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Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Completely Open During Truce; Control of House Could be at Stake in Virginia Redistricting Fight; "Michael" Hitting the Big Screen After $15 Million of Reshoots; Closing Bell as Iran Announces Reopening of Strait of Hormuz. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 17, 2026 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Turning back to our breaking news now. President Trump, saying he expects a swift deal with Iran possibly in the next day or two to end the war. He also just told CBS News Iran has agreed to everything -- those are his words -- in these talks, including working jointly to remove enriched uranium from the country and bring it to the U.S.

This comes just hours after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is completely open to commercial shipping. But a short time ago, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps laid out conditions for ships to pass through. And at the same time, don't forget, U.S. Central Command now saying its blockade of Iranian ports will remain in effect as long as President Trump says, which he vows to keep into place until a peace deal is complete, which the actual completion could take some time.

With us now, former Defense Secretary under President Trump, Mark Esper, thank you so much for being here with us. There are a lot of pieces that we have gathered throughout the day, the newest being the president telling CBS that Iran has agreed to everything in the talks, including working to jointly remove this enriched uranium. What do you gather from what we've heard throughout the day and how real do you think that is?

MARK ESPER, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes, good afternoon, Jessica, first of all. Look, my sense is there are steps being made forward, but there's a lot of conflicting messages coming out. As you said, the announcement a few hours ago was that from the foreign minister was that Iran had opened the straight. We now know that's not necessarily true. It's conditionally open based on the routes that they designate, which run very close to the Iranian coast. The IRGC Navy has said that commercial ships have to get permission from them to transit that route, and they said they have denied all military ships from transiting.

So it's not completely open. In fact, what the Iranians are doing is claiming sovereignty over the strait, which is something that they cannot be allowed to do, let alone retain. That's interesting. Of course, on top of that, as you know, the president said that he would not lift his blockade of Iran. Then with regard to the other stuff, again, more conflicting messages.

But the Pakistanis have said, you know, 80 percent or so of items have been agreed to. But again, we'll have to see because the details matter in this type of stuff. There was a report, for example, that maybe Iran agreed to suspend any enrichment for 10 years as compared to the five years that they proposed over last week. And so I think we'll know more -- apparently, they're going to get back together in Pakistan on Monday. I assume, then, the ceasefire will extend beyond that until the talks are resolved.

DEAN: So in your mind, listing out everything you just said and with those obvious caveats of we need more information about a lot of things, would you say that this is going in a positive direction at this point?

ESPER: Well, they're talking, that's a good thing. I want to say positive, but it depends on what the deal is at the end of the day. To me, at the end of the day, we have the Strait of Hormuz, the control of the sovereignty has to return to the status quo ante, which means it's an international waterway, not threatened or managed by Iran.

And secondly, we have to get the enriched uranium out of Iran. We have to get inspectors in. We have to address the nuclear problem. Presumably, that was the reason why we went in, what 7 1/2 weeks ago because in Geneva the talks failed over this singular issue. So I think if the talks proceed to a point where we get agreement on those two issues in the United States favor, then I think that's a positive progress and a great step forward.

DEAN: Yes, and in you hit on the nuclear issue. This enriched uranium that is so key obviously to all of this.

[15:35:00]

That really is where this probably gets made or broken. Our negotiating team -- the U.S. negotiating team, Vice President Vance, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, some have criticized them for having little technical understanding of the issues discussed and that they are maybe pressing for a headline deal instead of necessarily taking the time to iron out -- as you note -- the details are going to be so important in all of this that would actually really make a difference.

Do you have that concern or are you confident that they can get through all of these nitty gritty details?

ESPER: You know, usually the talks begin with experts at a lower level and you work your way up and eventually when the deal's ready to be signed or you've got a final issue or two to resolve, then you send the principals in. In this case, we're doing it the reverse way. That's fine, but eventually the experts have to work through those details and put it in black and white on paper because otherwise you can get lost in those details and skip important things and allow loopholes for the Iranians to run a truck through.

So I get very concerned. I don't trust the Iranians when it comes to living up to this deal. So again, I want to make sure that we get all that enriched uranium out.

Now, we talk a lot about the 60 percent, the 970 pounds, but there's also a fair amount of 20 percent enriched uranium. Then I also think we need to get inspectors back in and the various verification mechanisms. That has not been talked about at all and yet we know Iran has the expertise, the knowledge, the resources.

