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Protesters Join Peaceful "No Kings" Rallies Across The U.S.; 3,500 U.S. Sailors And Marines Arrived In Middle East Saturday; Pakistan Hosting Talks With Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia; Iran Laying Mines In Strait Of Hormuz. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired March 29, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:33]

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

The U.S. is beefing up its military presence in the Middle East, and an Iran-backed militia has now waded into the conflict. We'll go live to the region for the latest on the war with Iran.

Anti-Trump protesters churn out in cities big and small across the U.S. We'll hear their message to the president.

Plus, the latest on TSA staffing and long wait times at U.S. airports. A travel expert shares some advice if you're planning to fly.

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

BRUNHUBER: Despite some recent efforts at diplomacy by the U.S. and Iran, the rhetoric and military actions appear to be heating up.

Now the Israeli military says it's ready for a multi-front war in response to attacks by Houthis in Yemen. Meanwhile, Tehran is 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, this as the U.S. builds up forces in the region, as the Pentagon considers its next steps in the war.

We'll bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks live from Abu Dhabi. So, Paula, more strikes and more parties involved in this war. Take us through the latest.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, I think the most significant development over the past 24 hours, of course, is the fact that the Houthi rebels in Yemen have now entered this war. They had threatened to do so, but we now know that they have fired two ballistic missiles towards Israel. Both were intercepted, we understand, but they have said that this is just the beginning of their response.

Let's listen to the statements by the Houthi spokesperson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAHYA SAREA, HOUTHI MILITARY SPOKESMAN (through translator): The Yemeni armed forces affirm that in fulfilling their religious, moral and humanitarian duties towards the free people of the nation on the fronts of jihad and resistance, and in response to the enemy's crimes against the people and the countries of the nation, they will continue with Allah's help and reliance upon Allah to carry out their military operations in the coming days until the criminal enemy ceases its attacks and aggression.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, we just heard from the Israeli military as well, saying that they are ready to fight a multi-front war, the IDF spokesperson saying this is what they have been preparing for. And, in fact, it is what they have been fighting over the past two and a half years. We know they are fighting on their northern front against Hezbollah, now against the Houthis, and also as part of this war alongside the U.S. against Iran.

Now, we did see some heavy bombardments overnight in Tehran, state media footage showing damage to what appears to be a residential building. They say that there were injuries there. We know also that one of their universities in Tehran was demolished, and we saw those images Saturday morning.

The science and technology university in Tehran, that has sparked a response and a threat from the IRGC, the Revolutionary Guard, saying that now all U.S. campuses or U.S. and Israeli-affiliated universities in the region are legitimate targets.

Now, we know there are a couple of campuses in Qatar. There's one here in Abu Dhabi, that threat being taken very seriously. And it comes as we see yet more U.S. military arriving in the region. The U.S. Central Command saying that one of the Marine Expeditionary Units is now in the Middle East with the USS Tripoli. That brings some 3,500 sailors and Marines into this arena.

And this Marine Expeditionary Unit is one that is being watched very closely. Its mission has not been revealed, but it is the type of unit that is able to carry out something like the takeover of Kharg Island, a key island of Iran where the vast majority of its oil exports pass through. It is something that has been speculated on heavily in recent days.

[05:05:10]

And what we are seeing, excuse me, here in the wider region is seemingly an increase in Iranian retaliation. Looking at here in the UAE, for example, we heard from the Ministry of Defense on Saturday saying that for the previous 24 hours, they intercepted 20 missiles and 37 drones. That's well over double what we were seeing in the days preceding that.

We also know that the Khalifa economic zone was impacted. There were three fires caused by debris of some of those missiles being intercepted. Also, an aluminum facility in the UAE being affected.

Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, I appreciate you bringing us up to speed. Paula Hancocks, in Abu Dhabi, thanks so much.

Well, for the first time -- third time, rather, since U.S. President 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 leaders who believe in democracy, not behave like all powerful monarchs.

