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One World with Zain Asher

U.S. And Iran Trade Fresh Strikes, Testing Fragile Ceasefire; U.S. Emergency Oil Reserve Approaches Lowest Levels Since 1980's; E.U. Foreign Policy Chief Pushes For New Russia-Ukraine Talks; CNN Lawsuit Is The First A.I. Copyright Action By A T.V. Network; Five People Trapped In Laos Cave Found Alive; Iran Under Increasing Sanctions Mid War; The A.I. Boom Is Transforming Tech Hiring; Actors Named "Chris" Outnumber Women Over 60 In Lead Roles; Best Spellers In The U.S. Compete For National Title; Aired 12- 1p ET

Aired May 28, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:37]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: An egregious violation and a shaky ceasefire, as the very parties negotiating peace exchange strikes. Second hour of "One

World" starts right now.

Shots fired. Iran targets American air bases as Israel attacks the Lebanese capital for the first time in weeks. So where do negotiations go from here?

Plus, most of the villagers trapped in a cave in Laos have been found. But rescuers say the danger is far from over.

And later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARV DHARAVANE, FINALIST, AGE 12, DUNWOODY, GEORGIA: I just clench my fists and I take a deep breath and I say, I can do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Finals, the Scripps spelling be is upon us and just nine spellers remain. How they're keeping their cool? We'll bring you their

story, ahead.

Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World."

An extremely tense truce between the U.S. and Iran appears on the verge of collapse, following an exchange of strikes and what CENTCOM is calling an

egregious ceasefire violation.

The Pentagon confirms that Iran fired a ballistic missile toward Kuwait overnight, which was intercepted. It comes after the U.S. as it carried out

strikes on southern Iran in a move one official described as defensive.

Meanwhile, as Israel intensifies its strikes in Lebanon on areas occupied - - north of the occupied zone, the IDF says that it carried out its first targeted attacks on Beirut in weeks.

CNN's Matthew Chance joins me now live in London.

Matthew, let's talk about this potential framework of a deal as Iran launches more missile strikes overnight. The U.S. responding describing

them as self-defense responses.

President Trump yesterday claiming that he is in no rush to sign a deal, despite concerns about the impact here on the economy domestically and the

upcoming midterm elections.

What are you hearing from your sources?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, it's - - it's really unclear, isn't it? Because one moment, we're hearing that the deal is off and the negotiations are breaking down. The next, we're hearing

that there's progress behind the scenes in negotiations. So we're still in a pretty unclear state.

But we know that yesterday, Iranian state television broadcast what they said and what they described was a framework for a memorandum of

understanding between the United States and Iran. It had a number of clauses in it that kind of rung true, an end to the U.S. blockade, which

has been enforced since April in which over 100 ships have been stopped from entering the Strait of Hormuz by the United States.

A full opening up of that strategic waterway by the Iranians, over the course of the next month or so on a gradual basis.

And then a sort of managed traffic through the Strait, jointly run by Iran and the Arab Gulf state of Oman across the border. President Trump pushing

back very hard against that, saying that if the Oman is getting involved in that kind of operation, then they may become a target essentially as well.

The White House, by the way, said that that draft memorandum of understanding in Iranian state media was completely false. They -- they

rejected it. And then since then, there have been a further escalation and tensions between the United States and -- and Iran on the military front as

well.

The IRGC, the Iranian Islamic Republican Guard Corps, saying essentially that they carried out attacks on a base in Kuwait in response to earlier

U.S. strikes. There have been two rounds of U.S. strikes over the course of the last three days. The IRGC saying that they hit at what they called the

source of those American strikes.

And so, again, a lot of tension, a lot of questions about where we are in these negotiations as this fragile peace deal or fragile ceasefire really

hangs in the balance, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Matthew Chance reporting live from London. Thank you so much.

[12:05:00]

Oil prices have been volatile today. Right now at last check, they are up as the U.S. and Iran exchange fresh strikes there. Brent Crude, the global

oil benchmark climbed 2.5 percent to more than $96 a barrel early this morning. There you see it up just three-tenths of a percent now hovering

around $94.5 a barrel.

And we are going to check WTI Crude now, also up -- up about a little over one and a half percent at $90. This is as America's emergency oil stockpile

is shrinking fast approaching the lowest levels since the early 1980s.

