Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
Thousands More U.S. Marines Head To The Middle East; Trump Calls Out NATO Over Strait Of Hormuz; Iranians Mark Nowruz Holiday Amid War; Children Caught In Crossfire Amid Israel's Lebanon Offensive; Officials: U.S. Sending Thousands More Marines To Region; A.I. Version Of Val Kilmer To Star In New Movie; Legendary Action Hero Chuck Norris Dead At 86. Aired 2- 3p ET
Aired March 20, 2026 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, thousands more U.S. marines are heading
toward the Middle East as the war with Iran is about to enter its fourth week.
Then, amid rising oil prices, U.S. President Donald Trump once again lashes out at NATO allies for not helping secure the Strait of Hormuz. We are live
in Saudi Arabia with the very latest for you. Plus, the cost of war on Lebanon's children is becoming starker by the day, with more than a 100
killed since the start of Israel's bombing campaign.
This hour, a report from southern Lebanon where families are being torn apart. But first, tonight, what normally would be a time of celebration for
millions across the Middle East during Eid and Nowruz is instead being marked by fear and overshadowed by war.
As the fighting enters its fourth week, U.S. officials tell CNN, the Pentagon is sending thousands more marines and sailors to the region. It is
the second such deployment in the past week. Iran's new supreme leader says Israel and the U.S. falsely blamed Tehran for attacks on Oman and Turkey.
That claim was part of what appears to be a new message from Mojtaba Khamenei. The authenticity of the message, which was not accompanied by
audio or video, has not yet been verified by CNN.
U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, says the war is militarily won, as you can see there, and is labeling NATO's allies as cowards for not joining
the effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The President says that inaction is what's led to these high oil prices.
In the midst of attacks like these, there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight when it comes to soaring energy costs. We'll have much more ahead
on that. But first, let's bring you the news lines that Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv.
CNN's Kevin Liptak joins me from the White House. And Kevin, let me go to you first. And more marines like we were saying, making their way to the
Middle East as administration, of course, pushes that we've been talking about for extra funding, some $200 billion.
Bring us up-to-date on the very latest. What do we know first of all about this deployment?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right, and this will be the second -- what they call a marine expeditionary unit that's now headed
towards the Middle East. There is another one that is deploying from Asia and heading in that direction.
So, it will bring the total number of marines tasked to these units to about 4,500. And it will add to the -- about 50,000 American troops that
are already in the Middle East. Now, what exactly these marines will be tasked with, it's not clear.
And it comes, of course, as the President does seem to be weighing whether to order a ground operation inside Iran, whether it's to secure Kharg
Island, that very critical area that the administration thinks would put pressure on the Iranian regime.
Or to go into Iran to try and retrieve some of the highly enriched nuclear material that is buried far underground. That is certainly something that
those marines could be doing, but it is not necessarily what they're going to be doing.
They also have tasks like aviation support, logistics support, all of these other areas that they could potentially be ordered up to do once they
arrive. But it all seems to be demonstrating that the President is reinforcing the American troop posture in the region as this war grinds on.
You know, we're about to enter the fourth week of this conflict. The President and other administration officials have said that it could last
between 4 and 6 weeks. So, we are in about a week's time nearing the window when according to the administration's own estimates, it could be winding
down.
But certainly, this decision to send these troops into the region suggests that it may not be ending any time quickly.
SOARES: Yes, do stay with us. Let me go to Jeremy, because Jeremy, this deployment, of course, of marines comes on the same day as the President,
President Trump took to Truth Social to say that the fight -- I think he said is militarily won.
We also heard that roughly a bit -- on this show yesterday from Prime Minister Netanyahu saying that Iran had been decimated. I know you were at
that press conference.
[14:05:00]
You had some very pointed questions for the Prime Minister. Yet, at the same time, we are seeing Iran continuing to strike the region. Just bring
us up-to-date with the very latest.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right. I mean, I think Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump are both trying
to put forward this image of victory, that is, you know, if not already, then certainly, nearly being achieved from a military standpoint.
Both of them touting the extent to which Iran's ballistic missile capabilities have been debilitated, the extent to which Iran's Navy, its
military capacities have been destroyed. But of course, we are still watching, as we did today, wave after wave after wave of Iranian ballistic
missile attacks.
Certainly, the pace of those attacks seems to be stepping up, even though the number of missiles being fired at once doesn't seem to be necessarily
increasing. But Iran is continuing to show different ways in which it is able to exact a cost upon both the United States, its allies, and also, of
course, here in Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister, you know, talked about the possibilities that may lie ahead. He made clear that there are surprises in store. And when he
talked about this idea of regime change, he certainly didn't back off of that being the ultimate goal here.
