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Iran Firing Back After New Wave Of Israeli Airstrikes; Tehran's Mehrabad Airport On Fire As Airstrikes Target Iran; CENTCOM: U.S. Forces Have Hit 3,000+ Targets Across Iran; Sources; Russia Feeds Iran Intel About U.S. Forces. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired March 07, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:45]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Ben Hunt in Atlanta.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Eleni Giokos live from our Middle East programming hub in Abu Dhabi.

Now the war with Iran is stretching into its second week. Israel telling its citizens to shelter in place a short time ago, with Iran unleashing new attacks. It comes after Israel launched what it calls a broad scale wave of strikes against Tehran. The Israeli military says it used more than 80 fighter jets to carry out the attack.

New video shows Tehran's Mehrabad airport on fire, although it's not clear if the airport was struck directly. Iranian state media is reporting explosions from one end of the capital to the other end.

U.S. Central Command says American forces have now hit more than 3,000 targets inside Iran, and that includes ballistic missile sites and command posts of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Meanwhile, a drone exploded near a hotel in Erbil hours after a warning from the U.S. embassy that hotels in Iraq Kurdistan could be targeted. A pro-Iranian Islamist militant group claimed responsibility.

A new video showing fires breaking out in Basra, Iraq's main oil hub in the south. "Reuters" reports a drone attack targeted a compound housing employees of foreign oil companies.

CNN senior international correspondent Ivan Watson joins me now live from Hong Kong.

Ivan, good to see you. We've got quite a few stories playing out here, and it seems that a lot is happening in Iraq, in particular in the Kurdistan region. Erbil you had that strike near a hotel also, energy infrastructure struck. And of course, the U.S. is warning about more civilian targets at risk. So, take me through this new front that has opened. That clearly seems to be escalating. IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think this comes amid reporting that CNN has done that the CIA, the U.S. government, is interested in arming Iranian Kurdish groups, some of which have presence in the Iraqi Kurdistan region to use them across the border back in Iran, which Iraqi Kurdish officials desperately do not want to see happen because it can make their region a target of the missiles and drones that Iran has been firing in all direction since the joint U.S. Israeli bombing campaign was launched a week ago today.

So, there was a warning from the U.S. embassy in Iraq that hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan, where foreigners stay, could be targeted. And yes, one of those hotels had a drone impact nearby there. This is just one of many areas that are suddenly finding themselves caught in this conflict.

Ground zero, of course, is Iran coming under this sustained U.S. and Israeli aerial bombardment. As you pointed out, the U.S. military claiming to have hit more than 3,000 targets over the course of the last week, claiming to have destroyed or damaged some 43 Iranian naval vessels in a bid to destroy, as the Trump administration puts it the entire Iranian navy Israel, saying that it carried out its most recent wave of attacks using some 80 aircraft, and among the places that were bombed is a military university that Iran that Israel claims contained multiple military assets.

Now, this is having a devastating impact on civilians. There are reports of more than 1,200 people killed in Iran over the course of the last week.

Let's take a listen to what one man had to say after surviving a nearby airstrike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TEHRAN RESIDENT: Three or four strikes hit at the same time. We were sitting at home with the children and the blast wave, despite the fact that the next door house was hit, threw us over there.

[02:05:00]

We quickly went downstairs to help and evacuate the neighbors.

This is not a military zone, nor is it a police force or an IRGC base. It is 100 percent residential and everyone knows that it is a residential area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, of course while Iran has come under bombardment, the surrounding gulf countries over the course of the last week have seen thousands really, of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones fired in their direction. Tehran claims it is only going after U.S. military installations in the region. Gulf countries' governments are object, and they say that civilian infrastructure from airports to ports have been targeted as well. Saudi Arabia says that it intercepted 16 drones that were en route to

the Sheba oil field, a massive oil field run by Saudi Aramco that was targeted in 2019 by Iran backed Houthi rebels. Kuwait says that it shot down 12 drones and 14 missiles on Friday alone. Bahrain also intercepting missiles.

And this number jumps out at me. The UAE saying that it intercepted nine missiles and 109 drones on Friday alone. Back to you.

GIOKOS: All right. Ivan Watson for us, thank you so much. Of course, we are. Now one week in to the hostilities and this just this morning here in Abu Dhabi, we actually got a security alert. We've been given the all clear but also interceptions heard here in Abu Dhabi.

I want to go now live to Dubai where Paula Hancocks is standing by for us.

I want you to tell me about the latest news, Paula, about interceptions in Dubai this morning and any impact that you can tell us.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Eleni, as you got alerts and heard interceptions overhead in Abu Dhabi, it was a similar situation here in Dubai and also in Sharjah. This is another emirate which has been largely untouched over the past seven days. They also got an emergency alert.

