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One World with Zain Asher
Israel & Lebanon Holding Direct Talks in Washington; U.S. Hosts First Direct Israel-Lebanon Talks in Decades; U.S. Blockade of Iranian Ports Enters Second Day; U.S.-Sanctioned Tanker Appears to Pass Through Strait of Hormuz; High U.S. Gas Prices Linger as War with Iran Drags on; Artemis II Astronauts Share Moving Moments of Coming Home. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 14, 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. This is "One World". A diplomatic milestone we have
just seen ambassadors from both Israel and Lebanon arrive at the State Department moments ago for the first direct talks between their countries
in more than four decades.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to be in the meeting as well. It comes as Israel is on with its war on Hezbollah in Lebanon, that conflict
has complicated peace efforts between the U.S. and Iran. We'll bring you details on those talks as soon as we get them. We are now, of course, in
day two though, of the U.S. military blockade on Iranian port.
-- tracking data shows little traffic in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz to shipping is severely curtailed. One oil
tanker did manage to pass through though a U.S.-sanctioned Chinese owned vessel known as the rich starry. One key question remains, will there be
yet another round of U.S.-Iran peace talks in the coming days after those weekend talks in Islamabad failed.
American Iranian delegates have exactly one week to arrange a new in person meeting before the ceasefire deal expires. The main areas of disagreement
are on Iran's nuclear program and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance weighed in on Washington's
red lines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We must have their conclusive commitment to not develop a nuclear weapon. And I think
that if the Iranians are willing to meet us there, then this can be a very, very good deal for both countries if they're not willing to meet us there.
That's up to them. That's their decision, and really, the ball is very much in their court.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Meantime, in a phone call with his French counterpart, Iran's President says that negotiations with the U.S. will only continue if it is,
quote, within the framework of international law. CNN's Kevin Liptak is standing by fort in Washington. Let's begin with Clarissa Ward in Riyadh.
So, Clarissa, just in terms of these new talks, obviously, Iran's nuclear program continues to be one of many, but probably the most important
sticking point, the U.S. is looking at the potentialities. What we're hearing of a 20-year pause, whereas the Iranians, in terms of what we
understand, only want five. Just walk us through what we know for sure about these potential new talks.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think at this stage, honestly, Zain, we know very little about these potential talks,
particularly because Iran state media, just a few hours ago came out with a statement effectively saying that there is no plan as of yet for any second
round of talks.
This, obviously, following a flurry of reports that seem to indicate, with just one week left on the clock of this ceasefire, that the two sides could
meet again, potentially in Islamabad, as before also Geneva was floated as an option. But as I mentioned, Iran state media, they're appearing to throw
cold water on this.
Although behind the scenes, talking to various sources, one does have a sense that there is appetite for a deal from the U.S. and from Iran. The
main wrangling point in those talks, as you just touched on, appears to be this issue of the delay of nuclear, of uranium enrichment, with the U.S.
wanting 20 years, Iran countering with five years.
Is it possible that the two sides will find a way to meet in the middle? That remains to be seen, but there's definitely a renewed push. We saw
France's President Emmanuel Macron today in a post on X urging Iran and the U.S. to continue those talks. We know that behind the scenes as well, the
Egyptians, the Pakistanis, the Turkish and other authorities have also been urging all sides to get back to the negotiating table.
Because as we look at this blockade, which is now just over 24 hours into effect, and even though, according to Kpler, which monitors global
shipping, some nine vessels now have actually successfully crossed the strait since that blockade began, you are still talking about a massive
economic fallout from this crisis before or some 12 million barrels of oil out of commission from when Iran took over the strait.
[11:05:00]
Now add to that another 1.8 million estimated barrels of oil with Iranian oil no longer able to be exploited, and the fallout is considerable, not
just here in the region, but obviously far beyond as well. And speaking of the region, one thing I would just add, Zain, is that while the focus for
the U.S. is primarily on this issue of uranium enrichment.
The focus here in the Gulf is on ensuring that any deal or agreement or even any talks are predicated on an understanding that Iran cannot maintain
any control of the strait, that it cannot exact a toll on anyone passing through the strait, and really, for these Gulf countries, anything other
than returning to the status quo ante is a red line, Zain.
