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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Sr. Iranian Official Tells CNN: Iran Prepared For A Long War; Trump Threatens Iran Over Potential Oil Trade Interruption; U.S. House & Senate So Far Fail to Rein In Trump's War Powers; Iran Targets Gulf Nations to Inflict Economic Pain on U.S.; Qatar Begins Repatriation Flights; Iranian Diaspora Reacts to Appointment of New Supreme Leader. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired March 10, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: How much longer it will last one hand saying the war is very complete and then, quote, "we haven't won enough." What is clear is that strikes are continuing in the Middle East. Social media video shows damage in Bahrain after the Interior Ministry there said an Iranian missile struck a residential building overnight, killing at least one person and injuring eight others. A top Iranian official is signaling that Iran is willing to keep attacking Gulf countries in an effort to persuade them to convince President Trump to step back from the conflict. But the president, who just held his first formal press conference, said the war began, had this message, his first formal press conference since the war began, had this message when speaking to House Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough. We go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this long running danger once and for all. Forty-seven years, it should have been done a long time ago. The world would have been a different place had some president had the courage to go and do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump says he discussed the war during a, quote, "very good call with his Russian counterpart and that Vladimir Putin wants to be helpful. It's important to note that CNN has reported that according to sources, Russia is actually providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of U.S. troops, ships and aircraft. Meantime, a recent poll shows 54 percent of Americans are against military action in Iran. Just 36 percent approve of how the president is dealing with the country. CNN correspondents are tracking developments from across the globe.
Eleni Giokos is in Abu Dhabi with the latest on the war's effect on oil prices. But let's start with Beijing with Mike Valerio and the latest on what is happening right now when it comes to the military activity. Mike?
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Elex, you know we're tracking this story across the west and Yellow Sea from us here in Beijing. This has to do with South Korea. And when we're talking about the number of missiles that the United States and its allies, Israel, et cetera, are using in their fight against Iran this story is potentially one that could have legs over the next couple days. South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung, out with a press conference a couple hours ago saying that he cannot stop U.S. forces in South Korea, USFK for short, from potentially moving missiles from military bases in South Korea to the theater in the Middle East. There are reports from South Korean media outlets crucial that CNN has not confirmed this reporting.
But the president of South Korea is out saying that there is the potential for United States missiles that are used to defend South Korea against North Korea could be moved to the Middle East theater. There's nothing that he can do about that, he just told reporters earlier today. But he did want to assuage any concerns from the South Korean populace that North Korea, any kind of threat, could still be defended against and dealt with.
Now, of course, our team of reporters, among them Gawon Bae in Seoul, also Helen Regan in Hong Kong working on the story. We've reached out to USFK for comment. They are not going to reveal specific details on missile movements. But it's worth noting that Camp Humphreys, which is about a two hour drive south of the heart of Seoul, is the -- is America's largest military base overseas. It hosts Patriot batteries and a THAAD system.
And there has been, of course, the discussion of what is going to happen for resupplying U.S. munitions. And South Korea is certainly one of the locations that has been discussed. So we're watching this in potential movements over the days ahead, Elex.
MICHAELSON: Mike Valerio, thank you for starting us off in Beijing. Let's go to Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi now with a look at what's happening with your money.
Eleni?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and what is happening is a whole lot of whiplash. It feels like we're basically on a roller coaster ride. And it's really interesting that President Trump was, you know, giving the messaging about how long this war will last and he was insinuating it's going to be ending sooner rather than later.
I want to take a look at the Brent crude prices and WTI. So oil has been very much at the center of this energy shock and frankly, economic shock that the whole world will feel. And we had Brent crude prices hitting $120 a barrel yesterday. President Trump coming out and trying to allay fears in terms of the length of this war. Now we've got Brent crude prices that hit just below $90 a barrel hovering around there at this point in time. And it's quite interesting to see, Elex, that President Trump's messaging is really in line with the fundamentals that we're seeing. And it's because of this. It's because of what we're seeing in the Strait of Hormuz.