So at this point, we're looking into exactly where points of interception may have been, where points of possible impact may have been, but we are hearing from officials that they remain on high alert for anything that that might be in coming.

Now, we have been hearing from the U.S. side from -- from the department, the Pentagon and also the joint chiefs of staff commander, that the number of missiles and drones that Tehran is able to send has sharply dropped.

But here in the Gulf, they are still continuing to be able to launch them. Now, we do know that certainly from the first couple of days of this war, the number of missiles is sharply down but the number of drones yesterday, for example there were more than 100 drones that were intercepted coming into the UAE.

And that, of course, is the concern that that Iran is still able to continue targeting these Gulf nations in the way that it has been. Now, Iran does say that they're targeting military targets of the U.S. They're targeting American political centers. It's very clear they are targeting far more than that. And we have seen those impacts here in Dubai with a couple of hotels having impact potentially, though, from, from interceptions of missiles or drones rather than a direct hit.

We've seen airports being impacted and energy infrastructure is definitely something we are seeing more of across the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, for example, we know that there were attempted targeting of that this morning. We heard from Saudi Arabia that there were five separate waves of attacks since midnight, would seem to be seeing a pickup there.

Also three missiles intercepted on their way to Prince Sultan Air Base. It's a Saudi military base. But we know in the past U.S. military jets have been housed there.

So, the ability for Tehran to be able to target the Gulf nations at this point, well lessened from the beginning of this war, from Saturday and Sunday, which was far more intense, is still not being completely canceled out.

We heard from CENTCOM, Central Command in the U.S. that they had targeted a drone carrier ship from Iran. They say they hit it. It was on fire. But, of course, there is still this ability -- Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much for that update. Paula for us in Dubai.

Now, U.S. president Donald Trump has set a tough new demand for ending the war with Iran. He says, quote, "There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender."

[02:10:02]

He told CNN's Dana Bash on Friday that he runs leadership has been, quote, "muted" and that he's looking for new leadership in Iran that will treat the U.S. and Israel well. He reiterated that he must be involved with choosing Iran's next leader.

In the meantime, Iran is being led by an interim leadership council. President Trump says he's open to having a religious leader in Iran and he's not worried whether or not Iran becomes a democracy. As for what an unconditional surrender looks like here's the White House spokesperson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What the president means is that when he, as commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America, and the goals of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender whether they say it themselves or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: CNN is the first U.S. network to start reporting from Iran since the conflict began. Our correspondent Fred Pleitgen and producer Claudio Otto went during the latest strikes.

We note that CNN operates in Iran only with government permission. Here's Fred.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Time and again, we've heard major airstrikes. In fact, earlier today, we were at a hospital that was hit, that was damaged when there was an airstrike in the vicinity. And while we were on the ground filming there, we heard more airstrikes not too far away from us. So, it is a pretty constant thing here on the ground in Tehran, also major strikes, of course overnight happening last night as well.

And you can feel that the city here is a lot emptier obviously, than it would normally be a lot of people have decided to leave the city simply because it appears to be so dangerous. Of course, while a lot of targets have been struck here, a lot of civilians have also been wounded. Some civilians have been killed on the ground here as well.

The authorities today telling us, I was speaking to the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, saying that many, many people have been wounded and have been killed as these strikes have been going on. So, this is clearly something for a lot of folks here on the ground obviously very concerned about the situation. And you can really hear the thuds of those incoming strikes almost constantly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: All right. Fred Pleitgen for us there in Tehran.

I want to bring in Iranian journalist Abas Aslani in Tehran also. He is a senior research fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies.

Abas, really good to have you with us. Of course, were getting reports about just the onslaught that Iranians are facing right now. I want you to give me an idea of what you're experiencing and seeing at this minute.

ABAS ASLANI, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST STRATEGIC STUDIES: Well, as we are about to enter to the eighth day of the conflict, it seems that the intensity of this war comparing to the June 2025 war, is much higher and the number of fatalities has surpassed 1,000 most of them being civilians, 30 percent being, you know, children.

And as this goes on, I think the question among the public or even including elites is that what would be the future trajectory of this war as we are you know, seeing that the exchange of fire has been taking place between the two sides now and then, the sound of explosions are being here in the capital city or other cities across the country, and the point is that there might be some possibilities to alter the shape and the phase of the conflict in the days or weeks to come.

