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Officials Say Columbia University Protest Led by Outside Agitators; Iran Shows Types of Missiles and Drones Used in Its Strike Last Month; Marches, Demonstrations Mark International Workers' Day; Cuba Grapples With Economic Woes Including U.S. Sanctions, Inflation; Scientists Trace Asteroid's Origin to Far Side of Moon. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 02, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:31]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, a tense situation underway on the campus of UCLA as Los Angeles police begin moving in to clear out an encampment of pro- Palestinian protesters.

Aid convoys began rolling into northern Gaza after Israel reopens a main border crossing for the first time since October 7th.

And a rare look at the drones and missiles Iran used in its unprecedented attack on Israel.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: And we want to get right to our breaking news out of Los Angeles. Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies have flooded the campus of UCLA and any moment now, they could begin clearing the encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters.

A source tells CNN the encampment has been declared an unlawful assembly. Prisoner buses from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department are now parked nearby to take away those who are arrested. This is the second straight night of incredible tension at UCLA.

Just 24 hours ago, violent clashes between rival protest groups left at least 15 people injured and CNN's Nick Watt is live at the scene. He joins us now.

So, Nick, pressure building on the UCLA campus, talk to us about what's happening right now.

NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Rosemary. I'm right outside the encampment. Tom (ph), if you push in, you can see some of the protesters who are still in that encampment. Some of them wearing helmets, many of them wearing masks, some of them wearing goggles, getting ready for what they know will be law enforcement moving in some time during tonight.

Now, it's hard to tell exactly how many people are in there. But I would say dozens of tents and hundreds of people.

Now, they will be given another chance to move out before law enforcement moves in. Unclear how many of them will make that choice because those who remain will be arrested and loaded onto those buses.

Now, I'm told by a source that the plan is for LAPD and the -- and the county sheriff to deal with the large crowds of pro-Palestinian protesters that have gathered around the encampment in the hours since the rumor started that there was going to be a law enforcement push into the encampment itself.

So, we have LAPD and county sheriff dealing with those crowds, we will have the California Highway Patrol. You can maybe almost make them out and I'm not sure you can. They're already lining up wearing riot gear, helmets visors down, looks like gas masks hanging off their belts, lining up, facing the encampment. There are people in the encampment against this barricade that they had been reinforcing all day, shining flashlights over at the CHP.

Now, as you mentioned last night here, there was a battle really between some pro-Israel protesters, some of them students, some of them clearly not who set a firework, sprayed some chemicals. There were physical assaults. And that is what made the governor of California really order this large, large law enforcement presence tonight. And it is clear that they will at some point be moving into this camp.

Now, many people around here, it's 11:00 p.m. now in Los Angeles, many of these people say that they will stay to voice their support. And we've also seen them moving dumpsters, bike racks, unclear why but perhaps to try and block any access point for the CHP or any exit route for them to get out with the people that they arrest.

So, tension very high. This week long camp is going to be disbanded tonight.

Now, I'm told the CHP is concerned about human waste in that camp. As I say, it's been there a week. They're also concerned that some of the protesters might have bear spray on them. So, I'm told that this will be a very slow and methodical process as they will eventually move in and move through this time.

Tom, just pan this way. So, this is Royce Hall. This is one of the most iconic buildings on this campus. And you see it's also been barricaded unless become part of this encampment.

[02:05:04]

So, in the next few hours, unclear exactly when we will see this encampment be disbanded now, it's been a real change of tactic from law enforcement.

For the week, they have been very low key, very standing back trying not to antagonize, trying not to cause a situation after what happened last night, as I say, that all changed. Today we have seen so many CHP, so many LAPD all over this campus, clearly preparing for the move that will be made sometime in the late hours or the small hours of the morning, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Nick, the removal and arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University Tuesday night went smoothly for the most part with about 300 arrests. It's always a risk, of course, when police are brought in to break up protests like this, the concern being of course, that someone will get hurt, or worse.

So, how did UCLA administrators make that calculation? And why did it take so long to bring police on campus?

WATT: Well, UCLA administrators had been trying to keep police off campus. And it was really pressure from the mayor of Los Angeles, pressure from the governor of California that really forced them to step this up.

They did not want to have a confrontation. They've been telling us that they've been trying to balance the right for free speech, the safety of their students, and also their mission, which is to educate and for people to learn. That's all been put on hold, no classes today. It really came to a point where they were under so much pressure that they have to do this.