(CHANT)

BRUNHUBER: Demonstrators marched in Washington, D.C., just steps from the White House. Many were angry with policies they blame on Trump, the war with Iran, the soaring cost of living, and violent immigration-related crackdowns across the U.S. Celebrities also lent their voices to the protests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: It's time to say no to kings. It's time to say no to Donald Trump. We've had enough.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would actually like to see him step down, and that would probably be the best thing for this -- this country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Democracy is under threat. It's that simple. It's absolutely tragic what's happening in this country and around the world. And I just want my voice to be heard with other people.

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: We heard him there, Bruce Springsteen, speaking to the crowds in Minnesota, which is still dealing with the aftermath of the Trump administration's sweeping immigration raids.

CNN teams were on the ground at several rallies Saturday, including 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 mind, 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.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In true L.A. manner, this protest that has salsa bands, it's got drum lines. It's got many people coming out in message. Of course, "No Kings," but also some of the top concerns that people have expressed here are immigration, a lot of signs that say no ICE or ICE out of Los Angeles. (SPEAKING SPANISH), as they say here in L.A.

Second is the war in Iran. People here, the protesters saying that we should be looking inward at cost of living, cost of gas and not to foreign wars.

And then thirdly, surprisingly, amount of -- surprising amount of people saying, release the Epstein files. That has been something I've seen time and again.

And of course, this is a very family friendly atmosphere. We're seeing little kids, we're seeing dogs, seeing people also helping each other in this very, very hot day. It's almost 90 degrees here in Los Angeles. And these protests just started marching around. They're going to do a loop before coming back down to city hall.

[05:10:18]

The vast majority of them trying to keep this a peaceful and family- friendly demonstration. And part of that is, of course, being a little silly. We've been seeing increasing numbers of people coming out in costumes and costumes and having these silly kind of signs that want you to listen to what one of these people had to say.

I'm going to ask you one last question. Then it's -- why is that important to be silly or to stay positive like that? Like, why is that important to you?

PROTESTER: Because I feel like this entire administration is silly. And sometimes I feel like you have to fight silliness with silliness. The whole thing is ridiculous.

VARGAS JONES: And leaning into that silliness, the silliness of it all has been an important tactic to avoid the kinds of confrontations that we've seen in other protests, like Los Angeles had a lot of protests last year. Last summer, with the sweeping immigration actions from the Trump administration. Organizers do not want to see a repeat of that. They want this to remain peaceful, and yes, a little silly.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Now, some Americans living overseas are also protesting against President Trump. This was a scene in Madrid, where about 100 U.S. citizens joined other demonstrators. It was called the no tyrants rally there, likely because Spain has a constitutional monarchy.

Rallies also took place in Italy, Germany and France. And in Rome, demonstrators held up a massive banner saying, for a world free from war.

Joining me now to talk about the "No Kings" protest is Marcus Board Jr. He's the author of the book "Invisible Weapons: Infiltrating Resistance and Defeating Movements."

Thank you so much for being here with us. So, you have been watching these protests. I mean, what did you make of the -- the turnouts that you saw and the energy? What stood out to you?

MARCUS BOARD JR., PROTESTER, HOWARD UNIVERSITY: I think the most important thing is that tomorrow's freedom fighters are being born today. You kind of can't kill any of these ideas. And I think that's what people are showing.

They're showing up to say, we have a problem with the way things are going and that you're not going to stop the development of liberal ideas, progressive ideas, even radical ideas by being repressive. So, I think the turnout was interesting. I think a lot of the energy is very lighthearted, as the reporter saw.

I think that will change over time, because at a certain point, power is going to be pushing back and people need to be prepared for that.

BRUNHUBER: What do you mean by that? You mean that there'll be sort of more police presence or counter protesters? What do you mean? BOARD JR.: So, the idea is that these are spaces where people are going to be recruiting for their organizations, right? So, big mass turnout is some of the places where the best organizers we know get their start. So, that's "Black Lives Matter," that's the "Women's March," et cetera.