ASHER: And Clarissa, the other sort of talks we're watching is what's happening with the Israeli delegation and the Lebanese delegation here in
the U.S. with Marco Rubio, of course, in attendance. I mean, it's a very, very tricky issue, because the one thing that the Israelis want above all
outs is, of course, security.
They see the direct path to security as being, of course, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and that is a very difficult thing for the Lebanese to
deliver, given the sort of weak state capacity, and Hezbollah is hell bent on deterrence. So where do the two sides meet, Clarissa? Is there any sort
of hope here?
WARD: Well, I think for the reason that you just elucidated, Zain, it's crucial for the Lebanese to be able to extract a ceasefire and to
negotiate, or continue these negotiations with a ceasefire in place. And this is something that they have said vocally, because if they don't have a
ceasefire in place, then they don't have any real leverage domestically in Lebanon, and particularly when it comes to dealing with Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has said repeatedly that it wants Lebanon to cancel its participation in the talks. Now contrast that with the attitude of Israel,
which traditionally has been to negotiate under fire, if you will. And certainly, we haven't seen a let up in Israel strikes on South Lebanon.
Although we also have not seen more strikes in Beirut after last week's devastating series of some 100 strikes in the space of 10 minutes that left
more than 300 people dead, including many women and children. You had the sense that Israel, after that, was under a lot of pressure from the U.S. to
try to reign it in somewhat, so that this didn't threaten to throw the whole ceasefire into question.
Now the question remains, will Israel agree to negotiate with some kind of a ceasefire in place at this stage, we simply don't know whether that will
be possible or not, Zain.
ASHER: Clarissa, stand by. Kevin Liptak, let me bring you in just in terms of the failed talks in Islamabad, you had President Trump hoping that by
sending JD Vance, something would be different. Obviously, there is very little trust from the Iranian perspective, because after previous talks
with the American delegation, they had always been attacked.
So, the hope was that by sending JD Vance something would be different. Walk us through what changes this time. What sort of mistakes were made
going into those negotiations in Islamabad just a few days ago, especially when it came to lack of preparation and sort of lack of pre work, that
hopefully, if there are new talks, will be different this time, Kevin?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right, and I think the Americans may have underestimated the Iranians desire to maintain some
grasp of their nuclear program. You know they maintain that it is their right to enrich uranium. And when you look at the red lines that the White
House has said that the president will insist upon.
Many of them are the same red lines that Iran refused to submit to during those Geneva discussions just before the onset of this war. And it doesn't
appear as if six weeks of American and Israeli bombardment have changed their position in any way. But all of that said, you know, I think when we
saw JD Vance come out after 21 hours of talks looking exhausted and somewhat defeated and say that a deal wasn't reached, the assumption was
that the talks had broken down completely.
You know, in the day after that, it does seem as if there are still negotiations. There are still discussions. And you know, at least according
to the Americans, there is still a deal to be had. And the question of this nuclear enrichment, the length of the moratorium, that is a bridge that, at
least on the American side, they do believe can be gapped at some point.
[11:10:00]
There's also the question of the nuclear stockpile, the more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium that's believed to be buried
underground at Isfahan. The Iranians have suggested that they would be willing to dilute that to well below weapons grade. The Americans want it
removed from Iran entirely.
So that's a sticking point as well. But there is a belief that this can all be resolved somewhat. And they believe that if that happens, then all of
the other components of this deal, whether it's the Strait of Hormuz or whether it's Iran's support for proxy groups in the region, that all of
that will essentially fall into place.
I think the risk for President Trump is that the deal he ends up agreeing to, ends up looking very similar to the 2015 Obama era deal that he has
decried, that he withdrew from. I think it will require some massaging on his part politically, to make his supporters in the United States, who are
very much behind him in all of this, think that this is a good deal, but that's all to be resolved as of now, the diplomatic deals continue to turn.
ASHER: Yes, they do. All right, Clarissa Ward, Kevin Liptak, thank you both so much. Right, direct peace talks between Israel and Lebanon are underway
now at the State Department. Maha Yahya is the Director of the Carnegie Middle East Center. Joins us live now from Beirut.
Let's just talk about expectations here. We're not really expecting some kind of sort of long-term peace deal to be signed today. Clarissa Ward, our
reporter on the ground there in Riyadh was just talking about this idea of it's just normally much better to have some kind of ceasefire in place for
sure, as you conduct negotiations, it's better for trust on both sides.
