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One World with Zain Asher
Video Appears to Confirm U.S. Strike on Base Next to Iranian School; CNN Team Reports Heavy Aerial Bombardment Overnight in Tehran; Iran Says It's Preparing for What Could be a Long War with U.S.; Toronto Briefing After Shots Fired at U.S. Consulate; Iran Has Targeted UAE Intensely Since the War Began; Seven Members of Iran Women's Soccer Team Remain in Australia. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 10, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. Bianna Golodryga is off today. You are watching "One
World". Mixed messages in Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this will be the most intense day of strikes on Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Iran stands alone, and they are badly losing. On day 10 of Operation Epic Fury, we are winning with an
overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives, which are the same as the day I gave my first briefing here on Operation Epic Fury. They're
straightforward, and we are executing them with ruthless precision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Hegseth's comments come less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump told CBS News that military operations were, quote, very complete,
pretty much in the president's words. In about three hours from now, we do expect to hear more from the White House at a press briefing in Iran
meantime, no sign of the new supreme leader.
There have been no video messages, nor any written statements issued by Mojtaba Khamenei or his office. But Iranian attacks have not let up. The
UAE says its consulate in Iraqi Kurdistan was damaged by an Iranian strike. And in Bahrain, officials say a woman was killed and eight others injured
in an attack on a residential building.
And the IDF says that it is carrying out targeted raids against Hezbollah in Lebanon as well. Let's go straight to CNN's Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi
for us. So just in terms of Pete Hegseth's comments, Paula, that this will be the most intense day of the strikes, and obviously that does increase
the risk of retaliation by Iran to other Gulf states.
Just walk us through what you're seeing and hearing on the ground, Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what we also heard from Pete Hegseth, Zain, was that the number of missiles and drones that are being
fired by Iran have decreased. Now we have been seeing, certainly the number of drones that have been hitting or targeting the UAE over the last couple
of days has been significantly lower, but they are still coming.
And we have seen more than 1700 missiles and drones for the UAE alone, and this, of course, is the highest number of all the Gulf nations, but this is
in a smaller way, being replicated across this region. Now we did also hear from Pete Hegseth about the Gulf nations, saying that Iran had made a big
mistake when they decided to target their neighbors. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEGSETH: I can't say that we anticipated necessarily that's exactly how they would react, but we knew it was a possibility. And I think it was a
demonstration of the desperation of that regime then and that regime now, that they still think their pathway out is to try to alienate their Arab
partners even more, who have instead decided to come to us and have been willing to go on the offense, have been given us access spacing and
overflight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: Now these Gulf nations have not been public in whether or not they have opened up their air space or their military bases. They had said
in the past they had not, and that was one of the reasons that Iran said that they were being targeted. So, it's clear that, that would not have
been welcomed by some of the leaders to see and hear Pete Hegseth say that at the end.
What we have seen, though, for example, here in the UAE, we have seen, yet again, the energy infrastructure being targeted. We've seen the same in
Bahrain in Saudi Arabia, across the region. It is the Al Ruways neighborhood of Abu Dhabi. This is a very significant oil and gas area.
In fact, it is believed to be one of the largest oil facilities in the region. We understand that there was a drone strike in that area which
resulted in a fire. So once again, we are seeing that Tehran is trying to strike at the heart of the energy infrastructure, the economies of these
countries, despite saying that they are trying to target U.S. military and political assets.
Clearly, it is gone far beyond that. We also saw in Bahrain that one person was killed and a number injured when a drone hit a residential building.
Now that comes just a day after we saw 32 people being injured as a residential building was hit.
[11:05:00]
In that case, that was close to energy infrastructure once again, and there were children injured in that attack. So, although we are seeing the number
of missiles and drones lessening, they are certainly still there. They are still a threat. We know here in the UAE, there are Emirates fighter jets
trying to take these drones and missiles down, and also, France is involved.
The UK, last night, has said that they are also involved in the defense of this area and much of the region, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Paula Hancocks, live for us there. Thank you so much. And we'll have more from Paula later on the show when she explores why the UAE
does seem to be a particular target of interest for the Iranian regime, even though, as she mentioned, the number of missile and drone attacks has
increased that's in about 30, decreased rather, that's in about 30 minutes or so from now.