So, right, listen, they'll get criticized whatever happens. They didn't have enough security here last night. So, these protesters were really attacked by counter protesters. They have a lot of security here tonight. And they will be criticized for what happens tonight because it's hard to see it being anything other than quite an ugly scene, Rosemary.

CHURCH: That is indeed the concern, our Nick Watt there at UCLA, very tense standoff there between police and pro-Palestinian protesters. We will of course continue to monitor this. We'll come back to your neck as soon as there's any movement there and bring our viewers the very latest. Appreciate your report.

So, the college protests have put U.S. President Joe Biden in a bad spot as he seeks reelection with the war in Gaza dividing some Democrats. His administration has condemned the forceful takeover of campus buildings and instances of anti-Semitism while remaining mindful of student's rights to protest.

According to the White House press secretary, President Biden will drive home the need to fight anti-Semitism. When he delivers a keynote address next week at the U.S. cola -- Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual remembrance ceremony.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president is being kept regularly updated on what's happening as you just stated across the country. He is monitoring the situation closely, so is his team.

And I would just add that no president -- no president has spoken more forcefully about combating anti-Semitism than this president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: For the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began, desperately needed aid is again flowing into northern Gaza through the Erez Crossing. A convoy of 31 trucks from Jordan passed through the checkpoint on Wednesday soon after the Israeli government agreed to reopen it for humanitarian deliveries.

The reopening came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was wrapping up his trip to Israel, his seventh visit to the Middle East since the conflict broke out in October. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and reiterated his message to Hamas, take the hostage and ceasefire deal currently on the table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Israel has made very important compromises in the proposal that it's on the table. Demonstrating its desire and willingness to get this agreement and get it done. Now, as we've been saying, it's on Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Blinken's message to Israel, the U.S. will not support a major military operation in the southern city of Rafah without an effective plan to protect civilians.

Mr. Netanyahu is under pressure from his right flank to move forward with the incursion.

Meanwhile, a new poll by an Israeli public broadcaster shows 54 percent of Israelis favor the latest Egyptian hostage and ceasefire deal. 26 percent oppose the plan, 20 percent are not sure.

Well, joining me now from Tel Aviv, former Israeli consul general in New York Alon Pinkas. Sir, appreciate you being with us.

[02:10:08]

ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL, NEW YORK: Thank you, Rosemary, always good to be with you.

CHURCH: So, as pressure builds for the wall War in Gaza to end, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his trip to the region is urging Hamas to accept the new hostage ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt. How likely is it do you think that Hamas will agree to the terms of this new deal?

PINKAS: To be honest, Rosemary, it's 50-50. And I'm sorry, I don't have a more accurate assessment because of two things.

One is that reportedly Hamas is unhappy with the plan, because a parallel to the idea, to the proposal, Israel pledged in the last two days, and you mentioned it in your introduction, Israel pledged to invade Rafah no matter what, with a deal or without a deal. So, that's sort of a disincentive for Hamas.

Secondly, I don't know and I don't know that anyone knows what exactly is the command and control and communication streamline in Hamas. I don't know how decisions are made these days. It takes it a long time, the Egyptians, the Qataris attested to that effect that it takes too long. And no one knows who makes the exact decision and why it takes so long, obviously, because some of them are hiding in tunnels.

So, that leads to the, you know, unfortunate and tragic conclusion that it's at 50 percent at best.

CHURCH: I mean, what is the advantage of Hamas not accepting this? Because, I mean, Blinken is saying -- Secretary Blinken says it's incredibly generous. Do you agree with that?

PINKAS: Yes. So, I don't think that Hamas, and again, I don't know what's going on in their heads and what the decision-making process looks like. I don't think that they trust Israel's pledged to stop hostilities to -- you know, to adhere to a lengthy and prolonged ceasefire.

And they think it's a game, they think they will pay with the deal. And then Israel will resume military activities three, four weeks later.

They are not happy with the assurances they're getting from the Qatar, from Egypt, and indirectly from the Americans. I think this is part of what Secretary Blinken tried to relate to them that the assurances are real.

But there's another issue here, Rosemary, I don't know that Mr. Netanyahu wants that deal. Because if the deal, as was reported, includes a lengthy and almost indefinite ceasefire, then the war ends with almost zero tangible achievements. And he is left with Israel in Gaza in the Gaza quagmire without any post war Gaza plan.