Based on all of that, what is really the best we can hope for from today, Maha?
MAHA YAHYA, DIRECTOR OF THE CARNEGIE MIDDLE EAST CENTER: Hi Zain, thank you for having me. I think the best we can hope for is they set the time frame
for the next one. Honestly, Lebanon has one demand of this initial conversation, which is a ceasefire.
I don't see Israel agreeing to a ceasefire in the south, the intensity of the bombardment over the last, I would say week, since the blitz of last
Wednesday, that Clarissa described the intensity of bombardments in the South has been astonishing. It's been quite horrific.
The Israeli army is saying they have not achieved their goals. There are leaks that they're planning to occupy around eight kilometers that no one
will be allowed to return to. We're seeing villages being dynamited across this area. They're saying they will also occupy and put permanent military
posts in the, you know, up to the Litani River, and then even the areas beyond the Litani River.
And we're talking about almost 15 percent of Lebanese territory that people will not be allowed to go back to. I genuinely don't see. And when this is
not a peace discussion, we're nowhere near that. Right now, we're talking about the cessation of hostilities, and then trying to come up with the
next steps beyond that.
Israel wants security guarantees. Lebanon wants security guarantees and trying to figure out what a road map for achieving those would look like.
ASHER: I'm so glad that you brought up just how much you know ordinary Lebanese people have been reeling from the past month or so of attacks. I
mean, obviously they've been through so much already, just in terms of what was going on 18 months ago, and now to go through it again every so often,
and over events that they really, honestly have no control over.
As I've said time and time again, they are powerless in this sort of dynamic, completely caught in the middle. One of the things I was saying to
our Correspondent, Clarissa Ward, is just this idea, though, and I understand what you're saying that you know, expectations are relatively
low.
They're simply sort of going to kick the can down the road. But you point out what Israel's number one priority is, and that is, of course, security
they want, security guarantees. They have said that the best way to ensure that is really the complete sort of disarmament of Hezbollah.
How that happens when Lebanon is sort of weak as a state in that capacity? You know, the Lebanese army cannot go up against Hezbollah, just doesn't
have the capacity to do that. When Israel says, we want Hezbollah to be disarmed, how on earth does that happen?
YAHYA: Well, one, the way Israel is going about it is not a recipe for peace, bombing the country, you know, to smithereens is not going to bring
about any kind of a peace deal. Today, more than 300 and I think 15 villages and towns have been evacuated, 1.2 million people are displaced,
and probably maybe hundreds of thousands will not be able to go back home because they don't have the home to go back to.
[11:15:00]
So, this not a recipe for peace. Second thing is, you're not going to bomb Hezbollah out of existence also. So, there needs to be a diplomatic
discussion for this to happen, when it comes to the Lebanese state, the way you strengthen, I mean, we, the international community, is giving the
Lebanese government, the Lebanese state, significant political support.
We need more. We need more in terms of, you know, helping curb Israeli military action in Lebanon, saying enough is enough, strengthening, helping
to strengthen the army, helping the government to try and address the needs of its population. Definitely, disarmament of Hezbollah is not going to
happen under the barrel of a gun.
It's very difficult for any country in the world, let alone a state, that is weak or has been weakened by decades of corruption, a very bizarre power
sharing system, et cetera. I won't go into this, but it's no matter what state it is, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to talk about
disarming a group in the middle of a conflict, particularly when this group is saying, we are defending our land.
They are defending their land, the villages and towns that they are in. Now this does not condone dragging Lebanon into the school. The Lebanese were
not consulted. The Secretary General of Hezbollah came up a little earlier and said, you know, we were not -- there's no national consensus on the
peace talks or on meeting with Israel?
Well, there was no national consensus on dragging Lebanon into a war to begin with. So, I'm not condoning their actions, but I think reality is
they are on the ground and we need to deal --
ASHER: -- in a previous conversation, it was this idea that, yes, you have a lot of Lebanese that have been rejecting Hezbollah for dragging them
repeatedly into this various conflicts, but at the same time, a lot of people also, on top of that, blame Israel and maybe some are even embracing
Hezbollah, because they sort of see Israel as being a part of dragging them into conflict unfairly as well.
So, it goes both ways. You know, I'm sure public sentiment is so messy and mixed and lot of emotions, but, you know, we had an interesting discussion
about the divine.
YAHYA: It's -- a binary --
ASHER: Go ahead, Maha.
