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What We Know with Max Foster

Officials: Thousands More U.S. Marines Deploying To Middle East; New Purported Statement From Iran's Supreme Leader; Iran Says It's Firing More Missiles At Israel; Trump Says Fight With Iran Is "Militarily Won"; Goldman Sachs Warning High Oil Prices Could Last Years. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired March 20, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:29]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Thousands more troops, American troops heading to the Middle East.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

A major new troop deployment, then will see thousands of marines heading to the Middle East, according to two U.S. Officials.

The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group are now expected to head to the region as the war in Iraq enters its fourth

week now. These are troops who can handle everything from on the ground missions to large scale evacuation operations.

Haley Britzky is in Washington to explain what she thinks is happening here -- Haley.

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, Max. So the 11th meu leaving from the West Coast now, and this is coming to the region with

another marine expeditionary unit, force that just left from the Pacific, the 31st MEU. So, it's unclear if these two rapid response forces will stay

in the region together, if the 11th might replace the 31st, each one of these MEUs and amphibious ready groups come with roughly 4,500 marines and

sailors.

As you said, they can do everything from on the ground operations. They provide very substantial aviation and logistical support, sort of a Swiss

army knife, if you will, of military capabilities for commanders in the region. So, we still don't know exactly what it is that they've been tasked

with, what their mission will be when they get there. It will take time for them to arrive in the region. So, things could change by that point. But it

does seem that that, you know, we want the administration wants to have options on the ground here for for what they want to do next, depending on

what the president decides, especially as were looking at things like the Strait of Hormuz and opening this up.

And this, of course, comes as the president said just today, that he considered the war militarily won while he was criticizing NATO allies

online for not helping the U.S. Reopen the Strait of Hormuz. So raises questions about what exactly they will be doing there when they arrive, but

certainly something we'll be watching very closely, Max.

FOSTER: And yesterday we heard from the prime minister of Israel saying, you can't change a regime from the air, which raised questions about

whether or not they might be considering a ground operation. And these troops are typically involved in a ground operation, aren't they?

BRITZKY: They certainly can be. I mean, that's one of the first things that you think of when you think of these units arriving, as you said. I

mean, they can do evacuation operations as the 11th Marine Expeditionary Units own website says, you know, they can carry out special operations,

special maritime operations. So, they would provide commanders the ability to do things on the ground, if that is what we went forward with. Of

course, that's one of the main questions now is if the military will put boots on the ground in Iran around the Strait of Hormuz, even so, something

that will continue to be asked about and may raise the possibility of with these marines and sailors arriving in the region.

FOSTER: Highly appreciate it. Thank you so much for that breaking news.

Well, Iran's new supreme leader is warning, meanwhile, that security must be denied to the U.S. and to Israel. That message purported to be from

Mojtaba Khamenei, who hasn't been seen or heard from since he was elevated apart from in some texts.

Now, the Iranian military is also warning that even tourist sites, recreational areas and leisure centers worldwide are no longer safe for

U.S. and Israeli officials after the assassinations of top members of the Iranian regime.

CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, is in Riyadh for us.

I mean, this is very concerning for people to hear how worried should people be outside the region?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, this is exactly the sort of messaging that Iran would like to be able to communicate and

try to project power, that it has a position of strength. We heard from the foreign minister today, again, saying that if Iranian was infrastructure,

would was targeted again, there would be zero hesitancy in responding. And I think Iran's already signaled that it's willing to do that.

But, you know, these words that they will strike in these other sorts of areas, they're not hollow threats. And the number of arrests related

connected, possibly connected with suspected -- to be connected with Iranian operatives does spread out beyond this region.

But Iran is trying to project a position of strength when militarily they are outgunned, where President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu are

indicating that they will make the fight last longer, something that Iran had counted on in this was that economic pressure of an escalating cost of

oil is something that would force President Trump to back down or pull out of the fight.

That doesn't seem to be materializing, but it does seem to be the case that they can fire and continue to fire ballistic missiles at a lower volume,

drones at a lower volume, but still effectively. This morning, for example, 25 drones fired on Kuwait, 15 intercepted, eight landed in open areas, but

two hit an oil refinery, which put part of the product there. The oil refining product on hold.