They can restart a program at any time. So it's really important to get people, international inspectors, back on the ground in that country if we're going to have any degree of confidence because we don't trust the Iranians.

DEAN: And then before I let you go, the Lebanon piece of this. How does that factor into the U.S. negotiations with Iran? The president has claimed the U.S. deal with Iran is not tied in any way to Lebanon. Do you think Iran sees it that way?

ESPER: Yes, they certainly see it that way because obviously Hezbollah is their principal proxy in the region, the most capable at this point in time, despite the fact the Israelis have beat them down. The Syrians are gone now because that country had a civil war and Hamas is largely hobbled in Gaza. I guess the only folks standing are the Houthis, but they're pretty far away from Israel.

But yes, I mean, Iran wants to support Hezbollah. They want to make sure they can survive this conflict. There was some reporting out there, Jessica, that maybe Iran agreed not to support Hezbollah or Hamas any further.

I find that very hard to believe that that would be some type of item in the agreement. But nonetheless, we'll see what happens. We'll see what comes out of these talks, but they certainly want to keep Hezbollah alive.

DEAN: Yes, and it'll be interesting to see because I do think the administration had said we don't want them supporting proxy groups that threaten us or our allies anywhere in the world. So will be very interesting.

Secretary Esper, good to see you. Thank you so much.

ESPER: Thanks, Jessica.

DEAN: And still ahead, after years of delays, Michael Jackson's biopic finally ready for the big screen. But it is not without its controversy and a multimillion dollar setback.

Plus, a Chinese man is jailed for trying to smuggle thousands of ants in his luggage. That's what that is. Ants.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Former President Barack Obama jumping into the Virginia redistricting fight. Obama telling state voters it's up to them to support an effort to create a new congressional map. One that could flip as many as four Republican held seats in the House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: By voting yes, you have a chance to do something important, not just for the Commonwealth, but for our entire country. By voting yes, you can push back against the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms. By voting yes, you can take a temporary step to level the playing field.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: So, the vote on that effort is Tuesday of next week. CNN's Jeff Zeleny looks at the stakes in that fight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republicans are imploring Virginians to vote no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you going to vote? No!

ZELENY (voice-over): Democrats are urging them to say yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to stop the mega power grab?

ZELENY (voice-over): Virginia is the latest front in an unprecedented redistricting arms race. In a special election that ends Tuesday, voters are considering a Democratic plan to redraw district lines to help deliver the party four new seats in Congress, supercharging the delegation's power balance of six Democrats and five Republicans into a 10 to 1 advantage. It's one of the most aggressive responses yet in a year-long tit-for-tat that President Trump and Republicans began last year in Texas.

DELORES MCQUINN, (D) VIRGINIA DELEGATE: We didn't start this fight, but I'm saying to Virginians, we need to finish it.

ZELENY: What do you say to people who may say 10-1 may be sort of unfair? Virginia is a pretty split commonwealth, pretty split state.

MCQUINN: Not as unfair as a occupant of the White House who said, I need to find five more positions. I need to find five more members for Congress. So, that's the unfair.

ZELENY (voice-over): Dolores McQuinn said she will never forget Trump's words that sparked a gerrymandering war.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know. And we are entitled to five more seats.

ZELENY (voice-over): After Texas acted, Democrats in California followed suit, passing a referendum aimed at flipping five Republican- held seats. A redistricting battle has since played out in states across the country, with Florida still weighing whether to boost its Republican majority.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), HOUSE SPEAKER We have one of the smallest margins in U.S. history.

ZELENY (voice-over): And that small margin is what makes House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries so invested in the outcome here in Virginia.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: We're making clear we're not here to step back. We're here to fight back.

ZELENY (voice-over): Virginians have been bombarded with a massive advertising blitz.

OBAMA: Virginia, we are counting on you. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years.

ZELENY (voice-over): With former President Barack Obama and other Democrats once opposed to gerrymandering now saying it's the only way to keep pace with Republicans.

TARA BOWMAN, VIRGINIA VOTER: I think the new map is absolutely horrible.

ZELENY (voice-over): Tara Bowman is among the furious Republicans who would lose their current congressman if her rural Virginia home was suddenly in the same district as the Washington D.C. suburbs.