YAHYA: Sorry Zain for interrupting -- it's never a binary.
ASHER: Yes.
YAHYA: It's not an either or --
ASHER: Totally.
YAHYA: It's, I mean, people are -- against Israel and also against Iran. So --
ASHER: Totally, you have a 6 million people and so we cannot obviously generalize. But you and I were talking about opinion being just varying
greatly and being very mixed on this particular issue, which I thought was very interesting. Maha Yahya, thank you so much for joining us.
Right, Pope Leo has brought his message of peace to Africa. This hour, he's celebrating mass in Algeria. We'll take a look at whether Donald Trump's
attacks are still overshadowing his trip. Plus, the leaders of Ukraine and Germany pledge to take the next steps forward in ending the war in Ukraine
together. Details of their partnership coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ASHER: Right, Germany's leader says that any peace deal negotiated between Ukraine and Russia must have Europe's participation. Chancellor Friedrich
Merz comments came earlier today during a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to German media, the two countries plan to
increase cooperation on drone production.
And Germany is hoping to unlock billions in EU aid for Ukraine. President Zelenskyy says that such deals bring one step closer to joining the EU and
possibly NATO.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: It is important that Ukraine's path towards membership in the European Union is clear and unblocked. We
don't need EU light, nor NATO light, to be honest, just as I believe that both Europe and NATO countries need Ukraine as a strong and proper partner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, let's bring in our Frederik Pleitgen live for us in Berlin. Some good news for Ukraine over the weekend. That's with the ouster
of Viktor Orban, there's going to be sort of likely less push in Europe against more support for Ukraine. He's obviously in Germany.
Germany has emerged as this key supporter for Ukraine throughout all of this. Just walk us through what's been agreed to here, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, first of all, I think those elections that happened in Hungary certainly were a big
topic here at that meeting between Friedrich Merz and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And certainly, you could almost feel Friedrich Merz breathing a sigh of
relief that one of the great obstacles, of course, in Viktor Orban to not just the Germans giving additional military and financial aid to the
Ukrainians.
But of course, the entire European Union okaying that aid that that was now they believe possibly out of the way and that there could be a common
European approach to helping the Ukrainians. Of course, this also very important for Kyiv as well, Zain, especially with the fact that the United
States sort of has been pulling back from some of the help that it's been giving the Ukrainians, that it's been selling weapons to other NATO
partners then give to the Ukrainians, but not giving military aid itself.
So certainly, you're absolutely right. The Germans emerging as an important partner, the Europeans in general, emerging as an ever more important
partner. And Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, also underlined that in the press conference as well. Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: In recent years, Germany has provided an unprecedented level of support to Ukraine. Since 2026 we have become
Ukraine's most important bilateral partner. This is evident above all of our strong military support, and today, we have agreed on further
comprehensive support measures, including the area of air defense.
This includes long range weapons, drones and artillery ammunition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: So, the Germans increasingly wanting cooperation in the defense sectors between Germany and Ukraine. There was one memorandum of
understanding, a contract that was signed between the German Defense Minister and the Defense Minister of Ukraine.
A lot of that pertaining, of course, to drones, where the Ukrainians are a leading nation as far as the development of drones is concerned. But then,
of course, also for longer range weapons as well, where Germany does provide a lot of the financing, but also some of the technology as well.
One of the big things that is, of course, a huge issue right now for the Ukrainian, Zain, is the provision of interceptor missiles to try and shoot
down Russian missiles and drones that are fired towards Ukraine, especially with the United States, of course, using a lot of its inventory in the
armed conflict with Iran, the Germans and the Ukrainians, both underlining --
ASHER: Fred, I'm so sorry. Fred, sorry to interrupt you. We have to go to the State Department where Marco Rubio was speaking about the Israeli
Lebanese talks.
[11:25:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: And the opportunity here, I know some of you are shouting questions about ceasefire. This is a lot more than just
about that. Busy developing your permanent end the 20 or 30 years of Hezbollah's influence in this part of the -- and not just damage that's
inflicted on Israel, the damage that's inflicted on the Lebanese people.
We have to remember the Lebanese people are victims of Hezbollah. The Lebanese people are victims of Iranian aggression, and this needs to stop.
And so, our hope here, and I know this will be a process. All of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six
hours, but we can begin to move forward to create the framework where something can happen, something very positive, something very permanent.