CHURCH: And then, of course, another part of this story under immense pressure from the U.S., Israel just reopened the era's border crossing, allowing desperately needed aid convoys into northern Gaza. Why did it take this long to do that?

PINKAS: There are two or three plausible explanations for this Rosemary. One is that Mr. Netanyahu was seriously riled by reports that the ICC, the International Court of -- the International Criminal Court, I'm sorry, can issue arrest warrants against even him and other Israeli leaders in the last several years for causing hunger and child starvation, etcetera, etcetera. And this was a way to allay their fears or mitigate what seems to be, you know, arrest warrants in the making, if that is -- if that is accurate.

The second is that Israel was just indifferent and oblivious to this and only relented under the fear American pressure.

The third explanation is more concrete. And that is that if you recall, and I'm sure our viewers can recall, the killing of the seven, eight workers from the World Central Kitchen -- Central World Kitchen. I think that that was an inflection point that caused Israel to rethink its humanitarian policy.

CHURCH: And all of this, of course, as we've been watching, we've got that in our low right hand screen that college students across the United States and now other parts of the world are protesting against the war in Gaza, with police being called in to remove some of these encampments and arrest protesters.

The pro-Palestinian protests, of course, putting the Biden administration under pressure, could even pose a risk to the president's reelection plans.

But what impact are they likely having on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and perhaps on what Hamas may decide to do as they watch this play out?

PINKAS: Well, ironically, this makes Netanyahu happy because it allows him to further advance his bogus narrative that this is not --

[02:15:00]

PINKAS: Well ironically, this makes Netanyahu happy, because it allows him to further advance his bogus narrative that this is not about Hamas. This is not about Gaza. This is not even about the back on the catastrophe of October 7th, but this is about something much bigger, that involves anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

And there is a left-wing conspiracy in the world against him personally and the against Israel. And this is an entirely new narrative that sort of distanced himself -- distances himself, Rosemary from the events of October 7th.

Now, this is seen very, very seriously in Israel, because, you know, you have conspiracy theories that this is a result of a democratic and progressive politics in the U.S., on the one hand. And on the other hand, that this is being stirred by the Iranians and the Qataris, and the Saudis, and whomever. And that this is all about anti-Semitism, and how unsafe it is now.

And you know, and the bigger picture -- the bigger picture, I'm sorry, does not get the attention that they do.

CHURCH: Alon Pinkas, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

PINKAS: Thanks.

CHURCH: And coming up, rescuers are scrambling to help people reach safety as the floodwaters continue to rise in Kenya. We will have a live report next.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

In Kenya, we are saying brief moments of hope after weeks of torrential rain and deadly floods. The Red Cross says 11 people were rescued from the floodwaters south of Nairobi on Wednesday. And more than 90 were rescued in Western Kenya, where a riverbank broke.

Tourist camps were flooded and tents swept away. The death toll from the flooding across Kenya is now approaching 200 with more heavy rain forecast for this month.

We want to get the latest now on the stage of the disaster in Kenya and the rescue efforts. CNN's Larry Madowo joins us now. Larry, what is the latest on all of this?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, the death toll from the heavy rains that Kenya has been seeing is now at 188, including two more bodies that were pulled from the aftermath of the mudslides after flash floods are happening in Mai Mahiu, just about an hour northwest of here, the capital of Nairobi.

One of the most striking things to happen yesterday was the Maasai Mara national reserve, this world-famous game park flooding after tributary of the Mara River burst its banks, and several tourist lodges and camps were completely swept away.

In some cases, tourist was stranded. In one instance, this tourist had to spend the night on top of elevated water tanks until they were rescued in the morning. One of the Kenyan tour guides that helped rescue the lives of 14 tourists and 25. local staff members said, he woke up 1:30 a.m.

[02:20:04]

And the water was up to his waist. So, they had to do some quick thinking to get everybody to higher ground until they could get some help to come to them. It's been an extraordinary scene. Everybody so far has been evacuated out of the Mara, and everybody is safe.

Listen to these Kenyan tour guides who made that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MUREITHI, KENYAN TOUR DRIVER: When we came out of the tents, the water was already reaching in our waste.

The water literally surrounded the entire camp. So, we couldn't get out. Even the plane -- the plane is coming to rescue us could come in time.