[01:05:00]
And President Trump saying if Iran does anything to stop the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States 20 times harder than they've been hit thus far. The IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, has come out and said that they are waiting for the U.S. naval ships to escort some of those vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, also saying that they will strike any ship attempting to pass through. The Strait of Hormuz, however, is, of course, majorly disrupted. We've seen some of the live images of the cargo vessels and the tankers waiting on either side of that choke point. But what we are hearing from shippers is that they turning off their satellite systems, their radar systems, so that they can pass through.
But we're talking about a trickle. Here in the meantime, major disruptions across the board on energy infrastructure across the region. We've spoken about Qatar and that LNG plant completely stopping gas production and then also hearing some pulling back on production because storage facilities are completely full. So regardless of what President Trump says, and authorities say the fundamentals are showing one thing. This could be temporary in terms of the overall impact in terms of the war if President Trump sticks to this timeline.
But the effects on the oil price are going to last much longer, and that's eventually --
MICHAELSON: Right.
GIOKOS: -- going to be felt in the oil price.
MICHAELSON: Well, and also, you know, like, I went to fill up my car this weekend with gas and it was a lot more expensive. And I was like, whoa. And I'm sure --
GIOKOS: It is.
MICHAELSON: -- that there's going to be other people that are feeling that, not only here in the United States, but around the world.
GIOKOS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And that's something that's really in people's faces on a daily basis.
GIOKOS: Yes. And it's only been 10 days in, Elex. And this is the thing that even if, you know, the United States says, you know, they're energy efficient and they're able to, you know, supply the market with oil and gas, locally, whatever happens on the international market will be reflected when you go to fill up your tank with gas and it's going to feed through into inflation across the board. And we're talking about, you know, whether you go to the grocery market, a grocery store, whether, you know, what companies are going to be reflecting in their earnings as well. So the hope is that this isn't going to last very long, but the messaging from Iran is like, we're in this for the long term.
And, and they don't want to see anything pass through the Strait of Hormuz, because the one piece of leverage that Iran has is to hit energy markets. So that it's felt --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
GIOKOS: -- across the board.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And that is certainly felt all across the world in certain countries, even more so.
GIOKOS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Eleni Giokos, thank you for being here -- with me here in Los Angeles.
And Middle East expert Lisa Daftari, who is the editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk.
Lisa, welcome to the show for the first time.
LISA DAFTARI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE FOREIGN DESK: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: You are so connected and plugged in with people not only here in Los Angeles, which is the biggest Iranian diaspora of anywhere around the world, but also in Iran. What are people telling you right now? What are you hearing from people in Iran?
DAFTARI: You know, people in Iran, we wouldn't believe it here. They are singing and dancing and praising Donald Trump and Bibi Netanyahu for their rescue mission that they have launched, that coming to their aid and finally giving them a gift that they haven't had for almost five decades. And that's the gift of optimism, the gift of hope, the gift that potentially a new regime, a new life could be right around the corner.
MICHAELSON: Do you think that President Trump and Bibi Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, will see that through?
DAFTARI: That's the plan. Look, I don't think that Donald Trump or Bibi Netanyahu have the personality of having relative wins. They want complete wins. And when you look at the strategic imperative of the United States, if our red line was that this regime could not have nuclear weapons, well, the existence of this regime is to have nuclear weapons. If we don't take care of this now and kick the can down the road every two or three years, we'll have to play whack a mole to, again, set them back from not having deadly weapons.
Deadly weapons that they would in fact use. For 47 years, look at what they have done. From day one, death to America, burning American flags, taking Americans hostage. We're not going to talk about the brutality that they unleashed on the Iranian people. And that is why they have been calling out for Bibi Netanyahu and Trump to rescue them.
So I say listen to the Iranian people right now.
MICHAELSON: President Trump talked about what's going on in Iran and talks about some of those oil supply issues. Here's some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe's oil supply. And if Iran does anything to do that, they'll get hit at a much, much harder level. I will take out those targets that were easy and that I mentioned just before. We'll take them out so quickly, they'll never be able to recover, ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: I mean, he's hit Iran pretty hard already.
DAFTARI: Yes.
[01:10:00]
MICHAELSON: Talk about sort of where Iran goes from here. Because so much of the country has been bombed.