So that the people of Lebanon have the kind of future they deserve, and so that the people of Israel can live without fear and can be struck by rocket
attacks from the terrorist proxy of Iran. So that is the hope here today. That is what we are beginning to work we are joined by excellent people who
will be in a position to obviously, take this back to their respective capitals.
This is a process, not an event. This is more than just one day. This will take time, but we believe it is worth this endeavor, and it's a historic
gathering that we hope to build on. And the hope today is that we can outline the framework upon which a permanent and lasting peace can be
developed.
So that, as I said, the people of Israel can live in peace, and the people of Lebanon can live not just in peace but the prosperity and security that
they deserve. OK --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Right, U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, speaking there about expectations for the Israeli talks with the Lebanese delegation, basically
reiterating that this is a process, not an event, essentially that what the hope is here is that a framework can be agreed upon, upon which a lasting
deal can be founded.
He said that there has been so much damage because of these wars on the Lebanese people, in his words, both from Iranian aggression and also
Hezbollah. Obviously, Iran is major supporter of Hezbollah. He reiterated, it's not going to be resolved overnight. But one of the key issues here is
that Israel deserves security and must be able to live in peace without fears of Hezbollah firing rockets over their northern border. We right back
with more after the short break.
(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 Trump
Administration officials remain hopeful of a diplomatic off ramp is achievable, though it remains unclear if the U.S. and Iran will hold a
second round of impeachment talks.
American and Iranian delegates only have one week to arrange that meeting before the ceasefire deal expires. For a second day, the U.S. military is
blockading Iranian ports. According to marine traffic data. Chinese owned vessel the rich story passed through the Strait of Hormuz but not much else
is moving.
Some analysts say the blockade could be President Trump's best option as he tries to loosen Iran's grip on the strait. Israel is continuing to hit what
it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, but sources say it scaled back attacks on Beirut and the Beqaa Valley this week, under U.S. pressure.
International organizations have warned that sites important to Lebanon's cultural heritage are being threatened. In Washington this hour, Israeli
and Lebanese diplomats and the U.S. Secretary of State are meeting to talk peace. An official says Lebanon is seeking a ceasefire as a precondition
for broader negotiations.
Hezbollah calls the talks futile once they're canceled. These are the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in about 40 years. CNN's Jennifer
Hansler joins us live now from the State Department. So, Jennifer, about five minutes or so ago, we heard from U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio,
outlining his expectations and his hope for these talks.
I don't think anyone thought that it was going to be some kind of major peace deal announced, not least because one of the things that Israel wants
Hezbollah to be completely disarmed is virtually impossible for Lebanon to actually deliver. Although Israel does want security guarantees, its
security is important to and that's one of the things that Marco Rubio reiterated.
Explain to us what is the best hope, right? What is the best hope for the outcome of these particular talks?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Zain, I think the best hope we can expect out of these talks today is a
continuation of more talks at a higher level, at a level that would be empowered to make a deal. We heard from Secretary State, Marco Rubio, as
you said, in the last 10 minutes or so.
And he sort of was expectation setting here. He said that this is not going to be a one-day thing that is solved within a matter of one meeting. But
there he was hopeful that they could set a framework that could ultimately deliver a lasting and permanent peace in this conflict.
Now these are very much working level talks, Zain, and you have the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. as well as the Lebanese ambassador to the U.S.,
leading their respective delegations on the U.S. side that's mediating these talks, Rubio was there, as well as the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon and
the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and the State Department councilor.
But as you noted, there is a lot here that they are going to have to really overcome, not only the issue of Hezbollah, which is a warning party that is
not at the table in these talks, and have said that they would reject any sort of agreement that comes out of these negotiations, but also the
continuation of the fighting between the two sides.
We've heard from the Lebanese government ahead of these talks that they are hopeful they could get a ceasefire, as Israel has continued to bombard that
country, including hitting civilian infrastructure in the major City of Beirut. Just last week, we saw an immense assault on that city that the
Lebanese Health Ministry said killed hundreds of people.
So, there is a lot at stake here. One thing that's notable that a Lebanese official told one of our colleagues, Zain, is that they want to see a de-
linking of these peace talks from the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. They said they don't want Iran negotiating on Lebanon's behalf. Of course, this was
something that came up throughout the course of last week in the lead up to those Islamabad talks, was whether or not Lebanon would be included in the
ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
Iran and Pakistan got indications that this would be part of the deal. U.S. officials and Israeli officials said this was not part of that broader
deal, and now it sounds like the Lebanese government does not want it to be linked so tightly to what is happening with Iran.
