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Donald Trump Delays Energy Strike Threat, Citing Talks With Iran; Two Dead In Runway Collision At New York's LaGuardia Airport. Markets, Oil Prices React To Trump Post On Iran Talks; Starmer Speaks About Ambulance Arson Attack In London; Starmer: United Kingdom Was Aware Of Talks Between United States And Iran. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired March 23, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Then I saw it today there was say there was some masks on I didn't think the masks were
appropriate. I put out a statement, and I asked him, would it be possible to take off the mask, because they should wear a mask when they're dealing
with the murderers and the thugs left -- let in to our country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said, there's many points of agreement with Iran right now. What can you give us --
TRUMP: Many. Like, 15 points. 15 points. Well, they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. That's number one. That's number one, two and three. They
will never have a nuclear weapon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have they said yes to that?
TRUMP: They've agreed to that.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will we see arrests or illegal migrant arrests at airports, sir?
TRUMP: Arrests?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will we see ICE arresting illegal migrant arrests at airports?
TRUMP: Yes, that's why the Democrats are going crazy, because they've allowed by what they did, and hold up, we put ICE who are a very high level
-- I mean, they really are a high level group of people, and they love it, because they're able to now arrest illegals as they come into the country,
that's very fertile territory. But that's not why they're there. They're really there to help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we talking to Iran directly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- to no enrichment whatsoever, even for medical purposes, civilian purposes?
TRUMP: They have. Thank you. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about Strait of Hormuz, who's going to be in control of that?
TRUMP: That will be opened very soon, if this works.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How soon?
TRUMP: Immediately.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And who's in control of it? Will Iran still be able to control the flow of oil?
TRUMP: Be jointly controlled.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By whom?
TRUMP: Maybe me, maybe me. Me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is, whoever the next Ayatollah.
Look, and it'll also be a form of a very serious form of a regime change.
Now, in all fairness, everybody's been killed from the regime. They're really starting off. There's automatically a regime change.
But we're dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid. The people within know who they are. They're very respected, and
maybe one of them will be exactly what we're looking for.
Look at Venezuela, how well that's working out. We are doing so well in Venezuela with oil and with the relationship between the president elect
and us and maybe we find somebody like that in Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are there anymore options to lower the price of oil, while --
TRUMP: The price of oil will drop like a rock as soon as a deal is done. I guess it already is today.
No, we have a very serious chance of making a deal, that doesn't guarantee anything. I'm not guaranteeing anything. I'm not going to come out here in
a week or two weeks, and have you all say, oh, you said, I didn't say anything.
All I'm saying is we are in the throes of a real possibility of making a deal. And I think if I were a betting man, I'd bet for it. But again, I'm
not guaranteeing anything. They want to make a deal very badly.
Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What changes would you like to see in DHS under Markwayne Mullin?
TRUMP: Well, he's going to be fantastic. He'll make his own change. He's already given me a list of people he wants to bring. He's a fantastic guy.
I think he's just the right guy. You all know him. He's a very open, smart guy, very successful, actually, in business, which people don't know. And
he's a friend of mine. I think Markwayne is going to be fantastic.
Thank you. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, on the plane crash that happened last night.
Terrible. They made a mistake. It's a dangerous business that's terrible. Thank you.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, U.S. President Donald Trump getting ready to leave Florida to head to Tennessee for an anti-crime event. He spoke to
reporters there on the tarmac. He talked about these U.S.-Iran, discussions that he has posted about within the last sort of two hours. He said
discussions happened on Sunday evening. We have had strong talks. They want to make a deal, they being Iran, we want to make a deal too. Witkoff,
Kushner had talks. We will talk today, probably by phone, he said. We talked to top leadership. Very little detail on what they talked about,
what that deal might look like.
He says he has spoken to Israel about this. He says they will be happy about it. He said, this is interesting, one shot tomorrow and Iran's
largest electrical plant will be gone, alluding to the threat he had made Saturday night that Iran had 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz.
He said, why would they want that? They didn't -- they called, I didn't. They want to deal. He said he's dealing with some people there, didn't name
who inside of Iran. He used the Venezuela analogy again as a blueprint for future U.S.-Iran relations.
And I have to caveat all of this by saying that Iran is denying any dialog has taken place. I've just learned that Qatar, example, not engaging in any
mediation efforts between the two countries. We have heard from Oman talking about a sort of open channel, at least, for discussions on the
Strait of Hormuz.
[10:05:03]
And Donald Trump wouldn't answer any questions about why U.S. Marines and troops were on their way to the Middle East. He did also talk about the
partial shutdown, the use of ICE to support TSA staff, transgender issues. He also talked about paper clips. I'm being a little bit facetious with
that. I'm going to use paper clip -- paper clip analogy within the body of his answers to some questions.
Here to help us understand what it all means and where things stand now. Nic Robertson is in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Stephen Collinson is in
Washington.