But he did at one point make clear that he doesn't believe that regime- change can be successfully achieved only from the air, which led to a question of whether he meant by that, that, you know, on the one hand, as
he has said, the Iranian people need to rise up.
And that is the kind of ground component. But I think he also made a bit of a nod to the fact that both the United States and Israel are considering
very different types, but types of ground operations.
Whether that be special operations, raids to, for example, try and retrieve Iran's, you know, hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium or, you know,
what President Trump seems to be mulling, which is perhaps a ground force to take over Kharg Island or to deploy troops to the shores of the Strait
of Hormuz.
Either way, I think it's very clear that we are now in a moment where this conflict can continue to escalate. And it seems like things are headed in
that direction rather than in the direction of de-escalation.
And of course, we are seeing the ramifications that this can have for the entire region. And of course, should ground troops be deployed than for
U.S. troops in the future.
SOARES: Yes, let me -- let me get to -- get to the White House, Kevin. And just, you know, because there was some kind of mixed messaging that we have
seen from this White House about ground troops. I think President Trump was asked at one point about it. I think he said no.
But then he said to the reporter, well, if it was, I wouldn't tell you anyway. But frame that with also what we've been hearing. President -- to
Truth Social, calling NATO allies, cowards, calling them a paper tiger.
This, as we hear that the U.S. is furiously seeking to avert a potential months-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
LIPTAK: Right. And that months long timeline is based on an internal Intelligence assessment that says the Strait could potentially be closed
for as long as six months. Although, the White House is downplaying that, suggesting it's essentially a worst-case scenario.
But I do think it speaks to the predicament that the President finds himself in as the Strait remains closed, and as he searches in vain at this
point to try to find a way to open it, you know, this sort of brief attempt at coalition building with NATO partners, asking them, demanding of them
that they send warships to escort tankers through the Strait, was met with resistance.
And even after some of those allies came out yesterday to say that they would be willing to cooperate once the war ends, it clearly wasn't enough
for the President calling them a paper tiger, and actually calling them cowards.
And so, the President clearly, extremely frustrated, still at their unwillingness to join in his effort here. And I think that just speaks to
how much in vain the White House has found itself searching for a solution here.
Of course, skyrocketing energy prices are increasing the political pressure on the President to try and find a way to reopen it. It's part of the
reason why, even though he says he's not sending troops anywhere.
Behind the scenes, he hasn't taken that option off the table. And officials do believe that if they were to go in and seize the entirety of Kharg
Island, that, that would be a point of leverage with the Iranian regime.
They think -- they believe, at least, some officials believe that, that would cause them to back off the Strait and to reopen it. Whether that's
actually the case, we will only know really until it happens, if it happens.
But obviously, the President coming under extraordinary pressure. For many of his political allies, to find a way to end this conflict sooner rather
than later. But at this point, even though the U.S. and Israel have been very successful in taking out the missile and drone arsenal, a number of
their objectives here remain unfulfilled.
[14:10:00]
And I think it's all creating a sort of a turning point for the President in the coming days.
SOARES: Indeed, Kevin and Jeremy, thank you to you both. We're going to stay across the story and focusing on the economic and the numbers that
we've been keeping an eye on. Because as Kevin was just saying, get ready really for more -- potentially more pain at the pump.
Goldman Sachs believes triple-digit crude oil prices are here to stay for a while. Their analysts say that's because of the shutdown of the Strait of
Hormuz and the damaged energy infrastructure that we've been talking about in the gulf region.
Right now, if I bring the gold benchmark, Brent crude is at 97, just under 97.28, up one, almost 2 percent. If we have a look at -- we've got the U.S.
Federal Reserve official is also sounding the alarm on the impact of the war. Here's what Governor Chris Waller told "CNBC" this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLER, MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE UNITED STATES: I mean, they're looking at their gas tank, they're looking
at the price, and they're seeing how much is going into their car versus going into other things.
And that starts affecting consumers' outlooks on the economy as well. So, all these things could end up tipping the -- now, I don't want to say into
a recession, but suddenly, a much more weakening of the economy than we thought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: A very different perspective there. Well, back to the embattled region. Gulf nations report increasing Iranian drone and missile attacks.
And these images we're about to show you, shows an oil refinery in Kuwait on fire, which state media said was hit by Iranian drones on Thursday, and
then again, today.
