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Trump Announces 10-Day Ceasefire Between Israel and Lebanon; IEA Chief Says Lack of Jet Fuel May Force Flight Cancellations in Europe; Airlines Impacted by Surging Cost of Jet Fuel Due to War; Feds Probe Abuse Allegations at New York Migrant Children's Shelter; Russia Launches One of Its Largest Drone Attacks This Year; Husband of Missing Woman Leaves Bahamas, Back in U.S. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired April 16, 2026 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[13:30:31]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Back to our Breaking News today, President Trump announcing a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that goes into effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. This is obviously critical because Iran has said it would not agree to a peace deal with the United States until Israeli strikes in Lebanon ceased.
Joining us now is Senior Fellow of Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Steven A. Cook. Steven, thank you so much for being with us.
First, I have to ask you about this news that CNN just obtained. An Israeli official telling CNN that the Israeli Security Cabinet did not actually hold a vote on the ceasefire in Lebanon before President Trump announced it. Put that into context for us.
STEVEN A. COOK, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, it seems clear that President Trump jammed Prime Minister Netanyahu by announcing the ceasefire. The president wanted a ceasefire. He had spoken to the Lebanese prime minister and asked the Lebanese prime minister, what do you need from me? And the Lebanese, I'm sorry, the Lebanese president said, I need a ceasefire.
And so, the president called Prime Minister Netanyahu and said, I'm announcing a ceasefire, regardless of whether the Security Cabinet voted on it or not. So this is the way President Trump operates. He's done this before, announcing ceasefires before all the parties have agreed.
It's not necessarily a bad thing. Lebanese certainly will rejoice as a result, although I will say 80 percent of Israelis had supported continuing the fight against Hezbollah. But when your primary strategic ally says it's time to stop, the Israelis will stop.
SANCHEZ: Do you think that the Lebanese president and Prime Minister Netanyahu are going to accept President Trump's invitation to come here to the White House to broker some kind of agreement directly with him?
COOK: Well, it's very, very difficult to reject an invitation from the president of the United States. I think it is difficult for the Lebanese president to be seen with Prime Minister Netanyahu. But he has had a number of wins.
He spoke to the president of the United States. He rejected an earlier phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
SANCHEZ: Right.
COOK: And he can claim that this ceasefire is his by dinting (ph) the fact that he directly asked President Trump for the ceasefire, demonstrating that he is in control and that this was a sovereign decision on the part of the Lebanese.
So I certainly believe both the Israeli prime minister and the Lebanese president will be here in Washington. How they orchestrate a meeting or a direct negotiation remains to be seen. Lots of Lebanese dislike Hezbollah, but they also dislike Israel and are not necessarily ready for normalization between the two countries.
SANCHEZ: So regarding that dislike, CNN's reporting indicates that Hezbollah would abide by a ceasefire if Israel, the IDF stops firing rockets into southern Lebanon. But the broader question, the one with serious implications for long-term peace, is whether Hezbollah would actually disarm, because that seems to be what Netanyahu and the Israelis were seeking. Do you think that Lebanon has the leverage to do that, even with the backing of President Trump?
COOK: Well, that's the real question. And that's the issue on the table. It's the only issue on the table, which is Hezbollah's disarmament. The Israelis no longer want to live in a pre-October 7th environment. They are not going to live with an armed group on its borders, threatening Israel's security.
So it's either the IDF disarms Hezbollah or the Lebanese government in concert with partners in the region, the Saudis, even Israel, as well as major powers like the United States and France, assisting them doing so. I think the Israeli frustration here is that they were given an opportunity to do this and vowed, the Lebanese government had vowed to disarm Hezbollah, but were unable to do it over the course of 12 or 15 months.
They are quite sensitive to taking on Hezbollah, given how well armed it is, and of course, given the memories of Lebanon's long 15-year civil war.
SANCHEZ: And undoubtedly, the support that it could ostensibly get from Iran further down the road, depending on how the negotiations between the United States and Tehran go. Put this piece of that into context as far as the potential for negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to continue in the coming days.
[13:35:00] COOK: Yeah, I think it's a little more complicated than, thus far, the commentary has suggested. It's certainly the case that the Iranians wanted Lebanon to be part of the ceasefire because they want to save Hezbollah from the Israelis.