Look, I want to start with you, Nic, because you know, the important thing here is that he was -- he was taking questions about what these U.S.-Iran
discussions are about, this is something he posted on Truth Social couple of hours ago, saying discussions are good and ongoing, and he said they're
going to pick up these discussions tonight, tomorrow. What do you make of what we just heard?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, he talked about having 15 points that had been discussed, even I think he implied that have
been agreed, that Iran had agreed. And when he was asked for, what are those points? Were points one, two and three, he said whether Iran would
have no nuclear weapons.
Other points similarly numbered. It just -- it just isn't clear. But he is implying that the -- that the conversations had at least some substance and
some product. Again, he wouldn't specify who.
And when pressed on the question of, would the Strait of Hormuz be open soon? He said, yes, it could be open soon if the deal goes through. Pressed
on, well, what does that deal look like, he then said, well, perhaps I would be running it. Would be run jointly. Perhaps I'd be running it and
I'd be running it with the Ayatollah, whoever that may be.
I mean, it sounded vague, but it -- look, if one takes it at face value, the direction he is headed in or appears to be talking about, and thinking
about, his initial things that Iran should have no nuclear weapons. But the key thing right now, and the key point that he made, that the price of oil
is coming down off his latest statements, which I think in this region, is clearly what they believe the statements have been given to do to bring
down the price of oil.
But the idea that there could be a joint plan for the Strait of Hormuz involving Iran, the United States, maybe others. Of course, the president
had a long phone call with the British prime minister last night.
But to get down to brass tacks of what the Saudis here are making of President Trump's statements in the past couple of hours, when I called one
source here, they said to me, well, I'd found out on Twitter, on X they were headed into meetings where, undoubtedly, I was told this, topic would
come up. What that tells me is that there wasn't a diplomatic channel signaled from the White House to the Saudis that this -- that the president
was going to make this statement. And I think that sort of underscores the way that the Saudis here and others in the region feel that the president
has treated them in his decision making, which isn't to bring them into the planning, but is to push ahead with his own decisions when he sees fit to
make them and state them.
And I think at the moment, the Saudis will very much be thinking that this is not an off ramp for the war necessarily. We need to maintain our current
military posture. The missiles from Iran aren't going to stop coming. It is all along, the facts, not the voices, not the what's being said by whom
that I think the Saudis here are setting their tone of how they react and respond.
ANDERSON: Yes, I spoke to somebody locally just some minutes before that post came out. And certainly, we've heard from the advisor to the president
here, Anwar Gargash, officially on his X posting, sort of over the weekend and earlier today, about the fact that, you know, the UAE does not see a
cease fire as a lasting solution here. And there was really no sense of the UAE in its hardened position, I think the Saudis as well, really looking at
deescalation at this point.
Certainly we have heard his highness, Abdullah bin Zayed, who is the foreign minister here and a deputy prime minister in the UAE, talking about
the terrorist regime. And we will not be blackmailed by that terror regime in Iran.
I mean, this is -- this is really sort of strong rhetoric here. Anwar Gargash said, in this absence and incapacity, it is unacceptable later to
speak of the decline of the Arab and Islamic role, or to criticize the American and Western presence. He went on, this is about a lack of support
from allies.
But he has very specifically said, you know, a cease fire is not a lasting solution.
[10:10:08]
And at this point, you know, there is a sense around this Gulf region that, given what they have taken in Iranian attacks, that has revealed the extent
of that ballistic missile capability from Iran, and until that is fully degraded and is in comprehensive deal with Iran that says, you know, that
Iran can no longer be a threat to this region. I think this region was coming to a position, as you rightly point out, that you know, just a cease
fire, putting a sort of holding -- you know, sort of holding deal in place is not good enough, because Iran cannot be a threat going forward.
Stephen, you wrote in your last piece, "Trump has reached a moment when rhetorical confusion and contradictory threats cannot obscure the
consequences of his choices." I know that you wrote this, I think, ahead of his most recent post, so you might explain, if you will, you know, what you
were thinking there, and the conceit of that piece, and what you make of Donald Trump's recent post saying we are now in negotiations with Iran to
finish this war? And then, you know, what we just heard from him on the tarmac?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, I think Trump, overnight was poised on the precipice of what would have been a disastrous
escalation in this war if he'd have gone ahead and started attacking Iranian power plants. That would have made the circumstances which you were
just describing in the region even more extreme.
So, I think it's appropriate to look at this as a pause from the president. I know a lot of people are going to start talking about TACO Trump. He's
chickening out again. I don't think we have enough information to definitively say he's backed down.
But clearly, the consequences of going ahead must have given the president pause, both internationally and in terms of domestic politics.
I think what Trump does, he deals in hyperbole and exaggeration. So, it's possible there have been some contacts with the Iranians. The idea that
suddenly there's this 15-point deal on the table seems very unlikely. We don't even know who he's talking to within the Iranian regime.