DAFTARI: Right? So much of it has been bombed. But the strategy from the point of view of the White House was not regime change, but regime collapse. To get to the one yard line and then pass the baton to the Iranian people, to then take it from there to determine their own future.
In terms of what we're seeing right now, Donald Trump has left every option on the table. He has established deterrence. He has established the fact that he has other targets that could be hit to escalate this war, and he will, in fact, use those. Look, we're not seeing a situation like Venezuela. I know everyone likes to make that comparison.
The first part of the analogy is wrong because, you know, the taking out of Maduro is not the equivalent to the taking out of Khamenei, right? You have 100 to 200,000 IRGC operatives. They have fortified themselves, you know, both horizontally and vertically. You have many, many operatives that are going to stand in the way of regime change or even regime collapse with the taking out of one single person.
The second way we saw that Venezuela was different was that we saw the vice president step up and say, we will work together with the United States. You're not seeing that from Iran's regime, are you? You're seeing more chest thumping. You're seeing more threats coming from the regime.
MICHAELSON: Well, and it's the son. DAFTARI: The son -- I want to say one thing about the sun that people are actually sidestepping. For years, there was a question of succession. It wasn't automatically going to go to the son of Ali Khamenei. The son is viewed as a loser. He's viewed as a weak, weak person who actually didn't have the potential to step up and become next leader.
But the people in Iran aren't even talking about succession within this regime. They don't see this regime as legitimate anymore. They're not even worried about this because they are envisioning an Iran free of this regime.
MICHAELSON: And so what does that look like? And who leads that?
DAFTARI: Right. So the Iranian people could not have been more clear. In the last decade or more they have come out onto the streets with only one message, regime change. They're not going to compromise with any reforms or any person from this regime, meaning no ayatollah in a suit. That's off the table.
Number two, they want secularism and they want democracy. That means anyone who comes to the table has to have those two things. And three, it has to be outside of this regime. But I've been doing this for a very long time, the majority of people coming out onto the streets have been calling for Prince Reza Pahlavi, who is the exiled son of the late Shah of Iran. They see him as the only viable transitional leader to lead them to free elections in which they could then determine their future.
He is somebody who has met with Donald Trump. He has met with Bibi Netanyahu. He understands Western politics. He understands what is going on in Iran. And he is somebody who will get along with the Persian Gulf, Arab States, with Israel and with the United States. That's in everyone's strategic imperative.
MICHAELSON: And it has been remarkable. We look at some of these images here in Los Angeles. We've seen thousands of people in the streets for years --
DAFTARI: For years.
MICHAELSON: -- talking about him.
DAFTARI: Right.
MICHAELSON: And this has been something that they've wanted. We'll see.
DAFTARI: And he's done the work. Look, for years --
MICHAELSON: If he's -- if he's elevated and if the --
DAFTARI: Right.
MICHAELSON: -- Trump administration with, because they're going to have to help him with that, right? DAFTARI: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: Put him in that position.
DAFTARI: They will have to -- they will have to guide. Look, the Iranian people for years said we don't want any leaders to come from the outside or to be selected from the outside. But in this case, they have now a special trust with the Trump administration, with Bibi Netanyahu, in which they could perhaps guide them to their future. They can't do this alone. But the Iranian people have partnered.
This is the third option. For years, Democrats and Republicans had this wrong. It was either bomb Iran or let Iran get the bomb. The Trump administration partnered with the Iranian people for the third option. We are going to help you, and then you're going to help yourselves.
MICHAELSON: We'll see how long that commitment is.
DAFTARI: Help (inaudible). Right.
MICHAELSON: That's the big question --
DAFTARI: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: -- going forward.
DAFTARI: Look, we have to be patient.
MICHAELSON: And that -- and that has not always been President Trump's thing, staying for a long period of time. So we'll see.
DAFTARI: Winning is his thing. So let's hope and let's support him and let's hope that he does win and America wins.
MICHAELSON: All right, Lisa Daftari, thanks for sharing your views. We appreciate it.