Of course, whether or not that can be extricated from the broader conflict is unlikely here, Zain, but a lot at stake here, and the rest of the world
is watching. We saw a statement from some 17 countries that came out earlier today calling for de-escalation, Zain.
ASHER: All right, Jennifer Hansler, live for us. Thank you so much. The U.S. military says that six ships have turned around because of its
blockade of Iranian ports with the blockade now in its second day, there is a very, very little traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports.
[11:35:00]
And just a handful of tankers and other carriers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz. One ship that apparently did go through earlier today is
a U.S.-sanctioned Chinese owned tanker. It is the rich starry and you can see its path here in animation. That information comes from ship tracking
website, marinetraffic.com.
Rosemary Kelanic is the Director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities. She's also the author of "Black Gold and Blackmail: Oil and
Great Power Politics". And we've had her on so much, literally, Rosemary, I don't know what we would do --
ROSEMARY KELANIC, DIRECTOR OF THE MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM AT DEFENSE PRIORITIES: -- thank you.
ASHER: It's almost every other day I feel like. I think what's interesting about this move by the U.S. yesterday, it's almost as though the U.S. is
now supporting and implementing the same maritime violations, right? That the U.S. usually is not supposed to sort of violate, and that is part of
the issue here.
The hypocrisy element of this is what I would like to get your take on.
KELANIC: Yeah. I mean, the hypocrisy element is significant, and it's not helping the United States in terms of global opinion, in terms of how
allies look at us and adversaries. The United States basically back till the days of its founding, has stood for freedom of navigation and freedom
of the seas.
And we are compromising that principle by putting this blockade into effect. Even more than that, though there's real questions about whether
the blockade will work or will prove counterproductive.
ASHER: Just in terms of what Iran has to lose from all of this, you know, by several reports, just the idea that Iran is not going to be able to
export oil from its ports, you have, yes, you know, the lost benefit of that, financially, it's going to cost Iran a lot of money, hundreds of
millions of dollars a day, potentially.
But also, this idea of storing the oil that is not being exported is also going to be a massive problem as well. How will it affect Iran
economically, and how long will it actually take for them to really feel sort of the storage capacity issue weighing on them?
KELANIC: Yeah. So, some experts have suggested it might take as little as five or six days for the storage capacity to have a problem. And you know,
really the issue is, when countries are pumping oil out of the ground, they want to keep that oil flowing. Because if you have to shut off the pump for
some reason, that can affect the pressure underground, that helps the oil come out, and it can damage fields significantly and sometimes permanently,
in terms of lessening the overall amount of oil that can come out of the field during its lifespan.
So, countries don't want to stop producing if they can help it. That said, it's not clear that Iran would rather make larger concessions to the U.S.
or shut in some of its production. That's what Trump is sort of banking on. He's banking on, OK, in a week's time, Iran is going to shut in production,
then they're going to fold because they don't want to do that.
But it could be that the case that Iran thinks that its interests are so, you know, Paramount here, that it's willing to shut in production and take
the potential loss from that just to resist the United States longer.
ASHER: What is the -- if this war sort of continues for another month or so? I mean, what is going to be the real sort of global economic impacts? I
mean, obviously we've seen a lot in terms of gas prices already, but when this war first started, there was a lot of oil already at sea.
But now, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz going on for six weeks or so now. You know the ramifications for Africa, which I talk a lot about,
also Asia as well. That depends heavily on oil passing through that strait. Just explain to us how bad things could really get beyond where things
really are, if this blockade by the U.S. and by Iran continues for much longer.
KELANIC: Yeah, so things could get really bad. I mean, we've seen some of the first, you know, ramifications of this showing up in Asia, because
they're, you know, they're the places that are closest to the Middle East. And so, shipping from the Middle East takes shorter period of time.
And so, like, disruptions and shipping show up there, first, also in Europe, and then it's spreading to Africa, and then in time, the Western
Hemisphere will also be affected even more, and not just by prices going up, but potentially by some physical shortages, as economies sort of adjust
to this.