CNN's Matt Egan joins us now from New York. So, Matt, what does this all mean?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Bianna, we've had not one but two major wars in recent years that have really combined to put a dent in

America's pile of emergency oil, right?

Four years ago, it was the Biden administration aggressively draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, something that candidate Trump, at the time,

really criticized Biden for saying it was something that was being done before those midterm elections. Of course, that was after Russian did to

Ukraine.

Now, the Trump administration is draining the SPR at an even faster pace ahead of these midterm elections because of another war, right? The war

with Iran.

So, in the most recent week alone that we have data for, the Trump administration released almost 10 million barrels from the SPR. That's an

all-time high that exceeds anything that was done during the Biden administration. That lowered the SPR to its smallest amount of crude in

almost two years. And yes, it is quickly approaching those levels that were last seen in the 1980s when the U.S. economy was much smaller and consumed

a lot less energy.

And look, this is exactly what the SPR is there for. It is still the world's largest emergency oil stockpile. It can hold almost actually more

than 700 million barrels of crude.

And presidents of both parties have, in the past, they have deployed this SPR emergency reserve during times of war, during hurricanes. But look, the

fact that it's going down this spring at the fastest pace on record really says a lot about the magnitude of the current problem.

There's estimates that the war in the Middle East, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, that that has derailed more than 1.2 billion barrels of

crude in just the spent of a few months in context, 1.2 billion barrels of crude. That's enough to meet world demand for 12 days. But that's what's

been lost since the war started.

And some of that crude is going to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast to make the gasoline diesel jet fuel that really powers the U.S. economy. But

a lot of that crude is also getting exported overseas.

Estimates from Kpler show that about half of the SPR crude that's been released since the war started, it's actually been exported to Europe, to

Asia, to Africa, to other places that have really been hit hard by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

And look, this is why we have the SPR. If it weren't for these releases, energy prices would be even higher here. But we've got to remember, this is

not a bottomless pit. There are limits here. And what you take out now has got to be replaced. Otherwise, you're going to be left with an even smaller

rainy day fund when the next crisis inevitably hits.

Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: Right. And important to note, the SPRs weren't filled to capacity when this war began as well, which raised a lot of questions at

the time.

Matt Egan, thank you.

EGAN: Thanks, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Well, Ukraine and Sweden are strengthening ties amid Russia's ongoing war. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his

country will buy 20 new Gripen fighter jets. This is as Sweden plans to donate 16 older models next year.

Now, Ukraine's Air Force has a mixture of Soviet-made and Western aircraft, though the Gripen jet is seen as a cost-efficient alternative.

Meantime, the E.U.'s foreign policy chief says that while it appears Russia is not looking for peace, it is still important for both nations to talk to

each other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAJA KALLAS, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION: As the latest strikes on Kyiv have shown, Russia still shows no genuine interest in

peace, which was also the clear view of the ministers today.

Moscow's direct threat to kill foreign diplomats in Kyiv is a public announcement of a war crime.

You know, who could be mediator? I think it is very important that we push Ukraine and Russia to talk to each other, because there are so many issues

where only they can decide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Let's discuss all of this with my next guest, Leslie Vinjamuri, who serves as the President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global

Affairs. Leslie, it's good to see you. Welcome to the program.

[12:10:00]

So, I guess the core paradox --

LESLIE VINJAMURI, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHICAGO COUNCIL ON GLOBAL AFFAIRS: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: -- right now is that Russia is described as both weakening on the battlefield and increasingly dangerous beyond it, given some of the

strikes and its most intense strikes, including the Oreshkin (ph) ballistic missile that -- that was launched over the weekend, the hypersonic missile.

Kremlin is also losing about 35,000 troops a month and faces potentially a choice of more mobilization or continued escalation like we've seen against

civilians.

What do you think we're more likely to see as they continue to suffer setbacks on the battlefield?

VINJAMURI: Well, I think wanting to project success, we've seen that Putin is becoming marginally less popular, that there is concern. And so I think

trying to project success -- success domestically, while dealing with this problem of -- of not enough people we're seeing kind of calling up of

reserves.

But I think the real question that many of us here in the U.S. are watching is, you know, how is President Trump going to manage the situation, if at

all, and how are European leaders responding to the moment? And we're all very focused on the Ankara Summit that will take place in July.