The U.S. Defense Secretary says Washington will not relent in its war with Tehran until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated. At a Pentagon
briefing earlier, Pete Hegseth said Iran's leaders are desperate and scrambling. He says the ultimate decision to end the war rests with
President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEGSETH: Where we are is in a very strong place, giving the President of United States maximum options. And from the beginning, from this podium, we
haven't stated how long it will take. Our will is endless. Ultimately, the president gets to determine the end state of those objectives, right?
But what he's said continually, I want the American people to understand, is this is not endless. It's not protracted. We're not allowing mission
creep. The president has said a very specific mission to accomplish, and our job is to unrelentingly deliver that. Now he gets to control the
throttle. He's the one deciding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Pete Hegseth there. National Security Reporter Haley Britzky joins us live now from Washington, D.C. This Defense Secretary also intimating
that the war is going to be ending on the U.S. is timeline. Iran counter that, saying, no, we will decide when the war ends.
One of the things that the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of War talked about in our press briefing earlier was this idea that we have seen
a dramatic reduction in the number of missiles and drones that Iran has fired, which might suggest that their stockpile is dwindling.
At the same time, though, the U.S. is using up a lot of its interceptors. So, it is clear that both sides here have a lot to lose, Haley.
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Absolutely. And there's clearly frustration on the secretary's part, as you just saw in this
question of timelines. It's been one of the main questions, particularly as there's been a little bit of mixed messaging coming out of the Pentagon as
well as the White House.
As you mentioned earlier, the president asked yesterday about the war, said that it was very complete, pretty much in his words. And so, there's a
little bit of mixed messaging here, because the same day, the Defense Department was messaging on social media that things were only just
beginning.
And so, the secretary clearly here trying to emphasize that this is up to President Trump, ultimately, how long this conflict goes, saying today that
today is going to be the biggest day of strikes that we have seen, which last week he sorts of indicated the same that things were only increasing
the number of strikes, the targeting and was only getting more and more intense.
He also said today that, you know, Americans voted for President Trump because they wanted a different approach. He was trying to kind of get some
distance there between Trump and presidents of the past in these endless wars in the Middle East, saying that Americans did not want that, and
that's why they voted for President Trump.
So clearly, trying to differentiate between the president and leaders of the past, but then General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, he also laid out some more of the objectives of the campaign, saying that, you know, the U.S. was targeting underground storage facilities of
drones and of missiles that the U.S. was going after the defense industry. Let's take a listen to the objectives that he laid out this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN OF U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: The joint force remains focused on three military objectives, continue to destroy Iranian
ballistic missiles and drone capability in order to prevent attacks on the U.S. and others throughout the region, and this means attacking launch
sites, command and control nodes, stockpiles, before they can threaten our personnel, our facilities and our partners.
Second, we continue to strike the Iranian navy and their capabilities in order to do things like sustain movement through the Straits of Hormuz. And
third, we continue to start working on and going deeper into Iran's military and industrial base in order to prevent the regime from being able
to attack Americans, our interests and our partners for years to come and project power outside their borders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:10:00]
BRITZKY: So, something that they did not really address, which is still a question mark, is how the U.S. intends to deal with this highly enriched
uranium in Iran and some of these underground facilities. And CNN, we reported last night that this is a conversation being had within the
administration about the use of ground forces and if ground forces would be needed to go into Iran to retrieve this uranium.
And you know, experts and sources telling us that that would not be able to be limited to just a small group of Special Forces personnel going in, but
would require a larger ground force in order to take on that mission. And of course, all of this happening as just last night, the Secretary and
General Caine were at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, welcoming home the 7th U.S. service member who was killed in action, Sergeant Benjamin
Pennington, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Haley Britzky, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, President Trump says he's willing to live with the results of an
investigation into the deadliest attack of the war so far. On the first day of the U.S.-Israeli strikes, a girl school in Southern Iran was bombed,
killing at least 168 children and 14 teachers.
That's according to Iranian state media. Video has emerged, appearing to confirm that a U.S. Tomahawk missile hit an Iranian naval base near that
school. And over the weekend, President Trump blamed Tehran for the bombing without providing any evidence. But when asked again on Monday, he seemed
to have softened his stance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just suggested that Iran somehow got its hands on a tomahawk and bombed its own elementary school on the first day of the war,
but you're the only person in your government saying this. Even your defense secretary wouldn't say that when he was asked, standing over your
shoulder on your plane on Saturday. Why are you the only person saying this?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Because I just don't know enough about it. I think it's something that I was told, is
under investigation, but tomahawks are used by others. As you know, numerous other nations have tomahawks. They buy them from us, but I will
certainly whatever the report shows. I'm willing to live with that report.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And we should note that only two countries other than the U.S. are confirmed to currently use tomahawks, and they are the UK and Australia.