JAMES APOILOH OMENYA, KENYAN RESIDENT: I hope all the other camps were -- everyone was rescued because on our camp, we made sure everyone was out. Unfortunately, my Jeep did not survive and it's somewhere up there in the bushes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: So, his Jeep did not survive, he says, because that's the tourist van that still remains lodged in the bushes. But the County Government of Narok where the Maasai Mara National Reserve is has closed 14 camps. And has told any other residents or hotels that are still operating, that they have to evacuate if they are along the banks of the river, and if they remain, they will take legal action against them, because that is considered attempted suicide.

But you see just the extent of this flooding that the entire country is dealing with, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Larry Madowo, reporting there from Nairobi.

Well, meanwhile, Southeast Asia is enjoying a record smashing heatwave. Temperatures are soaring and humidity is high, making it difficult for people to cool down. It's not just miserable, it's life threatening. CNN's. Chad Myers has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice over): In the Philippines, dry cracked soil plagues crop fields. In Manila, zookeepers give their big cats icy treats and shower them with water.

Meanwhile, pet shop workers in Bangladesh work overtime just to keep their animals cool. While demand for air conditioning units, skyrockets. People searching for solace during what's been a record heatwave.

LETHI HONG, TOURIST (through translator): It's too hot. I have this one day off. So, I took the opportunity to bring my child here. But the heat is unbearable. I am tired. He is also tired despite being excited.

MYERS (voice over): Across South Asia, humans, animals and crops like cannot take the heat. All week, temperatures in the region have run from five to eight degrees -- even 10 degrees above the norm.

Peaking at 44 degrees Celsius or 111 degrees Fahrenheit. The sweltering heat made even more harsh by intensified humidity ahead of the expected monsoon.

PETCH MANOPAWITR, CONSERVATION SCIENTIST: Even in tropical region like Southeast Asia now, we are experiencing the new normal, I can say. Climate scientists already talking about the shifting baseline.

MYERS (voice over): Many schools across the region had closed due to the scorching temperatures while others like this primary school in Northern India take a different approach. The school says attendance has gone up since implementing a makeshift pool.

But other areas are drying up. Low water levels in the Vietnam Song May Reservoir had killed hundreds of thousands of fish. And the heatwave threatening crops and the livelihoods of those who farmed them.

PILING PAYUYAO, FARMER (through translator): When the heat is very extreme, we cannot produce good quality fruits and vegetables. That is the effect of the heat. Farmers have to suffer a loss from low prices because of the poor quality.

MYERS (voice over): On the opposite end of the delivery chain, food delivery drivers do what they can to avoid succumbing to the sweltering temperatures.

In Thailand, the extreme heat means fewer pedestrians and more traffic jams, leaving bike riders to face the heatwave with minimal stops for water or A.C.

SURIYAN WONGWAN, FOOD DELIVERY RIDER (through translator): Riders have to work harder as our delivery rate has decreased. But the more rides we take, the longer we stay under the heat, and it affects us.

MYERS (voice over): Experts say, these heat waves are becoming hotter and more frequent with climate change.

A University of Cambridge study said heat waves in India could cross the survivability limit for a healthy person in the shade by 2050. And as average temperatures rise in a region most susceptible to heat, daily life will become more and more unbearable for the millions that live there.

Chad Myers, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Russia's defense ministry is showing off dozens of Western tanks, weapons, and other military hardware it captured in Ukraine. The weapons are from some of Ukraine's staunchest allies, including a U.S. made Abrams tank and the German Leopard 2 tank.

The weapons are on display in Moscow ahead of Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9th, one of the biggest public holidays and marks the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany.

Kyiv called the exhibition propaganda meant to discredit Western assistance. Ukraine has relied heavily on military aid from partners across the world, in particular, the U.S. which just approved a new aid package with $61 billion.

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on more than a dozen companies in China and Hong Kong for their support of Russia's war on Ukraine.

[02:25:04]

It's part of a tranche of nearly 300 new sanctions the U.S. unveiled on Wednesday. The move is meant to crack down on those helping Russia evade sanctions, and it comes after repeated warnings from top U.S. officials to Beijing. The sanctions also hit targets within Russia, as well as Belgium, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Slovakia, and Uzbekistan. In Georgia's capital Tbilisi, a massive crowd of anti-government protesters gathered outside Parliament, as lawmakers passed the second reading of the Foreign Agents Bill. Critics call it the Russian law, as they say it's inspired by laws used to suppress dissent by Vladimir Putin.