DAFTARI: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Still to come, Israel has said it will not stop its military operations in Lebanon until Hezbollah is fully disarmed. A new report from the northern Israeli border when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:18:35]
MICHAELSON: Israeli airstrikes shook Beirut on Monday. Lebanese state media reported strikes in a neighborhood considered a Hezbollah stronghold, with one targeting a financial institution used by the militant group. Lebanon's Health Ministry says at least 468 people have been killed across the country since March 2. That includes a priest from a Christian village north of the border with Israel. The priest had vowed to keep his church open during the crisis. He was killed by Israeli tank fire. Lebanon's president is calling for direct peace talks with Israel. He rebuked Hezbollah for betraying the country and accused Israel of showing, quote, no respect for the laws of war. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh brings us the latest from the region.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the war fast spills over and twists, here, Hezbollah rockets meet Israeli air defense, the fight thickening on the northern border Sunday night.
WALSH: Been hearing that for about an hour now. Probably airstrikes over there in southern Lebanon.
WALSH (voice-over): Blasts through the dark with daylight, it persisted, joined by Apache attack helicopters throwing defensive flares as Israel said it had overnight led its second targeted raid on the Iranian ally here. Small arms fire close by.
[01:20:10]
Israel has demanded much of southern Lebanon empty out. But there were no open signs they were yet here in number enough for a full invasion. Instead picking off targets. The goal to disarm Hezbollah forever. Not yet in reach, their rockets constant.
WALSH: Right over our head.
WALSH (voice-over): The house where we took cover had 28 alerts last night.
WALSH: How long is it, like about 10 seconds?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it's not immediate. You need to hear them.
WALSH: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The more that I hear the siren that is the moment that you need to be inside shelter.
WALSH: Don't you get tired of this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We get tired. We don't have any choice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's our home.
WALSH (voice-over): Devastated Lebanon, their view here has a feeling of repeat from late 2024 where Israel took on Hezbollah and whole towns evacuated. But now many are staying put. In fact, this shop opened three days before the new conflict began. Owner Ori (ph) saying he's working 250 miles an hour doing mostly home deliveries.
WALSH: But it was a difficult business decision to open a supermarket 200 meters from Hezbollah or not.
WALSH (voice-over): It wasn't an easy decision, he said, but I had no doubt that if other people lived here, I could as well.
Life here trying to act as if nothing is happening, although it surely must if Israel's goals are to be met.
Nick Paton Walsh, Metula, Israel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Just ahead, I'll be joined by my political panel to unpack the biggest headlines from Capitol Hill to Tehran. You see them there, Elisha Krauss, Will Rollins, both standing by, will be with us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:25:38]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're achieving major strides toward completing our military objective and some people could say they're pretty well complete. We're ahead of our initial timeline by a lot. We're very proud to be involved in this and it's going to be ended soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump promising a quick end to the war with Iran while at the same time threatening an escalation of it. He wrote that Iran will be hit 20 times harder if it tries to stop oil from flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the U.S. will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back. And that, quote, "death, fire and fury will rain upon them."
Despite the bombardment Iran has endured, it is still threatening U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz. About 20 percent of the world's oil supply passes through this critical waterway. That remains essentially closed and that has sent oil prices soaring, ramping up the political pressure on President Trump.
Earlier, I spoke live to U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on what his leverage Congress has to stop, what many Democrats and Republicans are calling an illegal war, and what makes President Trump's actions different from other presidents who have launched military actions without congressional approval? Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: This isn't simply a series of military strikes. This is an all-out war against Iran that now involves more than a dozen different countries and the expenditure of billions of dollars, perhaps a day, to drop bombs in the Middle East without a clear objective, a clear strategy or a clear endgame. And so that's the problem. This is the first president, as far as we can tell, to launch this type of military conflict without bothering to try to convince the American people as to why it is all taking place to persuade the American people. It's one of the reasons why we believe that the war is already so deeply unpopular with the American people throughout the country.
MICHAELSON: So is it time to get out now?
JEFFRIES: Well, listen, I think our view as it relates to the resolution that we voted on that I strongly supported that, the overwhelming majority of Democrats supported, along with two Republicans, is that these type of hostilities should cease until there's an actual debate and the president makes his case to the Congress and to the American people and seeks the authorization for the use of military force. There's no justification for it, but that is what the Constitution requires in our view. And that step, of course, has not been taken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Let's get some reaction now from our political panel. Joining me live in the studio, conservative commentator Elisha Krauss and former U.S. federal prosecutor and former Democratic congressional candidate, Will Rollins. Welcome back both of you.
