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Trump Threatens To Cut Trade With Spain Over NATO Frictions; Americans Stranded In Middle East As Conflict Escalates; War In Middle East Roils Global Markets And Shipping. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired March 04, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

KATIE FROST, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: We're going to put out a snarky statement. So if you're trying to get those Hunt voters, you're not helping yourself at this moment. But that question is, you have to look at it. You're John Cornyn has been in the Senate. If he were to win reelection, that would be his fifth term, it would be 30 years in the Senate.

If you weren't going to vote for John Cornyn now, are you really going to vote for him on the 2nd round? So then it becomes a turnout election. Who is more motivated? Who's going to actually get their people out? And if I had to make a prediction then, my money would be on Ken Paxton's voters to be more likely to turn out in the Cornyn voter.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: One prediction I feel pretty confident about is that we are going to be talking about Texas a lot for the next 12 weeks. Ladies, thank you both. Great to have you with us.

Still ahead here, the latest on the U.S. is really strikes inside Iran, as well as Europe's reaction to the growing conflict across the region. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: All right, back to our breaking news on the war with Iran. I'm Becky Anderson, our Middle East programming hub here in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

The Israeli military says that it has shot down an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran. Now, this comes as the IDF has launched a tenth wave of new attacks on the Iranian capital, calling them broad-scale strikes targeting Iranian terror regime targets. A U.S.-based human rights group says more than 1,000 people, including children, have been killed in Iran since the war began on Saturday.

And we are also tracking new strikes in Lebanon this hour, where smoke could be seen rising in the southern suburbs of Beirut earlier. These are the images into CNN. The Israeli military has urged residents in that area to evacuate, claiming that they were in close proximity to Hezbollah facilities. [04:35:10]

Well, France has deployed fighter jets to protect its military bases here in the United Arab Emirates from this growing conflict as it expands. And UAE officials say they will take any and all necessary measures to combat these Iranian attacks, regardless of how long they continue.

Well, earlier, I spoke with Defense Ministry Spokesperson Major General Abdul Nasser Al Humaidi. He showed me how the UAE is dealing with what is a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Just walk us through what we've got here.

MAJ. GEN. ABDUL NASSER AL HUMAIDI, UAE DEFENSE MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: Moving to this area, this is an attack suicide drone developed by the Iranians. It's called Shahed 136. It has a range of over 2,500 kilometers. And we've intercepted hundreds of these over the last two or three days.

ANDERSON: One of the things that, as a resident here, one of the things that is scary, shocking, is to hear these booms, these thuds, which are the interceptions, obviously, of these missiles or these drones that have been coming in. Can you just describe how high up those interceptions are? Because at times, people will feel that they're very close to them, of course, particularly when it's the middle of the night.

AL HUMAIDI: Yes. We repeatedly announce to the public that if they hear those sounds, if they hear those bombs or popping sounds in the air, it's basically a comforting signal, because it means the air defense system are working as supposed to, and it's actually doing its job by intercepting or destroying those threats. So if they hear those noises, they should be -- they should feel comfortable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And just to be clear, nearly 1,000 missiles and drones lobbed at the UAE over the past four days. More than 90 percent have been intercepted. What you were saying there is the debris of some of those interceptions. It has been, I have to say, because I live here in Abu Dhabi, it's been a lot quieter over the past, what, sort of 14, 15 hours. But it has been particularly noisy and messy, as these have been coming in since Saturday, of course.

Well, President Trump is once again at odds with a fellow NATO ally, threatening on Tuesday to cut off trade with Spain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned the U.S. military strikes in Iran, and he is barring the U.S. from using its military bases in southern Spain to participate in the ongoing conflict. In turn, President Trump criticized the country for failing to meet its NATO defense spending commitments.

Well, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, joining us now live from London, with more on what is coming out from these European capitals and how the U.S. President is responding. Salma, what have you got?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So yet again, President Trump at odds with his European partners, but perhaps in a way that we've never seen before, of course, over the conflict in Iran. Here in the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer, last weekend, as soon as these strikes began, addressed the country and essentially said that the U.K. would not be involved in those initial strikes, and even said that the country was learning from the lessons of Iraq.