It would require organizations to register as agents of foreign influence if they received more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

If the bill passes one more vote, it will become law. Georgia's health ministry says 11 people including six police officers were injured after police used tear gas and stun grenades during Wednesday's protests.

And we'll have more on the protests at college campuses across the United States, including at the University of Pennsylvania where CNN tried to find out just how many protesters are actually students.

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The latest now on our breaking news on the standoff at the University of California, Los Angeles. There is a massive police presence on campus right now. And it's clear, they will, at some point, be moving into the encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters after the gathering was declared unlawful, exactly when that will happen? Well, that remains a mystery right now. But we are monitoring it.

Prisoner buses from the sheriff's department are waiting nearby. We are hearing it's the California Highway Patrol that will actually begin the breakup of the encampment, because it's a state agency and this is state land.

[02:30:07]

This situation is playing out just one night after fighting broke out between the pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter protesters. Meantime officials in New York say some of the protesters at Columbia University were outside agitators. But students are pushing back on that claim.

Police had to climb in through the windows of Hamilton Hall Tuesday night after the administration asked them to clear out the protesters who had occupied that building. Police body camera videos show officers pushing some protesters and removing furniture that was blocking doors. About 300 people were arrested. One student who was in the building told CNN, everyone there was students or affiliated with the universities. But the masses, the students were led by professional outside agitators. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK CITY: We need to be clear on this. I received a letter from the school and in the letter from the school that asked us to come in, they said there was a clear and present danger, and that they had outside individuals who were on the grounds participating in this activity. So it was not only our observation from our intelligence division, but it was also the school officials who asked us to step in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And it appears it is not just students taking part in demonstrations at the University of Pennsylvania. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz went to the school to find out exactly who is staying in the encampment on campus? Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): The campus at the University of Pennsylvania is open to the public.

PROKUPECZ: You guys are students here? Do -- are they students or --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so.

PROKUPECZ: Do you work for the school or --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

PROKUPECZ: OK, all right. Thank you.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): For more than a week, the encampment has grown, tents filled with people. But who are they?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): You're harassing my friend.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The suspicion runs both ways.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. Are you press or what?

PROKUPECZ: Yeah, I'm with CNN. I mean, we're just asking people questions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't trust you (ph) either, come on.

PROKUPECZ: OK. Why are you hiding your face?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What news are you guys from?

PROKUPECZ: We're CNN.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): One man who was showing his face is having a tough time with the crowd here.

PROKUPECZ: This man, sole supporter of Israel. He's actually not even from Israel. He's not Israeli. He's not Jewish. He is actually Christian, but he said he felt the need to come out here and voice his support for Israel. So what's interesting, every time he speaks or every time he says something, this group here, they follow him around. They put this blue tarp behind him and they try to interrupt what he's saying. So they're bringing out the speaker now to try and drown out what he's saying. So now, they have the speaker out here.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): We spot a person named Charlotte waving the flag of a terrorist organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

PROKUPECZ: What was that flag that you are carrying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's not talking to you.

PROKUPECZ: I understand. But what was -- what was -- what was that flag you were carrying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't --

PROKUPECZ: Do you know that that flag that you were carrying is a terrorist organization?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am not talking to you.

PROKUPECZ: Are you aware of that? You were waving it. Charlotte? Charlotte? You were waving it very proudly. Charlotte?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me, guys.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): They don't want to speak with us and flee before we can ask any more questions.

PROKUPECZ: You're not a student, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

PROKUPECZ: OK. And he's not a student?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

PROKUPECZ: OK. So how come you're here if you're not students?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're supporting.

PROKUPECZ: OK. But this is supposed to be for students, right? Or this is just -- I'm just curious, that's what I thought, but it seems like most people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am a student.

PROKUPECZ: Yeah. Yeah. You know a student here at this at this school?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could be or could be not.

PROKUPECZ: OK. When -- first, you said no, so I don't know. I'm just --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a question for the cops, when they come, I can answer that for them. PROKUPECZ: OK. Are you a student here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Do you know ---

PROKUPECZ: Are you a student here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

PROKUPECZ: OK. You've been camping out here on campus and you're not a student?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, there's a lot of people -- there's a lot of community members here.

PROKUPECZ: Yeah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: CNN's Shimon Prokupecz reporting there. And CNN has been given rare access to an exhibit in Tehran that showcases the country's air and space capabilities, but also the types of missiles and drones used in Iran's first ever attack against Israel launched from Iranian soil just over two weeks ago. Our Fred Pleitgen gives us a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): When Iran attacked Israel in mid-April, they fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones developed by the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace forces.