Let's talk about the politics of Iran. Why do you think this is so deeply unpopular with the American people?
[01:29:35]
ELISHA KRAUSS, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: I think that maybe they are uninformed and have a very short-term memory about the viable threat that Iran has placed on Americans and the thousands of American lives that have been taken because of the regime, in addition to just the volatility that they create in the Middle East amongst really decent allies that we have over there.
It is kind of fascinating that we are at this point in history, that we can say that the Qataris and the Saudis and other nations over there that typically haven't been pro-American intervention or involvement or Israeli involvement in places like this are on board with what the president of the United States is currently doing there.
And I think that you know, I'm a millennial. I have friends that fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know many a gold star widow, and I think that there's just -- it's very fresh in a lot of American voters' memories, the very long wars that lasted half of my lifetime.
And I think that some people are afraid that this might be like that, even though I don't think it's going to be.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: What do you think?
WILLIAM ROLLINS, FORMER U.S. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, I think that's right. I think people are afraid of that. And having worked with the FBI on some threats to this country from Iran and from, you know, total agreement in terms of Iran being the largest state sponsor of terrorism on earth. It is a good thing that the ayatollah is no longer in charge but I think most Americans are asking themselves, what next?
And the reason it's unpopular too is because of what's been happening, what's happening with gas prices.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And that affects people's daily lives. And then, you know, the sort of narrative has changed. I mean, do you think that the public relations aspect of this, the explaining of this maybe could have used some work?
KRAUSS: I don't know, and I think that unfortunately, the media hasn't done that great of a job of covering the horrible things. I mean Nikki Haley the other day tweeted about a man that the FBI came to her doorstep a couple of years ago and was like, hey, just, so you know, Iran paid this guy to try to assassinate you anytime, anywhere.
We know that they tried to kill the president of the United States. We can look at whether it's the Austin situation or recently in New York City over the weekend, attempted terror attacks that like Will was saying, I can guarantee you lead back to the pockets of Iran.
October 7th -- it goes on and on. And so I think that maybe it's not just the administration, because sometimes, to their credit, they do try to get this information out there. It's just not being decimated (SIC) by everybody and --
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: Sometimes, though, is it the Democrats who are focusing on the process argument of even the declaration of war which is clearly a serious thing, but then do they sometimes look immune to some of the arguments of how terrible the ayatollah was?
ROLLINS: Well, I think both of these things can be true, right? I mean, I think we are all glad to see the ayatollah gone. I mean, that is a good thing.
But the question is what's next? And when you take the United States to war and when you put people at risk, when you put the lives of our soldiers, our men and women in the armed forces at risk, that deserves a debate.
It is fair to make the case to the American people and their representatives in Congress --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ROLLINS: -- about why we should be taking this step. And look the president has a lot of good arguments, but there are also good arguments to exercise some restraint before you go in and use the full force of the U.S. military.
MICHAELSON: And we have become so tribal and so partisan, there's an interesting post from Peter Baker of "The New York Times". He posted this on X. And it showed just how Americans traditionally have rallied around
presidents when they take the country to war. JFK gained 13 points after the Cuban missile crisis, LBJ 8 points after bombing Hanoi, George H.W. Bush 18 points during the Gulf War. George W. Bush 8 after Saddam captured, Obama 11 after Osama Bin Laden killed. Trump gained zero points after Iran, so far.
We'll see if that changed, but it seems like the way we get information and people being open to even listen to the other side has changed so much in this era as well.
To that point about partisanship, a really interesting development happening here in California. So we know that the Texas Republicans gerrymandered their state to try to hurt the Democrats. And so then the Democrats gerrymandered California to hurt the Republicans.
And one of those that they targeted most of all was Kevin Kiley, who's a Republican congress member who's gone back and forth with Gavin Newsom. Gavin Newsom is not a big fan.
So they turned his congressional district into six different parts to really hurt Kevin Kiley so much so that he doesn't really have a path to potentially win as a Republican. So he decided to leave the Republican Party and run as an Independent.