When people get out, they then get involved. And once you get involved, once you start getting people food, once you start doing mutual aid, once you start building community, that's when the state starts to get involved, because it pushes back very directly against their mandate, their agenda, which right now, as we know, is very clearly war and empire.

And so, what folks really need to understand is that this is a beginning. It is not an end. It is something that will continue. And I expect there to be an organized response.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. One of the things that jumped out, for me at least, was that this wasn't just about sort of big blue cities. Organizers said about two-thirds of yesterday's events were in suburban or in rural areas and sign-ups apparently searching in red- leaning states. I mean, what does that tell you about where the movement is right now and where it's headed?

BOARD JR.: I think our understanding of what America actually looks like is pretty limited. A lot of times, we'll look at it on an electoral map. But the reality is there are everyday people who have everyday problems, and those problems are not being solved by today's administration or even yesterday's.

So, sometimes when we talk about politics, we narrow it to elections and midterms. And of course, those are absolutely going to be reflected based on what happened over this weekend. But at the same time, when you're dealing with people who need housing, you need health care, you need child care, those problems are universal.

And we need universal solutions, and the United States is pretty consistent in not trying to provide them, with the notable exception of Mamdani in New York right now.

BRUNHUBER: I'm curious. I mean, when Donald Trump won re-election in 2024, I mean, there was a lot of talk about protest fatigue, that people were numb, the resistance seemed really quiet this time around, people maybe just ran out of gas. I mean, you study these movements for a living. What changed between sort of that moment and what we're seeing now?

[05:15:06]

BOARD JR.: My colleague Christina Greer wrote about this in "The Times." A lot of Black people are tired. A lot of Black organizers have kind of come to their wits' end in trying to get this level of turnout, not just for big protests, but for food drives, but for communities that are in need, right? So, it was Trans Day of Visibility on Saturday as well. Folks are under attack. And we need not just folks who are going to

turn out to these events, which we absolutely love, but there's also a need for folks to show up on the everyday front. There's no really nice way to put it. We need to educate our kids, we need to feed our families, we need to have jobs and be able to have full lives. That's what movements are about. It's not just one single moment in a protest, it's a collection of moments.

BRUNHUBER: But in terms of a movement, I mean, you know, some critics would say that "No Kings" doesn't have a clear set of policy demands. It's just basically an expression of opposition. In your view, I guess, does a movement like this actually need a specific, you know, policy position or something more specific like that to be effective?

BOARD JR.: I think it's OK to have a start. I think I know that folks at Advancement Project, particularly Denise Gardy, is doing work about an idea called "preemption," which basically says that legislation cannot necessarily solve the problems the way that it did maybe in the civil rights era, but that higher levels of government and law are swooping in after you have ballot initiatives. And they're swooping in and saying, we're actually going to nullify or negate that.

And so one of the ways that folks are fighting now, I think we just tried to assume that we could win without changing hearts and minds. And it's just not true. It's just not the case, which is what I told Fabiola Cineas at "The Guardian."

You got to change people. And at a certain point, if you can't kill ideas, and you have to change people, we have to start talking to each other. It's something that, for a lot of reasons, folks have had a lot of trouble doing.

BRUNHUBER: We'll leave it on that note. Marcus Board Jr., thanks so much for speaking with us. Appreciate it.

BOARD JR.: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come, attendees at an annual conservative conference decide who they want as the next president. We'll tell you the results of the CPAC straw poll.

Plus, look at this, live images coming to us from the Vatican with Palm Sunday services underway. We'll have a live report as the pontiff ushers in Holy Week for Catholics around the world. Stay with us.

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[05:21:27]

BRUNHUBER: 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. CNN's Steve Contorno has more from Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Organizers released the annual straw poll looking at who attendees believe should be the Republican Party's nominee for president in 2028.

Now, this is not a scientific poll, but it did include about 1,600 respondents. And the favorite amongst the majority of people here was Vice President J.D. Vance. Perhaps no surprise, given that he is the most obvious heir apparent to Donald Trump. But perhaps in a surprise, the second-place vote-getter was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who finished with 35 percent of the vote. Rubio is someone who didn't even get out of single digits in this poll a year ago.