This is a dramatic example of the damage energy infrastructure in the region, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain also say they have been targeted
in strikes on Friday. You can have a look there at just some of the airstrikes that we have seen.
Nic Robertson is in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. And so, Nic, talk to us about these continued drone interceptions that we are seeing in the gulf,
including where you are. Just talk us through the latest attacks and whether that changes some of the position from some of these gulf states.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think the attack in Kuwait in the early hours of this morning, sort of 6:00 a.m. local time,
Mina Al-Ahmadi Oil Refinery, some of that damage there from that -- those impacts have taken some of that facility offline.
We were driving past it just a couple of days ago, it is an incredibly large complex. It is therefore vulnerable to this type of attack. Saudi
Arabia has energy facilities on an even bigger scale in the east of the country, and that's where the drones were incoming to today.
Even in the last few hours, more than 30 drones have been aimed at that eastern area of Saudi Arabia, the main sort of oil production area. All of
them, as far as we understand, from Saudi officials, have been intercepted.
But even that seems like an uptick on the number of drones that we have seen over recent days. Significant, perhaps, that the number of ballistic
missiles fired into the region today have been less.
Only four reported earlier on in the UAE, although they did have about 26 drones as well incoming there. And the impact in Bahrain in the early hours
of this morning, a warehouse was set on fire there from the impact of incoming munitions.
If interestingly that, you know, of course, this is Eid, the end of the Ramadan and a holy day, and a day of holiday for people and a day where
families go to restaurants, and we saw them here, grandparents, parents, children dressed in their finest bags in their hands to exchange gifts with
relatives.
All of that has been going on. But Bahrain, their normal celebration for a time of need would be some shooting in the air. Well, the government wanted
to do that today, but so worried were they, that, that would cause panic for the population amidst this ongoing onslaught of drones.
They gave a very early warning and let people know that this was coming, and it was part of the celebrations and not to worry. So, people have been
enjoying Eid. It has felt like a holiday at moments, a day of rest for people, a day of enjoyment.
But all of this is going on in the background. And as the conversations in the White House around Europe, elsewhere, go on about how long this war
could be drawn out, obviously, that is an increasing worry for people here.
SOARES: Yes, and I remember you telling me yesterday during the show, Nic, that Iran is not engaging in diplomacy. I wonder then what the alternative
is for these gulf countries and what you are hearing on the news that we were just sharing with our viewers at the top of the show. That the U.S. --
more marines are making their way to the Middle East.
ROBERTSON: Look, I think for people here, again, the leadership doesn't want to get drawn into the war. They --
SOARES: Yes --
[14:15:00]
ROBERTSON: See this very much as Israel's war and the United States war. But how Iran reacts, the assessment -- and if we go back three weeks ago,
the assessment was the same that Iran wanted to create economic pain on the United States by targeting oil infrastructure, closing off the Strait of
Hormuz.
That tactic hasn't changed. Nothing is going to change in Iran's calculus about that, because that's its strongest leverage over President Trump. And
of course, he now faces this growing economic bill. And not only that, but facing a world that's going to see him having created a conflict, a
conflict, he said, that was needed, but one that's going to cause great pain.
So, the stakes for President Trump become greater. And I think in the region here that's recognized that; therefore, he has to be seen to have a
win here somehow. And the price of that, and how it's achieved, that's the concern. No side wants to back away at the moment.
SOARES: Yes, I'm not seeing an off-ramp right now. Nic, good to see you. Thank you very much, live for us in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Well, Iran's
attacks on commercial shipping are raising fears of a return to the so- called tanker wars back of the 90 -- in the 1980s.
As the U.S. scrambles to try to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz, CNN's Ivan Watson looks to the threats at the global shipping then and now. Have
a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we good?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Commercial shipping under attack. Iran suspected of targeting at least, 20
ships in the gulf and nearby Strait of Hormuz in the last two and a half weeks, creating a dangerous bottleneck that's driving up global energy
prices.
(On camera): Tanker ships like this are longer than a football field. They are big, easy targets for Iranian missiles, drones and sea mines, in a
narrow channel like the Strait of Hormuz. So, protecting them from these threats won't be easy.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When the time comes, U.S. Navy and its partners will escort tankers through the Strait if needed.
WATSON (voice-over): Iran has a long history of targeting shipping in this oil rich region. When Iranian speedboats began attacking shipping in the
Persian Gulf Monday. During the tanker war of the 1980s, the U.S. and other allies escorted ships through the gulf to protect them from Iranian and
Iraqi attacks.
Veteran merchant mariner Frank Cole, vividly remembers how a British warship protected his cargo ship during one confrontation.
