holy Week for Catholics around the world. Stay with us.

[04:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Have a look at this, Pope Leo is leading Palm Sunday Mass in Vatican St. Peter's Square, now you can't see him right now, he's just to the side but they're just doing the hymns right now and he is officially kicking off the Holy Week leading to Easter for Catholics around the world.

CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb joins me now live from London. So, Christopher, take us through the Pope's message and what we're expecting.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, Holy Week and the lead up to Easter is of course the most sacred time of the Church's year and it starts with Palm Sunday, and you saw those images there in St. Peter's Square, thousands have packed in to be part of these celebrations.

And it begins -- we saw earlier, it began with a procession of people and cardinals and the Pope with palms because, of course, it is a service that recalls Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, and according to the scriptural accounts, when Jesus entered Jerusalem people waved palms. So, it's a service that's rich with symbolism and imagery and of course this is Pope Leo's first Holy Week and Easter since his election as Pope less than a year ago, and we're going to see quite a lot of the Pope in the coming days as he presides over numerous services.

[04:35:00]

But I think it's worth recalling though, knowing that in Jerusalem they've had to cancel the Palm Sunday service this year because of the conflict taking place in the Middle East. So, I expect Pope Leo will use this Holy Week and Easter to emphasize the message of peace and dialogue to call out the conflicts that are going on, he's already called repeatedly for a ceasefire in Iran and the Middle East, I expect that message will be stressed once again by him.

And of course, he is a Pope who began his ministry with the words, peace be with you, he is a Pope during a war time, and I think this Holy Week and Easter is going to be a chance for him to underline that message of peace, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting, appreciate that. Christopher Lamb, thanks so much for joining us. Well, Pakistan has apparently found itself in Iran's good graces as Islamabad tries to mediate de-escalation efforts in the Middle East. Pakistan's foreign minister announced that Iran will allow 20 of its ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the start of the war, Tehran has effectively closed down the vital waterway through which 20 percent of the world's crude oil passes, and of course that's sent gas prices soaring worldwide. Top diplomats from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are expected to convene soon in Pakistan's capital to discuss the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran, which has expanded across the region.

I want to bring in CNN's Senior International Correspondent Ivan Watson, live in Islamabad. So, Ivan, where do things stand, and what's the level of optimism that talks can actually lead to de-escalation here?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it stands as these are crisis talks, with a war a month now underway, with a death toll in the thousands, and costing the regional and global economy billions of dollars a day, but you have these stakeholders, these regional powers, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the host country, Pakistan, two of these countries are direct neighbors of Iran, gathering here to try to see what they can work on to prevent further expansion and escalation of the conflict. But they're fighting against some pretty difficult headwinds, because the war has literally expanded within the last 48 hours, notably with the entry of Iran's ally and proxy in Yemen, the Houthis, on Saturday, after they announced that they were firing missiles at Israel, the first time they have done so in this round of hostilities.

And meanwhile, one of the other warring parties here, the U.S., and the U.S. military central command announced the arrival of some 3,500 marines and sailors in the region, and that is certainly raising the prospects and possibility of some kind of a U.S. ground incursion or offensive against Iran, which would also definitely be an escalation.

You mentioned that Pakistan is talking about the ships that are being allowed to go through. That could be a result of a lot of phone calls on Saturday between Pakistan's prime minister and foreign minister, and the Iranian president and foreign minister, which prompted and we should call up the statement from the Pakistani foreign minister, saying he's pleased to share great news that the government of Iran has agreed to allow 20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, two ships crossing daily, and he calls this a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran that deserves appreciation.

When there are concerns about further escalation, they could go in these types of directions. Turkey and Saudi Arabia say that they've been targeted by missiles and drones from Iran since this war began a month ago. Neither of those countries have directly retaliated against Iran. If they did, that would mark an escalation. Also, other Gulf Arab countries like UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, none of them have retaliated as they've been pounded day after day by Iranian drones and missiles. If they do, that would also mark a dramatic expansion of the conflict, and presumably those are issues that will be discussed when the diplomats gather later this evening, Ben.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate that. Thanks so much. Ivan Watson in Islamabad.