And, you know, the headline news, as you know, is that President Trump is sort of oscillating, prevaricating changing his mind on the question of

where U.S. forces are positioned in Europe.

Those signals couldn't be more unpredictable, changing. And all of this is taking place in a context where it feels like the momentum should be on

Ukraine's side if only Europe and the United States could kind of collaborate effectively to really take advantage of this moment.

GOLODRYGA: Well, we are seeing a U.K.-Poland packed and the Baltic build up with war games there. And that does appear to be hedging against Washington

as much as it is for Moscow as well.

Can you just give us your assessment of how effective you think that more alliances like this and more spending by Europeans, assuming that the

United States is going to play a backseat role here, how much of an effective deterrent do you think that will be for Russia going forward?

VINJAMURI: Well, you know, first of all, I think it's absolutely necessary. Europe -- Europeans, individually and collectively, have watched America's

direction of travel since Donald Trump's first term. They've certainly felt it in a -- an entirely new way over the last year and several months.

So that pressure to spend more no longer -- is no longer necessary. I think Europeans themselves understand that spending more demonstrating

capabilities.

But to your point, building those bilateral deals, those partnerships, to really bring Europe together, they're doing it -- trying to do it

collectively. They're trying to do it bilaterally.

There is a question, right, about timeframe and the urgency, the ongoing urgency of this moment. There's no doubt that the United States is still

needed, that it's critical that America and Europeans work together. We all know that Europe needs those strategic enablers, that the United States

provides logistics, intelligence.

But in the medium term, you know, Europe is looking at this as it's not only about this current moment, but it is about signaling, demonstrating to

the United States to Vladimir Putin to Ukraine, but also preparing for the medium and short-term.

So I think we have to look at this as a -- as a, you know, direction of travel that can't meet the urgent needs of the moment, but that is

absolutely essential because it's very unclear what happens next, either in the United States or -- or in Russia.

GOLODRYGA: And we do know that President Trump publicly, many times, has described NATO as a paper tiger and says that that's what Vladimir Putin

told him directly as well.

And a lot of these Eastern European countries, the Baltic nations in particular, are increasingly concerned that as Russia continues to see its

losses there in Ukraine, it will set its sights elsewhere, perhaps to even some of those nations for continued strikes.

And you have President Zelenskyy, who is desperately urging the United States to provide more air defenses just as our missile protection systems

and munitions in general are being drawn down from the war in Iran.

So in the question of who has more time on their side right now, I know that Russia is on the back foot on the battlefield, but in terms of the

calendar, this can't be a great situation for Ukraine much longer either.

[12:15:10]

VINJAMURI: Of course it's not. Absolutely. And -- and, you know, the question of who's sort of got the upper hand is at some level today is a

little bit irrelevant for what comes next. It's all about the preparations and having that support.

And it's also not in the U.S. interest to get into a position where, you know, one might fear that the Baltics that their security is at risk.

And when you have a president that is sort of playing fast and loose with America's troop commitments, in Poland, we've seen the back and forth, the

question mark about Germany and elsewhere, it sends a signal that the -- that the alliance is not effective, that it's not credible, that the

capabilities are uncertain and it creates a huge opening undoubtedly.

I mean, the, you know, the one positive story I think we all understand is that Europe has stepped up. Ukraine is clearly innovated in rather

significant transformative ways.

But there is both, you know, there's an urgent question, there's a medium question and there's a longer term question.

I tend to think that the critical path right now is for Europe to invest in those capabilities but also play a longer term game trying to keep the

United States engaged with those critical enablers and get through to the next phase because there's really very little alternative.

But for the -- for the Baltics, you know, the question about Baltic security is front and center. It has been a question for a very long time,

even before President Trump, whether the United States would take the security of those nations very seriously if push came to shove, regardless

of, you know, a consistent message previously that it would.

And so Europe investing in its own defense and security in its own -- in its collective capabilities and -- and demonstrated willingness and ability

to work together, couldn't be more critical.

And -- and Europeans know this. But the pressures are multiple coming from -- from all fronts, as we know.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And in addition to military hardware that the United States had been providing to Europeans to give to Ukraine. Another asset from the

U.S. has always been intelligent sharing and that is something, at this point at least, that the Europeans cannot replicate. So the hope is that

that continues as well.