But at the same time, as negotiations proceed, if they do begin between Israel and Lebanon, the Iranians do not want Lebanon to slip into the sphere of influence of Israel and the United States. They want to maintain their grasp on Lebanon and Hezbollah. And so you can see a situation in which negotiations are launched.
There's a ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Yet the Iranians turn around and make those negotiations between Israel and Lebanon as difficult as possible because it would be a strategic setback for them to allow Lebanon to slip beyond their grasp.
SANCHEZ: Given the table you just set for the circumstances regarding any peace between Israel and Lebanon, do you see Lebanon potentially being folded into the Abraham Accords?
COOK: Well, there is the potential for it. And it's certainly the case that leaders in Lebanon and there are some people in Lebanon who absolutely believe that once they tear out the state within a state that Hezbollah and Iran built over a course of 40 years, that Lebanon can benefit from relations with Israel, particularly economic relations with Israel.
But there's a long way to go before that can happen. And as I mentioned, there are people who support that. But there are large numbers of Lebanese who are not in favor of normalization.
SANCHEZ: Steven A. Cook, thank you so much for walking us through these developments.
COOK: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Of course. Jessica?
JESSICA DEAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": As the president announces this truce between Israel and Lebanon, we're getting a dire warning on how the Strait of Hormuz closure could seriously disrupt air travel for Europe. The head of the International Energy Agency telling the Associated Press airlines may soon have to cancel flights due to a lack of jet fuel.
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FAITH BIROL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY: In Europe, we have maybe six weeks or so jet fuel left if we are not able to open the Strait of Hormuz.
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DEAN: CNN Business Reporter, Senior Reporter, David Goldman joining us with more. David, if you do the timing on six weeks, that could mean just about the start of summer travel season. DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: You got it. Yeah, supply and demand are the undefeated champions of business and economics. And unfortunately, for everyone, we don't have great news for your summer travel. So jet fuel has surged, doubled actually during the war, way more than oil prices. They're up to $4.43. It was just $2.42 before the war. And so that is adding incredible cost for airlines.
American Airlines says that just $0.01 in additional cost is $50 million a year for the airline. So what happens? Well, they make you pay for that because they can't absorb all of that. United's CEO said that, you know, it's going to be about $11 billion for the airline if gas prices, jet fuel prices stay the same.
The best profit that that airline has ever made was $5 billion in a year. So this is a dire situation for airlines if they don't cut flights and raise prices for flyers.
DEAN: Yeah. Wow, $0.01 making such a difference. You say the U.S. is already experiencing flight disruptions because of this jet fuel issue. What is that about?
GOLDMAN: Yeah, I mean, they are already cutting flights. United said that five percent of their summer flights are going to come off the books. And you know, Delta is saying that they have $2 billion of costs just in this quarter alone. And so that means that that's going to get passed on to the consumer.
That's going to come in higher airfares. And it also means that they're just going to have to start cutting some of those flights. So routes that are going between two cities that aren't necessarily hubs, you might have to go around, get inconvenienced.
You might have fewer non-stop flights and more delays as well as they cut flights when something goes wrong. This certainly doesn't look like a fun summer travel season. It's going to be a mess, just like --
DEAN: Yeah.
GOLDMAN: -- it seems like we've been having with gas prices for a long time. Yeah.
(LAUGH)
DEAN: Yeah. You're laying out quite the mess. And before I let you go, just to give people an idea, obviously, we're seeing real impacts of all this. How much jet fuel -- how much does that pass through the Strait of Hormuz, like connect those two dots for everybody?
[13:40:00]
GOLDMAN: Yeah, so jet fuel, you know, about 20 percent of global jet fuel goes through the Strait of Hormuz. Now, 69 percent of that goes to Europe. So we in the United States don't get a ton of our jet fuel from the Strait of Hormuz. A lot of that is produced in Kuwait. We produce a lot of jet fuel at home. But remember, it trades on a global market. And so when we go to market saying we have jet fuel for sale, the world comes to us and it's going to buy it. Why wouldn't the U.S. price that at a competitive rate so that the companies can make money? So that's why we're seeing those kind of prices affect U.S. airfares, not just international airfares.
DEAN: All right. David Goldman laying it out for us. Thank you so much for that. We appreciate it.
