Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

Trump Says Deal With Iran Could Come Soon, Iran Disputes Claim; TSA Workers Start Receiving Back Pay After Weeks Without Pay; Israel Suspends Battalion Involved in Assaulting CNN Crew. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired March 30, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, back pay payday. Some TSA agents are starting to see part of their much overdue income this morning, but it's still not clear when they'll get all of what they're owed.

Plus, $7 per gallon of gas? Analysts say that could be a reality if the war with Iran continues into the summer. We're going to speak to a mother of six about how current prices are already putting a strain on her family's budget.

And incredible story of survival. For the first time, we're hearing from the flight attendant who was ejected in that deadly Air Canada crash at LaGuardia, and her recovery just ahead.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Also happening now, President Trump's new threats to Iran. If a deal isn't reached, he says the U.S. will, quote, completely obliterate the country's energy sources.

Plus, papal condemnation, Pope Leo marking the beginning of Holy Week with a very strong message to, quote, those who wage war in the name of God.

And March Madness living up to the hype, the buzzer beater that sent a one-seed home. You're going to hear from the player who made the last- second shot.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

We begin with the breaking news. President Trump says Iran is coming around to U.S. demands, and a deal to end the war could happen soon. Posting on social media just a short time ago, President Trump said in part, and I'm quoting him now, if for any reason the deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately open for business, we will conclude our lovely stay in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their electric-generating plants, oil wells in Kharg Island, and possibly all desalinization plants which we have purposely not yet touched. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this morning addressed the president's comments about dealing with new elements within Iran's government. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: There's some fractures going on there internally. And at the end of the day, I think that if there are people in Iran who now, given everything that's happened, are willing to move in a different direction for their country, that would be great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Iran is disputing the president's claims of progress. It's calling the list of U.S. demands, and I'm quoting now, largely excessive and unrealistic.

Let's go live right now to our White House Correspondent Alayna Treene. Alayna, explain why there's so much daylight right now between the two sides.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of this too, I think, Wolf, and we're -- I think on both sides really, is what they're trying to project publicly in these comments, the president trying to sound optimistic about diplomatic negotiations even as we're hearing from Tehran that the 15-point list that we know was delivered from the United States to the Iranians via Pakistan, which is a key intermediary in these discussions. Iran giving a very different picture of this, saying that essentially they reject that plan outright.

Now, I will say, we have heard from some of the intermediaries. I'd remind you that Pakistan, the Egyptians, the Turkish, they met this weekend, said they had very productive talks, and Pakistan came out saying they hope that they could have a meeting in person in the coming days which would really be a huge step toward diplomatic negotiations.

But a key question, of course, is, is that even viable? And they have to figure out on the front end, the Trump administration as well as the Iranians, if they can come to an agreement of terms to head into potential talks.

So, while we wait to see if diplomacy is possible, as you shared from the president this morning, he also reiterated this on Air Force One last night, he believes that diplomacy is an option. And I know from my conversations, Wolf, with people at the White House that that is sincerely what he is prioritizing. He is hoping that diplomacy can happen.

However, what we're also told, and we know from our conversations with sources who have looked at these draft plans that the military has worked on, if diplomacy fails, they want to find a solution, a military solution, that would end this war swiftly and decisively.

[10:05:09]

But I should note, all of the plans that would do that, that would end the war as quickly as the president wants and in the timeline he has set out, would likely require ground troops, and that has been a hard line so far that many people have not been willing to acknowledge they are willing to go.

BLITZER: Good point. In a separate interview with the Financial Times, President Trump also raised the possibility of taking Iran's oil. What can you tell us about that?

TREENE: Yes. I want to read for you the exact quote he used and then I'll get into -- you know, break this down for you. So, the president told the Financial Times, quote, to be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the U.S. say, why are you doing that? But they're stupid people. He went on to say, maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options. It would also mean we had to be there in Kharg Island, he's referencing, for a while.