President Trump won't say whether Iran's New Supreme Leader has a target on his back. But in a Fox News interview earlier, he said he doesn't believe
that Mojtaba Khamenei can quote, live in peace.
It's not exactly clear what the president means by that, but he said he's not happy with Khamenei's appointment. One of the most powerful figures in
Iran, meanwhile, is being very specific with his language. In fact, the Head of the National Security Council again warning Trump that he should
watch out so he doesn't get eliminated.
CNN's Alayna Treene joins us live now from the White House. So, President Trump saying essentially what we already know, that he is not happy with
the fact that the son of the previous Ayatollah has been made the next Ayatollah, but just in terms of his veil threats, that he doesn't believe
that this Ayatollah can live in peace.
Just walk us through what the U.S.'s goal here. I mean, obviously it is regime change. But even if he ends up sort of doing away with, for lack of
a better phrase, this particular Ayatollah, this New Supreme Leader, regime change is still very, very difficult, and the U.S. needs to figure out how
exactly it's going to accomplish that, Alayna.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: They do. And I do think you noted all the notable things with referring to, you know, the president's
comments as it relates to the new Ayatollah. It's very much unclear what the strategy is going to be moving forward as it relates to the New Supreme
Leader in Iran. We have heard the president say that he was disappointed with this.
He had previously said it would be unacceptable for the Former Ayatollah son to be named the new Ayatollah, which has happened? So that's very much
unclear. And we did hear the president, Zain, say in previous remarks, he actually said last night, in talking about some of this, that he thinks you
know what's going to happen now could be the beginning of finding a new path forward for the country, which does sound a bit like building and
building a new regime and trying to be involved in that process.
But that has not really been clear, and I think that's a continued critique of this White House throughout this entire process, ever since the first
strikes, is what is the ultimate end goal here? And we've heard the stated objectives from this White House, from the Pentagon, referring to the
different targets, referring to not wanting Iran to have a nuclear weapon ever, but they've been far less clear and definitive on what they want when
it comes to the regime and actually getting involved on the ground, potentially with regime change.
And I will say as well, the president notably saying, I'll reiterate what you said, Zain, saying that he doesn't want to say essentially, whether or
not the new Ayatollah Khamenei has a target on his back. But he did make clear that he believes he, President Trump continues to have a target on
his own back.
And so, this is all something I think, that a lot of people are trying to get more answers to. We do have a White House press briefing here around
02:00 p.m. in just a couple hours.
[11:15:00]
And I think that's going to be one of the key questions, of course, that is posed by reporters to Karoline Leavitt, the Press Secretary, because that
is truly a key question. And gets to this idea of, you know, how long is the United States actually going to be involved in this war, particularly
if regime change remains a top goal of theirs.
ASHER: And just overall, just in terms of how long this war is going to last, Alayna, we've been getting a lot of mixed messages from the White
House. Pete Hegseth has said that, you know this is going to be the deadliest day of the war so far, and he expects it to last a while.
President Trump, on the other hand, says that you know it will be over soon. Do you know, based on your reporting in your sources whether the
president is actively looking for an off ramp, for some kind of exit strategy at this point in time, Alayna?
TREENE: Well, I can tell you, Zain, from my conversations with people throughout the Trump Administration that they are definitely been many
people in the president's year and other top advisor's years essentially saying that they do think that the U.S. needs to end this quickly, and that
this cannot be a protracted, you know, military involvement.
And it's something that we've heard the president kind of dance around. And I think the reason there's been so much confusion is because this White
House does not want to box themselves in to a definitive timeline, which has not left many Americans, you know, feeling, or, I should say, assuaging
their concerns about really what the length of this conflict is going to look like.
And the president kind of, you know, we saw this yesterday in the same breath that he was saying he doesn't believe that the war will continue
much longer, that he essentially said the United States has completed most of their objectives. In another breath he was saying that he believes that
the U.S. could go much further.
And so again, a lot of questions about what this timeline is, but also a big, you know -- acknowledgement and recognition from this administration
that they want to try and ease Americans concerns that this isn't going to be another, you know, involvement like it was in Iraq and Afghanistan.