Leslie Vinjamuri, thank you. It's always good to see you. Thanks so much.

VINJAMURI: Thank you. Thanks so much.

GOLODRYGA: And still to come on "One World," violent clashes between ICE agents and protesters continue amid reported inhumane conditions at a U.S.

immigration facility. We'll bring you details, just ahead.

Also, details on a scam out of California. My mother says she was swindled by crooks who she says used A.I. to mimic her daughter's voice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH DEL MAESTRO, A.I. EXTORTION SCAM VICTIM: My daughter's voice said back to me, I'm so sorry, mom. I love you. I mean, it was my daughter's

voice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:20:55]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back. Get back. Get back.

(SIRENS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Tensions flaring outside of federal immigration detention facility in New Jersey as ICE agents, wielding batons clashed violently

with protesters on Wednesday.

Demonstrations began nearly a week ago after some detainees went on a reported hunger and labor strike over what they say are inhumane conditions

at Delaney Hall.

Democratic lawmakers also visited Delaney earlier, reporting those inside were denied medical care and given spoiled food with worms or mold.

CNN is suing Perplexity, accusing the A.I. company of unlawfully copying and distributing the network's content. It's the latest in a list of other

legal actions taken by publishers like "The New York Times" against generative startups, but it's the very first A.I. copyright action taken by

a television network.

Let's bring in CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter. So as noted here, this is the first for CNN in terms of these types of lawsuits. What is CNN

arguing, Brian?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Right. We've been seeing media companies like "The New York Times," "The Wall Street Journal," and others

take a two-track approach to dealing with this revolution of artificial intelligence, especially these generative A.I. chatbots and other tools

that provide news, provide answers, but don't always indicate where that information is coming from.

We've seen news outlets on the one hand take legal action, suing the likes of OpenAI and Perplexity.

On the other hand, we've seen news outlets reach content licensing deals, striking partnerships where they're getting compensated for providing that

raw material. Those news headlines and other details that are getting fed into the chatbots.

So in this case, CNN says it tried to strike a deal with Perplexity, tried to negotiate a pact that would be mutually beneficial. And because the two

parties could not agree on terms, now this is one of those follow-ups.

This lawsuit filed today in New York. It is the latest in a string of these suits. I count more than 20 that have been filed by various news providers,

not just in the U.S., but also all around the world.

So we're really seeing a two-track approach here. Lawsuits on the one hand, deals, content licensing deals on the other. You might describe it as a

version of a carrot-and-stick approach. In this case, CNN using the stick and saying that Perplexity is guilty of massive copyright infringement.

Now, we've received a four-word statement in response from Perplexity. The four words are, facts cannot be copyrighted. That's the response from the

company.

I would argue that this legal case, this lawsuit, is about a lot more than just whether a fact can be copyrighted. It's about whether CNN's archives,

all the raw material on the website, whether all of that is valuable, and whether it's being ripped off by these platforms, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Brian Stelter, you'll stay on top of this for us. Thank you.

Now to a bizarre story out of California, where a mother says she was scammed out of thousands of dollars by crooks who used A.I. to mimic her

daughter's voice.

Deborah Del Mastro says that the incident began with a phone call from a stranger who claimed that her 37-year-old daughter had been kidnapped by a

Mexican drug cartel. The scammer demanded money and then played a terrifying call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MASTRO: It sounded just like her. Later on, this would last it for five and a half hours.

So after that, you know, it got to be about maybe three and a half, four hours. And they were going to allow me to talk to my daughter again.

And they told me exactly what to say in which was, this nightmare is almost over. We're going to come get you as soon as possible. So they put her on

and I said exactly that. And my daughter's voice said back to me, I'm so sorry, Mom. I love you.

I mean, it was my daughter's voice. It was my daughter's voice. It's just - - it was terrifying the entire time. Absolutely terrifying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Awful. Well, the woman paid up and eventually called her daughter only to discover that she was safe and at work. Experts suggest

using a special code word with close relatives to avoid such cases in the future.

[12:25:08]

All right. Coming up for us, feeling the pressure militarily and economically. The U.S. Treasury sanctions Iran's new authority aimed at

managing the Strait of Hormuz.