The thing is, in Congress, you got to pick sides to be on a committee. You got to pick to caucus with the Democrats or the Republicans. He was on with me live last hour. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEVIN KILEY (I-CA): I think there's plenty of opportunities to partner with both sides to address these issues. I think there are more opportunities than meet the eye, but it's sort of the, you know, the endemic partisanship of Washington that prevents them from moving forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So what do you make of this? As a Republican who's liked Kevin Kiley for so long?
KRAUSS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: What do you make of this move?
[01:34:41]
KRAUSS: I think it's really sad. And I think that the bad guy in all of this is actually Gavin Newsom because like you said, he really strategically, unabashedly was like, don't like that guy. Don't like how he's come after me. So I'm going to get him back.
MICHAELSON: Well --
(CROSSTALKING) KRAUSS: I think it's unfortunate.
MICHAELSON: It may have been Paul Mitchell who drew the lines.
KRAUSS: It's unfortunate, but the greatest advocate and fundraiser for it was Gavin Newsom.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Yes.
KRAUSS: But -- and I think it is unfortunate. But listen, we are in a state where there are more, what is it, the unidentified party.
MICHAELSON: No party preference.
KRAUSS: No party preference versus Republicans in this state. So maybe it's not a bad political move.
MICHAELSON: The Republicans have actually caught up a little bit for that.
KRAUSS: Thank God, we're working on it. But like maybe it is a smart move by Kevin Kiley who was gerrymandered into this very unfortunate situation to say, hey, I still want to represent the people of my state. And the best way for me to do this is by changing my party preference.
MICHAELSON: So you've run for congress twice in a district that was very tough --
ROLLINS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- for Democrats. You almost got there. What do you make of this move?
ROLLINS: Well, truth be told, I thought about running as an Independent. But the reality is, and I think Kevin would say the same thing, in our two-party system, it is impossible to get elected. It's impossible to get out of those primaries. It's impossible to fundraise.
So I think most Americans actually hate both parties. And I mean, they do. And I can say that now no longer as a partisan hack, right? But, I mean, most people really do want an alternative.
I don't know that his motive for becoming an Independent is truly driven by that same, you know, desire to have independence but we do need more of them in Congress. And one way we could do that is by expanding the size of the House of Representatives.
MICHAELSON: But it's tough also because in Congress you are forced to choose and you are forced to choose for a Speaker of the House. And Kevin Kiley is not saying what he would do there.
But if you're a voter in his district, isn't that something you kind of have a right to know. ROLLINS: 100 percent. But I really think at the end of the day, if you want to change the way that Congress works and get more truly Independent voices into the house, expand the size which they can do through just legislation, not through constitutional amendment. And if you look at the last time this was done in the early 20th century, every House member was representing about 200,000 people.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ROLLINS: Now they represent 750,000 people. There's a reason we all feel so disconnected from Washington.
MICHAELSON: Although the politics of let's have more politicians is a tough argument to win.
All right. Want to end on something fun. I don't know if you saw the L.A. marathon. Never seen a marathon end like this before.
So let's show you the video. There's this runner from Kenya. He's way ahead. Everybody thinks he's going to win.
And look at this guy, this American that comes from behind out of nowhere. And he wins and the guy falls. I mean this is the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. The closest L.A. marathon finish in history.
This American is a 36-year-old cross-country runner. He was here in our L.A. studio talking to Laura Coates earlier tonight. Here's some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHAN MARTIN, L.A. MARATHON WINNER: Towards the last little bit of the race, especially the last 400 meters, I thought, there's a chance and I have to go for it. And I was giving everything I had. Like I was definitely in a lot of pain.
And there's just something that kind of triggered in me with 100 to go, and I just gave all I had.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: I mean, there's a lot to learn from that guy right?
KRAUSS: I feel like I don't know, Will, will you join me? Unlike the Democrats who wouldn't cheer U-S-A. for the men's hockey team and be like U-S-A. for this right here? Like, this is kind of amazing.
ROLLINS: Oh, yes. Team USA was going to be my first reaction to that. And also just for the poor bastard who got beat at the end, like we've all been there, man.