You actually heard the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth say as much this morning, saying this is not going to be 2003 but again, that's not very
much clear at this point in time, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Alayna Treene, live for us there. Thank you so much. Right, is just after 5 o'clock in the evening in Beirut, and we are seeing more
strikes in the city. These new explosions are the latest to rock the Lebanese capital. Israel has said it is carrying out targeted raids against
Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon.
The targets of the latest strikes are not clear. And all it took was a few words and the oil prices that were sky high yesterday a little bit better
today. We'll look at what it took to get them out of the stratosphere. And we'll look at the delicate dance that oil and politics perform on daily
basis.
When one is out of step, the other feels the pain. We'll talk about that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe's oil supply. And if Iran does anything to do
that, they'll get hit at a much, much harder level --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Donald Trump's words may be helping to ease fears, though, in the global oil market. On Monday, crude oil prices at one point, soar to almost
$120 a barrel, the highest in years. But now here's where U.S. benchmark WTI stands, $83 barrel, down 12 percent actually, after the president said
that the Iran war would end, in his words, very soon.
And here's a look at Brent Crude as well. That is the benchmark for the international oil market, $88 a barrel. Let's see how Wall Street is
reacting to all of this. Green arrows across the board, DOW is up about half of 1 percent. Let's bring in Vanessa Yurkevich, joining us live now
from New York.
So, Vanessa, very different picture. Just this time yesterday, I think I was talking to Matt Eagan, and oil was clearly over $100 a barrel. Now it's
come down quite significantly because the president says that this war could end very soon. But the problem is, oil is, of course, very volatile,
especially right now, and if the markets don't see any evidence that this will coming to an end, it could, of course, rise again.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and no surprise that you were having a different conversation yesterday, and now a
new conversation with me today, just because markets have been so volatile over the last couple of weeks.
But as you mentioned, there's really been a relief in the oil market just a bit here you see U.S. crude trading at about $83 a barrel, down 12 percent
in just a day's time. You also have Brent Crude, that's the international benchmark for oil that trading at about $88 a barrel, another 10 percent
drop in the last day.
And that is, as you said, because the president hinted that the war could be coming to an end very soon, and that helped a lot of folks feel like
maybe there was an end in sight, because duration, Zain, has been the big question here. Of course, we did see just 24 hours ago, oil prices topping
115, 120 a barrel.
Those are numbers that we haven't seen in nearly four years since the war with Russia and Ukraine broke out. But as we're seeing oil prices falling
today, gas prices are actually on the rise here in the United States. We're now seeing gas prices the national average here in the U.S. over $3.50,
3.54 on average, that is more than 50 cents since the war began, and that's about 40 cents since a week ago.
So, people here in the United States going to the pump, going to fill up, and seeing those higher prices. Now, according to GasBuddy, they estimate
that prices could rise by another 10 cents if oil prices remain where they are right now and then potentially level off.
So, what do higher oil prices and gas prices mean for the overall economy, both here in the U.S. and the global economy? Well, the first thing is, if
people are spending more money at the pump, they're going to start to pull back in other areas, so that depresses consumer spending.
And consumer spending is a huge driver of the economy. Also, we've seen it the last couple days. When oil increases, the stock market tends to sell
off, moving in opposite directions, and then investors are selling off, basically getting out of positions with businesses because they're
concerned about what it means for business.
Will they reduce hiring, because there's going to be added costs because of fuel prices, energy prices, and then of course, businesses wondering what
to do with those added costs, passing it to the consumer that creates inflation concerns. So yes, we're talking about a portion of the world that
is under attack right now, but it very much affects the global economy, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Vanessa Yurkevich, live for us. Thank you so much. Right, our next guest has written an op-ed in "The New York Times" called Trump is
making Jimmy Carter's mistake on Iran and oil. Here to talk about it is Rosemary Kelanic, who is the Director of the Middle East Program at Defense
Priorities.
Rosemary, thank you so much for being with us. So, we do see a bit of a respite today, just in terms of where oil prices are. Yesterday, they were
up significantly, triple digits, now down slightly down to $88 a barrel, but this is WTI down. It's $83 a barrel. But this is sort of a temporary
relief, because while President Trump says that this war could end very soon, there has to be evidence of that for the markets to actually take
that on board.