[04:40:00]

Lebanon says it will file a complaint at the U.N. Security Council after Israel killed three Lebanese journalists on Saturday. Israel's military released a video of the airstrike that blew up their vehicle in southern Lebanon. The military says one of the journalists was a terrorist who used media work as a cover. The victims include two reporters working for two separate pro-Hezbollah channels. The third victim was the female reporter's brother, who was a photojournalist.

Protesters later held a rally in Lebanon, whose leaders called the killing a deliberate and blatant crime. The Committee to Protect Journalists says Israel has a history of accusing reporters of being terrorists without providing any evidence.

Ukraine's president says Russia is stepping up its intelligence gathering during the war with Iran. Still ahead, how Moscow is using the war to reportedly get a leg up on U.S. forces in the Middle East. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: As the war in Iran drags on, Russia may be seeing an opportunity to gather intelligence on U.S. bases in the Middle East. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Moscow has recently conducted surveillance at seven locations in the region. The reported targets include both U.S. and British military facilities. Zelenskyy's in the Middle East, where he's signing new defense agreements and selling Ukraine's expertise in anti-drone warfare.

For more, Larry Madowo joins us now from London. So, Larry, take us through what Zelenskyy's hoping to accomplish there.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Zelenskyy has been on this tour. He's been in the United Arab Emirates, in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. And in the last of those two countries, he signed similar defense agreement cooperation.

What Ukraine has is this unique capability that has been built over the last four years, a world-leading defense against Russian-made drones. These Shahed drones are designed in Iran, and that is something these Gulf nations badly need.

[04:45:00]

To understand what he's selling, a short while ago, President Zelenskyy posted this, that in the past week alone, Russia has used more than 3,000 drones against Ukrainian cities. And he says that the Shahid drones have also been more than 1,450 guided aerial bombs and another 40 missiles of various types. The crux of the matter is this next statement from Zelenskyy, that the same attack drones are being used against Ukraine, are used against countries in the Gulf and the Middle East, and ballistic weapons are being deployed against them the same way they're being deployed in the Middle East. And that is what he's offering to Qatar, to the UAE, to Saudi Arabia. This is how President Zelenskyy described these agreements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We're basically discussing several areas. First, we're interested in ensuring that, beyond A, this is a mutually beneficial partnership. There are several areas. The first area is weapons, manufacturing, exchanging expertise, and exchanging scarce resources that one country lacks but the other has. The second area is long-term energy cooperation.

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MADOWO: So, this is how the Qataris, who signed a very similar deal to what the Saudis signed the day before, described it on social media. The Qatar's foreign minister is saying, this agreement includes collaboration in technological fields, development of joint projects, defense investments, and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and drones. That is the point that President Zelenskyy is making, that Russia is, in fact, surveilling areas in the Gulf and the Middle East and then allowing the Iranians to strike them. He mentioned seven sites in Saudi Arabia, in Qatar, in Kuwait, and in Turkey. According to him, those are some of the photographic evidence that they have provided, some surveillance that has been seen in those parts of the region. Another point that President Zelenskyy here is making is that Russia is actually benefiting from this war. Because of the relaxed sanctions to calm oil markets, it's almost doubled its revenues in the past month alone.

Now, Russia depends on about a third of its revenues from oil, and as the markets have been spooked by this war, by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, there's been this relaxing of sanctions, especially for oil that was already in the high seas, and that is directly benefiting it. And President Zelenskyy is essentially complaining that the enemy, their enemy, is getting benefits from this war while still actively helping Iran target places in the Gulf, in the Middle East, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. I appreciate that. Larry Mondovo, thanks so much. Authorities have located two Mexican sailboats that went missing while headed to Cuba to deliver humanitarian aid. The French Ship and Tiger Moth lost contact with Mexico's Navy Thursday. A search and rescue operation was launched, and the boats were located about 80 nautical miles from Havana. They're part of the Nuestra America convoy, an international aid effort largely made up of groups from Latin America and Europe. The vessels are now safely docked at Havana's port. Cuba has been in economic turmoil since the U.S. effectively blocked its oil supply earlier this year.