So, Iran still can create very dangerous and damaging effects on the ground here. So, its rhetoric in this gulf region is still being taken seriously.

They'd love to be able to project more power though, Max.

FOSTER: A lot of concern about sleeper agents, Iranian sleeper agents around the world who, you know, some people might think of when they're

talking about threatening leisure centers, for example, worldwide. But is there any evidence to show that they exist and have been used before?

ROBERTSON: Sure. Yeah. I mean, look at the look at the attacks on an Iranian journalist in the U.K. stabbed outside of his house. That was when

the people went to court. The evidence presented there indicated that the attackers were hired by Iran to perpetrate that attack. It's not uncommon

in Europe now to see both Iran and Russia basically getting guns for hire, guns, knives, whatever it is. So, it's not on a large scale, but it is

possible. And Iran has engaged in that sort of activity. If you sort of dig further back into Iran's past, it's been responsible for a number of pretty

atrocious bombings inside, you know, places where U.S. Troops have gathered.

This goes back many, many years, decades, even. But in the sort of modern threat environment, the hardest people to catch, those who are the sort of

guns for hire picked up on the Internet, they didn't really realize what they're doing or who they're working for initially, but then they go out

and perpetrate something for money. Not a lot of money is often the case. So that's -- that's -- that is a very difficult threat assessment for

European and U.S. Intelligence agencies to combat. And it's something that they've been very alive to.

And it's a threat that we understood even before this war began. It's something we understood that Iran was going to try to use to leverage its

position to force President Trump to back down in any war type scenario.

FOSTER: Okay. Nic Robertson, appreciate it, joining us from Riyadh.

Well, the Israeli military says it's starting hitting Iranian targets east of Tehran as the country marks the Persian New Year. The coastal city of

Noor is on the Caspian Sea to the south. One Iranian governor on the Persian Gulf says more than a dozen civilian and commercial boats actually

caught fire.

The Iranian Fars News Agency just provided this video they say is the latest missile wave taking off now. It was launched on an unspecified

location, and no target was announced.

Earlier, Iranian state media reported Tehran fired more missiles towards southern and central Israel today.

Jeremy Diamond has the latest now for you from Tel Aviv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: We are still watching, as we did today, wave after wave after wave of Iranian ballistic missile attacks.

Certainly, the pace of those attacks seems to be stepping up, even though the number of missiles being fired at once doesn't seem to be necessarily

increasing. But Iran is continuing to show different ways in which it is able to exact a cost upon both the United States, its allies, and also, of

course, here in Israel.

The Israeli prime minister you know, talked about the possibilities that may lie ahead. He made clear that there are surprises in store. And when he

talked about this idea of regime change, he certainly didn't back off of that being the ultimate goal here. But he did at one point make clear that

he doesn't believe that regime change can be successfully achieved only from the air, which led to a question of whether he meant by that that, you

know, on the one hand, as he has said, the Iranian people need to rise up. And that is the kind of ground component.

But I think he also made a bit of a nod to the fact that both the United States and Israel are considering very different types, but types of ground

operations, whether that be special operations raids to, for example, try and retrieve Iran's, you know, hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium

or, you know, what President Trump seems to be mulling, which is perhaps a ground force to take over Kharg Island or to deploy troops to the shores of

the Strait of Hormuz.

Either way, I think it's very clear that we are now in a moment where this conflict can continue to escalate, and it seems like things are headed in

that direction rather than in the direction of de-escalation. And of course, we are seeing the ramifications that this can have for the entire

region.

[15:10:03]

And of course, should ground troops be deployed, then for U.S. troops in the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Jeremy Diamond, there.

Now for the first time in 60 years, Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque is closed during Eid, a major religious holiday for Muslims.

The holy site was shut down at the start of the Iraq war by Israeli authorities, who say the move was made for security reasons. Worshipers

today prayed as close to its sacred grounds as they could. Eid celebrations in southern Lebanon are marred by war. The Israeli military has ordered

more evacuations there due to fighting along the border.

Aid groups say one million Lebanese are now displaced, and the reported death toll exceeds 1,000 people now since the start of the war.