Obviously, if there's no evidence of that, we could see oil prices remain very volatile and continue to rise again.
[11:25:00]
And what will be the impact, just in terms of inflationary pressures, Rosemary.
ROSEMARY KELANIC, DIRECTOR OF THE MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM AT DEFENSE PRIORITIES: Yes, well, first of all, thanks so much for having me on today.
The impact is negative for all the reasons just mentioned before. If the price of oil goes up, oil is a major input for the U.S. economy, that's
going to have an inflationary effect on the economy.
And in fact, the effect for the United States is worse than it is for many other countries, because the U.S. economy depends so singularly on oil. The
U.S. consumes more oil to produce each dollar of its GDP, it consumes more than China, Russia or any of --
ASHER: Rosemary, can you still -- you can still hear me? OK, good.
KELANIC: I can hear you.
ASHER: OK, good. Just in terms of the Strait of Hormuz, we know that 20 percent of the world's oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump, or actually, Pete Hegseth spoke earlier, saying that if Iran continues to choke that supply, that this war will dramatically
escalate, that they will bomb Iran 20 times harder, which really just shows you just how dependent the U.S. economy is.
Of course, on oil, and the devastating consequences, economic consequences for this country, if this war continues, and if Iran continues to
retaliate, using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage, if, for example, that does continue to happen, that sort of choke point does continue to be sort
of cut off. What would you say with the consequences of that long term?
KELANIC: And the long-term consequences are it could throw, you know, the U.S. economy and potentially the global economy into recession, and that's
not necessarily because of actual disruption, but more because of speculative concerns that drive up the prices. So, there is a real
disruption on the ground.
The question is, what are countries, what are governments going to do with their strategic petroleum stockpiles? And what will businesses do with
their oil stockpiles? According to the IEA, the global observed inventory of oil is over 8 billion barrels. So, there's plenty of oil out there, in
the market, in storage that can be drawn down to replace some of the oil going through the Strait of Hormuz.
The real question is, when is that going to start happening, and will the U.S. lead the way by drawing down from its strategic petroleum reserve?
ASHER: What is the calculation? Because yesterday, we know that G7 Finance Ministers were meeting to discuss this very issue, and they temporarily
decided not to go ahead with that option. What's that calculation about? You know, what are the risks? I mean, you know, a lot of people would
assume that drawing down on reserves would be one of the easiest ways to sort of stabilize the markets. Explain the risks there too.
KELANIC: Yeah. So, there are risks. And I think you know, you basically have this free rider problem. So, the global market is a giant bathtub,
right? Not literally, but economists think of it that way. And when prices go up, it hurts everyone. When prices go down, it benefits everyone.
So, if various countries, like the U.S. or Japan or other IEA countries, if they draw down from their stockpile, the whole world benefits, right? That
means China benefits, right? That means other countries that aren't pulling down from their stockpiles benefit. So, the best way to do it is for
everybody to get together and decide to do it together.
But the United States has been very slow to want to pull down from the SPR. The question is, why? Certainly, there's speculation in the U.S. that Trump
is afraid that if he pulls down oil from the SPR, says he's going to that that's signaling that the war is going to last longer.
It takes two weeks for SPR oil to make it to the market. So that's signaling he expects at least two more weeks for the war to continue. Now,
if the U.S. isn't willing to pull down from its stockpile, these other countries, they don't want to pull down from their stockpiles and be the
ones who deplete their reserves first, when the U.S. is still sitting on its stockpile, and potentially China is too. So, there's all those
considerations at play as well.
ASHER: I see. Right, Rosemary Kelanic, thank you. Thank you for breaking that down, explaining that to our audience, we appreciate it.
KELANIC: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Still ahead here on "One World", rescuers assess the damage after an intense night of bombardment in Tehran, a CNN team reports
from inside Iran when we come back. Plus, Iran and the U.S. trade threats as tensions escalate over the Strait of Hormuz as we were just talking
about with Rosemary Kelanic there. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some of the headlines we are watching for you today. The U.S.
Defense Secretary said today would be the most intense U.S. strikes against Iran of the war so far. At a Pentagon, briefing with the U.S. Joint Chief
Chairman, Pete Hegseth, said that the U.S. would not relent until Iran is decisively defeated.
And he says that President Donald Trump will decide when the U.S. campaign will end. We are still waiting for Iran's New Supreme Leader to address the
people of Iran. It's been about 48 hours since Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed the third Supreme Leader Iran's history.