And a new study has revealed that films are four times more likely to star a talking animal than a woman over the age of 60. But what male name

outnumbers them? We'll tell you, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.

A devastating fire at a girl's boarding school in Kenya has left 16 students dead and dozens more injured. Authorities say the blaze tore

through a dormitory earlier today and burned for more than two hours. The country's education minister says the cause of the fire is under

investigation. School fires are a recurring problem in Kenya with more than 100 reported in 2024 alone.

Well, there is cautious optimism today in Laos, where five men trapped inside a flooded cave could be brought out by rescue teams in the coming

hours.

For more than a week, the men have huddled together inside the cave under dire conditions, wondering if anyone would ever find them. Here's the

emotional moment when they were finally spotted by rescuers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): There are people here to help now. The important thing is that you're alive. It's OK. It's OK. You've

done really well. Don't cry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, OK. My name is Ing. Don't worry, mom. The rescue team has reached us now. We're safe. I miss mom and dad so much. We will

probably get out tomorrow or the day after.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Divers are now preparing for what's expected to be a complex and dangerous extraction operation to get the men out of the cave.

CNN's Will Ripley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[12:30:01]

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the moment rescuers found five villagers alive, trapped for a week in a

flooded cave in Central Laos.

The men say, they're not sick, just weak, exhausted, and desperately hungry.

Officials say they entered the cave a week ago, searching for gold. Heavy rain and flash flooding sealed the exit behind them.

Seven days later, their first taste of fresh water, and soon food and first aid, but the danger is far from over.

Some of the same elite cave divers who helped rescue a soccer team in Thailand in 2018 are back working on this rescue, including Finnish Diver

Mikko Paasi. He's helping lead the search and rescue operation, crawling through claustrophobic caverns full of muddy water. He says getting the

survivors out alive will be extremely difficult and extremely dangerous.

MIKKO PAASI, TECHNICAL DIVER: It's extremely small, tight complex of tunnels. The dive spots in this mine are so tight that you need to exhale

to wiggle through.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Some tunnels are just 23 inches wide, forcing divers to crawl sideways, flat on their stomachs.

They leave the cave covered in mud, exhausted from searching around the clock, all during monsoon season in this mountainous jungle region near

Long Tieng, once home to a secret CIA base during the Vietnam War. Flash floods can happen in minutes.

Teams are pumping fresh air underground, working to drain the rising water, and even establishing an internet signal deep inside the cave.

Using radar technology to scan narrow underground passages. Rescuers in Laos are hoping for another survival story, like that Thai soccer team

about eight years ago.

They spent more than two weeks underground and all made it out alive. But conditions this time may be even more treacherous, rising water, tight

tunnels, and zero visibility, putting rescuers and survivors in danger.

RIPLEY: What rescuers still don't know is exactly how stable conditions are deeper inside the cave system. Divers say even small changes in rainfall

could quickly raise the water level again during monsoon season.

And unlike the Thai cave rescue in 2018, this is an old hand-dug mining tunnel with concerns about unstable passages, contaminated air, and the

risk of collapse.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: The U.S. is expanding its growing list of sanctions, adding the new body Iran has created to manage the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Treasury

accuses the Persian Gulf Strait Authority of attempting to monetize terror through extortion.

President Trump is also insisting that Iran will get no sanctions relief if it gives up its enriched -- it will get some sanctions relief if it gives

up its enriched uranium.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, we're not talking about any easing of sanctions or giving money. No sanctions, no money, no

nothing. We have control of money that they claim is theirs. We'll keep control of that money.

When they behave properly and when they do what's right, we'll let them have their money. But right now, we're not doing that. And it's that one

thing is not contingent on the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Iran estimates that the removal of sanctions on oil sales alone could generate nearly $10 billion in revenue in just 60 days, according to

an Iranian news agency.

Time now for The Exchange. And joining me from Washington is Miad Maleki, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former

senior U.S. Treasury official. Miad, it's good to have you on.

There is talk now about a potential deal in MOU. That's soon to be agreed to perhaps by both sides, but we've been here before. And in the meantime,

we've continued to see escalatory strikes from both sides as well.

The blockade, not sanctions, as we know, is actually what's choking Iran off at this point if a narrow deal over the Strait of Hormuz includes

reopening of shipping.