FRANK COLE, VETERAN MERCHANT MARINER: We were challenged by the Iranians, and it was dark, it was night, it was scary. We all got down on the deck,
actually, before Broadsword, you just heard Broadsword accelerate and come between us and the Iranians, and tell the Iranians that they were a British
warship. And the Iranians backed down.
WATSON: The escort mission was dangerous. On April 14th, 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts hit an Iranian sea mine in the gulf.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the blast hit, we had four people inside here, all of them received burns, cuts, bruises.
WATSON: The mine severely wounded ten sailors. More recently, commercial shipping came under attack in the nearby Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Iranian-
backed Houthi fighters in Yemen staged several spectacular attacks, sinking at least four cargo ships.
JENNIFER PARKER, FORMER ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY OFFICER: I think Iran's targeting right now and the ships they've managed to hit is a lot more
accurate than the Houthis.
WATSON: Jennifer Parker is a former Royal Australian Navy officer. In 2020, she worked with the U.S. Navy's fifth fleet in Bahrain as part of an
international mission to protect shipping from Iranian threats during a previous crisis.
But in this war, she says, the U.S. and Israel will first have to completely destroy Iran's drone and attack boat capability before launching
a policing operation in the Strait of Hormuz.
PARKER: You certainly need to have a fighter aircraft above the Strait that can respond, that are your eyes and ears. You certainly need to have a
maritime patrol aircraft or airborne early warning aircraft, providing you a greater picture of what's happening, then you need warships displaying
presence to reassure ships to go through.
WATSON: But experts predict it could be weeks or months before navies will be in any position to reopen this vital shipping lane.
COLE: Anybody who realizes that history repeats itself, and we never seem to learn, will be not surprised. It's just disappointing. It wasn't a part
of the thought process when it went down.
WATSON: Ivan Watson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And very good perspective there from our Ivan Watson. Let's take a closer look now at life inside Iran, because millions of people are marking
Nowruz, that's the Persian new year. It's one of Iran's biggest holidays, symbolizing renewal, family and fresh beginnings.
[14:20:00]
This year, muted celebrations you can imagine, are taking place against the backdrop of an escalating conflict as U.S. and Israel continue to strike
the region. Iranian state media say more than 18,000 civilians have been injured since the war began.
Arash Azizi is a contributing writer at "The Atlantic", and a lecturer at Yale University. He's also the author of "What Iranians Want: Women, Life,
Freedom". And he joins me now. Arash, great to have you on the show.
Tomorrow marks, I believe, as three weeks since the war began. Today is Nowruz as I was saying, a moment for new beginnings and renewal. Yet, it
seems we are far, very far from that for those in Iran.
And we have learnt today as well that Iran has executed three men in public hangings. They took part -- allegedly took part in protests in early
January. What is your sense of what is happening inside the country? Just the mood inside the country right now.
ARASH AZIZI, CONTRIBUTOR, THE ATLANTIC: Iranians tried to be happy today as Nowruz was coming, as difficult as it was. You know, there was a beautiful
rainbow over Tehran, the capital city that captured many hearts.
It was almost like a symbolic sign that even though things might be very hard right now, as they indubitably are, they can look forward to a better
future. But Iranians are now caught in the midst of a terrible war that has displaced many, killed many, injured many, and has also put a really
atmosphere of uncertainty over them.
They're afraid of the war and all that it's doing, but they're also afraid of the day after the war and the regime will have to face a terrible
economy that has really ruined livelihoods and made it very difficult to make a livelihood in Iran.
So, it's very terrible time in Iran. But Iranians also have a sense that this is a turning point in their history. And they try to be hopeful about
the next chapter that is about to be written.
SOARES: Yes, and you were talking about the regime and we've seen, Arash, we've seen Israel continue to go after leadership in Iran today. The IDF
has said that it killed the top Intelligence official in Iran's Basij paramilitary force, I should say.
We also saw further assassinations this week. But this time yesterday, when we were on the show, just so, you know, Arash, I heard Prime Minister
Netanyahu say that he didn't know who was in charge in Iran. Who is in charge or, you know, given the structure of the IRGC, does it -- does it
matter?
AZIZI: I think it does matter. And you know, I think collective institutions of the IRGC that you mentioned, the National Security Council,
you know, they keep charge, but of course, you know, committees don't run things, people do.
And it's people like Bagher Ghalibaf; the speaker of the parliament, he's probably the strongest man in Iran today. He doesn't have like 80 percent
of power, but he probably has -- I don't know, you know, 30 percent of power if you could put a number on it, but he calls out of the shots.