In the past, the administration has often talked to political figures like foreign ministers, who actually don't have a great deal of power. If you
look at this from the outside, it seems as though what the critical issue here is is that Iran, despite being outgunned, having seen a lot of its
military destroyed, was able to create leverage by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which conditioned the actions of a much more powerful force, the
United States and Israel and their military.
And I think the question now is, is this really a diplomatic breakthrough? Is there the chance of a new compact there in the Middle East, or is the
president merely preparing the way rhetorically for himself to declare victory?
The problem with that, as you were saying, is that he's effectively pulled the lid off a box of snakes in the Middle East. And even if the United
States walks away, the strategic consequences of this conflict, the demonstration by Iran, and it's able to hold the region and the world's
economy hostage. I think that's going to have massive reverberations.
And although Trump, one of his advantages is he doesn't really believe in anything ideologically that strongly, so it's easy for him to take
absolutist positions on one side or the other and then walk away, if that's what he's intending to do here, the actions that he takes really change
circumstances in the world. And the question would then be whether the price for what he's done is going to be equal to whatever advantage he
senses he's got out of the war.
ANDERSON: Nic, let me bring you back in. Thank you, Stephen. Let me bring you back in, because I'm sort of reflecting on what you and I think
understand to be the position currently in the States. Whatever happens next -- sorry, in this Gulf region, whatever happens next, it is absolutely
clear that these Gulf nations are -- will have to ensure that they can confront an armed and aggressive Iran going forward, whatever happens in
these discussions, and whether or not we get an end to this war anytime soon, I'm for that, they are doubling down on their relationship with
Washington, as far as I can tell.
I mean, certainly in Saudi and in the UAE, in Kuwait, we are seeing the deal sort of revealed around further, sort of grounded defense systems and
missile capability.
[10:15:12]
So, when we also see a sort of multi layered approach revealing itself across defense systems, which will include other countries as well. But
this idea that this region now has shown what it can do in its defense, but will need to ensure that with U.S. support it is ready for any eventuality
going forward.
You're in the in Jeddah, in the Red Sea, which has been a key waterway, of course, how the ports there managing? In the first instance, to pick up
trade and on that side of the country, which sits alongside the Red Sea, how much concern is there that that could be another front if this war were
to continue?
ROBERTSON: Yes, I think the Red Sea is sort of going to become at the moment, unless there is an escalation in hostilities, in which case what
you're alluding to is the Houthis in Yemen, who are sort of a part time proxy of Iran, if they entered the war overtly and were to cause disruption
to shipping, targeting tankers through the Bab al-Mandab Strait on the -- where the Red Sea goes out in towards the Indian Ocean, if they were to do
that, as they did that during the war in Gaza, targeting tankers they said were associated with the United States and Israel.
But frankly, it became a place that insurers didn't want to put vessels through. Tanker owners didn't want to put their tankers through there. And
the Houthis effectively shut off a lot of the trade going from the Mediterranean down through the Suez Canal, down the Red Sea here, in fact,
you're looking at the port of Jeddah behind me, and then down out towards the Indian Ocean, past Yemen that got -- that got shot off.
So, I think there's a part of people here in Saudi that are thinking, what if, if the Houthis joined the fight, then this is a major escalation.
But right now, and I think one of the effects of this war, and we didn't really get into it with the Strait of Hormuz. It's not just sort of
shutting it down in its entirety. What Iran has been able to do is effectively set a price for tankers to pass through with free passage. This
is something that they haven't done before. They're now putting a figure on the cost of allowing a tanker to go through without being targeted for
nations that they don't consider enemies.
So, in a way, Iran is able to get more out of the Strait of Hormuz than they were ever able to get before. This blockade, of course, is driving the
suppliers, the cargo shippers, the Saudi Arabia's oil exports driving them away from the Gulf, because they can't get goods into the -- into the
Persian Arabian Gulf. The goods are now coming through the port of Jeddah here, or will be a big spike expected in the next couple of weeks. We got
exclusive access there to take a look around and understand what is happening and why it's happening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice over): Saudi Arabia's biggest port, Jeddah, is gearing up for its busiest times yet. On Saudi's west coast, the Red Sea, it is about
to pick up much of the trade Iran has choked off blockading the Strait of Hormuz, more than 700 miles from the beleaguered Gulf, it will be helping
keep them alive.
ROBERTSON: Saudi officials are saying that already, since the war began, cargo traffic through their Red Sea ports is up by one-third and they're
predicting that here in Jeddah, the traffic is going to go up by 50 percent next month.
ROBERTSON (voice over): While most of that one-third uptick is Saudi oil exports, millions of extra barrels pumped hundreds of miles across the
Arabian desert. It is ports like Jeddah that will carry the bulk of imports.
ROBERTSON: So, all this comes off here, gets stacked up over here, and then it's going to get on trucks and head eastwards across Saudi Arabia to the
Gulf.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Officials here say they are ready with enough docks workers, cranes and trucks lined up. But even so, analysts say they won't
be able to make up all the import shortfall. Food and medicine the priority.