Up next, accounts of beatings, restraints and isolation. We have exclusive CNN reporting about allegations of abuse inside a migrant children's shelter.
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[13:45:35]
DEAN: Turning now to a CNN Exclusive. Sources detailing disturbing allegations of abuse at a New York facility that housed migrant children. The accusations include physical abuse and isolation at the Children's Village, which has multiple locations across the state. And according to documents reviewed by CNN, one child told a shelter clinician earlier this year that he was kept in a so-called red room for four days and only given bread to eat. That facility is now under federal review.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now. Priscilla, New York regulations allow for what's called de-escalation rooms. Those are meant to help children take a beat, calm down. But that's one thing that seems to be quite different than what was going on here, according to these documents reviewed and the sources you spoke to.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the key differences, Jessica, according to those experts, is that a de- escalation room, according to New York code, has to be consensual. In other words, the child would voluntarily go to that room for de- escalation purposes.
What was happening here was involuntary, and that was the crucial difference, according to the multiple sources I've spoken with. Now, again, these are allegations that stem from the treatment of teenage boys who were at the facility against a specials unit. That's what they called them. It's akin to a security team.
And let me walk you through some of the allegations here. You mentioned a teenager whose account we learned of. He also recalled describing thrown to the floor and hit. There were instances of restraints that were used at times for longer than protocol allows to ensure the safety of a child. And that red room that we're talking about, where children were placed in isolation involuntarily, it got that name because the floor and the walls in this small space are red.
Now, again, this is a facility that cares for unaccompanied migrant children. What do we mean by that? Well, those are migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone or were swept up in an ICE operation in the interior of the United States. And therefore, they land in these facilities while they wait to be released to a sponsor like a parent or a guardian in the United States.
Now, the issues at this particular facility in New York appear to predate the Trump administration. I spoke with multiple sources who said this goes back years and that multiple teens that have been at that facility have recounted similar experiences, particularly this heavy handed form of punishment by that "special unit." Now, concerns were so grave that I was also told they were reported to New York state authorities.
It also prompted an ad hoc monitoring visit by federal officials in January, where they found there to be significant, I'm quoting here, "child welfare concerns," according to a document I saw. And that prompted that the release -- or not the release, but the transfer of children to other facilities, as well as a stop placement, which means no additional migrant children will be going there for now.
Now, over the course of the last year, there have been around 50 migrant children at this facility. They can accommodate up to 187. Now, I took these allegations to the Children's Village and the spokesperson said that they have, quote, "Zero tolerance for any form of punishment." They went on to say, quote, "Allegations of employee misconduct are deeply distressing. And if received, we make an immediate report to the authorities. We will take all necessary steps to ensure that any staff member found to have engaged in misconduct is addressed appropriately and without hesitation."
I also reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services, which funds these shelters and is charged with the care of migrant children. Their spokesperson said the following, quote, "ORR, the federal agency under HHS, takes all allegations of misconduct involving children and its care extremely seriously. Upon receiving an allegation related to this facility, ORR acted immediately to transfer all unaccompanied children to other locations and referred the matter to the appropriate federal investigative authorities."
So there is an internal review that is playing out now over the allegations that have been levied against this facility. And, of course, child welfare experts as well as former health and human services officials describing these allegations as disturbing and concerning, saying that in under no circumstances should beatings especially be used as a form of punishment for children in care.
DEAN: All right, Priscilla Alvarez with that CNN reporting. Thank you so much for that. Boris?
[13:50:00]
SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Russia has launched one of its largest drone attacks of the year on Ukraine. At least 16 people have been killed, according to Ukrainian officials, including a child. Ukraine's Air Force says the strikes included about 660 drones and more than 40 missiles over the course of 24 hours.
This latest barrage not only targeted the capital of Kyiv, but also other key cities across the country. In Odessa, officials say a music school's dormitory was among the strikes that were hit.
Plus, Brian Hooker, the Michigan man who says his wife fell overboard and vanished in the Bahamas, is back in the United States. His attorney says that he returned to the States to visit his sick mom and that police were informed of his departure. Hooker was taken into custody and questioned several times over Lynette Hooker's April 4th disappearance before being released without any charges this Monday night. Hooker has said he will continue looking for his wife.