Nick Ppaton Walsh is in Beirut -- Nick.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDET: Yeah, Max. Look, I mean, you're joining me here at what should be a joyous day of

Eid and rain and a thunderstorm, somewhat of a distraction here in Beirut along the coastline. But we've just been in southern Lebanon, where, again,

the Israeli Defense Force -- Israel Defense Forces issued an evacuation order repeating what they said previously that everyone should get north of

the Zahrani River.

Now, the roads were clearly deserted down there. The major city of Tyre had very few on the streets for a day. You would expect a religious holiday at

the end of Ramadan that we're seeing today, but a clear sign of Israel continuing to prosecute its aggressive moves to push Hezbollah out. Or

certainly, they say, disarm that militant group.

But the presence we saw quite clear that that would be a significant task for Israel. But today, a clear milestone in this conflict of 1,000 dead now

here in Lebanon -- Max.

FOSTER: Nick, can I also ask you about this statement from the Iranian supreme leader? We haven't seen or heard his voice. I mean, what do you

make of the statements that some people are suggesting are just purported to be from him?

WALSH: I mean, it's an extraordinary moment that Iran dealing with its most existential threat, frankly, since the Iran-Iraq war of the 80s, is

now struggling to prove that its new supreme leader is alive and well and healthy or even in control. Now, there's no evidence necessarily that he is

unconscious or outside of the chain of command at this point. But on two separate occasions now, the world was waiting, basically been waiting to

see whether or not Mojtaba Khamenei will appear on video and deliver his own statements, or even record them on audio. And he's not done that and

have been relentless reports circulating about his poor health. And so, I think todays message again reiterates the possibility that we are dealing

with somebody at the top of the chain of command in wartime and Iran, who is not fully cognizant or even necessarily in command.

And is there a power vacuum? There certainly will have been more of one since the killing in just the last week of Ali Larijani, the Iranian

security chief, who many felt were essentially running the show given Khamenei's public lesser presence.

But its key, I think, at this stage, because if the Trump administration is looking for some kind of ability to negotiate a way out of this, it's not

clear they may do at some point soon. You need someone to have authority inside of Iran.

And Khamenei's increasingly public absence is increasingly key in all of this. His statement today, there were a few interesting things in there. He

certainly said that the attacks against Turkey and Oman, the latter having tried to mediate between the U.S. and Iran right before the conflict began,

that those attacks, he claimed, were done by Israel. There's no evidence to support that, he said. There were false flag attacks to try and get the

neighborhood all disliking each other.

Remember, Oman has been hit repeatedly by Iranian projectiles. He also claimed Mojtaba Khamenei that he'd been driving around Iran anonymously in

a taxi, talking to normal Iranians, trying to be a man of the people it seems here, and ultimately agreeing with their complaints about how badly

the economy had been managed by his dad. You should really point out his late father, Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader. And he also said that

there need to be a tighter media control, essentially, on how dissent was being pushed out amongst the Iranian public.

So, a message lacking in finer policy points, but ultimately unable to answer this really key question now is, is Mojtaba Khamenei conscious, in

good health and in control? And each time Iran faces this moment of delivering a statement from him and doesn't answer those questions too, I

think those questions grow.

Remember, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said yesterday he wasn't sure who was in charge in Iran. And ultimately, the statement we

heard today just reinforces that doubt -- Max.

FOSTER: Okay, bad weather there in Beirut. But, Nick, thank you so much for bringing us your analysis around that big question.

Now, amid rising oil prices, U.S. President Donald Trump once again lashes out at NATO allies for not helping secure the Strait of Hormuz. Trump says

the war is militarily won and is labeling NATO allies as cowards for not joining the effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

[15:15:03]

The president says that inaction is what's led to high oil prices.

At the White House, President Trump continues to claim that Iran's leadership has been all but wiped out

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their leaders are all gone. The next set of leaders are all gone, and the next set of leaders are

mostly gone. And now nobody wants to be a leader over there anymore. We're having a hard time. We want to talk to them and there's nobody to talk to.

We have nobody to talk to. And you know what? We like it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, CNN was the first U.S. network on the ground in Iran during the early days of the war. After the break, the crucial moments you didn't

see during those first days of the bombing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: In Iran, despite the threat of strikes, millions of people are marking Nowruz, the Persian new year. It is one of Iran's biggest holidays,

symbolizing renewal, family and fresh beginnings. This year, muted celebrations taking place, of course, against the backdrop of an escalating

conflict. And as the U.S. and Israel continue to strike the region.