And so far, it seems that maybe the calculation from the American side or the Israeli side to bring a regime change through aerial bombardments, have not been able to materialize and the U.S. maybe initially, Trump administration thought that this could be something a similar to a Venezuela like, operation a bit more difficult. And they thought that through the initiation of the, let's say, aggression and killing the leader, as well as high ranking commanders, maybe the Tehran could surrender, or at least people would come to the streets to uprise against the establishment. Given that few weeks ago, there were protests in the country but this didn't happen and we again saw that there is a kind of rally around the flag impact again here in Tehran against a foreign aggression coming so this has created a --

GIOKOS: So, that's interesting, Abas.

ASLANI: Yes.

GIOKOS: So, you're saying there's a rally around the flag scenario that's playing out right now as President Trump says, that he will only accept an unconditional surrender. So, take me through, you know, how people are feeling right now, as now there is no centralized government or entity in Tehran.

[02:15:02]

ASLANI: Well, we are quite in a challenging time that, you know the country deals with different fronts. One is the military aggression, which is coming from the outside bombings. You know, the future direction of the conflict.

But in the meantime, you know, the country has lost a leader and high- ranking commanders, leaving it with a vacuum in power, we have the interim leadership council, which is in charge until the time that the assembly of experts elect a new leader. And this has created a sensitive and significant time. And this is why I think -- yes?

GIOKOS: Abas, I want to ask you this. I mean, to what extent have Iran's capabilities been you know, degraded? We here in the UAE and other countries in the region have been you know, intercepting a barrage of missiles and drones. What do you understand about the degradation of Iran's military capabilities?

ASLANI: Well, I think from the beginning, nobody expected this type of response from Iranian side. And there was a thinking maybe that Iran was weak and it would not be able to respond to American or Israeli attacks. But in -- but we saw that even despite the loss of the high-ranking commanders, Tehran, thanks to the a predetermined plans, was able to retaliate.

And despite the sustained attacks on the missile and drone launching architecture, we have been seeing that, Iran's response have been continuing. And there might be some fluctuations in the volume of the response, but it seems that even despite some reduced. But we have been seeing an increase in the effectiveness, effectiveness of those strikes, and Iranian officials or military commanders are saying that they are ready for a prolonged war, signaling that they are ready to continue, and they have the capability to do so.

And they say that they have been able to strike and target American radars system in regional countries, giving them an open hand to be able to target further bank of targets when it comes to the American assets or Israeli ones.

GIOKOS: All right. Abas Aslani, thank you so much for that update good to have you on the show. The meantime, Iran is reportedly getting intelligence from abroad that

can be used to target U.S. troops. And still ahead on the show, who is providing Tehran with information that could potentially cost American lives.

Plus, President Trump is once again focusing on Cuba, claiming it's only a matter of time until the regime crumbles. How Cubans are coping right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:22:01]

HUNTE: Welcome back.

Oil rich Gulf states are struggling as the war with Iran hits their economies. On this map, you can see where gas and oil infrastructure has already been hit. As the conflict widens, the Strait of Hormuz sits basically empty. Many private maritime insurance companies have now pulled coverage because of the war related damage.

The Trump administration has said it will provide up to $20 billion in reinsurance to get tankers moving again. All of this is sending oil prices surging. U.S. crude oil prices jumped 36 percent this week to $91 a barrel. The international benchmark, Brent crude, gained 27 percent, topping $93 a barrel.

Russia is not playing a neutral observer in the war. That's according to multiple sources who have spoken with CNN. They say U.S. intelligence shows Moscow is supplying Iran with intelligence about the location and movement of U.S. ships planes and troops. Much of it comes from Russian satellites, but it's still unclear if any Iranian attack can be linked to the intelligence received from Moscow.

Russia's state news agency says the two countries presidents held a phone call on Friday and agreed to continue contact.

For more, we are joined by CNN's Gabe Cohen, he's in Washington for us.

Gabe, thanks so much for being with me and staying up late for us. Russia apparently getting involved now does seem like quite a massive moment. What more can you tell us?

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Ben, that's one of the reasons that this is really significant, because it's the first clear indication that Moscow is getting involved in this war. Those sources telling CNN that Russia is really specifically providing that intel about the location of American troops and assets so that the Iranian military can target them. And much of that intelligence is coming from that sophisticated satellite system that Russia has as a tool that Iran does not typically have at its disposal, as that country has been seeing their own military capabilities really degraded day after day from all of this fighting.

It's not a huge surprise that the two countries would be talking. These are nations that for years have worked together in some capacity on various military technology like missiles and drones. But what we don't know here is whether this means that Russia's involvement in this conflict could expand, especially after that phone call you referenced on Friday between the Iranian president and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Now, the white house for their part, they have really brushed off this story. They do not want to talk about Russia. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News that, of course, the president is well aware of who is talking to who, but they're not concerned at this point about any specific security threat from Russia. Though I will note just a couple of days ago, Hegseth told reporters that both Russia and China right now are, quote not really a factor in this war. That could be changing here.