CHARLES VAN DER STEENE, REGIONAL MARKETING DIRECTOR MAERSK: Food and medicine are the priority, whether it is for the UAE, whether it's for
Saudi whether it's for Balds and any other country within the globe, these are the prime priority to make sure that the population can receive what
they need as part of their daily life.
[10:20:03]
ROBERTSON (voice over): Major haulage contractors like Maersk say they and regional governments have been planning a land bridge trucking goods from
the Red Sea to the Gulf for years, and with good reason. The World Economic Forum says about 85 percent of the Gulf's food is imported.
VAN DER STEENE: It's safe to say that the Saudi government has been extremely involved in making sure that whatever roadblocks that might
exist, roadblocks in terms of the actual capacity in the terminal in Jeddah, roadblocks in terms of potential capacity of available trucks, but
also roadblocks in terms of potential customs challenges that you might have, so that the flow is optimized.
ROBERTSON (voice over): But for all the planning, there are no guarantees. Last week, following an attack on its own energy infrastructure, Iran
targeted Yanbu oil terminal and a drone hit a nearby refinery.
And then there's Iran's partial proxy, the Houthis, further down the Red Sea in Yemen. Until a few months ago, they were attacking international
shipping and could restart.
ROBERTSON: So far, the Red Sea has mostly been outside of the bounds of this war, but if the war escalates, all this vital lifeline to the rest of
the Gulf, all that could become vulnerable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (on camera): So, Becky, I think the shippers are another place to look to to try to get a read and a beat on whether President Trump has
something or doesn't have something. I think the all those births that are that are booked up already by shipping companies coming into Jeddah over
the next two weeks, I don't think we're going to see a change there.
But of course, when the president speaks, it's not just the oil markets that listen. The shippers have got to look at it and say, OK, where can we
get our goods closest in to the Gulf? And that's another metric to watch here.
ANDERSON: That's fascinating. Nic, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. We were speaking earlier with my colleague, or our colleague,
Stephen Collinson as well. Much appreciated for that conversation.
Right, still to come, how Oman says it is trying to make the vital Strait of Hormuz safe for all vessels. More on that is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We are following a deadly collision between a jet and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Airport officials say an Air Canada
plane hit the vehicle after landing late on Sunday, killing the plane's two pilots. A flight attendant survived the deadly crash after she was found
outside the plane still strapped in her seat, according to a law enforcement, a source.
While investigators continue to comb through the scene there, and you are looking at it live, the airport is closed and hundreds of flights are
canceled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:25:05]
KATHRYN GARCIA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY: Initial numbers indicate that 41 passengers and crew were
transported to the hospital as well as the ARF officers. At this time, we understand that 32 have been released, but there are also serious injuries.
Sadly, the two pilots are confirmed deceased, and notifications are being made by air Canada's care team at this time. It is anticipated that the
airport will be closed at least until 2:00 p.m. this afternoon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, well, Air Canada says it can't confirm yet the number of people injured or killed. Their teams will provide additional statements
they say, as soon as possible.
Well, for more on this, let's bring in the CVA -- CNN's Aviation analyst Peter Goelz. It's good to have you, Peter. What more do we understand now
about this deadly collision? I mean, based on your decades of experience in aviation, you know, what questions have we had answered at this sort of,
you know, in this early stage, and what are we still waiting to hear?
PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, this accident, Becky, is really eerily similar to the accident that occurred over a year ago at in
Washington, D.C. You have very crowded airspace. You have a control tower that has been habitually understaffed. And you have it's -- in the -- in
the in the evening, where visibility is difficult.
Listening to the tower tapes, preliminarily, it really is going to focus in on the instructions given by the air traffic controller and his response to
the emergency vehicle.
The vehicles all have transponders. The emergency vehicles travel the airport every single day, and they do it safely. This is a very rare
occurrence. Something happened when the emergency vehicle requested and believed that they got approval to cross the run.
ANDERSON: So, take a listen to this audio recording of an air traffic controller in the tower shortly afterwards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PILOT: That wasn't good to watch.
CONTROLLER: Yes, I know. I tried to reach out to them. We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.
PILOT: No, man, you did the best you could.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Mandatory note determining the root causes of accidents can take a year or longer and involve multiple contributing factors, of course.
Yes, what do you make of what we just heard there? And then, you know, I guess, what can be done about these incidents?
GOELZ: Well, the NTSB is on the scene. They will you'll get a briefing from them later today. But I think that underscores that the language used to
approve the crossing of the runway may not have been as precise as required.
And you know, the reality is this is the world's busiest airspace. There are five large airports within 25 miles of LaGuardia, and you have a tower
that has 11 positions, and you have 33 controllers assigned to it. There is a staffing level of 60 that has been requested. They're understaffed,
they're overworked, and mistakes are made.