Well, that drew the wrath of President Trump, who yesterday said, we're not dealing with Winston Churchill, was his comment, a very deep and dark jab at Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is a former human rights lawyer and who did later say that the U.S. could use U.K. bases for their military operations.

We've also heard from other European partners who are trying to toe this line between their partnership with the United States, but also their own responsibilities and their own ethical concerns. I want you to take a listen to what Macron, Emmanuel Macron, said as well. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): The United States of America and Israel have decided to launch military operations. These operations were conducted outside of international law, which we cannot condone. However, history never mourns those who oppress their people, and none will be missed. A new situation is emerging. The strikes are expected to continue in the coming days to weaken Iran and destroy its capacity to retaliate and retaliation.

Iranian strikes throughout the region are then expected to continue. In this context, together with Germany and the United Kingdom, we have clearly stated that an immediate halt to the strikes is desirable and that lasting peace in the region will only be achieved through the resumption of diplomatic negotiations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:40:12]

ABDELAZIZ: And President Macron's take there really towing the line, Becky, between saying this is, these strikes are outside of international law, we cannot condone them, but at the same time, of course, saying and admitting, of course, the issues with the Islamic Republic and the Islamic regime and the human rights situation on the ground. Towing that line between these two things has been echoed across Europe.

But President Trump is absolutely not accepting those who are simply trying to find the middle ground, as you heard there with that backlash towards Prime Minister Keir Starmer here in the U.K.

ANDERSON: Salma Abdelaziz is in London in the United Kingdom. Salma, thank you. Well, you're watching CNN. Still to come, frustrated travellers left stranded in the Middle East due to these canceled flights all over the region. We're going to get the latest on U.S. government efforts to bring American citizens back home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are voicing their concerns about the U.S. military action in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: Once again, the answers are very unsatisfying. They have shifting goals, different goals all the time, different answers every day. And I am truly worried about mission creep.

When there's no set plan, when you can't hear day after day, we're going to do this, this, this, and this, and these are the reasons why. You end up with an endless war. You end up with mission creep. You end up with all kinds of problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Well, despite Tuesday's briefing with top lawmaker senators remain large, top officials, rather senators remain largely divided along party lines on just what the goals are in Iran for the Trump administration. The Senate, meantime, is set to vote as soon as today on a war powers resolution that would require President Trump to gain congressional approval to continue the military campaign. The House is expected to vote on a similar measure on Thursday. Both, though, are likely to fail.

[04:45:20]

When asked by CNN's Manu Raju, House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to classify the U.S. military action as a war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you acknowledge that this is a war right now.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), HOUSE SPEAKER: I think it's an operation.

RAJU: The people -- U.S. servicemembers are getting killed right now?

JOHNSON: It's a dangerous operation and an important one, and we had to act because there was an imminent threat. But there's not a declaration of war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Now, the Trump administration is trying to assure lawmakers are doing everything in their power to bring home American citizens who are stranded in the Middle East. Of course, virtually all commercial travel methods remain unavailable as the war with Iran escalates. Officials say they are exploring multiple options, including using military aircraft and charter flights to relocate citizens who want to leave the region.

Brian Todd joining me now from Washington. And there's been considerable criticism that there was not more planning in advance for this exact scenario, Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erica. There's criticism over that. And there's criticism over the lack of communication from the U.S. government to thousands of Americans stranded in the Middle East right now. They are in a state of uncertainty, confusion, and, frankly, a lot of anxiety over the situations that they're facing on the ground in places like Doha, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other places.

The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said that more than 1,500 Americans had reached out requesting assistance to be relocated. Now, Rubio says he's confident that they will be able to assist every American who wants to get out of the region to do that. And he said that the U.S. government is looking at military aircraft and charter flights to get them out. But, frankly, the American government is playing catch-up right now in this process, because they did not have a plan, and this was admitted to by President Trump, they did not have a plan to evacuate American citizens before these airstrikes began.