And you know, he has broad popularity in the ranks of the Revolutionary Guards. He has sort of both economic and material and military experience.
He is -- and he's a strong man, has always been a politically ambitious guy.
So, he's probably the one calling the shots in Iran today, as well as a couple of other institutions. But, you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu has
spoken about a regime being a hollow rot. And, you know, there is -- there is truth to that.
You know, the regime is hollow in many ways. It has certainly a lot of problems trying to appeal to the people of Iran. But nevertheless, it
continues and it has kept some cohesion the day after. When this war finishes, you know, that would be a difficult day for it, because it has to
go back to running an economy in very difficult conditions and facing a population that has repeatedly come out against it.
Any region that is going to be angry at it, it has attacked like, you know, dozen countries in this region. So, really tough days --
SOARES: Yes --
AZIZI: Ahead for the Islamic Republic. But they've kept it going.
SOARES: Yes, and we've seen those attacks continue across the gold -- the gulf. What -- who, I didn't hear you say, Arash, was Mojtaba Khamenei. Of
course, we haven't seen him. Secretary Hegseth said, I think it was on Tuesday, if I'm wrong, that he hadn't been disfigured.
Today, we heard a purported message that was read out by an anchor from him. I wonder what you made of what was read out?
AZIZI: Yes, the regime also published some pictures of him today. They were not -- you know, he was not sitting with anybody. It wasn't clear if these
pictures are from now or from two years ago. So, you know, he definitely -- they've kept him really under wraps, and at the same -- has been cleared
that they want to kill him basically as soon as they could.
And from the Intelligence that I have, they're just waiting for the right moment to be able to kill him, you know, without, you know, in an operation
that would work for them. As for his Nowruz message, you know, it's kind of amazing.
The language that he's used also, we saw it in his inaugural, so stale. For naming the year, he named the year resistance economy in the shadow of
national unity.
[14:25:00]
And, you know, this is sort of almost the exact same words his father would use, the whole resistance economy, which didn't really -- and just, you
know, platitudes. All the protest -- a coup that is now defeated.
He really vents -- did nothing to answer some of the people's demands, to show that he is ready to meet them halfway or even 10 percent of the way.
So, what we really see is a stale messaging from a leader who is not seen, and who I doubt is actually the man running things.
The little videos that we've seen of him here and there shows an uncharismatic dull(ph) figure that is not even a shadow of his own father
and is unlikely to be sort of effective, powerful supreme leader in any -- in any shape or form.
SOARES: Arash, really appreciate you coming on the show, Arash Azizi there. Thank you. And still to come tonight, how the conflict in Lebanon takes its
toll on those who are most vulnerable. Hear from one family who lost five children in recent strikes. A special report from southern Lebanon just
ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Lebanon is facing, quote, "a perfect storm of unpredictable challenges" as the pressures of war, mass displacement
and dwindling humanitarian resources really converge.
One fifth of the population has now been uprooted from their homes in just a matter of weeks, and that is according to an official with the United
Nations Refugee Agency, leaving families struggling really to find shelter during the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
More than a million people in Lebanon are being pushed into an ever-smaller area. And as you can imagine, that is straining services like hospitals and
schools as we have seen in the last few days. And as is so often the case in war, it is the children who are caught in the crossfire.
And the war in the Middle East really is no different, as we heard, of course, from UNICEF's James Elder told us that here on the show yesterday.
It is quite an image that we are seeing, and there are reports that at least, 116 children have been killed in Lebanon since March, the 2nd.
Our Isobel Yeung reports from Lebanon -- southern Lebanon, and meets one family who has lost five children just in recent strikes. And a warning,
parts of her report are disturbing.
[14:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): May they be the last four that are sacrificed.
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This mother is carrying the body of her 6-year-old daughter, Yasmina. Israeli bombs pierce her grief.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): May God destroy you Israel.
YEUNG (voice-over): She's also burying her three other daughters, 9-year- old Malaka, Zara, 12, and Zainab, 13, along with their cousin, 11-year-old Sadic.
YEUNG: Just absolutely heartbreaking to see as body after body after body, tiny little bodies. These ones having to be carried on the bed because
there's just only parts and remnants and pieces of them left.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Say that Allah is the only God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): There is no God but Allah.
YEUNG (voice-over): These are just five of over 110 children killed this month since war began anew in Lebanon on March 2nd. The site of the strike
was the children's grandparents' house where they were playing when the bomb hit. It came without warning and wiped out almost the entire family.