ANDERSON: I just want to get your sense of the new data that I know has been revealed in the past sort of few hours or so, the Air Canada plane was
going at 104 miles an hour before it hit that fire truck. Is that normal speed at that point of its sort of journey?
GOELZ: Yes, absolutely. My guess is this aircraft has a touchdown speed of about 135 knots. It probably had touched down perhaps 300 yards up the
runway. The pilots, their attention is solely on the runway ahead of them. They are not looking left or right. They are looking directly at the
runway.
So, 104 knots seems about right. The question is, is the driver of the truck, the emergency truck, I believe, believes that he was given
permission to cross the runway, and that's where the attention going to be.
ANDERSON: Peter, it's good to have you. I mean, clearly your depth of experience is hugely valuable as we continue to monitor this.
[10:30:03]
And those are live pictures at what is now just before half past 10:00 in the morning at LaGuardia Airport, there in New York. And we heard from
officials from the airport that, that airport will be closed until at least 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. Any further updates we get on that, of course, we
will get to you here on CNN.
Peter, thank you. Well, we are almost an hour, well, in fact, coming up to exactly an hour into the trading day on Wall Street. First day of the week,
of course, we are watching market reaction closely after what is, it seems a major shift from U.S. President Donald Trump.
I mean, here is how the main U.S. indices are faring so far. Mr. Trump said earlier, and just before these markets opened that he would postpone
threatened strikes on Iran's power and energy strikes, and that the U.S. and Iran were talking.
Well, these markets are some two percent higher. The oil prices dropped back significantly compared to at least what was happening in the Asian
trading day, which is oft times the indication for these Monday markets.
CNN's Anna Cooban, tracking all of this from London for us.
You and I spoke earlier in the day, Anna. Markets certainly taken by surprise in this Trump Truth Social post before the U.S. market opened
today.
So, just walk us through how oil prices are reacting and how you can see investors sort of thinking in what is, and you and I have described, this
as a roller coaster, sort of whiplash, the sort of sentiment around these markets at present.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yes. Well, I think, whiplash is a great word, roller coaster as well.
We have seen oil really tumble from a high stay of $114 a barrel. Now, around we can see here the U.S. oil around $89 a barrel. Brent around $90 a
barrel. So, you know, we've seen a huge swing in a matter of hours, really, and the stock markets reflecting similar sort of relief in the green in the
U.S., in the green in Europe.
Asian markets closed down because all of these developments had not happened by the time that they'd -- by the -- by the time they closed their
markets.
But this is still very much, we are not out of the woods, Becky. This is still a crisis. The IEA calling it the largest oil crisis since the 1970s -
- the shocks of the 1970s. And that's really about volumes. 10 million barrels a day being lost in the 1970s during those crisis.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Right. Anna, I'm sorry. I'm going to stop you there and break into this. You're in London. I know that you've been also waiting to hear
from the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is facing questions from lawmakers right now about Iran and the economy. Let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: -- my disgust, this horrific antisemitic attack in Golders Green in the early hours of this morning.
The idea that ambulances could be considered a target is simply horrendous. And I know the impact that, that will have had on so many individuals, not
just those in the area, and I have been with Sarah Sackman this morning, the constituency M.P., but also, the neighboring MPs. But also, frankly,
the whole Jewish community across the country, not least because this is not an isolated incident, and the rise of anti-Semitic hatred is there for
all to see.
In relation to the ambulances, I spoke to the health secretary this morning, and I can confirm that we will replace the ambulances that were
destroyed in the horrendous attack. London ambulance will have the replacements ready by tomorrow morning at the latest. So, I am really
pleased to be able to put that support immediately into place.
And I'm also to say that the NHS will pay for the permanent replacements that are going to be needed in due course. That is the right thing to do,
but it also underscores what I think is a really important principle that this is not just an attack on the Jewish community, but it's an attack on
all of us, on everyone who holds the fundamental British values of tolerance and respect.
Chair, I also met Jewish community leaders at Downing Street this morning, along with some members of the Cabinet and local MPs to the area of the
attack to discuss the actions that we were taking to keep the community safe.
Can I thank them for attending at such very short notice? There are a number of actions coming out of that meeting, including speeding up aspects
of the social cohesion strategy that has been published, the support that is available for the CST and other measures.
But the idea that we live in a society where people should feel they need to hide their identity or their religion is frankly, abhorrent. Anti-
Semitism is an old hatred, but it requires constant vigilance to overcome it. And so, let me be clear, we won't rest in our fight to defeat this
poison and keep the Jewish community safe.
[10:35:07]
Chair, I've got a wider updates on the position in Iran, on the Middle East. But I think, I'm in your hands. Rather, I could do it now, it takes
some time, or I can try to weave it into questions, which I expect.
MEG HILLIER, CHAIR, BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS LIAISON COMMITTEE: I think we'll come to some of that in questions, and we'll make sure that you've
got time at the end, Prime Minister, to update the country on anything that we haven't covered in that time.