There have been no video messages, nor any written statements issued by him or his office. State media has been relying on archive footage. The Israeli
military is carrying out what it calls targeted raids into Southern Lebanon. It comes as the IDF is weighing a deeper ground push into the
country.
On Monday, Lebanon's President called for direct talks with Israel and an immediate ceasefire to end the fighting, while sharply criticizing the
Iranian backed militant group Hezbollah. Persian Gulf countries are facing a fresh wave of Iranian strikes. One attack hit a residential building in
Bahrain's capital, Manama.
Authorities say a woman was killed, another strike caused a fire at a major oil and gas production hub in Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait say their
air defenses intercepted several missiles and drones as well. A CNN team in Tehran reported heavy aerial bombardment overnight into Tuesday.
They tell us the impacts were more severe than previous days. We should mention that CNN operates in Iran with the permission of the Iranian
government, as required under local regulations, but maintains full editorial control over what it reports. Our Fred Pleitgen is there and
describes what he heard and saw.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a very kinetic night here in the Iranian capital, Tehran. We ourselves witnessed
several waves of what appeared to be very heavy air strikes in the building that we're in right now and that we're staying in was shaken on several
occasions from the sheer force of the impact.
Now, from our vantage point, it appeared as though, especially targets in the east of Tehran were being attacked also possibly around Mehrabad
Airport, which is in the west of Tehran, and is actually an area that has been attacked in the past as well.
[11:35:00]
All this is the air strikes conducted mostly by the U.S. and Israel continue, not just here in Tehran, but of course, throughout this entire
country.
Meanwhile, the political standoff also continues as well. President Trump, of course, saying that he vows to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for oil
shipments into the world's markets, whereas the Iranians are warning that they are the ones who control the Strait of Hormuz.
A source close to the Iranian government telling me that the Iranians are the ones who control the taps of the world's oil supply. They say that Iran
is even thinking of imposing duties on ships carrying oil that are affiliated with countries friendly to the United States.
At the same time, the Iranians are saying, also at this point in time, they see no sense in negotiations with the United States and are preparing for
what could be a long war. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Right, millions of barrels of oil and refined fuel remain stranded in the Persian Gulf as Tehran and Washington trade threats over the Strait
of Hormuz. The crucial waterway carries about a fifth of the crude oil produced around the world, only a few tankers have been able to pass
through since the war began.
President Trump has threatened to hit Iran, quote, 20 times harder if it tries to stop oil flowing through the strait. Iran responded that its armed
forces were awaiting U.S. naval ships in the strait. The world's top oil exporter, Aramco, warns if disruption continues, it could have catastrophic
consequences for the oil market.
For more on this, I want to bring in Jakob Larsen, Head of Maritime Security at the Baltic and International Maritime Council. Jakob, thank you
so much for being with us. So, the U.S. navy we know is prepared to actually escort the vessels, just to sort of ensure that they're safe.
This is a strategy that has been used in previous conflicts. Just walk us through how effective you think that strategy could be and what the risks
are.
JAKOB LARSEN, HEAD OF MARITIME SECURITY AT BIMCO: Yeah, I think an escorting strategy is potentially effective, but before escorts can come
in. So, I think the Iranian threat to ships has to be degraded a little bit compared to what we see now.
It's my impression that currently, Iran is capable of basically hitting whatever ships they like in the Strait of Hormuz, and that, of course, has
to change before escorts can really make their way relatively safely into the Straits of Hormuz. And then what usually happens is that the escort
commander will be the -- typically the captain of the warship.
He will, yeah, direct the merchant ships under his escort and protect them against any incoming threats, be it drones or missiles, surface drones,
whatever. So, this is, you know, the typical way of doing it. And as I said, it requires that the threat is brought down to a manageable level.
And I don't think we are quite there yet.
ASHER: So would you need not just U.S. sort of naval ships accompanying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, but also some kind of air campaign as well
to detect and attack any missile launches. I mean, would you basically need both to ensure sort of supreme safety?
LARSEN: Yeah, I think right now, up till now, the U.S. has concentrated very much on ballistic missiles and targeting Iranian leadership and so on.
But for the U.S. campaign to enter this sort of a different stage of the campaign, I think more is needed in terms of addressing the threat, and
that could well include also attacks on Iran's anti-ship capability using fighter jets and whatever assets the U.S. has available.