It reminds me of when I bobbled a pass in the end zone as a freshman in high school football. Got returned for a pick six by the other side. Spent the rest of my career on the bench. But I think this dude is going to have a better -- better return. MICHAELSON: You're still re-living that all these years later.
ROLLINS: Yes.
KRAUSS: I got to say, it's great that it happened. Yay, Team USA. It's the failure, the win, it's like the glory -- everything.
But also how I think that it happened in Los Angeles because you know that some Hollywood writer is already working on this biopic.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Yes. It is a great, great story.
Thank you both. Great to see you.
We'll be back with more of THE STORY IS right after this.
[01:38:51]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Nations across the Persian Gulf are reporting fresh aerial attacks as Iran ramps up its pressure campaign on U.S. allies in the region.
Let's go live now to the Gulf for an update on that fallout.
CNN's Bijan Hosseini is in Doha, Qatar for us once again. Bijan, what are you seeing?
BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Hi, Elex. Well, the short answer is no signs of slowing down. As you mentioned, renewed attacks kind of across the Gulf.
But on the other hand, we're seeing a slow return to normalcy here, almost. Traffic a lot more dense today than it was this time a week ago when I spoke to you. And we're seeing people heading to the office a bit more.
We're also seeing a big ramp up of flights both into and out of Qatar, an indication of maybe things returning to normal.
We actually headed to the airport yesterday and managed to speak to some travelers lucky enough to board some of those flights back to their countries.
Let's take a listen to what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOSSEINI: At Doha's Hamad International Airport, departure boards that sat frozen for more than a week are beginning to move again. The regional conflict forced Qatar to close its airspace after repeated missile and drone attacks.
For most of these travelers, their stay here in Doha wasn't supposed to last this long. A lot of them were just transiting through ten days ago before finding themselves in the middle of an escalating regional crisis.
But now, limited flight corridors are opening, and they're finally able to go home.
Among the passengers leaving today, Derek and Madeleine.
MADELEINE, TRAVELER: Yes.
DEREK, TRAVELER: I think so.
HOSSEINI: Their flight home to London couldn't come soon enough. Derek has a heart condition, and his medication soon ran out.
DEREK: I have no complaints. Everything was fine until my tablets run out. So we're now getting really urgent and I've already missed two appointments in England through the delay, so I got two serious appointments I missed.
Yes. So we're hoping to go today.
HOSSEINI: The couple say help from home has been hard to find.
MADELEINE: I registered with the U.K. government and we had an email acknowledgment and that's been it. Communication with them has been nil.
Yes. Not impressed.
[01:44:52]
HOSSEINI: Madeleine says many people have tried to make the unexpected stay a bit easier. Qatar is covering hotel stays and providing food vouchers for stranded travelers.
MADELEINE: It's been lovely.
DEREK: Lovely.
MADELEINE: The people couldn't be more helpful. They're lovely.
Sorry.
HOSSEINI: Derek and Madeleine are just two of the roughly 8,000 passengers who were stranded in Qatar, according to government figures.
What have the last ten days been like?
DARLA (ph), TRAVELER: Nervous because almost every day we got the alarms on our phones. Like saying that it's dangerous and don't go out from the buildings.
HOSSEINI: Others say disruption has put their lives and livelihoods on hold.
MOHAMMED, TRAVELER: I was trying to connect with my company, you know, like I can't work. They give me a leave of absence. One week notice, and then we're going to terminate the work, right?
So there's a lot of pressure from different points from my perspective, but I'm sure other people have the same issues as well.
Yes. It's terrifying, man. You know, in addition to seeing all the rockets above your head.
HOSSEINI: Officials stress these flights are operating under temporary authorization, and they don't mean that normal commercial operations have resumed. The fragile reopening also comes as tensions across the region remain high.
But for Derek and Madeleine, today is about one thing. Finally, boarding a flight home to London.
DEREK: Thank you.
MADELEINE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Safe flight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOSSEINI: Yes Eles, I think it just goes to show that while this regional conflict continues to escalate, people still on the ground have to deal with the daily hardships of life on top of that.
A promising sign, though, we know that Qatar Airways yesterday operated flights to ten cities. Today, that number is rising to 16. So a promising sign there. Elex.