He's also someone who has clashed at times with this crowd. However, talking to people here over the past few days, there is certainly a lot of interest in his candidacy as well as the future of Vance. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As much as I would like to say someone like Vance, I just -- I hate seeing the president and vice president run. I want someone new and different, someone younger.

ALEXANDER SELBY, CPAC ATTENDEE: I don't really like Vance. I think Pete Hegseth doesn't really know what he's doing. Trump well, he can't run, obviously, but I think Marco Rubio is the only person from the administration that I would support going into 2028.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for Vance.

SUSAN AUGUSTINE, CPAC ATTENDEE: I would go with Vance too. I like Rubio too. They'd make a good team. Too bad they couldn't co- president, you know.

MAXINE CUNNYNGHAM, CPAC ATTENDEE: I think Vance is in a position and I don't think it would be wise for Rubio and his supporters to try to jump ahead of Vance, because I don't think that -- this is just my opinion of Vance. I don't think he'll run for V.P. again. I mean, he expects to be president and he should be.

CONTORNO: No one else exceeded two percent in the poll, really showing the popularity of these two figures among the GOP base. In fact, one of the more popular opinions I heard was that the ticket in 2028 should be Vance and Rubio, one person even suggesting that they should be co-president.

Of course, looming over the future of the party is President Trump himself. And a lot of people telling me they intend to wait to see if and who the president ultimately endorses to succeed him before they make a decision.

Steve Contorno, CNN, Grapevine, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate are on their break after failing to end the partial government shutdown. That means no end in sight for impacts being felt at U.S. airports. The House rejected a deal cut by their Senate counterparts.

Now, that stalemate leaves the Department of Homeland Security still not funded, and those working for the Transportation Security Administration are still going without pay.

Now, the Trump administration says TSA agents should begin receiving paychecks tomorrow after the president issued an executive order.

Last hour, I spoke to Simon Calder, a Travel Correspondent for "The Independent," and he tells me how early he thinks people really should be arriving at the airport.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON CALDER, TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT, THE INDEPENDENT: 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.

[05:25:13]

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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, thousands of people are now in St. Peter's Square for Palm Sunday Mass, Pope Leo's first as pontiff. There you see live pictures as he's doing just that. For Christians around the world, Palm Sunday marks the start of the Holy Week leading to Easter.

CNN's Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb joins me now live from London. So, Christopher, take us through what the Pope is doing right now and what his message is.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, at the moment, he's celebrating that Palm Sunday Mass, which, of course, is the start of Holy Week and the lead-up to Easter, the most sacred time of the Church's year. And, of course, it is the first one that Pope Leo will be presiding at since his election as pope less than a year ago. The thousands, you can see, have gathered in the square for this very symbolic and powerful celebration. It is a liturgy that recalls Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. And you have the holding of palms, which, of course, reflects the scriptural accounts of that event.

Now, Pope Leo, in his homily, if quite a strong condemnation of anyone using God to justify war, he said that God does not listen to the prayers of those who seek to use God to justify their conflicts. Very strong message there. Of course, this first Easter celebrated by Leo takes place within an expanding conflict in the Middle East.

In Jerusalem itself, the traditional Palm Sunday celebration has had to be canceled due to the conflict, just underlying how difficult it is for Christians in the Middle East to mark, to celebrate their faith.

And, you know, Leo not only saying that God does not justify, cannot be used to justify war, he also quoted an Italian bishop, Bishop Bello, who has died, but was known as a very strong peace campaigner and a critic of the Gulf War in 1990. So, Leo, on this first holy week since his election, offering a very strong peace message and a strong rejection of anyone trying to use divine justification for conflicts.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Interesting message. Christopher Lamb, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

Well, Iran has maintained the upper hand in controlling the Strait of Hormuz, partly by mining the vital waterway.

Just ahead, I'll be speaking with an expert on how or if the U.S. or others can secure the Strait through demining.