YEUNG: You can see bits of blood across this rubble here. Pieces of books and shoes.
YEUNG (voice-over): Muhammad is the father of the girls who he's just buried.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): We've reached home. This is her.
YEUNG (voice-over): They were a tight-knit family.
YEUNG: I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you're going through today. And what went through your mind when that airstrike hit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): I start running. I was barefoot on the stones. And I was hit here, blood pouring down. I started searching, pulling my
kids, my dad.
YEUNG: I mean, the Israelis say that Hezbollah is using children and using civilians as human shields. Do you think there's any truth to that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Were there any Hezbollah martyrs? We're a family. The people of the South do not bow down. Not to Israel and not to America
which is supporting them with weapons.
YEUNG (voice-over): Across the country, the Israeli military is rapidly ramping up its bombing campaign and expanding its ground invasion. CNN
obtained permission from Hezbollah to report in one of their strongholds, the southern city of Tyre.
At a civil defense center, outgoing rocket fire breaks the temporary calm. Soon after, the Israeli military called to warn nearby residents to leave
their homes immediately.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TEXT): I'm calling to warn you about Chabriha.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TEXT): No, you have to give us time so people can pack their things and leave the town.
YEUNG (voice-over): But not everyone has somewhere to go.
YEUNG: It is just apocalyptic around here. And to think that -- I mean, just a couple weeks ago this was a buzzing lively neighborhood with shops
and these were people's houses. And now it's just all been turned to rubble. It must be so eerie staying here. And yet you still do see people.
You see people in their homes.
YEUNG: What are you still doing here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I stay here.
YEUNG: Why are you staying?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I go where? This is my house.
YEUNG: Are you the only person who stayed or is there other families who stayed as well?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I no get family. I no marry. You want to marry me?
YEUNG (voice-over): Whole families still remain pitching up tents wherever they can largely because they lack the means or strength to find a new
home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): We have nowhere to go. We have no money.
YEUNG: Do you guys get scared? Yes? What are you scared about?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): The plane, the strikes.
YEUNG: And what do you guys do when you hear these loud noises?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): I tell mommy to sleep next to me.
YEUNG (voice-over): Soon after we leave, Israel pounds this area. We asked the Israeli military what they're doing to protect children in this war.
YEUNG: You know, I went to the area of Sidon where there was a strike. Nine people were killed. Five of them were children. One of them was just a 6-
year-old girl. Why?
NADAV SHOSHANI, INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, IDF: We have a terror organization that their strategy is to put our civilians in the line of
fire and their civilians in the line of fire. We're doing everything we can to avoid that.
YEUNG: Right. But children are not terrorists.
SHOSHANI: They are not terrorists. And to say that we are targeting them or that's something that we are happy about is just not true, unacceptable,
and even kind of disgusting.
YEUNG (voice-over): These words will be little comfort to the hundreds of thousands of families forced to leave their homes. Their lives suddenly
upended.
YEUNG: These kids obviously have been out of school for the last two weeks since the beginning of the war. And this group now is trying to do some
activities with them, try to have some semblance of normality.
[14:35:11]
ANGIE, SHELTER RESIDENT (text): I feel like we are scared and terrified and displaced.
YEUNG: What are you scared could happen?
ANGIE (text): I'm scared one of us will be killed.
YEUNG: What would you say to the people who have power over this war right now?
ANGIE (text): What do you want from us? Children can't continue their education or do anything. You've ruined our lives.
YEUNG (voice-over): It's a pain no child should know. A generation who should have their entire lives ahead of them. Now, pulled into a war they
never chose and crushed beneath the violence that engulfs them.
Isobel Yeung, CNN Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our Isobel Yeung and team reporting there from Lebanon. And Israel's military says it will look into the incident that CNN has
documented involving children's death.
We're going to take a short break. See you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back everyone. Just a quick check now on some of the latest developments coming out of the war with Iran. Iran claims its supreme
leader released a new message today to mark the start of the Persian New Year, but the message was just written and did not contain any audio or
video from Mojtaba Khamenei.
Israel says it will not launch any new attacks on Iran's huge South Pars natural gas field. That attack on Wednesday, if you remember, sent energy
prices soaring. And U.S. President Donald Trump is blasting NATO, calling member states cowards for not helping the U.S. to provide security in the
Strait of Hormuz. While U.S. officials tell CNN, the Pentagon is sending thousands more Marines and sailors to the region. It is a second such
deployment in the past week. Three U.S. warships are being sent which could contain as many as 4500 Marines. It is unclear what the mission will be for
the Marine Expeditionary Unit, but it contains rapid response forces who are capable of both ground operations and missions involving aircraft.