But, can I thank you on behalf of the Committee for that statement, and I think there is great relief that one, the swift action to replace the
ambulances is good. Will you be looking at increasing policing in areas of with high, large and large Jewish populations, as Sarah Sackman has
requested?
STARMER: We've -- look, we have discussed that this morning, and I've already actioned some discussions with the home office about that. I won't
go into the specific details here, but just to rest assured, that is one of the issues --
(CROSSTALK)
HILLIER: Appreciated. So, it's only -- it's not 24 hours yet. So --
STARMER: No, we did discuss it this morning. Sarah Sackman raised it, and we are already taking action.
HILLIER: Thank you. And speaking from a borough which has also got a large Jewish community --
STARMER: I should emphasize that, of course, this is in that constituency, but right across the country, there will be concern, and that's reflected
in the discussions we had this morning.
HILLIER: Thank you for that, Prime Minister. And as you say, there is things -- big things happening in the world, and the Iran War and its
economic impacts are obviously a crucial importance. I'm going to ask Liam Byrne, M.P., to kick off.
LIAM BYRNE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, BIRMINGHAM HODGE HILL AND SOLIHULL NORTH: Thank you, Chair.
Thank you very much for that statement, Prime Minister.
I know you are chairing Cooper on the war in Iran later this afternoon. Things are moving very quickly, and the fog of war remains thick. But what
is your central planning scenario for how this conflict ends, and what's your view about the timeframes?
STARMER: Well, my very strong view is we need to deescalate and bring an end to this conflict as swiftly as possible, and we have been working with
another -- number of countries in that regard. And to that end, I welcome the talks reported between the U.S. and Iran.
And to be clear with the committee, we, the U.K., were aware that, that was happening, and the immediate priority has to be a swift resolution of the
conflict and deliver -- delivering a negotiated agreement which puts tough conditions on Iran, particularly in relation to nuclear weapons.
So, that's the sort of number one priority. Obviously, there is no certainty in this, and that is why, in addition to the usual issues at
Cobra meetings, which are often military, diplomatic, consular, we are holding a cobra this afternoon on the economic impact. Because my strong
sense is that most people are very anxious and concerned at what they see on their television screens in terms of the conflict and the fear of
escalation.
But they are also very concerned about the impact it might have on them and their families, and that's what we will be absolutely focusing on this
afternoon.
(CROSSTALK)
BYRNE: -- President Trump is obviously talking about days and weeks for this conflict to end. The markets were obviously pricing now for a
disruption that lasts for some months. I know you've got to be very careful about not triggering panic buying of anything. But I mean, do you think
that households and businesses in our country should be planning for a disruption that actually lasts for months? Or do you think that actually
this can be concluded in days and weeks, as President Trump seems to suggest?
STARMER: Hard to answer that question, if I'm honest about it. I think, all of our focus and energy has to be in the Swift deescalation, but we have
got to plan on the basis that it could go on for some time, and that's the way in which we'll plan this afternoon.
And since the conflict started, I've been really clear with the team that we must not fall in to the sort of false comfort of thinking that there
will necessarily be a quick and early end to this. We have to plan on the basis that may not be. In terms of energy has been where a huge amount of
focus has been.
On energy supplies, I can reassure the committee that we have not any meaningful concerns about energy supplies. Obviously, the price fluctuates
daily. For household energy bills, it is important for me to reiterate that they will be cut because of the measures we took in the budget last year.
And then, held until the end of June.
And I know that for many members of the public, the question they have been asking is, does that still hold, even if the conflict goes on? And the
answer that question is yes. So, there is comfort there for households, obviously, fuel duty is held until September.
We have been working intensively in the last week or two with fuel supply. Particularly, petrol retailers, to make sure that nobody, but nobody, is
profiteering from this. And that's why we have said to the CMA, they have got to be all over. Any price gouging, any attempts to make money.
[10:40:05]
And we have taken measures in relation to households that use oil for their heating, which is predominantly rural communities and quite extensively in
places like Northern Ireland, where 68 percent heat their households by oil. They are the immediate measures. This afternoon, we will be looking at
a wider set of measures for the economy and specific sectors within the economy, and the chancellor will then make a statement to the House
tomorrow.
So, we'll have Cobra later on, which I will chair. And then the chancellor will come to Parliament tomorrow to announce the outcome of the Cobra
meeting, so that there can then be questions in Parliament in relation to that.
HILLIER: Thank you. (INAUDIBLE) M.P.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Thank you, Chair. Thank you for that explanation, Prime Minister.
LNG production in the region has been severely damaged already. Reports are that it will take five years to restore that level of production. This is
going to have a profound effect on supply and on prices beyond the end of June, unfortunately.
Are you -- how are you factoring in those calculations to what support will be needed, both by consumers and by industry?
STARMER: Well, we're looking at what support can be put in. Obviously, that's subject to further discussion, not least at the Cobra this
afternoon.