We also heard Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tell reporters that if Russia is in fact providing this information to Iran, it's clearly not making much of a difference because of the success of the U.S. military operation that we have seen over the past week.

[02:25:09]

And President Trump himself snapped at a reporter from fox news who asked about this story during an event on Friday at the White House, which was focused on how to potentially change college sports. Here's what the president said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: It sounds like the Russians are helping Iran target and attack Americans now.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's an easy problem compared to what we're doing here. But -- can I be honest? It's just -- I have a lot of respect for you. You've always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We're talking about something else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So again, the White House has not condemned Russia for this. They have been laser focused on really talking about the achievements that they say the military has gained over the past week or so.

Trump also told CNN on Friday that a week ago, Iran was powerful and quote, "now they have been indeed neutered". The president has said hopefully this was going to be a five -- four to five-week operation ben. But big questions now about that timeline. And if it could change if more countries like Russia are drawn into the conflict.,

HUNTE: That is a very big question indeed. Gabe Cohen, thanks so much for now. Appreciate it.

Okay, there is growing scrutiny of U.S. and Israeli military actions in Iran. Still ahead, what we know about the strikes and their dangerous proximity to civilian sites. Stay with us. See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:02]

GIOKOS: All right. Welcome back.

Let's get you up to speed with the latest on the war in Iran at least three countries in the region have been taking fire in recent hours following this attack in Tehran. Iran's busiest domestic airport was hit Friday night after Israel said it launched a broad scale wave of strikes. But hours later -- you're hearing those sirens, emergency sirens ringing out in Jerusalem as Iran launched at least 10 missiles towards Israel, according to the Israeli military. Some drone debris coming from Lebanon fell into northern Israel, but there are no reports of injuries.

The United Arab Emirates said in the last hour that its air defenses were responding to a missile threat, while in Saudi Arabia. We heard earlier that it shot down 16 drones heading towards one of its largest oil refineries.

CNN's senior producer Bijan Hosseini is monitoring all of this for us. He joins us now from Doha, Qatar,

And, Bijan, you know, this morning we got an alert here in Abu Dhabi. We've got the all clear now. But clearly, Iran is still targeting various countries here in the region. What are you experiencing there in Doha?

BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Yeah, Eleni, let's start with the UAE. I know you guys received those alarms in Abu Dhabi. Team members also receiving also -- sorry, I'm just getting a bit of feedback here. Also receiving alarms in Dubai and Sharjah as well.

We know that the UAE successfully intercepted nine missiles and 109 drones yesterday in Saudi Arabia. You mentioned those drones heading to the Sheba oil field. This is a massive oil and gas field and Saudi's empty quarter out in the desert. It's operated by Saudi Aramco. They put out, you know, about a million barrels of crude production a day.

So, developments over there, those have all been intercepted, though according to the country's ministry of defense. Also, additional missiles being sent to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. All of those were intercepted as well.

Over in Bahrain, we've heard reports of alarms sounding throughout the capital city there, but no reports of missiles or drones as of yet. In Kuwait, the country saying that armed forces yesterday shot down 12 drones and 14 missiles. And here in Qatar, the Ministry of Defense confirming over the course of Friday that ten drones were launched from Iran, nine of those successfully intercepted, with one hitting an uninhabitable part of the country -- Eleni. GIOKOS: Yeah. I mean, there's a lot going on were seeing some of

these images. You know this is seven days in. We're now into the eighth day.

Bijan Hosseini, thank you so much for that update. Coming live to us from Doha now, as the war with Iran rages, questions are being raised about the precision of U.S. and Israeli bombing campaigns. A new CNN investigation uncovers just how close the air strikes have come to hitting civilian sites and infrastructure.

CNN's Katie Polglase has the story for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice-over): A city under attack. It's also home to millions of people. The U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign of Tehran has been targeting intelligence complexes, police stations and state broadcasters. But we verified videos and analyzed satellite imagery and found the impact is going beyond that due to the densely packed nature of the city and the large-scale weapons involved.

Take a look at this satellite image. This crater is at least 40-foot wide. That means it was likely caused by a 2,000-pound bomb.

The target, Iran's state broadcaster, the IRIB. The strike wiped out its communications mast. These bombs, used by both the U.S. and Israel, are capable of killing or wounding people more than 1,000 feet away, and just 100 feet away is the Gandhi Hospital, one of the biggest in Tehran.

Glass shattered, walls collapsed, and patients including babies being rushed out.