Now, the war with Iran is now in its 21st day, and it's had a major impact on day-to-day life for Iranians. State media say more than 18,000 Iranian

civilians have been injured since this conflict began.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen reflects on his decade of visits to Iran and why this trip has proven more difficult than others.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: OK, we're hearing jets overhead --

PLEITGEN (voice-over): For more than a decade, my colleague Claudia Otto and I have been coming to Iran. Reporting from the Islamic Republic is

never easy. But facing an open ended American and Israeli military campaign, the Iranian government is now up against maybe its biggest

challenge since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and maybe even the Iran, Iraq war starting in 1980.

[15:20:01]

This trip in the opening days of America and Israel's war would prove to be harder than most.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We should go --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we should go --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks like a chimney, though, doesn't it? Anyway, something was hit.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): With Iran's airspace closed. We drive for two days from Armenia approaching Tehran in the early morning hours. CNN was the

first Western broadcast media outlet granted visas since the war began.

Reporting in Iran during a time of war is complicated, we have full editorial control over what we publish, but need permission any time we

want to film.

We're almost certainly being monitored. And so, getting the perspective of everyday Iranian can be complicated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me.

PLEITGEN: There are a lot of bombings, and of course, it's also quite scary. When you hear jets going overhead, you hear bombs dropping, and you

hope that you're not in the vicinity of something that's getting hit. So certainly, a very difficult situation for the folks who live here in

Tehran, and many are telling us that they're basically just trying to get - -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course there is fear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyone saying they're not afraid is lying. Human beings cherish their lives. So many people have lost their children and their

families. Civilians on the other side are dying too. That isn't right either.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Attack on Mehrabad Airport was terrifying. I'm terrified to drive every day. We're concerned because there's an IRGC base

nearby.

We're especially worried about the Mosalla Mosque. If it's bombed, this whole area would be devasted.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): The Mosalla Mosque is where after Friday prayers, hard line Iranian gather to rally in support of the government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Khamenei, the martyr.

PLEITGEN: There are thousands of people here. But of course, we also have to keep in mind this is just a small snapshot of Iran society.

And many of the people who come here are, of course, political and religious hard liners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jewish army, this will be your last breath.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Religious Shia Muslims strike their heads in ritual mourning for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran's late Supreme Leader killed in an

Israeli air strike.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We kill Trump. We kill Netanyahu. We kill all of them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We kill come dressed in shrouds and stand by the future leader and we will protect them. Even if, God forbid, they mange to

harm the new leader who is announced, we will again stand by the next leader as well. God willing, this government will continue with strength.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a f--king massive airstrike, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was in there? Police station?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police station, yeah.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): But it's not just America and Israel that threaten the theocratic rule.

This war comes just months after the government crushed massive nationwide demonstrations, leaving thousands of protesters dead, as even the

authorities themselves acknowledge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's absolutely terrifying here. It feels like the end of the world.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): As night sets in, a black cloud rises over the city. By daybreak, oily water rains down on Tehran. Israel has struck

several major oil depots on the edge of the city.

PLEITGEN: There were air raids going on, I would say, for about an hour and a half last night, and you could really hear big impact in various

parts of the city, especially the south, the east and the west. And then we saw that thick smoke in the night sky. And I'm going to show you, above us,

you can see that there is black cloud still going overhead.

And one other thing I want to show you as well. We have a white car here, so you can really see it. It rained this morning in Tehran, and the rain

seemed to be saturated with oil as well. You can see there's this black soot that's inside the rain water.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): The strikes turn day into night.

PLEITGEN: It's an absolutely apocalyptic scene here. We've just made it to the Shahran oil depot, which was attacked last night and a massive wave of

air strikes, we heard those going on for about an hour and a half with massive thuds and then explosions that we could hear, and that thick, black

plume of smoke we saw that last night.

And now we're actually seeing it up close. What we're also seeing is that some of those destroyed storage tanks are still on fire. There's still

flames originating from them. You can also see here that the area around here is also completely destroyed.