A couple things to note here, one, with the oil, it's very much unclear at this point how we actually would be able to do that, this idea of taking the oil. I know in the past, the president has talked about wanting to do with Iran what they did in Venezuela back earlier this year. But, of course, Venezuela was a completely different country, a completely different set of leadership and definitely different when it comes to the different military operations we are seeing play out at this moment. So, a lot of questions there, ones I'm expecting the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, to address in her briefing later today.

But I also think notable is what he said about Kharg Island. We have been reporting for weeks now that Kharg Island has been a key target of this administration. But, again, like the other options that they are considering, if it were to be successful, it would likely require ground troops. That's what all of our sources tell us.

And so questions there, and also if he were to move forward with that, exactly how long that would be. Many questions as we look forward to that briefing later today. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. We'll look forward to it ourselves.

All right, Alayna Treene, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, Wolf. Happening now on the domestic front, some TSA workers are seeing their first paychecks in five weeks. The payments will help ease the financial hardships, many of them have been wrestling with.

And today lines appear shorter at many airports, but it is not clear when the TSA lines will get back to normal. 500 agents have quit since receiving their last partial paycheck last month. And on Friday, President Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to resume paying the workers, but Congress has been deadlocked over long-term funding. CNN's Ryan Young is at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, and we also have Ed Lavandera, who is at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Ed, so over the past week, I mean, it's been some of the worst lines we've seen at the Houston airport. You've seen wait times of several hours. What are you seeing there this morning?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think passengers will be happy to hear it is a glorious looking scene. We were here all last week. All of this lobby of the Terminal E area was filled with people, and you can see how dramatically different it looks this morning, all the lines much shorter. They still have everything set up as if there could still be lines. That hasn't changed yet. But you can see how much easier it is for people to get to the TSA security lanes. We are told by airport officials that wait times kind of fluctuate between 15 and 30 minutes.

Now, not everything is fully back to normal, we should point out. Still, all of the passengers being run through two terminals, Terminal A and Terminal E, so only two of the areas where there's normally nine are functioning at this point. But as we've been here this morning we do see an increased number of ICE agents working a little bit more closely in some of the lanes in the areas where there -- passengers are loading their belongings onto the conveyor belt to go through the X-ray machines, some of them checking I.D.s as well. We had been told by airport officials that they were going through the training to be able to do that last week.

But just a dramatically different scene where, if you remember here last week, not only was this lobby filled with people, but it would spill out into the parking lot, and it would also go downstairs the floor below us. So, a dramatically different scene here this morning. Pamela?

BROWN: Good to see that improvement.

All right, let's check in with CNN's Ryan Young now to Hartsfield- Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. What are you hearing from travelers there this morning, Ryan?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm going to steal Ed's words, it's glorious so far because we haven't seen long lines at all. Mondays are usually crushed when it comes to business travel, but that's not what we're seeing.

As we walk down, we're really counting the seconds till people get through security. This is the security line at the main checkpoint. This is one of the ones that was hardest hit. The TSA pre-check line, that's under five minutes right now, this right here, under four minutes. So, you can go wherever you want to go at this point.

But we've been talking to TSA agents behind the scene, and some of them have told us they still haven't got their money hitting their paychecks just yet.

[10:10:05]

You can understand the frustration. Watch out here, Rafi (ph). I just want to make sure you don't bump into somebody.

And the whole idea is the impact that's having because the late fees have been hitting them hard. And, in fact, here at this airport, there have been some TSA agents who have said they're close to the eviction point.

So, you understand the frustration there. Passengers also have frustration. They're mad with Congress. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mad at Congress is appropriate.

YOUNG: I like it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's more than appropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And they're on their spring break right now. So, they ain't getting paid for it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got here four hours early, but we were pretty worried that it was going to take a lot longer than that.

YOUNG: What worried you the most?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The TSA lines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They need to get off vacation and get back to work. They need to pass everything and get moving again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes. You understand why people feel that way. Just once again, as you see the line here, one of the things we noticed, not all being manned by TSA agents, there's still ICE agents here. On top of all that, the airport has been working to make sure that when people arrive here, they know exactly where to go, how to get through the security lines, so they don't miss their flights. So far, it's been pretty great.