BOWMAN: We have lots of farming, small business, small farming, and I do not want my congressman to be from Fairfax. I mean, no, no, no, no.

ZELENY (voice-over): Another proposed congressional seat has been branded as the lobster claw for how it curves around a neighboring district dominated by college towns and stretches all the way to the Potomac River in Northern Virginia.

JASON MIYARES, FORMER VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: If you have to use animals to describe what a district looks like, maybe you've gerrymandered.

ZELENY (voice-over): The gerrymander is clear, but Democrats say it's justified score settling for what Trump started.

PHILIPPA CLARKE, VIRGINIA VOTER: I look at it as, is it fair in Texas what they're doing? If we as Democrats could even the playing field in, you know, in another area, then I think it's, it's OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Jeff Zeleny for that report.

Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is stepping down at the end of next month. As acting chief, Lyons oversaw the Trump administration's mass deportation plan and came under immense scrutiny. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin did not give a reason for Lyons departure and has not yet announced a replacement. ICE has been without a Senate confirmed leader since the Obama administration.

And a Chinese national is behind bars in Kenya after trying to smuggle more than 2000 live ants out of the country. Police arrested him last month at a Nairobi airport after the insects were found in his luggage. He was sentenced this week to 12 months in jail and ordered to pay what amounts to a $7,700 fine.

The court says this was a harsh sentence and it was necessary to deter others. It turns out these ant smuggling cases are on the rise. The defense lawyer plans to appeal the sentence.

Also, the iconic home shopping TV network, QVC, is filing for bankruptcy. The channel's parent company says it's entering chapter 11 proceedings to cut billions of dollars in debt. QVC has been a staple for nearly 40 years, selling everything from kitchen appliances to jewelry to clothes.

The company, though, has struggled in recent years because of a rise in online shopping and live streaming apps like TikTok. President Trump's tariffs and a decline in cable TV viewership have also hurt its business -- Jessica.

DEAN: The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" hits theaters next week, but moviegoers will see a very different ending to the film than the one originally shot. And that's because of a surprise legal discovery, one that led to reshoots for the film and criticism of how it tells the story of Jackson's life. Here's CNN Stephanie Elam.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just getting started.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When "Michael" hits the big screen, the king of pop will moonwalk, thrill, and don that iconic love, but don't expect this.

MICHAEL JACKSON: I ask all of you to wait and hear the truth.

ELAM (voice-over): Anything related to the child molestation accusations that followed Jackson for decades.

BRENT LANG, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, VARIETY: Initially, the film was supposed to actually start in 1993 as police cars were showing up to Neverland Ranch and Michael Jackson's house was going to be searched for evidence.

ELAM (voice-over): Variety reports the filmmakers were stunned when Jackson's estate found a clause in the 1994 settlement with accuser Jordan Chandler that derailed the nearly finished film.

LANG: And there was a clause in that agreement that prevented anybody from making a film that involved Chandler as a character or that depicted a Chandler-like character in that film. Our sources are saying that the reshoots cost at least $10 to $15 million. DAVID DANIELS, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Last things that we see are the bad tour.

ELAM (voice-over): CNN producer David Daniels saw the final version.

DANIELS: It is not a look how wonderful everything was, no blemishes, no problems. It is legendary that Joe Jackson ran the family with an iron hand. There is a very famous incident that injured Michael while he was filming a soda pop commercial.

ELAM (voice-over): But that may not be enough for some critics, especially since a 2019 documentary renewed attention to child sex abuse allegations against Jackson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Told me if they ever found out what we were doing, he and I would go to jail.

[15:50:00]

ELAM (voice-over): The Jackson family denied abuse allegations made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the documentary. Their attorney did not respond to CNN's questions about the upcoming film. Jackson was acquitted in an unrelated child molestation trial in 2005.

L. LONDELL MCMILLIAN, FORMER JACKSON ATTORNEY AND ADVISER: I am hoping that this film will showcase the beautiful, brilliant life and love of Michael.

ELAM (voice-over): L. Londell McMillan is a former Jackson advisor and reps the Prince Estate. He says an estate's first priority is to protect its own legacy.

MCMILLIAN: While it may make some people scream and yell, you'll see millions of other on the other spectrum stating, why would you let that in if the facts have not been proven?

ELAM (voice-over): Michael is already tracking to be a box office smash as was the recent Broadway play, MJ the Musical made by a different team.