It's a little bit early to be too concrete, if I'm honest, because we don't know yet how much longer this is going to go on. We know with households,
what's been held. We know that with energy intensive businesses, there is already some support in. But I think a lot of businesses would be saying,
well, even if we do not fall within the energy intensive bracket, is there anything can be done for us?
I have not got a concrete answer that I can put before you today, but I can assure you that we are looking across the board at what can be done,
whether it is cost of living or the support we need to put in. I want to make sure we have examined all the appropriate levers that we can pull.
HILLIER: Thank you. We'll come to more of that in a moment. But I do want to -- I think, with everything going on the world, it's important we
discuss defense and -- Tan Singh Dhesi, M.P.s. (INAUDIBLE).
TANMANJEET SINGH DHESI, BRITISH LABOR, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Thank you very much, Chair.
Prime Minister, we were seeing reports of the U.S. significantly ramping up its military presence around Iran in preparation for an attack, just as
they did with Venezuela. But when they started the war, we -- it was embarrassing that we couldn't even muster one single naval asset around the
region. Are you embarrassed?
STARMER: No, I don't think that's actually right. During January and February, we obviously could see the build-up. We are working very closely
with the U.S. on intelligence, and therefore, we pre-deployed quite a lot of assets to the region.
Just to reassure you, radar systems were pre deployed, counter drone systems were redeployed. F-35 jets were deployed in greater number of them
were already there. Ground based air defense was deployed. 400 extra U.K. personnel were deployed, and autonomous mine hunting systems were deployed.
So far, as HMS Dragon is concerned, it normally takes six weeks for the loading onto and deployment of the relevant capability on to the Dragon.
That was done within six days with 22-hour working days, both with our service personnel and civilian personnel working together.
There was a lot of pre-deployment --
(CROSSTALK)
DHESI: I'm aware with that.
HILLIER: Dhesi?
DHESI: But with all due respect, that's one naval asset. And I think, if we look at the wider CNN, more than half a billion pounds worth of submarine
maintenance has had to be postponed because of the lack of a dry dock facility. Doesn't that failure to quickly deploy a Royal Navy asset, simply
demonstrate yet again how under resourced and overstretched our armed forces are?
STARMER: Well, the spending on the last government wasn't adequate. And Ben Wallace, the former defense secretary, concluded that the armed forces were
hollowed out.
But firstly, let me pay tribute to the work that they do, and let me assure the committee, they have been working from about an hour or two after this
conflict started with pilots in the air across the region. And they have been working continually hundreds of hours since then.
So, I don't want anything I say to detract from the work -- courageous work, that they have been doing.
DHESI: And let me talk about the IAMD. So, the Integrated Air and Missile Defense systems, or the lack thereof. We saw Iran launch a plethora of
missiles and drones, including thousands of miles away towards the U.K.- U.S. military base in Diego Garcia.
If Iran, or another adversary such as Russia were to launch ballistic missiles towards the U.K., how would we defend ourselves?
[10:45:06]
STARMER: Well, as you will appreciate, we keep this under constant review - - and review, and I can assure the Committee of the assessments that we carry out on a -- on a constant basis. The two missiles didn't reach Diego
Garcia, but we continually monitoring this.
On the question of integrated air defense systems, this is hugely important. And just in relation to our Gulf partners, to update the
committee, we have embedded the U.K. airspace battle management specialists into military commands in the region.
We are working with industry to distribute air defense missiles to Gulf partners. We are deploying short range air defense systems to Bahrain at
speed. This was an issue that came up as a matter of some urgency over the course of this weekend. And we are doing the same with Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia.
(CROSSTALK)
DHESI: Yes. It's good what we are doing -- it's good -- it's good what we are doing with allies, but I think the British public will rightly be
concerned about our own safety, because forget the Golden Dome or a Platinum Dome or any other dome, we have not made any such investments in
our own defense. And would you not agree that the public will be concerned about the ability of Russia or another adversary to launch ballistic
missiles, and we have no way of defending ourselves?
STARMER: Look, we constantly assess this, and we do have very effective ways of defending ourselves, and I do not want to raise levels of public
anxiety. They are anxious about what they are already seeing on their television screens. They are anxious about the impact it will have on them,
particularly, economically, in their households. And I do not want to raise their levels of anxiety. I can tell you our military personnel, our
security and intelligence services, are working, literally, 24/7 to keep us safe and doing a very good job in that regard.
(CROSSTALK)
DHESI: I think we all pay tribute to their bravery.
Prime Minister, when finally --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Keir Starmer being questioned by lawmakers in the U.K. about the Iran war and the impact on the U.K. economy. He said we need to deescalate
and end this conflict as quickly as possible. He says he welcomes the talks reported by Donald Trump on his Truth Social channel, between the U.S. and
Iran. He said the U.K. was aware that those talks were happening over the weekend.