So, I think it will probably take some days before the Iranian threat has been brought down to a manageable level.
ASHER: And what are the risks that Iran would essentially overwhelm any kind of American navy ships or vessels that are accompanying the ships in
the region. I mean, how likely is it that the Americans would be overwhelmed in this kind of scenario?
LARSEN: I think generally, the U.S. they go into conflict will prefer, well prepared, that's my experience. So, while it can't be completely ruled out,
I think it's probably not so likely. I'm quite sure that the U.S. military will prepare the battle space properly before sending their warships into
harm's way.
I would be surprised if they were completely caught by surprise, but on the other hand, I mean, it's a tricky scenario. It's a very long coastline that
along the Strait of Hormuz. It's more than 500 kilometers of Iranian coastline. And it would require a level of certainty that the Iranian
threat has been, if not neutralized, then at least degraded sufficiently and better supports quite a big task to make sure that that is the case.
[11:40:00]
But, yeah, we'll see how things pan out. We're hopeful that things can get started sooner rather than later. It's no secret that there are a lot of
ships now currently trapped inside the Persian Gulf, waiting to get out and vice versa, also to get in. So, we are looking forward with anticipation.
ASHER: Is it likely that some vessels in this kind of scenario are trying to sort of bypass restrictions by signaling that they're under different
ownership? Is that one of the sorts of ways in which some vessels might try to bypass restrictions in this instance?
LARSEN: Yeah, I could well imagine that all sorts of tricks will be attempted to improve safety, and that could be one way of doing it. I don't
know how effective it will be, though. I think the Iranians have eyes and ears all over, basically. And I mean, despite the fact that there is an
armed conflict, that there's no traffic in the Straits of Hormuz.
You have fishing vessels. You have small skiffs and so on, and some of them might be able to report back to the Iranians which ships are in the area.
So yeah, while absolutely you would want to camouflage and do what you can to not disclose your intentions, if you are a potential target, then I'm
not sure that it would be very successful.
I think the Iranians have pretty good information regarding what is going on in the Straits of Hormuz.
ASHER: Yes, it's not, probably not an effective strategy. But as you imagine, all sorts of tricks might be played in this in this type of
instance, Jakob Larsen live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, still to come, the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran, but the UAE is
very much paying the price, while Tehran is targeting the Gulf nation, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, some Breaking News to bring you. There has been a shooting outside the U.S. Consulate in Toronto. There has been a shooting
outside the U.S. Consulate in Toronto. Officials on the ground in Canada and Toronto just briefed the public about the incident. Take a listen to
this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS LEATHER, RCMP CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT: At this time, the inset team has been engaged as this is a national security incident, and we are working
with Toronto police and others to understand the motivations of those involved.
[11:45:00]
The RCMP regularly works in close collaboration with police services of jurisdictions across the country, as well as our partners with Global
Affairs Canada and the fulfillment of our mandate to provide protection of designated persons, including foreign diplomats, and in relation to
incidents that occur at or in the vicinity of embassies or consulates.
For the moment, while the early stages of the investigation are taking place, we have increased security around embassies and consulate buildings
here in Toronto and in the Ottawa region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, Paula Newton joining us live now with the very latest. So obviously he was just mentioning there that we don't necessarily know,
Paula, the exact motive, but you can't ignore the fact that this took place right around the time when there is obviously this war heating up between
the U.S. and Israel, and of course, what's happening in Iran, your take, Paula.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's significant there that we heard from Chief Superintendent Chris Leather there. And the reason is that they
will already be investigating this, perhaps as an act of terrorism on Canadian soil. We don't know that yet, but that is certainly what they'd be
looking into.
And also, you know, the RCMP already describing this as a national security incident. They are taking this incredibly seriously. And as police have
already pointed out, I mean, look, whether it's the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, or any other U.S. installation, they are
incredibly well fortified.
But that does not take away from the threat to public safety to just have in downtown Toronto, to have two males get out of a white Honda CR-V, and
basically have several shots at the front door, apparently, of this U.S. Consulate, an incredibly serious incident that Toronto police are still
investigating.
They will be looking at all the cameras that they can. They obviously already have a description of the suspects, but still, no one in custody,
the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford. And keeping in mind this is not too far from the seat of government in Ontario, saying that, of course, police are
investigating, but saying that this was absolutely an unacceptable act, and said that they will get to the bottom of what happened here.