[15:25:01]

There are people here actually working on this electricity pole to try and get the electricity back.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Israel says it struck the oil depot, to quote, deepen the damage to Iran's military infrastructure. In the hours after the

attack, the Trump Administration expressed dismay at the bombing. Health authorities say the acid rain we were also subjected to can cause skin and

lung damage.

We meet the former foreign minister and now foreign policy adviser to the office of the Supreme Leader, Kamal Kharazi.

KAMAL KHARAZI, FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO OFFICE OF IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER: I don't see any room for diplomacy anymore, because Donald Trump have been

deceiving others and not keeping with his promises. And we experienced it in two times of negotiations, that while we were engaged in negotiation,

they structured us.

PLEITGEN: Do you consider this an existential threat to the Islamic Republic?

KHARAZI: It is an existential threat to the Islamic Republic, and therefore we have to say, with full mind, the proof is in the pudding. What

is important for us is the end of this game, and we are ready to continue that game.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Every night, the sound of war planes reverberates across the city, followed by explosions that shake the windows of our

hotel.

PLEITGEN: Where we are right now is the East of Tehran, and the authorities say there was a massive air strike that hit a residential

building now. And the reason why the authorities have told us to actually wear masks when we're here on the ground is they say that, obviously this

is kicking up a lot of dust.

And so, it's better to wear a mask just to be protected. The blast from the bombs that hit this area were so strong that it not only destroyed these

buildings, but that it also damaged severely a lot of the buildings on the other side of the street, and in fact, in that larger block.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): As the bombing campaign drags on, day by day, air strike by air strike, we can feel and hear the anger among those affected

build up, also directed at us as we're viewed as media from Iran's enemy state, the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Death to the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in the basement. I kept bumping into the walls. Then I was under the rubble.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Some of the survivors of this air strike are clearly still in the state of shock. As we continue filming, we hear the

roar of a jet overhead, then anti-aircraft fire, too close for comfort.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, we should go.

PLEITGEN: Yeah, we should go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We go, we go --

PLEITGEN: By which way?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To the right.

PLEITGEN: OK, we're hearing jets overhead, this anti-aircraft car going up. They're supposed to get out of here as fast as possible, although it's

just a big explosion around here. Let's go. So that just goes to show how fast things can turn bad here.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Reports on social media suggest the air strikes we witnessed targeted a base of the Basij paramilitary group, impacting

surrounding civilian housing. For the first time in more than 40 years, the future of the Islamic Republic seems deeply uncertain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Death to the U.S.!

PLEITGEN (voice-over): There are long standing and widespread discontent with government corruption and mismanagement, but if President Trump hoped

that his air strikes would lead to a quick and easy transition of power, a pro American Revolution from the streets --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Death to the U.S.!

PLEITGEN (voice-over): -- it seems he'll be disappointed.

Meanwhile, Iranian, on those streets are hoping for a respite and for President Trump to focus elsewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Better look to the U.S. population, because you, your country more than our country. Have a problem about economy, about

anything. We are strong. We are more than 7,000 years history. We don't fund to war any countries.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:32:53]

FOSTER: Some breaking news into CNN.

The United Kingdom will allow the United States to use its military bases as part of its efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz. There were used to

strike Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the strait. And before today, those bases had only been used to stop Iran firing missiles that

directly put British lives or interests at risk -- at risk. So, a change in U.K. policy there.

Now, the ongoing war with Iran is having a major global impact on oil prices, of course, now around $110 a barrel. On Thursday, analysts from

Goldman Sachs suggested that oil prices could remain above $100 a barrel for the foreseeable future. Consistent supply issues are amongst the

reasons cited, and this comes after Israels strike on Iran's South Pars field led to a retaliatory strike on Qatar's Ras Laffan natural gas

facility.

Now, Qatar energy warns the damage to the facility could take up to five years to repair. That's a catastrophe for markets in Europe and Asia.

What we want to know tonight is, is this the new normal for energy prices?

Joining me now is Tom Kloza, the chief oil analyst for Gulf Oil.

Thank you so much for joining us, Tom. I guess even if the war did end now, this impact on energy is going to take months, if not years to sort of

bleed out, as it were.