BROWN: All right, some positive news there out of the airport in Atlanta, as well as in Houston.

YOUNG: Yes.

BROWN: Ryan, thanks so much. Also, thanks to Ed Lavandera. We appreciate it. Wolf?

BLITZER: Good work. Still ahead, soldiers suspended. The Israeli military taking action after our own Jeremy Diamond and his crew were detained in the West Bank. He joins us next.

BROWN: And scathing rebuke. The first American pope issues a blistering warning to those using religion to justify war after comments like these.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.

Let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse, that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:15:00]

BROWN: Well, new this morning, Israel has suspended a military battalion involved in assaulting and detaining a CNN correspondent and crew in the West Bank. Have a look at part of that encounter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The commander comes straight for our camera, and within seconds, a soldier has just put photojournalist Cyril Theophilos in a choke hold, forcing him to the ground.

Don't touch him like that. Don't touch him like that. Give me my phone. Give me my phone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: CNN's Jeremy Diamond is now with us. Jeremy, we want to hear about what action Israel is taking, but, first of all, how are you doing? How is the crew doing and what did you learn during that encounter?

DIAMOND: Yes, thanks for asking, Pamela. Everyone is doing well, thankfully, including my photojournalist, Cyril Theophilos, who's filming this live shot right now. You know, this incident has produced shockwaves across Israel. Our reporting has now led to the Israeli military's chief of staff making the decision to suspend the entire battalion from operational activity, pulling hundreds of these Israeli soldiers from this same battalion from operations in the West Bank, sending them back to base for training. They will only return to service with the approval of the commander of Central Command, who oversees Israel's military occupation of the West Bank.

In addition to that, we've now learned that one of the soldiers who spoke to us in -- during our nearly two-hour detention, who talked about this notion of revenge motivating these soldiers' activity in the West Bank, who talked about trying to help these illegal Israeli settler outposts in the West Bank, he has been dismissed from the Israeli military.

The soldier who assaulted my cameraman, Cyril Theophilos, he has not yet been dismissed from the military. But we do understand, according to an Israeli military spokesperson, that he is being investigated by the Israeli military police over this.

And we also have this comment from Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the Israeli military, who made this decision. He says, quote, weapons are to be used solely for the purpose of carrying out the mission and never for revenge. We will not accept such incidents within the ranks of the IDF.

And while it has obviously been extraordinary to see what is a fairly unprecedented reaction from the Israeli military, both in speed and in scale, it is important to note that a lot of that has to do with who was involved in this incident, and that is us.

As American journalists in this incident, to see this swift reaction from the Israeli military, wherein cases involving Palestinian journalists or in cases involving violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, too often we see investigations that are announced but that do not lead to any consequences.

What we also have yet to see from the Israeli military is any kind of real action to use this moment to address what the Israeli security establishment increasingly sees as a problem, which is the rampant and rising settler violence in the West Bank, which has been surging over the course of the last several weeks during the war with Iran. We are continuing to see attacks by Israeli settlers as recently as today against Palestinians there. Pam?

BROWN: All right. Jeremy Diamond, I'm so glad that you and the crew are doing okay, and there's action that has been taken. We appreciate you coming on to tell us about that.

BLITZER: Yes, I do too. Good work, Jeremy. Thank you very, very much.

I want to continue the conversation on the war with Iran right now. Joining us, Michael Allen, he's the former special assistant to President George W. Bush for national security.

[10:20:05]

Michael, thanks very much for coming.

As we heard, the president says he thinks Iran is getting closer and closer to agreeing to a deal to end the war, but Iran doesn't appear to be on the same page at all. What do you think is behind all this brinksmanship?

MICHAEL ALLEN, FORMER MAJORITY STAFF DIRECTOR, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Based on what we know in the public record, it doesn't really ring true. It doesn't feel like there've been actual substantive negotiations. It feels like that we've swapped sort of a list of maximalist aims, each side. I mean, Iran asking us to abandon all of our bases and get out of the region, and then on our side, asking them to foreswear completely uranium enrichment and numerous other things.