Does that not benefit Iran more than the U.S. would get ultimately, especially since the U.S. is just viewing this as part one of two parts of

a deal?

MIAD MALEKI, SENIOR FELLOW, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Thanks for having me. And that's -- I couldn't agree more. I mean, that's -- you

know, when you look at the details of this memorandum of agreement, it's really agreeing to negotiate over the most critical aspects of the problems

that the U.S. and the West has with Iran.

[12:35:59]

So at this point, we're lifting our most important and most effective leverage that we have with Iran, the -- the blockade. And -- and, you know

-- you know, I said this before, the closure of Strait of Hormuz targeted Iran's own economy more than any other countries in the region and around

the globe.

So they also need the closure of Strait of Hormuz to come to an end. They're not being -- they're not able to import. They're not able to

export. They're having a dire economy. And, you know, there's a set of economies extremely chaotic right now domestically.

And as the internet has slowly come back on, it -- we're seeing a much better picture of how -- how bad their state of economy is.

So by lifting the blockade and then agreeing to negotiate over the most critical and tricky aspects of our problems with Iran with this regime,

we're probably giving them a chance to go back to their playbook of dragging their feet, waiting out administrations, waiting out media

attention to this issue, and then just engaging us in a long-term kind of set of negotiations.

And it's very clear that it's also very difficult for them to come to a decision on this very important issues.

GOLODRYGA: Miad, it was about six weeks ago that you told me Iran was two weeks away from being able to store its oil with permanent damage to

extraction and inability to pay salaries without selling petroleum, petrochemicals and metals, et cetera. That window has passed long now and

Iran is still fighting. It's still firing missiles.

So looking back, did you underestimate Iran? Is it the shadow fleet? Is it the offshore storage or perhaps it's just the regime's tolerance to pain?

MALEKI: No, it's a mix of both. Now, the tolerance to pain and also the way that the blockade has been enforced.

Listen, in a case of a real blockade, you know, when the blockade was announced, a blockade similar to what we had in Venezuela, when you have no

ships go in, no ships come out, meaning the oil is not being loaded on tankers and there's no -- there are no tankers that are leaving.

In that case, Iran, you know, the key -- the key here is after threatening the -- the international community for 47 years they are going to close the

Strait of Hormuz, they didn't think about that they need to think about their own storage capacity or storage capacity.

So they only have 13 days of oil storage capacity. You know, tankers, you can't really call a tanker in the storage. It's costly. You have to have

crew on the ship. You have to run your systems. You have to refuel.

But what happened with this blockade, the way that it was positioned outside the Strait of Hormuz, they kept buying themselves time with this

empty tankers that they found and it started loading.

Some empty tankers ended up actually crossing the blockade and getting into international -- to Persian Gulf waters from the international waters.

So -- so they actually started buying time. But then right now where we are, we see clear reports of they have significantly dropped their oil

extraction already.

Now, the oil industry and oil sector is very well controlled by the regime. It's fully controlled by the regime. So, it's difficult to get an -- an

actual accurate numbers of how many, you know, oil wells that might have shut in already where it really stands as far as extraction level.

I've seen numbers around 500 to 700 thousand barrels of oil -- oil, daily extraction of oil that they have to -- they had to drop. So that's --

that's pretty significant.

And the -- the domestic refining capacity has also dropped because of their strikes. So, there -- I also see reports that Kharg Island storage has been

already full. You saw the security of Treasury coming out today and confirming that Kharg Island apparently, the -- the storage has reached the

full capacity there.

But -- but that's more of a longer term issue they're going to have to deal with. The -- the -- the real problem they're going to have is the gasoline

shortage. And also that -- that really the foreign currency market domestic -- domestically that they're going to run out of foreign currency in the

market.

So it is -- they're sitting on an economic thinking bomb. And -- and that's probably why they agreed to actually negotiate with the same countries that

killed layers and layers of their political leaders.

GOLODRYGA: So given all of those constraints that Iran is facing, does -- and we don't know the full details of what a potential MOU would look like,

but from what we know thus far, would this help Iran? Would this provide them more of a lifeline if the president does agree to it?

MALEKI: Absolutely. I mean, if the blockade is lifted and they quickly go back to open up the Strait of Hormuz, which I think they will have to open

up the Strait of Hormuz.