TOM KLOZA, CHIEF ENERGY ADVISER, GULF OIL NORTH AMERICA: Yeah, I would say this is the biggest event in our lifetimes. Even surpassing the 1970s oil

shock. I mean, when you consider the way the war has spread and the fact that this is going to impact natural gas, liquefied natural gas, the

various gas to liquids that come out, petrochemicals, crude and refined products, never seen anything like it.

And I do think in the case of natural gas and some of the petrochemicals, it is going to be measured in years. Hopefully, it's not measured in years

for crude and refined product, but I think we've got a long way to go.

FOSTER: There's been a lot made of the fact that parts of Asia particularly rely on this natural gas from Qatar, but the way the market

works is the global price goes up, doesn't it?

[15:35:10]

Even if it, even if you know, this particular supply goes to particular regions.

KLOZA: Yeah. It really impacts other continents besides north America. North America has prices for natural gas that are largely around $3 per

million btu. The rest of the world is paying six or seven or eight times that amount, and they may not even be able to get the natural gas they

need.

And then again, natural gas is very, very key in operating a refinery. It produces hydrogen, and it's something that has kind of left U.S. refiners

or North American refiners in the driver's seat. We're going to be exporting a lot of refined products, hopefully without the enduring the

rancor of the American public.

FOSTER: Just explain how hedging works because it's something that we probably should talk about because airlines, for example, are saying

they've hedged against jet fuel prices. So, they're saying they're not going to be affected for a few months. But inevitably, they have deals that

are going to end. So, are we going to see sharp increases over the next few months because of that?

KLOZA: Well, hedging isn't an exact science. And years ago, almost every airline hedged. But you have situations like you have right now where the

future's price may go up, but the physical price of the jet fuel goes up much, much more. We're actually seeing that for crude oil as well. Crude

oil futures have largely been between $100, $112 a barrel. But today we heard about a deal outside the Persian Gulf in Asia at about $173 a barrel.

So, you've got this weird situation where the difference between the cheapest crude oil in the world, which possibly would be Canadian or

Venezuelan at about $85, and the most expensive, maybe Omani or Murban crude in Asia costs about $170. I've never seen anything even approaching

it where you've got an $85 range between cheapest and most expensive.

FOSTER: Tom Kloza, thank you so much. It's so hard to make sense of as well, isn't it? As long as the war is continuing and when the war ends,

maybe we can make more sense of it. But thank you for explaining how it's all working at the moment.

So, in the United States, air travelers across the country are dealing with long waits to get through airport security. One Atlanta traveler tells CNN

they waited more than three hours to get through security and missed their flight. It's the same at many busy airports.

This was the security line in Houston, Texas, a partial government shutdown is blamed for staffing problems at security checkpoints. Well, it's the

final moments of trade on wall street. Stocks are down once again. The Dow has fallen to fresh lows for the year so far back. Now below 46,000. As you

can see. This is our business breakout.

Now, big layoffs at CBS News. Editor in Chief Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski announcing 6 percent of staff will be let go. And CBS News radio

will be shut entirely. Dozens of staff members will be affected. It's the second round of layoffs at the group since David Ellison took control of

its parent company, Paramount, last year, last summer.

Kevin Warsh, who is President Trump's pick to run the Federal Reserve, is facing questions about his past links to Jeffrey Epstein, Democratic

Senator Elizabeth Warren has written to Warsh asking about the extent of his relationship to the late sex offender. Emails released in the Epstein

file suggest that Warsh and his wife were invited to events Epstein helped organize. The White House did not respond to CNN's questions on the matter.

Young people who use social media more than five hours a day may be less happy, according to the latest World Happiness Report. The study shows

young people's well-being is declining in developed English speaking countries, but is up overall compared to 20 years ago.

Now, if you're worried about the rising energy costs, the international energy agency has some advice for you and for governments, and the group is

suggesting that everything from working from home to imposing lower speed limits could help reduce demand for gas, car sharing or cooking with

electric hobs could also save on energy, it says.

Many of these tips are already a reality in some countries, especially in Asia, where 60 percent of oil comes from the Middle East. Pakistan has

ordered a range of austerity measures, including closing schools and moving services online to save energy. Thailand has scrapped all overseas trips

for government workers and told them to work from home. While South Korea is imposing a full fuel cap for the first time in 30 years.

Eleni Giokos has more now on the new advice from the IEA.