So, maybe there's something we don't quite know about, but it doesn't feel like we're really getting close to an end to this.

BLITZER: You know, it's interesting because President Trump is now threatening to completely obliterate all of Iran's electric plants, its oil wells. In a new Truth Social post, he went even further, if Iran does not make a deal se-soon, he says, he suggested the U.S. may even take Kharg Island, which would mean staying there for a while. That's where Iran's oil basically is located. What would all these moves mean for U.S. troops?

ALLEN: Yes. Well, if we indeed take Kharg Island, I do think we would have a lot of trouble sort of defending ourselves as we tried to hold it for some period of time. The idea, of course, would be that we're taking a hostage, if you will, that we are showing that we can take economic and have economic leverage as well, because they control the Strait of Hormuz. And maybe down the road, if there is negotiations, he envisions a swap. We'll get off of Kharg if you quit threatening tankers through the strait.

But the president's effort, I think, truly ought to be on reopening the strait to get to status quo ante, and that's what we need to double and triple down on as soon as possible so that we can get oil prices down.

BLITZER: Listen to what the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said about the Trump administration's military goals in Iran today after President Trump said he preferred to take, his word, take Iran's oil.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: Fundamentally, what this is about is the destruction of their air force, which has been largely achieved, the destruction of their navy, which has been largely achieved, the destruction of their factories that they make all these weapons with, which is we're well on our way to achieving, and a substantial reduction in the number of missile launchers that they have so that they cannot continue to threaten their neighbors in the future. All of those objectives are being met ahead -- on or ahead of schedule.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: There seems to be some mixed messaging going on. What do you think?

ALLEN: Yes, there definitely is. I think there Secretary Rubio is sticking to the script. He's talking about military degradation. He's talking about regime degradation and weakening over time, whereas I think the president is sort of skipping ahead a chapter or two and trying to get to an endgame.

I don't think it's really in our interest to threaten too many economic targets because our Gulf allies are more vulnerable than we are, if you will, on this particular score. So, I think there's a lot of maneuvering going around, and we can't rule out that the president is saying a lot of these things to kind of jawbone the market, to make the commodities market believe things are in the offing, so maybe that puts a damper on rising prices. BLITZER: And for the first time, President Trump is now threatening to destroy Iranian desalinization plants. He hasn't done that before, but that would be a huge moment.

ALLEN: That'd be a huge moment. It would exacerbate a situation that's already inside of Iran where, as we understand it, Tehran doesn't even have enough water to function normally. So, there's a ton of mismanagement inside of the regime. Ultimately, that's why the people were out on the streets at the end of last year and into January, and I think there's going to be more of that in the future, if not immediately after this campaign.

BLITZER: All right. Michael Allen, thank you very much for coming in. I appreciate it very much.

ALLEN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Pamela?

BROWN: Thanks, Michael, we appreciate it.

And as we were just talking about, coming up, oil prices are surging after President Trump says he wants to take the oil of Iran. Now, new warnings that a recession may be almost inevitable.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:25:00]

BROWN: Happening now, the deepening impact of the war with Iran here at home. This morning, the average price of gas is just under $4 a gallon. That's up a full dollar since the war began. And look at this. The price of oil soared above $116 at one point today, after President Trump said he wants to, quote, take the oil in Iran and could seize Kharg Island. That's near its highest level since the start of the war. And some analysts are concerned that oil could hit $200 a barrel, which would push gas prices toward, get this, $7 a gallon. Wolf?

BLITZER: And joining us now, CNN Business Senior Reporter David Goldman. David, this prediction that gas prices could hit $7 a gallon if the war escalates further, how realistic do you think that is?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, it's realistic if these predictions that the war is going to continue through June come true. Right now, we're almost at $4 a gallon in the United States. But the key thing that we need to remember about this war is that the Strait of Hormuz is the pinch point for about 20 percent of the world's oil. And if that oil doesn't come through, oil will continue to go higher and higher and higher. And that can become a real problem not only for consumers, and certainly it is very painful to fill up at the pump, but also for the broader economy.

[10:30:07]