Plus, we'll go live to Islamabad where some of the region's top diplomats are set to discuss how to deescalate tensions in the Middle East. Stay with us.

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[05:31:55]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check some of today's top stories.

Many Americans joined in a day of peaceful mass protest on Saturday. People gathered for more than 3,000 "No Kings" rallies across the country. Many expressed outrage over the Trump administration's policies and actions, calling them fascist and dangerous.

U.S. Central Command said yesterday that 3,500 sailors and Marines arrived on Friday in the Middle East aboard the amphibious assault ship the USS Tripoli. CNN had reported earlier this month the planned deployment of a Marine unit traditionally used for missions like large-scale evacuations and raids and assaults.

Pakistan's foreign minister says Iran will allow 20 of its ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan has been acting as a mediator for negotiations between Iran and the U.S. 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 that, of course, has sent gas prices soaring worldwide.

Meanwhile, 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, who is live in Islamabad. So, Ivan, take us through where things stand and what the level of optimism is that talks can actually lead to de-escalation.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think anybody is expecting some kind of miraculous end to this conflict that's now been raging for a month and that threatens to spill over borders and affect some of the countries that are represented here in Pakistan.

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Egypt are already on the ground here engaging in bilateral discussions with their Pakistani hosts, and the Saudi foreign minister is on his way. The Turks have intercepted missiles that were fired from Iran over their airspace in the past.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly come under attack from Iranian missiles and drones. Egypt has been spared from that, but all of these countries have been directly impacted by the surging price of energy and other commodities that have been impacted by the conflict and the now chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

That loosened just a bit, according to a statement that came from Pakistan's foreign minister, where he said that Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships flying the flag of Pakistan to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, two ships at a time, and he called this a, quote, "Welcome and constructive gesture by Iran that deserves appreciation."

And the Pakistanis have been directly involved, shuttling messages from the Trump administration to their western neighbor, the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Pakistani prime minister and foreign minister both had calls with the Iranian president and the Iranian foreign minister on Saturday, so they have been playing a mediating role of sorts. But the gathering of these foreign ministers here is clearly aimed at preventing this war or trying to find ways to prevent it from escalating further.

[05:35:18]

However, it has expanded in just the last 48 hours, notably with the addition of Yemen as a party to the conflict. The Iranian proxy, the allies in Yemen, the Houthis, they fired for the first time in this round of hostilities missiles against Israel. Though nobody was hurt, no reports of significant damage, the Yemenis have made clear, the Houthis have made clear that they will continue operations moving forward.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military announced the arrival of 3,500 marines and sailors, part of a marine expeditionary unit in the region, with Washington threatening the possibility of some kind of ground operations against Iran, which would also be an expansion. So, this war is already big. It has claimed thousands of lives in countries ranging from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and the Gulf countries, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the list goes on.

But it still has the risk that it could expand much further. One final note is that when the Israelis and the Americans began their bombardment of Iran, they were talking about trying to curtail its nuclear program and ballistic missile program.

Now, they seem to be fighting to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, that vital transit way for international shipping, which was wide open a month ago and is now effectively shut by Iran.

Back to you.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Ivan Watson. Appreciate it.

Iran is employing unconventional methods to retain its iron grip on the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier this month, sources told CNN that Tehran had begun laying mines in the vital waterway. The Strait is the world's most important energy checkpoint, carrying about 20 percent of all crude oil.

Iran has effectively shut down the Strait since the start of the war, which has sent gas prices soaring globally. Now CNN has reported that Tehran has the capability to deploy a gauntlet of dispersed mine- laying craft, which are explosive-laden boats and shore-based missile batteries. Control of the Strait has been lucrative for Iran. As officials say, they will continue charging fees for the safe passage of some tankers through the waterway.

Joining us now from England is retired Royal Navy Commodore Simon Kelly. He's also a defense consultant and the leader of maritime operations with Fozzie Miller Group.