[15:40:01]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, firstly, it feels almost like a throwback to COVID 19 restrictions in a way. I mean, it's interesting,

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, says that there's an energy crisis unfolding. And despite releasing a

record emergency reserve number of 400 million barrels, you and I have to help with the demand side. So, we have to try and pull back in terms of how

much we use.

So, working from home, I don't know how corporate America is going to feel about that. But of course, that's going to mean a lot less cars on the on

the roads, reducing speed limits of around six -- 6-1/2 miles per hour. That's around ten kilometers per hour. Using public transport and then use

alternative cooking methods. So, you know, newer technology that's going to rely less on gas, for example.

And then the big one, avoiding air travel. I was looking at the jet fuel prices. And it's unbelievable to see this graph that just shows a massive

spike that is higher than what we saw when Russia invaded Ukraine, clearly in a supply shock. These refined products of jet fuel have made an impact

already on the airline industry. Delta, for example, has already increased its prices several times over the past few weeks. And you can see jet fuel

prices are up just over 11 percent, only in the past week. And there's more to come because we don't know how long this war is going to last.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Let's take you live to the -- to Washington. President Trump speaking to reporters.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are thugs and animals and horrible people. But you can't hit anybody harder than we've hit them.

But I'm not surprised. They executed three young people for protesting.

REPORTER: And do you plan to escort those ships through the Strait of Hormuz with or without allies?

TRUMP: Well, we're doing very well there. We're doing very well overall. You know, we don't use the strait. We don't -- the United States, we don't

need it. Europe needs it. Korea, Japan, China, a lot of other people. So, they'll have to get involved a little bit on that one.

REPORTER: Do you still want the South Korea supporting United States?

TRUMP: Yeah. What about it?

REPORTER: Do you still want South Korea supporting --

TRUMP: Well, I love South Korea. We have a great relationship with South Korea where we're helping South Korea a lot.

REPORTER: Mr. President, do you think Israel will be ready to end the war when you're ready?

TRUMP: I think so, yeah.

REPORTER: Mr. President --

TRUMP: The relationships are very good one, I think so. You know, we want more or less similar things. You know what we want? We want victory, both

of us. And that's what we've got.

REPORTER: Mr. President, Kharg Island -- Mr. President, how will the --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Well, you know, I may have a plan or I may not, but how would I ever say that to a reporter? If I said that to a reporter, Marco would say,

please, sir, let's bring you over to the helicopter immediately, right? I can't -- I can't tell you that.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Certainly, a place that people are talking about. But I can't say - -

REPORTER: Are you ruling out --

REPORTER: How was Operation Epic Fury affect talks with Russia and Ukraine?

TRUMP: What about it?

REPORTER: Are the talks on backburner right now because of the --

TRUMP: No, no. We're talking -- we're talking about it. I think it will get done.

REPORTER: When do you expect the next round of talks to take place?

TRUMP: They take place almost every day. We're making a lot of progress. Militarily won in Iran.

REPORTER: What did you mean by that? You said the war was militarily won in Iran. What did you mean by that?

TRUMP: Oh, I think we've won. We've knocked out their navy, their air force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft, we've knocked out everything.

We're roaming free from a military standpoint. All they're doing is clogging up the strait. But from a military standpoint, they're finished.

REPORTER: So how much longer should the American people expect --

REPORTER: You said opening the Strait of Hormuz is a simple military maneuver.

TRUMP: Very simple.

REPORTER: Yes, but what did you mean by that?

TRUMP: It's a simple military maneuver. It's relatively safe. But you need a lot of help in the sense of you need ships, you need volume, and NATO

could help us, but they so far haven't had the courage to do so. And others could help us. But, you know, we don't use it. You know, at a certain

point, it'll open itself at a certain point.

But we've defeated the enemy and they are an enemy. They are sick group of people. The leadership is gone. The navy is gone. The air force is gone.

The anti-aircraft equipment that they have, the radar they have is all gone. Everything's gone. The strait itself, the actual strait. How are you?

The strait itself is we're doing a good job, but it would be nice if the countries, including China, if the countries that use it, China uses it 90

percent of their energy, Japan is 95 percent of the energy. It would be nice if those countries would get involved.