So, if this goes on for several months at a time. Eventually, economies are going to adjust. Oil prices are going to be higher. You're not going to
have shortages, because price mechanisms in the market will ration supply, but lots of people's pocketbooks are going to be hurt, in the shorter run,
though we might still see this uneven supply problem.
[11:40:00]
ASHER: Are there any, I think, of the question, are there any legal ramifications for the U.S. imposing a blockade on an international shipping
waterway, or could there be --
KELANIC: Yeah. So, it really, there could be -- Yeah. There could be. I mean, they're using the waterway to implement it, but they're technically
not blocking the waterway from all ships. They're blocking Iranian ports. So, the blockade is specifically against Iran, where the issues, the legal
issues, come into play is, are they going to seize everything that's coming and going from Iran, including humanitarian items?
So usually in a blockade, food, medicine, things of that nature, essentials for civilian life. Those are supposed to be allowed to continue, right?
Whether the U.S. actually intercepts and stops that kind of trade is an open question at this point. The U.S. has said it's going to stop oil,
potentially, would also stop weapons, presumably, but when you start to get into just straight up humanitarian civilian items.
That's when you run into legal problems and political problems. So, you know, Iran, I wouldn't be surprised if Iran tries to send some ships with
medicine to test the blockade and see what the United States does and put pressure on the United States.
ASHER: Right. Rosemary Kelanic, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, still to come, how oil prices are responding as the world waits to see if
Iran and the U.S. will agree to more peace talks. That's just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Right gas prices are falling a bit as oil traders try to weigh up the outlook for renewed talks between Iran and the United States. Since its
peak last Thursday, the average U.S. gallon of gas prices has fallen about five cents. Let's see where oil prices, they're trading at right now.
Brent crude down slightly, $95 a barrel. WTI, $92 a barrel. CNN's Rafael Romo is outside a gas station in Atlanta. I mean, this is the name of the
game, right? Volatility, because every single time we have the potential for negotiations and talks, we see gas prices or oil prices rather fall.
And then when we get a threat from the U.S. President on Truth Social, we see just the opposite. Just explain to us how people are really feeling
about gas prices right now. I mean, gas prices make everything more expensive.
[11:45:00]
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not feeling very good, Zain, how are you? And you mentioned the right word to describe the situation. Volatility
drivers here in the south and across the United States are feeling the pain at the pump, which is not expected to ease significantly this week,
especially considering oil prices climb Monday after the U.S. military said it would implement President Trump's shipping blockade against Iranian
ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
Even then after that, it went down. The oil prices went down a little bit today, but this is only expected to further tighten the global oil supply.
We got some positive news overnight after Brent crude, the global oil benchmark rose 7 percent to $102 a barrel on Monday. Earlier this morning,
the price went down by 0.8 percent on the day, to $98.60 a barrel.
The WTI, Zain, the U.S. benchmark dropped 2 percent to 97.10 a barrel. What prompted prices to slightly go down you may ask? Well, writing about the
falls in prices in a note today, Deutsche Bank analysts pointed to growing hopes that the U.S. and Iran might still reach some kind of deal.
John Denholm, the Chairman Designate of the International Chamber of Shipping, said the global economy is going to suffer, especially if the
Iran war doesn't come to an end in the near future. This is what he has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN DENHOLM, CHAIRMAN DESIGNATE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF SHIPPING: If it continues, we're going to have a real problem. Fuel prices are
already high. It's going to get worse. We're going to have shortages of petrol, shortage of diesel, shortage of Avgas, shortage of fertilizers.
There's a huge number of quantities that flow through the Persian Gulf, and that will drive inflation in the Western world and the free world, and that
will probably drive recession.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Yes, Zain, he did say recession. That's the big fear here. And to put it all in perspective, Brent crude has gone up by 40 percent since the
beginning of the war, while the WTI, the U.S. benchmark, has risen a whopping 50 percent according to AAA the national average price of gasoline
today is $4.12 down one cent from Monday and five cents since the peak of 4.17 reached last Thursday.
But let's remember, Zain that it was 2.98 when the war started. And of course, here in the United States, prices tend to be higher on the West
Coast in states like California, Oregon and Washington, while it is considerably cheaper here in the south in states like Louisiana, Arkansas
and here in Georgia. Zain, back to you.
ASHER: Yeah, because it depends on so many factors, including taxes and that kind of thing. Rafael Romo, live for us there, thank you so much.