Good to see you again. Thanks so much for joining us here. So, as I understand it, U.S. intelligence says there are roughly a dozen Iranian mines in the Strait right now. So, walk us through what a mine clearance team is actually up against if they were to go in after something like that.

COMMODORE SIMON KELLY (RET.), UK ROYAL NAVY: Yeah, I think the first thing to say is that the mine threat will just be one of the layers that the Iranian Republican Guard Corps will try and apply at the same time. So, they'll blend anything, any use of mines with drones, with missiles, and probably as well with small boats if they can get them to sea.

So, it's going to pose a challenge and it's equally going to pose a challenge for ships going to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as any potential amphibious operation that the U.S. might be planning either in the vicinity of the Strait or Kharg Island.

So, let's -- let's break it down. Let's talk firstly about the Iranian threat. So, we have an understanding of that and then what -- what is in place to counter that threat.

So, it's estimated that the Iranians have approximately 6,000 mines. And as you say, evidence or U.S. intelligence has said up to 12 mines have been laid. We haven't seen any actual evidence of that.

Let's simplify it by saying there are four types of mines. The first one is Olympic mine. So, this is a small mine that can be laid on the side of a craft using a boat or potentially a diver. We've seen the Iranians use these in the past on vessels that anchor in the region. So, this is a -- this is a potential threat.

Second type, a ground mine. So, imagine a large -- a large explosive laid on the seabed at depth, some of them quite deep, but mainly sort of in this sort of gulf area, 30, 40 meters of depth. What it's doing is it's looking upwards and as a ship passes, it has a magnetic signature. It makes a lot of noise. It puts pressure through the water. So, the mine's waiting for that unique signature.

Next type of mine, buoyant or moored mine. So, that's just the kind of thing you'd see in an old Second World War movie. Got a heavy sinker, concrete weight on the bottom of the seabed, a long chain that attached to the explosive section of a mine which floats just beneath the surface. And they can be high tech, but they can be very low tech in that the ship passes by. It's sitting just beneath the surface. It then breaks the horn on the side of it and it blows it up and it can be laid from absolutely anything.

[05:40:14]

How could they use these? Well, they're not going to lay mines across the whole strait. That's not to their advantage. What they might do is lay them in areas where they can channel either the merchant ships to come through Iranian waters where they can control that vital strait, or potentially they might lay them in areas off the key beaches, the key areas where you might want to conduct an amphibious assault by boat.

But most importantly about mines is it's the threat alone. You don't need to lay large numbers of mines. All you need is credible intelligence that they've laid them in an area. You could have a mine strike, an unknown explosion underwater for a vessel, and that's going to halt everything immediately, even an amphibious assault by sea.

So, what do we have -- what have we had in the region? So, for about 20 years or so, the U.K. and the U.S. have focused on this. And actually one of the closest military collaborations you've had between the U.S. and the U.K. has been mine warfare in the Gulf.

How have they done this? They've done this, what they call the sort of mine warfare triad. So, that's helicopters, originally the MH-53, but now the MH-60 Seahawks. They fly over a potential area that's mined. They drag through the water a sensor that looks down onto the seabed and into the water, and then they can launch weapons out of the helicopter that then destroys the mine, which is in the water or on the seabed. Second part of the triad, divers. So divers, EODs, disposable and

disposable divers, who can pounce out of aircraft to attack the buoyant mines or potentially dive down to the seabed or use underwater drones.

And then the final part of this triad are the ships. So, up until very recently, there were four U.S. Avenger class in Bahrain, four U.K. mine hunters, the Sandowns and the Hunts. And tying all of this together was what we call the afloat forward support base. So, this is a large platform, which had a dock at the back. It had a flight deck to fly helos off, and it could provide loads of support to the ships.

Unfortunately, that was withdrawn in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks to support potential operations in the eastern Mediterranean. In January, the Avengers, so the most important element for the U.S., were replaced by the littoral combat ship, a platform which the U.S. Navy, it says, itself is criticized for having neither the tech nor the crews to really do the job. And the U.K. as well decided at the start of the year or at the end of this year, rather, to withdraw crew ships from the Gulf and replace them with underwater vehicles.