(CROSSSTALK)

REPORTER: Do you consider taking Kharg Island --

REPORTER: Is Tulsi Gabbard's job still safe at DNI?

TRUMP: What?

REPORTER: Tulsi Gabbard's job still safe at DNI? And have you spoken to Netanyahu --

TRUMP: I thought she did a good job yesterday, actually.

(CROSSTALK)

REPORTER: -- in Europe, Lindsey Graham has asked for you to reconsider the American bases in Spain, in Germany, after what they have done in the

Strait of Hormuz. What's your take?

TRUMP: Well, it's (INAUDIBLE) -- he's right about asking that. And I think NATO has gone down a long way because they haven't -- I mean, they should

be helping with the straight. They get much of their energy from the Strait of Hormuz. And if Lindsey Graham said that and don't forget, he was the big

NATO guy for a while and now he's not.

And a lot of senators and congressmen, they were big. They're very upset with the fact that NATO has done nothing.

REPORTER: Pope Leo calling for a ceasefire. Pope Leo is calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East and to reopen dialogue. What do you say to the

pope, sir?

TRUMP: Well, look, we can have dialogue, but we don't -- I don't want to do a ceasefire. You know, you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally

obliterating the other side. They don't have a navy. They don't have an air force. They don't have any

equipment. They don't have any spotters. They don't have anti-aircraft. They don't have radar. And their leaders have all been killed at every

level. We're not looking to do that.

Thank you.

REPORTER: Chuck Norris -- sir, Chuck --

(INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: I thought it was a great guy. Wow.

(INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: He's a really good, tough cookie. We didn't want to fight him. I think that's great guy. And it was a great supporter. Wow. That's too bad.

(INAUDIBLE)

FOSTER: Okay. That is obviously, President Trump speaking as he heads out of Washington on his chopper.

Lots of questions. Dominant questions really about how other countries have been asked by him to help out in the Strait of Hormuz. And he's pretty

disappointed at the response he's getting because he's not getting any direct help. They'll have to get involved.

He's talking here about countries like China and Japan and Europe, which use the Strait of Hormuz, he says America doesn't, although any sort of

supplies out there affects the global stock market and indeed U.S. prices, he said it would be nice if they did get involved. NATO has gone down a

long way, so he's really laying into NATO around this and they should be helping out in the strait, he said. Senators are very upset that NATO isn't

helping.

He was also asked, will Israel be ready to end the war when the U.S. does? And he thinks that they do. The president saying that, he's very clear,

"We've won the war". They've been defeated. Iran has been defeated.

We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Family and friends are mourning the loss of an American college student after a spring break trip to Barcelona took a devastating turn.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the nightclub here in Barcelona. The Shoko nightclub where the young James

Gracey was last seen in the very early hours of Tuesday morning here along the boardwalk of the Catalan City. He'd been out celebrating with friends.

He'd only arrived in the city the day before on Monday, having spent a couple of days in Amsterdam. It was spring break. He'd come over to visit

friends who were staying here in Barcelona. And then at about 3:00 a.m., got separated from his friends and hasn't been seen or heard from since

then. A desperate search ensued.

We understand from a Facebook post from his mother that authorities had found his phone, that it may have been stolen, but then the terrible news

on Thursday evening that his remains had been found just a short walk over there. Somewhere in the waters, the shallow depths just off the coast.

Shortly afterwards, local authorities confirming that they were indeed the remains of James Gracey, Jimmy, as he was known to his friend, the eldest

of five children. A keen hockey player, the chaplain of his fraternity. He was just about to finish his junior year.

His father just too distraught to make the trip down to the boardwalk where the remains were found. A lot of questions still remain that we might not

get the answers to just yet, because the investigation continues. The autopsy will take some time. We understand there are questions about who

had his phone, what authorities have been able to find on it, and what they were able to piece together about whether or not he left the nightclub

alone. Still, local police are saying that they believe that his death was accidental rather than the result of a criminal act.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Barcelona

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:33]

FOSTER: Well, finally tonight, legendary actor Chuck Norris has died. Norris parlayed his martial arts training into becoming one of Hollywood's

biggest action stars in the `80s, and the `90s. He was taken to hospital on Thursday after suffering an undisclosed medical emergency. Chuck Norris was

86.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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