An international awareness campaign puts the focus on our planet. Coming up, how major landmarks showed their support for Earth Hour by turning the spotlights off. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: A humpback whale rescued off the northern German coast earlier this week is stranded again. It was first spotted trapped on a sand bank in shallow water near the city of Lubeck on Monday. A painstaking multi-day rescue effort involved machinery digging a path for the mammal, trying to guide it back to deeper water in the North Sea, its natural habitat. But it's now stranded in shallow water again, 60 kilometers farther east in Bismarck Bay.

The world observed Earth Hour at 8:30 Greenwich Mean Time last night. The 60-minute commemoration is known for the lights-off moments like this at the Eiffel Tower. The Paris landmark went dark for around five minutes. A similar scene at Greece's most famous landmark, the Parthenon. It was plunged into the gloom along other monuments on the Acropolis Hill in Athens. And Barcelona's Sagrada Familia church was also unlit. The World Wildlife Fund organizes Earth Hour so that people can make a positive impact by turning off non-essential lights. It's a way to raise awareness of environmental issues. Well, it's been a historic month for record high temperatures across parts of the western U.S., and it's not over yet. CNN's Meteorologist Allison Chinchar breaks down the latest forecast.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: After dozens and dozens of record temperatures have been set across much of the month of March, we are now going to be adding even more to that list across the western portion of the country as we finish out the second half of the weekend.

All of these dots you see here on this map represent a location that could end up having another record high. In some cases, it would be two, three days in a row on top of all of the record highs they had earlier in the month. You look at the forecast.

Take a look at Las Vegas, Phoenix. A lot of these areas, the temperatures are expected to be 15, 20, even as much as 30 degrees above average. Not just finishing out the rest of the weekend, but even as we head into the early part of the week, you are still seeing those temperatures well above where they normally would be.

The problem is it's been like this for much of the month, and all of these hot temperatures are melting a lot of the snowpack very quickly in these places. Here's a look at California. Now, this was back at the end of February. All of the white area you see here, that's where the snowpack is. Now, we fast forward to just a few days ago. Very little of that white is left, and you're really talking just those highest elevations of the Sierras.

California is not alone, however. We look at Colorado, for example, the Rockies. Now, this was earlier this month, back in the beginning of March. Here again, same thing. You can see all of the snowpack there. Fast forward just a few weeks later. Here again, very little is left just on those highest peaks because of how not only hot it's been in these areas, but how dry it has been. The lack of additional snowfall that they've had to build some of that back has also been a concern.

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So, you look at a place like Denver, for example, the next few days expected to be in the 80s, well above their average high of 60 degrees.

We do see a slight cool down as we get to the middle of the week, and maybe even perhaps a small chance of some rain. But then we start to see those temperatures warming back up, and it's going to continue to be this roller coaster with very little moisture in the forecast over the next week.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, one half of the men's NCAA Final Four has been determined. Illinois was the first team to make it to the next round of March Madness on Saturday. The team traded the lead with Iowa 13 times in the second half, but Illinois finished on top 71-59. And Arizona managed to best Purdue 79-64 after heading into halftime down 7 points. The Wildcats dominated the second half to secure their first trip to the Final Four since 2001. Sunday, we'll see Tennessee face Michigan, and the University of Connecticut battles Duke for the last two spots in the Final Four.

While the world's number one tennis star, Aryna Sabalenka, has won the Miami Open, beating hometown favorite Coco Gauff. Sabalenka took the title in three sets and now joins the exclusive Sunshine Double Club. Now, that nickname comes from back-to-back titles, first at Indian Wells in California and then in Florida. Sabalenka is just the fifth woman to accomplish the feat.

Well, it seems thieves have taken the slogan, have a break with a KitKat, too, literally. Nestle says about 12 tons of its KitKat bars have been stolen in transit. The crunchy bars made of waffles covered with chocolate were on their way to Poland from Italy, but they never made it. The truck went missing and is still nowhere to be found. Officials warned they could catch the thieves trying to resell the merchandise by the traceable batch number, but they did say they appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news after a quick break.

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