[14:40:18]
So, let's stay with the story. Joining me now to talk about all of this is Brian Katulis. He's a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who
specializes in U.S. foreign policy and security.
Brian, welcome to the show. Let me first get your reaction. Do we have him? I think we lost him momentarily. Do we have him? We're going to try and
reconnect with Brian, of course, because this -- the breaking news will be trying to -- that we're trying to expand on, bring you more details
regarding these Marines.
We are going to try and fix the connection to try and get Brian back. We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, I think we've fixed the connection with Brian Katulis. Let's bring him in to -- on this breaking news story that we've been following
here at the top of the show that thousands more U.S. Marines and sailors are heading to the Middle East -- the Middle East?
Brian, I think we fixed your connection. Great to have you with us. I really just want to get, first of all, your reaction to the reporting that
the Pentagon sending out thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East. We do not know at this stage when they would arrive, the original
deployment date, or what specifically they would be doing when they arrive. But this deployment the second in so many weeks suggests what?
BRIAN KATULIS, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Well, thanks for your patience on the connection. We wanted to pretend like we were in the middle
of the Middle East war. I think (AUDIO GAP) are reaching the limits of what air and naval power can do. We can certainly take out ballistic missiles
and drone arsenals, but we haven't been able to dislodge the regime. And then two key other things we've not been able to do is secure the nuclear
material. Remember (AUDIO GAP) actually quite obliterated as said (AUDIO GAP) and then also secure the Strait of Hormuz.
One possible contingency might be to try to land some of those ground forces on the Iranian side because there's only so much you can do without
securing the perimeter around the Strait of Hormuz. But that's (AUDIO GAP) because the Trump administration in the United States has not been clear
about what this is all about.
SOARES: Yes. I -- yes, I was going to ask you there's no clarity. This is something we've struggled for some time. I mean, and then it comes, of
course, as we've heard President Trump taking to social media to say that the fight is militarily won. We've also heard Prime Minister Netanyahu
saying that Iran is being decimated.
So, do you think that -- are we -- do you think that President Trump is considering boots on the ground here or do you think that is just a no-go?
[14:45:22]
KATULIS: I think he's probably considering it. You don't send troops all the way around the world just as a contingency or a signaling exercise. But
here's the challenge as an analyst trying to evaluate what President Trump is doing here is he's not really been clear about what the end state of
what he's driving towards is.
He has been all over the map in terms of the goals as many people have noticed. But I think the dangerous thing here is that those mission sets,
securing the nuclear weapons, securing the Strait of Hormuz, if he doesn't have a clear plan for doing that, he probably shouldn't have initiated this
conflict. But now that you're in it, you need to look at all different contingencies and I think ground troops, even a small presence may be what
they're considering here.
SOARES: Yes. Let me get your thoughts on what I was hearing from our Kevin Liptak at the White House because it seem -- it seems that analysts are
suggesting that the thinking is that if the U.S. takes Kharg Island, of course, that may force the Iranians to free up the Strait of Hormuz. What
is the logic there? Just talk us through that.
KATULIS: Well, Kharg is the locus of energy production for Iran and I guess the idea is that we would seize that piece of territory along with -- you
saw the news that Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, had said that we might unsanction Iran oil. That's on the water that we have access to.
So, I think it's aimed at trying to start a negotiation with the regime. But the challenge here is -- there are two challenges. One, the regime,
what's left of it, has signaled it does not want to talk. And then second, we still have an active campaign where Israel is targeting some of the top
leaders.
So, if they're setting themselves up for some sort of diplomatic play here, some negotiation (AUDIO GAP) in Venezuela, it's not clear that they'll be
able to do that just because of that active campaign trying to kill and target the remnants of the Iranian regime's leadership.
SOARES: And you mentioned Israel and I want to get your thoughts on how collaboration has been between the two because we're now you know at the
end of three weeks, going into the fourth week of this war. And while the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran together, it's becoming clear that there are
differences, I think, I think it's fair to say, between them and how this war -- particularly how this war is being carried out and the messaging
around it.
We just have to look of course at the latest attack on Iran South Pars gas field. Netanyahu said that the Israel acted alone in the strike, seeming to
confirm Trump's claim there was -- that he knew nothing about that. Although we heard from Israeli force sources and U.S. sources said that the
U.S. had been aware of the strike. So, there was a lot of contradiction. But what do you make of the strategy between both these allies?