He said he is equally aware of the impact this conflict will have on British consumers. He said, it is hard to answer when this conflict will
end. We have to plan as if it will go on for some time, he said, and he is looking at what support will be needed for U.K. consumers. He was also
asked whether he is embarrassed by the extent of support the U.K. supplied to this region of the Middle East during this war. He has been much
criticized, both domestically and by the U.S. president himself. The U.K. efforts seen as slow and insufficient by his critics. I have to say those
Starmer's supporters do not feel that way, and applaud the position that he has taken.
And he was just asked about integrated air defense and very specifically, about the ability of the U.K. to defend itself against the type of ICBM
that Iran reportedly fired at the U.S.-U.K. base in Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean. He said that he didn't want to unnecessarily raise the
anxiety levels of the British public about the sort of defense systems that the U.K. had. Suffice to say that intelligence and defense agencies are
working 24/7 to ensure that Britain's systems are in place, should the sort of eventuality that that question was about. The eventuality of -- you
know, an into ballistic intercontinental ballistic missile would reach the U.K.
All important questions and answers there from the U.K. Prime Minister being questioned by his own lawmakers.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is a lot more news ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:45]
ANDERSON: Oil prices sliding as U.S. President Donald Trump postpones threatened attacks on Iranian energy targets. Investors and governments are
still keeping a close watch on the Strait of Hormuz and how the war is affecting the supply of crude.
Oman says it is working towards the safe passage of all vessels through that crucial waterway.
Well, Mehran Kamrava is a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, joining me now from Doha.
First up, I have to ask you, what's your reaction to this latest Truth Social post by the U.S. president, saying that he will postpone attacks on
Iran's power plants, that he is in discussions with Iran about an end to this conflict.
We just heard from him speaking to correspondents on the tarmac in Washington. What do you make of what you have heard in the past couple of
hours?
MEHRAN KAMRAVA, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, QATAR: Cautious optimism, Becky. I think, this is certainly development in the
right direction. It is positive compared to where we were 12 or 24 hours ago. I think, here in the Persian Gulf region and elsewhere, there is a
collective sigh of relief for the time being. But of course, much uncertainty still remains.
ANDERSON: I was interested to hear the U.K. Prime Minister when asked about how he felt about what was going on at present. I mean, he underscored that
these talks have been going on over the weekend. He said he was aware of them. We need to see deescalation and an end to this conflict.
Look, we have seen, sort of, you know, signs of a shift in Gulf strategy through this, what, 23-day period. A Qatari diplomat telling me earlier
today that Qatar is not involved in any mediation. Their focus defending the country, while the advisor to the UAE, President Anwar Gargash says,
"Our thinking does not stop at a cease fire, rather, turns towards solutions that ensure lasting security in the Arabian Gulf, curbing the
nuclear threat, missiles, drones, and the bullying of the strait."
What do you make of this sort of change in calculus, certainly attitude -- change in attitude towards Iran since this conflict has broken out and
since the -- since Tehran has been attacking these Gulf nations?
KAMRAVA: Yes. The states of the GCC find themselves in an untenable position. On the one hand, they are being attacked almost relentlessly and
continuously by Iran. On the other hand, they don't want to be dragged into an American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic, but they have to somehow
defend themselves, and public opinion demands that they do something about it, and that's why we are seeing a much more assertive tone coming,
particularly from Abu Dhabi, and, of course, from Riyadh.
And, you know, these states find themselves in a predicament that they didn't want to be in. And on -- the they have to do something. They can't
just sit there and be on the receiving end of Iranian missiles and drones.
ANDERSON: You are right to suggest that there has been, you know, very much a hardening of language and rhetoric from the UAE and from Saudi the UAE's
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah, here in Abu Dhabi, describing the Iranian regime now as terrorists.
The Saudis have asked the Iranians, certainly at the embassy, in the Consulate, the diplomatic sort of organization there to leave. Oman does
appear to be an outlier. The Omani Foreign Minister says, "Whatever your view of Iran, this war is not of their making. This is already causing
widespread economic problems, and I fear they promise to get much worse if the war continues."
[10:55:01]
ANDERSON: What does that tell you and ours about Oman's approach, perhaps, compared to the rest of this Gulf region?
KAMRAVA: Well, Oman has always been an outlier, as you mentioned, Becky. Omanis have pursued a foreign policy that, in many ways, has been
independent of the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council. If you remember back in the day when the so-called -- the -- there was the war on Yemen,
Oman made a very public stance that it was not part of the coalition invading Yemen.
And so, historically, Oman has not only had close relations with Iran, but it has also made a deliberate effort to impress upon the rest that it has a
very independent foreign policy, and it has emerged for the last several years as in many ways, a peacemaker in the region.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Right. Yes, you are right.
It's good to have you, sir. It's been a pleasure speaking to you over the past couple of weeks, and we will continue to talk from Doha in Qatar
there. Thank you.
That is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
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