DANIELS: They still think of him as this incredibly talented child.

ELAM (voice-over): Some music experts say Jackson's link to generations of childhood memories allows many fans to separate the flawed man from the artistic icon.

DANIELS: He gets bracketed with some of the things I think you really love, like Disney movies and other kind of childhood. Peter Pan as kind of that halo of childhood. And everybody was a kid once.

ELAM: And it should be noted the Jackson estate initially approved the inclusion of these darker allegations after admitting its oversight. Variety reports the estate paid for the reshoots, not the studio. Meantime, the two accusers in that dock by HBO, which is a sister company to CNN, have sued companies tied to Jackson, arguing they didn't do enough to protect the plaintiffs. Those companies deny the claim that case is expected to go to trial next year.

Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right, Stephanie, thank you so much for that.

Oil drops and stocks soar. A final look at the markets. That's after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Eva Longoria is back and exploring the fields of Provence and the world-famous wineries of Bordeaux in the CNN original series, "EVA LONGORIA, SEARCHING FOR FRANCE."

DEAN: Two new episodes airing Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastern and then the next day on our CNN app. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA LONGORIA, CNN EVA LONGORIA SEARCHING FOR FRANCE: Oh my gosh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's nice.

LONGORIA: I have to taste this right away. Sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, let's go.

LONGORIA: And what is the cream in here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mix the meat just with mustard and fermented milk.

LONGORIA: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really, really good.

LONGORIA: Oh my gosh. I love that I can taste your Tunisian heritage in this dish. It's front and center, but at the same time in a tartan, in a French way. Wow. It is so full of love and history.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the both of you, you don't cook with that much ego. You're kind of artists for me.

LONGORIA: You guys are so young to be an entrepreneur, to have this level of talent at your age.

LONGORIA (voice-over): It's thrilling to be cooking and eating with these amazing young chefs, all still in their 20s, who are changing the face of French food.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You work hard, and at the end of the day, it's always a good day. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because we are free.

LONGORIA: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: These clips always make me hungry.

DEAN: I know.

SANCHEZ: Don't miss two new episodes of the CNN original series, "EVA LONGORIA SEARCHING FOR FRANCE," Sunday night at 9 Eastern, only on CNN.

We're now just a couple minutes from the closing bell, and we're following markets after Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

DEAN: CNN Business Senior Reporter David Goldman has been monitoring the investor reaction all day. So here in these closing moments, what's going on, David?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, really nice day for the market. Certainly, we've seen those stock prices rise. And, you know, anytime the Dow is close to 1,000 points higher, we're almost 800, 900 points higher now, that's a good day for the market.

And certainly, we've seen these record highs in the last couple of days. So here we are again, you know, getting even closer to that 50,000 mark for the Dow and for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq at a record high. So why is this happening?

Well, oil prices are falling. I'm sorry. That's the stock chart.

Oil prices are falling. And there we go. They're down almost 9 percent. Incredible.

Incredible day that we've had in the oil market. And all of that is because the Strait of Hormuz is open up again, according to Trump and according to Iran.

That is certainly news that we've been expecting but didn't necessarily expect it as quickly as we got it. So I think everyone wants to know, what does this mean for gas prices? Are we going to start to see those fall?

Yes, probably. But it's going to take some time. Refineries need to come back online.

All of that clogged up traffic that's in the Strait of Hormuz, that needs to come out. Then we need to get new empty tankers in, get the oil onto those tankers, get them to their destinations. It takes a long time to do that.

And then they need to refine that into gasoline and get it to your gas station. So we're looking at a timeline of months, not days here, unfortunately.

SANCHEZ: Sounds like a lot of waiting.

DEAN: Yes, it does. And David, just really, really quickly, it could affect airlines, too. We're still watching that, right?

GOLDMAN: Yep. Yep. So we were just this morning talking about a shortage in jet fuel. So that's not going away anytime soon, right? Same process for jet fuel. Your summer travel might not be as clean as you want it to be.

You might have a little bit of bumpy air, so to speak.

[16:00:00]

DEAN: Yes, expensive bumpy air. David Goldman wearing his breaking news sweater because it has been a breaking business news day. All right.

SANCHEZ: Love it. Thanks, David. Thank you so much for joining us.

Jessica, great to be with you this week.

DEAN: Thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: Hope to see you again soon.

"THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

END