PLEITGEN: So these two were used in the Israel operation?

[02:35:00]

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Now, the Revolutionary Guard showed us the types of weapons they used to strike Israel, including two ballistic missiles, the Emad and the other (ph) with a range of more than a thousand miles, able to carry about a half-ton warhead.

PLEITGEN: How accurate are these?

BRIG. GEN. ALI BELALI, IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS: Accurate? Less than five meters.

PLEITGEN: Less than five meters, you can hit the target?

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Brigadier General Ali Belali was himself once a missile commander in the Revolutionary Guard. He says Iranian missiles managed to hit two targets in Israel, including an airbase, in retaliation for the bombing of Iran's embassy compound in Syria. While the U.S. and Israel claim to have shot down nearly all of Iran's missiles and drones, the General says Tehran showed the power of its aerospace forces.

BELALI (through translator): Today, our drones and missiles have become an important factor of strength and the execution of power in the world, he says.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): He also showed us this cruise missile, a type also used in the strikes, and arguably, currently, the most infamous drone in the world, the Shahed 136.

PLEITGEN: Can you show me the warhead? I've never seen the Shahed warhead before.

BELALI: (Inaudible).

PLEITGEN: Yeah.

BELALI: And then explodes in the -- inside (inaudible).

PLEITGEN: Into the missile and then it explodes, OK.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): While the Iranians acknowledged using Shaheds against Israel, the U.S. and Ukraine accused Tehran of also giving hundreds as of these drones to Russia, Moscow using them to attack Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The Iranians continue to deny those accusations. The General tells me that Shaheds attack in swarms, often fired off secretly from unmarked trucks like this one.

BELALI (through translator): Everything is preprogrammed, he says. The flight route is chosen according to the enemy's capabilities and blind spots of radars, and all the elements that can help us reach the target.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): While tensions between Iran and Israel have somewhat eased after they traded direct military blows for the first time, the General warns Iran has even more modern weapons at its disposal.

BELALI (through translator): The only path for them is to have logical and wise negotiations with us, he says. In our defense capabilities, we don't depend on anyone. We've had good progress in this field and we will progress more. There are achievements that have not yet been talked about.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Fred Pleigen, CNN, Tehran

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The first of May is International Workers Day, better known as May Day. And on Wednesday, people turned out around the world to rally for workers' rights. In South Korea, thousands gathered to criticize the government's policies and called for improvements to labor rights. While in Paris, the traditional march by labor unions was mobbed by clashes between protesters and riot police.

[02:40:00] CHURCH: Meanwhile, Cuba marked the day with a massive rally. CNN's Patrick Oppmann was there.

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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: May Day in Havana is typically the largest government-organized event that you have here each year. And while there are thousands of people out this morning, you won't see the usual hundreds of thousands of people that you see streaming into Havana's Revolution Square. The Cuban government says that, at least this year, they don't have the gasoline or the resources to pull off that kind of massive style event. So, there are encouraging people to celebrate May Day in their neighborhoods.

Here where were expecting the Cuban leadership, you have thousands of people. That's actually the U.S. embassy there behind me, the location they have chosen for the May Day festivities. So you'll certainly hear Cuban officials criticizing U.S. sanctions on this island, but U.S. sanctions are only one of the absolute hurricane of economic calamity impacting Cuba at this moment, including runaway inflation, the largest immigration event, more Cubans leaving than have for the last several decades, and as well just the sense of things are continuously getting worse here as economic reforms have all but stalled out.

So, while this is a moment for Benny (ph) here to celebrate their revolution, to celebrate communism. For many other Cubans, who are just barely getting by, the question is how relevant is a revolution now to their lives and what can the Cuban government do, if anything, to help them get by.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

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CHURCH: For the first time, astronomers have determined a potentially hazardous asteroid flying near earth came from the moon. The space rock known as 2016 HO3 orbits the sun, but sticks close to our planet. It is about half the size of the London Eye Ferris Wheel. Scientists say the rock appears to have come from an impact crater on the far side of the moon, unlike most near earth asteroids, which originates between Mars and Jupiter. Their modeling suggests an object hit the moon millions of years ago, digging out the chunk of rock, and the findings could lead to other revelations, including how the ingredients for life made their way to earth.

I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is next, and I'll be back in about 15 minutes time with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

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