Now, the tech for these underwater drones is absolutely superb. It's exceptional in their ability to sort of map the seabed in fine definition is excellent, but it's experimental. It's not really in the place to tie together all of those elements that the Mine Warfare Triad could do.

So, whilst you have a brilliant picture of the seabed, it becomes incredibly difficult to actually clear these mines and join the whole thing up. And it is still the work of weeks. It's not days. It's weeks and could be longer, depending on the number of lines that the Iranians may like.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. And we saw that after the Gulf War. I mean, it took ships, you know, they could clear maybe one -- one per day or something, and they had to clear a thousand of them. It took so long.

Listen, you answered practically all of my questions in one answer. So, we'll have to leave it there. But you laid out all of the incredible challenges that are ahead for -- for the U.S. and other nations if they want to de-mine this area. I really appreciate your insight, Simon Kelly. Thanks so much.

KELLY: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: 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 allegedly get a leg up on U.S. forces in the Middle East. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:47:16]

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 is 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 was hoping to accomplish there.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Zelenskyy is on the road, Kim, in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates and in Qatar. And his pitch to the Gulf leaders is simple, that we as Ukraine are the world leaders in dealing with Russian aggression, that you are facing the same things we have faced over the last four years after the conflict, the war with Russia. And we can teach you some things.

These Shahid drones that the Iranians are using are designed in Iran, manufactured by Russia, and Ukraine has built maybe the world's best system for dealing with them, and that is what he's offering to them. That is why you see this deal signed with Saudi Arabia and with Qatar, essentially similar deals to provide that same level of skill of air defense systems to deal with these drones.

Some Ukrainian reports say a small number of Ukrainian troops are in the UAE helping them specifically deal with that, and that is something they can offer that these Gulf leaders need. And they've talked about some energy cooperation as well. But at the very heart of this is that military help that these Gulf nations have been dealing with over the past four weeks. This is how President Zelenskyy describes 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 aid, 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: President Zelenskyy also saying that Russia has been surveilling and offering photographic evidence to certain sites within the Middle East that then the Iranians can target. He claims that the Russians have offered that intelligence support targeting seven sites in Qatar, in Kuwait, in Turkey, and in Saudi Arabia. And we have reached out to the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. for understanding on this. We haven't seen anything yet.

But CNN has previously reported sources saying that the Russians have been helping with some of this intelligence about the movements and locations of U.S. troops, U.S. ships, and U.S. aircraft, and President Zelenskyy essentially adding that he's also seen intelligence confirming that.

[05:50:06]

At the same time, President Zelenskyy is upset about the relaxing of sanctions by the U.S. on Russian oil, which has driven some revenue to the Russians. The Russian economy depends on oil revenues. And in the past month alone, as the oil markets have been spooked, there's been this relaxing of sanctions. And some analysts think that it's given as much as double of the revenues that they have had in previous months. And that's something that President Zelenskyy is upset about.

He said, "it's strange,' on a post and Telegram, 'that sanctions are being lifted and the aggressor is providing information to target objects, including those or the countries that are talking, about lifting sanctions or are already lifting them. So, he's trying to make the case that the world should not be doing this, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. All right. Thanks for the update, Larry Madowo. Thanks so much.

All right. We'll be right back with more here on CNN Newsroom. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: A humpback whale that was 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, which is its natural habitat. But it's now stranded in shallow water again, 60 kilometers further east in Wismar Bay.

[05:55:20]

Swiss food giant Nestle says about 12 tons of its KitKat chocolate bars have been stolen en route from Italy to Poland. The company reported the heist happened earlier this week. The vehicle and chocolate still nowhere to be found. Officials warn the thieves could get caught trying to resell the product by tracing the batch code located on the bars individual wrapping, a company spokesperson said, quote, "Whilst we appreciate the criminals exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes."

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 seven 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.

The world 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. Aryna Sabalenka is just the fifth woman to accomplish that.

And that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. For our viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "African Voices."