KATULIS: I think the coalition of two we have here with the United States and Israel share largely the same strategic goals, but they have tactical
and operational differences that will emerge from time to time like we saw this last week. When Israel struck energy sites inside of Iran, Iran
responded by hitting some of the Gulf Arab states energy sites and that created a lot of complaint as well as the runup in gas prices.
So, where I think real divergence might come is towards the end point. And in part because President Trump has not been clear about the end point as
opposed to Israel that simply wants to see a different type of regime even though it doesn't have a clear plan beyond bombing and killing the leaders
of the current regime, and that current regime seems quite resilient almost four weeks into it.
So, the divergence might come if they don't have a clearly articulated end state. It's clear what they want to destroy and what they want to defeat,
but that's different from actually what you want to produce, which is the lesson we should have learned from 20-plus years in Iraq and Afghanistan.
SOARES: Yes, very well put. Brian Katulis, I really appreciate you coming on the show. Thank you, Brian.
KATULIS: Thanks.
SOARES: We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:51:53]
SOARES: Well, an A.I. version of the late actor Val Kilmer is set to appear in a new movie. Kilmer died from throat cancer, if you remember, last year.
Prior to that, he had been cast in the movie As Deep As The Grave. Delays from COVID and then his battle with cancer prevented Kilmer from ever
making it to set. But thanks to generative A.I., the scenes he never got a chance to film are being created using pictures of Kilmer and the samples
of his voice.
Our Clare Duffy joins me now from New York with more. And Clare, I suppose the obvious question I think viewers be asking is the family on board with
this?
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yes, Isa. They are doing with this with the full support of Val Kilmer's family, his estate. And it's really
interesting, right, that they are trying to honor the fact that Val Kilmer wanted to be involved in this project. He was cast in this role around five
years ago prior to his death. He was playing a really crucial role in this film. He's cast as this spiritual adviser to one of the main characters.
And the heart of this story is a true story about archaeologists in the southwest of the United States exploring Navajo history. And Kilmer was
cast in part because of his Native American heritage. So, they wanted to make sure that he could still be included in this film and realized that
A.I. has gotten to a point where it is so advanced that they could use his past body of work to train this A.I. replica to play this role in the film.
But again, his family is on board with this. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, put out a statement saying that Val always looked at emerging technologies
with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. She said this spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific
film of which he was an integral part.
And indeed, Val Kilmer did seem to be a proponent of this technology after he sadly lost his voice to throat cancer back in 2015. He used A.I. to
recreate his voice for his documentary in 2021. So, he does seem to have been a proponent of this and it's going to be really interesting. We've
seen some other instances where technology has been used to allow celebrities who have passed to make brief appearances in movies, but this
is really the first time that we're seeing an A.I. replica play a full role in a film like this, Isa.
SOARES: Yes. And you know, just as you're talking, I'm looking at our banner. It says A.I. in Hollywood. And just at the Oscars, there were
already concerns, weren't they? Talk already about A.I. How would this something like this be received by the industry?
DUFFY: Yes, it's really interesting because certainly there has been some backlash, some controversy around this announcement, but nothing like what
we saw with the full A.I. actress Tilly Norwood, who we talked about a lot last year when that project came out. This was something that SAG-AFTRA
even raised concerns about the fact that that A.I. actress was potentially trained on the work of human actors without compensation and then could
replace the roles and the jobs of human actors.
So, that seems to be the biggest concern around Hollywood right now is these fully A.I. generated characters. A little bit less of concern or
backlash I should say around this recreation, this replica of a beloved human actor in this film. But it's certainly going to be interesting to
watch how Hollywood navigates this going forward.
[14:55:01]
SOARES: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you very much, Clare. Good to see you.
And finally, tonight, sad news from Hollywood, and we staying in Hollywood, as legendary actor in Hollywood as legendary actor Chuck Norris has died.
Norris rose to fame in the 1980s as a martial artist turned action hero using his fists and guns to take down bad guys in movies like Missing in
Action and Delta Force, one of the first films I watched in English language. Believe me, I didn't speak a lot of English.
He then transitioned to television as a star of Walker, Texas Ranger, which was syndicated to more than 100 countries around the globe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK NORRIS, ACTOR: Who sent you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My boss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Chuck Norris became more political in his later years, expressing strong support for Republican candidates. He suffered a medical
emergency on Thursday and was rushed to the hospital. Chuck Norris was 86.
And that does it for us for tonight. Very busy hours of breaking news. Do stay right here. "WHAT WE KNOW" with Max Foster is up next. I will see you
on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend.
END