If -- even if we -- we don't have a deal, as soon as we lift the blockade, I think they're going to have to open up to the Strait of Hormuz, because

it's not about the U.S. and Israel. They need to reestablish their diplomatic relationship with their Gulf partners. They need to reestablish

their relationship with South Koreans, with Indians -- with Indians, with - - with the Chinese.

[12:40:15]

And they're going to have to open up the Strait of Hormuz for the sake of their own economy. But, yes, if there's no blockade, they can get oil out,

they can get catalysts that they need for metals production, petrochemical production, gasoline production, if they can go back to importing the

critical goods that they need, yes, it's going to give regime more time.

As I said, to go back to their old -- old and common playbook of really dragging us into negotiations that could -- could go on for a while.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, but a new level of leverage that they've learned that they have is control over the Strait of Hormuz, which was always a hypothetical

before this war three months ago. And now it's proven to be a reality and something that they continue to -- to hold over the United States and the

rest of the world, in essence.

Miad Maleki, thank you so much. Good to see you. Appreciate the time.

MALEKI: Bye.

GOLODRYGA: Well, the Israeli prime minister says that he has directed the military to take over 70 percent of Gaza, well beyond the terms of the

October ceasefire deal. It's a move that will force even more of Gaza's two million Palestinians into a never shrinking area of land.

During a conference, Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF is tightening its grip on Hamas and now controls 60 percent of the territory.

When someone in the audience shouted that Israel should take 100 percent of the land, Netanyahu responded, "First, 70 percent. We'll start with that."

We'll take a quick break and come back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's go check on how the U.S. markets are doing. Green arrows are up across the board. The Dow, up ever so slightly. The

NASDAQ up nearly one percent recorded of a percentage point. The S&P 500 also up a little over half a percentage point. This is your business

breakout.

New inflation data shows Americans are feeling the impact of the Iran war and rising energy costs. The U.S. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation

measure climbed to 3.8 percent in April. That is the highest level in nearly three years.

Australia is suing 3M for more than $1.4 billion over alleged contaminant caused by firefighting phones supplied by the U.S. company. The foam was

used at 28 defense bases across the country. The government claims chemicals and it caused widespread environmental damage and necessitating a

costly cleanup.

[12:45:08]

BTS Army has some new merch to hunt down earlier than expected. The K-pop superstars have paired with Oreo for cookies that are scheduled to go on

sale on June 8th. However, in a statement to CNN, Oreo says some stores brought out the limited edition cookies earlier than they were supposed to.

Oops.

Well, it is a tough job market for software engineers hopeful -- software engineering hopefuls, as the rise of artificial intelligence is rapidly

changing the scene and interview process.

Here to explain is CNN business tech editor Lisa Eadicicco. So, Lisa, just talk about some of the concerns here as graduates have been long pursuing

degrees in engineering.

LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: Yes. I think the first thing to really understand is how A.I. is actually changing this job. So A.I. has

gotten a lot better at writing code, but also helping engineers with bigger tasks and stringing together tasks so that it can kind of act almost like

an assistant or an intern and engineers can delegate tasks to their A.I. assistants.

And that has changed the way people work. They're not spending as much time actually writing individual lines of code. And I think this is interesting

to keep an eye on because A.I. has been -- software engineering has been one of the industries that A.I. has been most widely adopted in so far. So,

I think some of the challenges here could be important to pay attention to as A.I. usage spreads to other fields.

But the problem with software engineering job interviews right now is that the interview process hasn't really evolved to keep up with what the job is

actually like.

A lot of these tests that are given during the interview process are technical tests that really just assess your raw coding capabilities.

They're kind of like an easy way to think about it is like the SATs, but for coding. It's highly technical, timed, standardized tests.

And in most cases, engineers that are applying for jobs probably weren't doing that kind of work in their role recently. So it could be hard for

them to prepare.

And on top of just the nature of the work being different, a lot of companies have had shifting perspectives around A.I. and shifting needs

because of the way A.I. might be changing their business.

For example, some companies didn't told engineers not to use A.I. at all in the beginning because they didn't want them to cheat. Some companies have

changed the requirements that they need on the job.

One expert I spoke to who works in a career placement for software engineers said it's kind of like a moving target. Things are changing from

week to week, month to month. And that can make it difficult for engineers to prepare and for companies to find the talent that they need.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Lisa Eadicicco, really good points. Thank you.