And finally, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, both revealed more of the unhappiness they experienced as working royals. Speaking at a summit in Australia, Harry recalled the grief that he felt after his mother, Princess Diana, died while in a car crash when he was 12-years-old.
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PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: After my mom died, just before my 13th birthday, I was -- I didn't want this job, I didn't want this role, whatever, wherever this is headed, I didn't like it. It killed my mom and I -- this is just -- this is -- I was very much against it. And I stuck my head in the sand for years, fingers in the ears, blah, blah, blah, blah, don't want it.
And eventually I realized, well, hang on, if it was somebody else in this position, how would they be making the most of this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world? And also, what would my mom want me to do?
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SANCHEZ: Meghan had this experience to share.
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MEGHAN, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: Every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world, man or woman. I'm still here. And so when I think of all of you and what you're experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realize that, you know, that industry, that billion dollar industry that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks, that's not going to change. So you have to be stronger than that.
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SANCHEZ: The couple's comments came on a four-day trip to Australia, where they are spotlighting sports, mental health and veterans.
Up next, they're breaking the grass ceiling, if you will. We're going to explore some women and moms fighting the stigma around marijuana. Stay with us.
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[13:56:00]
DEAN: All right. President Trump speaking at the White House. Let's listen in.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- killed 42,000 people that were totally unarmed. They were protesting. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they did, every country, including Italy, where he's stationed, every single country in the world would be in trouble.
So we're doing very well with respect to that. Having to do with the whole situation on Iran, the blockade is amazing. It's holding up very strong, very powerfully. And I think we're making a lot of progress in that.
But the Pope has to understand Iran. Very simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. The world would be in great danger.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, would you meet with the Pope to even out your differences (inaudible).
TRUMP: I don't think it is necessary.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, you spoke with Prime Minister Modi just a couple of days ago, what was the conversation like? What is it that is on the table now?
TRUMP: I had a very good talk with him. And he's a friend of mine from India. And he's doing great. We had a very good conversation.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you considering extending the ceasefire with Iran?
TRUMP: With who?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With Iran.
TRUMP: We're doing very well, I can tell you. Maybe it'll happen before that. I'm not sure it needs to be extended.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Just so you know, Iran wants to make a deal. And we're dealing very nicely with them. We've got to have no nuclear weapons. If we do, that's a big factor. And they're willing to do things today that they weren't willing to do two months ago.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) stick to the ceasefire. Are you confident enough?
TRUMP: I think they will. I think it's going to be -- actually, it's very exciting, because it's 48 years. We're going to be meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, as you know, and the president of Lebanon. And I had a great talk with both of them today. They're going to be having a ceasefire. And that'll include Hezbollah. And I think it could be number 10 for me.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any news regarding Ukraine?
TRUMP: Ukraine is moving along. I wish they could get along, frankly. A lot of people are dying in Ukraine. We'll see what happens. There are things happening there. We're focused so much right now on Iran, seeing if we can get that completed.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: And I think, if you look, the stock market is good. The oil prices are coming down. And it's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran. And it's going to be a good deal. It's going to be a deal with no nuclear weapons.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- of negotiations on the war in Iran, when would that take place?
TRUMP: They're all important. I mean, it's not a question of Iran. All of them are important.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When will the next in-person meeting take place?
TRUMP: Probably, maybe over the weekend.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: The blockade has been incredible. It's been -- it's held. They're not doing any business. They're unable to do any business because of the blockade. And so the combination of having no Navy, having no Air Force, having no anti-aircraft equipment -- they have nothing. Everything is gone, including their leaders. Now they have a new set of leaders, and we find them very reasonable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- minimum to stop enriching uranium? Would that be acceptable to you?
TRUMP: Well, we haven't agreed to any.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will that be acceptable to you, sir, if that's the final sticking point? (Inaudible) over that?
TRUMP: We have a statement, very powerful statement that they will not have -- beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons. That's beyond -- there's no 20-year limit.
(CROSSTALK) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who are you looking out for Attorney General? Anyone interesting? Can you please give us more information on (inaudible)?
TRUMP: I think that Todd Blanche is doing a very good job from what I'm seeing. All I can say thus far, I think Todd Blanche is doing a very good job
(CROSSTALK)