As you point out, though, Zain, obviously extra vigilance right around the world at any U.S. installation. We saw the incident in Norway just a little
while ago. And of course, as our CNP point out, they have already fortified security around any U.S. Embassy, but also other embassies, consulates
around Canada, just to make sure there are no other incidents.
I can tell you from having heard from the personnel at the U.S. Consulate and at the AMC staff, this is incredibly rattling for all of them. They are
aware every day that there is a risk going into those buildings, even in a place like Canada and again, Zain, as you point out, this really does
heighten just a lot of the tenseness around the world as this war continues.
ASHER: Right, Paula Newton, thank you so much for that. We'll right back with more after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
ASHER: As the war with Iran rages, our nations beyond the Middle East are looking to defend their own interests. President Emmanuel Macron says that
France is deploying 11 warships to the Mediterranean and the Red Sea to support countries that are being attacked by Iran.
The UK says the British jets intercepted drones in defense of Jordan and Bahrain on Monday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with the German
Chancellor and Italy's Prime Minister about ways to fend off Iranian threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. And Australia says it will
send a spy plane and missiles to the UAE to help defend Australians and other civilians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Our involvement is purely defensive, and it's in defense of Australians who are in the region, as
well as in defense of our friends in the United Arab Emirates who are good friends of Australia and Australians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Anthony Albanese speaking there. All right since the start of the war, the UAE has actually faced a barrage of missiles and drone attacks
from Iran. CNN's Paula Hancocks explores why this particular Gulf nation has become a key target in the conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS (voice-over): The impact of strikes in the United Arab Emirates is far beyond the U.S. military and political targets that Iran claims.
Hotels, airports and energy infrastructure have been damaged by more than 1700 missiles and drones fired since the start of the war.
The Emirati military has intercepted more than 90 percent UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has visited the injured in hospital, giving
rare comments warning the country's enemies.
MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PRESIDENT: Do not be misled by the United Arab Emirates appearance. The UAE has thick skin and
bit of flesh. We are no easy prey.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): After decades of bitter rivalry between Iran and its Gulf neighbors, recent years had seen a rapprochement between Tehran and
Abu Dhabi. Trade was expanding around half a million Iranians call the UAE home. So why is Iran seemingly firing more projectiles at the UAE than at
Israel, the country who, along with the United States, started this war.
FAWAZ GERGES, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT THE LSE: Dubai is really the epicenter of globalization. It's a powerhouse, and any attacks
on the United Arab Emirates on Dubai is really a power multiplier from the Iranian perspective. It prattles the world economy.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Around 100 kilometers of water separate the UAE from Iran, missiles do not take long to reach Emirates shores.
GERGES: Literally, it's next door. It's much easier to attack Dubai and United Arab Emirates than to attack other countries, let's say Jordan or
Israel, because Israel is well protected by an air defense system.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Iran cites the U.S. strategic alliance as a reason to fire on Gulf nations. President Donald Trump was here last May, securing
pledges for $3 trillion worth of deals from the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
TRUMP: We have an Iran situation, which we're going to take care of one way the other. We're taking care of it will be taken care of 100 percent.
HANCOCKS: This is not how the UAE or any Gulf nation wanted it to be taken care of. They had lobbied Trump to favor diplomacy over war, and a refusal
to allow Trump to use its air bases or its air space has not insulated the UAE from Iran's retaliation.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Relations between the UAE and Iran had been strained since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Three islands claimed by Abu Dhabi
are still controlled by Tehran. But the UAE did restore its ambassador to Tehran in 2022 signaling a cautious diplomatic reset after years of strain.
A reset that has been shattered by Iran's decision to force its neighbors into this war. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Dubai.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Right. Finally, this hour.
[11:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Australia is good. Please. Please stay here and we're going to support you. We're going to look after you. We're going to be
there for you guys. Please don't be scared. We support you. We love you all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Many in Australia are urging Iran's women's soccer team to remain in the country where they played in the Women's Asian Cup, as this says, two
additional members of the team are seeking asylum, a player and a staff member. This comes after five players were given humanitarian visas by the
Australian government.
The rest of the squad is said to be returning to Iran, where many fear for their safety after they stayed silent during the playing of the Iranian
national anthem during a match earlier this month. All right, stay with CNN. I'll have much more "One World" after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