Now, despite their contention that they're scrambling planes and trying to figure out military aircraft and other assets to send over there to evacuate Americans, Marco Rubio gave out a State Department number that Americans could call if they need assistance, but that number proved a very unsatisfying one when they got a recording at the other end. Take a listen to that phone call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you are calling about the crisis in the Middle East, please press 1. If not, press 2. Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time. There are currently no United States evacuation points. Please continue to check the embassy's website for updated information in the event of ongoing military action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Now, to be fair, it's not all automation when you call that number for the State Department. I did call that number a short time ago, and after a couple of prompts, I did get a live person on the line, and I asked about possibly evacuating an American, and I picked a country that was affected by all of this, Saudi Arabia. I asked, what would it take for me to try to get an acquaintance or a friend out of Saudi Arabia? The woman at the other end said, quote, there are no evacuations going on right now. She told me to go to a website called step.state.gov. That is the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

It gives you information about conditions in other countries and asks you to enroll in it so that U.S. officials can contact you if you're stranded overseas. I went to that website, and I looked up Saudi Arabia. It said every American in Saudi Arabia should basically shelter in place and don't try to contact the U.S. Embassy because it is closed because it was attacked.

So, Erica, even if you go onto that website, it's just going to tell you to stay right where you are if you're in Saudi Arabia, not much help forthcoming from the U.S. government. And really the frustration, Erica, right now is a lack of communication. They're just not getting guidance on what they're going to be able to do in the days ahead.

HILL: Yes. And it is important to keep asking those questions, as we know, given the frustration, given the concern and, frankly, the confusion. Brian, really appreciate it. Thank you.

TODD: Sure.

[04:49:18]

HILL: Stay with us. Our coverage continues here on CNN. The war in the Middle East, of course, is disrupting global markets, oil supplies, international shipping. We'll take a closer look at that and the developments across the region, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, the war in the Middle East is rattling global markets and causing energy prices to surge. Let's take a look and see what we've got here. Oil reaching its highest level in more than a year on Tuesday before retreating somewhat. Brent Crude, the global benchmark, gaining more than 4.5 percent, top $81 a barrel and its high prices eventually cooling down after President Trump announced new steps aimed at easing supply disruptions in the Middle East. The President says he has ordered insurance and other guarantees for oil, energy and other maritime trade in the region. More on that in a moment.

Let's get you a look at how the Asian markets have been trading. Stocks tumbling sharply in early trading overnight. These will generally provide a lead for the U.S. markets. They'll also take a look at what's going on in the European markets as well. Both those sessions, of course, ahead of the U.S. stock markets opening at 9.30 local time.

It is just before 5:00 a.m. on the East Coast at the moment. It is just before 2:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm joined by CNN's Eleni Giokos following these markets and joins us now. Let's start with oil. What do we understand to have happened and what can we expect next?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. The oil price has been ticking up and, you know, it anticipates to where you have the Strait of Hormuz shut down, the IRGC saying not a drop of oil is going to be moving through the strait. President Trump coming in and saying, you know, he's going to be offering insurance for the vessels passing through.

[04:55:01] By the way, insurance war is premiums are up dramatically. And then you also have the prospect of naval escorts for these vessels. I spoke to Lloyd's a list of earlier to an analyst and he's saying right now it's just a headline. It's no detail that it's been provided and they're waiting that from the U.S. administration. But he also said that he doesn't anticipate a full flow of vessels and oil through the Strait of Hormuz to what we saw before the conflict. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD MEADE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, LLOYD'S LIST: If you had sufficient naval firepower, you might be able to just about do it. But I don't think you're going to see a return to, you know, the full flow of oil, even with naval escorts, because as you said, you know, you have direct threats from the IRGC right now.

And while they are credible threats and they are, I don't think you're going to see a huge amount of volume moving. Now, I think the reality is we are going into this war with a fair amount of supply in the system in terms of oil. So there is a buffer zone here, which is why it doesn't matter too much that we haven't seen many transits over the last few days. But if those few days extend into weeks, then we have a problem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: We have a problem, that's the thing. No clarity on how long that's going to take. And I think that the oil price right now, frankly, Minicep (ph) said it's -- but muted, but J.P. Morgan saying go up to $120 dollars a barrel.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you. Important analysis there from your guest. Eleni, thank you. Thank you for your company this hour. I'm Becky Anderson. Erica and I will continue our coverage after this short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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