MICHAELSON: Good to see progress. Bijan Hosseini in Doha, thank you so much.
Some breaking news just into CNN. Speaking of travel, a ground stop is now in effect for all JetBlue planes in the U.S.
This is a live picture right now from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, one of many different airlines or airports where JetBlue flies. The FAA says that the stop was issued at the airlines' request.
JetBlue has not yet commented, but a ground stop to temporarily halt flights is usually issued due to safety, weather or operational issues.
When we get more information, we will bring it to you. But as for now, if you're planning on flying JetBlue anytime soon, it's probably not going to happen.
We'll be right back.
[01:47:36]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: People across Iran have been gathering in city squares for public celebrations of the appointment of the country's new supreme leader.
They are pledging allegiance to the son of the previous ayatollah. He is -- of course, the previous ayatollah was killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes. The 56-year-old cleric, his son, has long operated behind the scenes and has cultivated close ties to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
His appointment and rise to power are seen as signals that the regime is doubling down on hardline rule.
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones joins me live now to gauge how Iranian diaspora communities are reacting to the war, as this all continues to unfold.
Julia, we know there are so many Iranian Americans, more Iranians living in America than any other country, and more living in Los Angeles than any other city. And you've been speaking to many of them.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, since the beginning of this war, Elex.
Their reaction is like any diaspora, very much mixed. You can see a wide range of opinions here. And they range from just being truly joyful celebrations when this war started, to being very fearful of what could be ahead. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROOZBEH FARAHANIPOUR, BUSINESS OWNER: Almost at the same time I'm fighting against this regime, I was an anti-war activist. So that's very complicated.
Of course, from the killing of the Khamenei, I am excited. I cannot hide my feeling. World with no Khamenei is better for everyone.
But at the same time, I don't like the war.
JONES: So you would rather see this be wrapped up and be done now?
FARAHANIPOUR: Yes. Right now that's -- already that we are moving forward. Khamenei many is dead? That's a good thing. Declare the victory and leave (ph).
JOSEPH GHADIR, IRANIAN IN EXILE: President Trump, although we're thankful to him, it took him a little bit of long time and the Iranians lost a lot of lives. And I think now he has to finish it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never had so much mixed feeling in my life that I have right now because on one level, I want my country to be free and liberated.
On another level, I am very sad when I see so many people of my countrymen are killed.
(END VIDEO CLIP) JONES: And those mixed emotions, Elex, you can see them around Los Angeles. You know were seeing posters both with the face of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah that was deposed in 1979 next to President Trump, A.I.-generated images, lots of banners that say, "Thank you President Trump".
But some people are quite skeptical of the motivation behind these actions, even if they are in support of this war. And it's difficult to say that, perhaps even a little jarring to say that people are in support of a war in their own country.
[01:54:50]
JONES: But that is because they see no other option out of this.
MICHAELSON: Well, we're looking at these images, you and I were both out there, which was right after this war, that people went out into the streets and a lot of them were holding up signs about Reza Pahlavi who is the shah's heir, as you mentioned.
And they have been in the streets, certainly here in Los Angeles, which sometimes is called Tehrangeles (ph), for years chanting his name. I mean that is what a lot of the people, at least here, are pushing for.
JONES: Yes. In speaking to other members of this diaspora which obviously is broader than just Los Angeles and Orange County, it's clear that this is also a particularity of this particular bubble of this community.
A lot of the contingent here is Jewish as well. They have a connection to Israel. There's difference (ph) -- those Israeli flags were out there before the war even began.
So I want to stress that there is a divergence of opinions. You know, we hear from the National Iranian American Council, they've called for this war to end as soon as possible.
I've talked to people who have family in Iran who are saying, I don't want my family members to be bombed and to be fearful right now.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Well, it's a country of 90 million people, one of the most educated countries in the world. And there's a lot of different opinions out there.
Thank you for seeking them out. Great to have you with us live here on THE STORY IS.
And thank you so much for watching THE STORY IS. It is great to be back here in Los Angeles.
We will have more news, including with Polo Sandoval after the break. We'll see you back here tomorrow.
[01:56:23]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