Well, if you're an actor named Chris, you have a much better chance of getting a leading film role than if you are a woman over the age of 60. It

is a strange statistic, but it underscores how difficult it is for women of a certain age to get major parts.

The analysis was done by Age Without Limits, looking at the top films in the U.K. from 2023 to 2025.

CNN's supervising producer Ivana Scatola has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVANA SCATOLA, CNN SUPERVISING PRODUCER: Chris Pratt, Chris Pine, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans. Apparently Chris has its own movie genre now.

That's because a lead actor named Chris showed up more times than a female lead over 60 in the U.K.'s 100 highest grossing films in 2023, 2024, and

2025.

The analysis from anti-ageism campaign, Age Without Limits, also found that successful films were four times more likely to have a talking animal as

the lead character than a female actor over 60.

Six of the top grossing films featured an actor named Chris, while just five starred a woman over 60. Jennifer Saunders in "Allelujah." Nia

Vardalos in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding III." Diane Keaton in "Book Club" The Next Chapter," Demi Moore in "The Substance," and Jamie Lee Curtis in

"Freakier Friday."

Oscar winner Emma Thompson backed the campaign, saying in a statement, "Women are half the population and we get older. So where are the stories

about us?"

In a survey of four -- people in the U.K., one in three said there weren't enough films featuring a female lead over the age of 60. Only one in 30

felt that there were too many.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come on "One World," we'll meet some of the young contestants who've been sharpening their skills and vying for the

title at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:09]

GOLODRYGA: The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey are launching an investigation into World Cup ticket pricing just two weeks before the

competition gets underway.

They're demanding documents from tournament organizer, FIFA, about pricing practices at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium where many of the games will be

played, including the final.

New Jersey A.G. Jennifer Davenport says that, "FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and

impossibly high prices."

The probe will investigate among other things whether fans may have been misled over the location of purchased seats. FIFA did not immediately

respond to CNN's request for a comment.

And the world famous annual competition that requires speed, smarts and nerves of steel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes a deep breath. Yes, there you go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: It's amazing kids. The Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals are tonight with some of the most gifted young spellers in the country who are

putting it all on the line to become champ.

Coy Wire takes a closer look at the high stakes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: The Scripps National Spelling Bee, Bianna, the only sporting event where a single vow can end your season.

It started with 247 competitors on Tuesday. It's now down to just nine finalists looking to win it all. Smart, of course. These kids can spell

words that most adults think are prescription medications.

Having spent some time with contestants in the semi-final yesterday, I quickly learned that they do not possess some sort of special talent or

gift. Every one of them told me they made it this far because of hard work, discipline and sacrifice. Some of them spend 10 hours each day on the

weekend studying.

Now, some of these kids have coaches to prepare for this. It's like their Super Bowl.

And ahead of the finals tonight where nine kids will go letter to letter, I asked them, how do you keep so calm under the bright lights when everyone

is watching?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DHARAVANE: I think about how much work I did and how many words I know now. And I just clench my fists and I take a deep breath and I say, I can do

this.

AVISHKA DUDALA, FINALIST, AGE 132, DALLAS, TEXAS: I'm actually not that calm. I'm really nervous and I'm really scared. But once I hear the word

and I feel like, OK, I know it. And then when I hear them say, that's correct, then I'm calm.

KUSHI GOTTIMUKKALA, FINALIST, AGE 13, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: It's really nerve-wracking knowing that there's a lot of cameras watching you

and a lot of people watching you.

But it's also really fun and exciting because being here itself is like a huge achievement.

WIRE: I love that. When the light shine bright, you shine brighter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: All right. Tonight, kids are going to politely destroy each other with vocabulary for the $50,000 cash prize.

Look out for Sarv Dharavane, 12-year-old from Dunwoody, Georgia took third last year. And Logan Bailey, 12 years old from Houston, the only first-time

finalist and first-time may be the charm. There had been more champions crowned in their first appearance than repeat finalists all-time.

Bianna, these kids are unreal, spelling words that make autocorrect crack. Good luck to all the finalists tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[12:55:07]

GOLODRYGA: We'll be watching and rooting for them all. Our thanks to Coy Wire for that.

And that does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END