Right, the 10th anniversary of CNN's My Freedom Day campaign is being celebrated by children in Lagos, a non-profit there is helping them thrive
through creativity, mentorship. That story coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
ASHER: All right, a non-profit in Nigeria is giving children in one Lagos neighborhood a safe place to learn and express themselves. These young
people have channeled their gratitude into a massive artistic tribute to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CNN's My Freedom Day campaign. Take a
look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER (voice-over): In one of Nigeria's most impoverished neighborhoods. There's beauty hiding in plain sight. For nearly 10 years, volunteers and
students at the Slum Art Foundation in the Ijora Badia neighborhood of Lagos have quietly been working on their craft. It's not just about the
artwork, per se, it's more about learning the art of work, says Co-founder Adenle Adetunwase.
ADETUNWASE ADENLE, CO-FOUNDER OF SLUM ART FOUNDATION: Most children found in this community from an early age are meant to fend for themselves, and I
discovered that these young children have a lot of energy, but they lack direction. They lack mentorship and guidance.
ASHER (voice-over): The foundation provides that mentorship as well as resources to those who might otherwise have to go without.
TITILAYO OLUOMO GAWAT, GRANDMOTHER: What Adetunwase is doing here we thank God, since he's been teaching them, we see the impact.
Still in places like Ijora Badia, danger can lurk around any corner. Bo (ph) was just three years old when she disappeared, her grandmother says
she was kidnapped from her home and gone for a year.
GAWAT: When she came back, she had marks on her body. It looked like when they took her. She had been hit on her tailbone. When she first came back,
she used to walk like this. The way she used to talk had changed, the things she used to know she didn't know anymore.
ASHER (voice-over): The Slum Art Foundation tries to provide a safe place for the children of Ijora Badia to grow and learn. In addition to art, the
foundation places an emphasis on trade skills like carpentry and hair dressing. There's also a social justice component that Adenle hopes will
stay with them long after they graduate the program.
ADENLE: When I started explaining what my freedom didn't mean to these young people, they were like, oh, so they could relate it to their own
immediate environment and the power of media in ending modern day, slavery has been a journey for both we here as a school and as an impact agent and
the community itself.
ASHER (voice-over): To celebrate My Freedom Day, the students and staff set forth an audacious goal to create a portrait of every on-air journalist at
CNN, and Adenle says it was for a simple reason.
ADENLE: It's just something that is a kind gesture from -- thank you CNN, for putting yourself out there to help stop modern day slavery and give
voice to those who are voiceless.
ASHER (voice-over): It's a project that took over two months, and they just finished their work.
ADENLE: Slum I decided to say, oh, let's work with volunteer artists and children from our school to complete 222 artworks of reporters, anchors
saying thank you to CNN reporters across the world.
ASHER (voice-over): Its proof kindness is contagious. Greatness can come from anywhere, and talent can't be confined to within four walls. Zain
Asher, CNN for --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: So grateful for the work that our day is doing to empower kids using creativity, and actually, they did a portrait of me. It was based on my CNN
headshot. I was so touched by this. This is my CNN headshot, and this is the collage that Adenle did of me at CNN which he mailed to me from Lagos.
[11:55:00]
I was so touched by this. Adenle, if you're watching, and I'm going to send this clip to you. Thank you so much. I emailed him, and I was like, I am so
touched by this. So, thank you for all the work that you're doing and for the portrait as well. And be sure to join CNN on Wednesday for My Freedom
Day, a student driven worldwide event to raise awareness of modern-day slavery.
Follow the hashtag My Freedom Day on social media and check out cnn.com/MyFreedomDay. All right. Finally, before we go, it is home sweet
home for the four astronauts whose history making flight around the world inspired on the Moon rather inspired the world, and they're sharing those
poignant moments for the rest of us. Pilot Victor Glover arrived home to a hero's welcome.
His entire neighborhood turned out to celebrate his safe return from space. Astronaut Christina Koch shared this video of her dog, Sadie, absolutely
losing it with delight over her return home. Koch writing on Instagram, I'm still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion.
She also posted this video showing her splashing around with Sadie on the beach. These images offer a powerful reminder that as remarkable as these
missions are, there is, of course, no place like home. Right, stay with CNN. There is much more "One World" with my colleague, Bianna Golodryga,
after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