POLGLASE: As more videos like this one began to emerge, we started verifying them, pinpointing the hospital where each one was filmed. Then we cross-referenced with satellite imagery to see the damage caused by U.S. and Israeli strikes.

POLGLASE (voice-over): Like here, you can see the blown out windows of the Gandhi hospital from space.

Over in another central part of Tehran is the Motahari Hospital, and just behind it is the Iranian police headquarters. In fact, you can see a police helicopter pad down here. This image is from just before it was struck. And this is after entire buildings flattened.

[02:35:02]

The Motahari Hospital is still standing but we verified this video showing substantial damage inside.

It's not the only hospital in the area affected. Over here is the Khatam Hospital. Glass windows shattered and medical staff are seen running out. Further down the same street is the Iranian Red Crescent Society smoke billowing from behind the building. Again, people are fleeing.

Across Iran as a whole, more incidents like these are emerging. We geolocated this video to the Persian Gulf Hospital in the city of Bushehr. You can see newborn babies being carried out amid the rubble. It's unclear what the target was, but it's close to an airport, a military airbase.

But it's not just hospitals. Other civilian sites are also bearing the brunt of these strikes this school in southern Iran was directly hit, resulting in the deaths of over 160 students and staff, according to Iranian state media. Neither the U.S. nor Israel have acknowledged they caused the strike. It was just 200 feet from an Iranian military base. You can see multiple of their buildings hit as well as damage to the school.

Another strike hit this gym in Fars, southern Iran. There were reportedly 20 volleyball players inside at the time. Iranian media said it was also right next to a police station.

As strikes continue, access to safe medical facilities will be crucial, but the civilian toll is mounting. The Human Rights Activist News Agency now reporting over 1,000 dead.

Katie Polglase, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Well, CNN has reached out to U.S. Central Command and the Israeli military for comments on these strikes and the steps that they're taking to prevent civilian harm.

I want to bring in CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz.

Thank you so much, Lieutenant General, for joining us.

I want to talk about just the latest news and what we've seen in terms of Katie Polglase reporting about civilian assets being targeted. We know that the United States has consistently said that civilian assets are not targets. But what's your assessment? Seeing some of the reporting and importantly, the satellite imaging?

LT. GEN. MARK SCHWARTZ (RET.), FORMER U.S. SECURITY COORDINATOR FOR ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Well, I believe the comments from U.S. Central Command are accurate. I know that the United States military does not deliberately target civilian infrastructure, but as, comprehensive report shows that a lot of these facilities whether it was hospitals you know, the girls school that if in fact, that was hit. I mean, it's a tragedy and they're very close proximity to security force headquarters or adjacent to military bases.

So, you know, history has shown us that a lot of times with the intense amount of targeting that is going on in urban centers, that sometimes accidents do occur and collateral damage, like the blowing out of windows of the hospital that you mentioned, et cetera do occur. And I am confident, you know, just from my own experience in dealing with these types of incidents that the commanders will look and do a full investigation to determine if in fact, they did strike by mistake, certainly not deliberately, in my view these areas and what they're going to do in the future to mitigate the likelihood of it happening again.

GIOKOS: Yeah. So, what is your view in terms of the mitigation? Because obviously going you know, through in bombardments, are you anticipating an announcement of boots on the ground at some point?

SCHWARTZ: I'm not. Ideally, we won't see that. I don't think that's going to change the situation from a security standpoint inside of Iran. I think actually exacerbate what we're seeing now is, as violent as things are. In terms of mitigation, the key thing is what the air force and the targeteers that do the analysis is called weaponeering.

So, determining the type of munition that they're going to use to mitigate the collateral damage effects of surrounding structures. So that is something that General Caine addressed actually, earlier on in one of the press briefings, I believe it was on Wednesday where he said they're going to be using a lot more manned aircraft, munitions, you know, fighter jets and things like that smaller certainly precision guided munitions as the vast majority of U.S. munitions are that are dropped from the air and come and sea.

But the explosive weight is a lot less. And therefore, the likelihood of, you know, collateral damage to adjacent structures is reduced.

[02:40:05]

GIOKOS: Yeah. So, the other big piece of news that we've been covering today is Russia's hand potentially in this war, that intelligence reports suggesting that Moscow is helping Iran locate U.S. forces. What did you make of that? And are you surprised that Russia could perhaps be playing a hand here?

SCHWARTZ: I'm not surprised. I mean, Russia is in my view an enemy of the United States. And they certainly have a longstanding relationship with Iran. As you know, they're being supplied significantly with drones and other capabilities to fight the war in Ukraine.

So, you know, I hope that our Congress, the executive branch, is not willing to take steps against Russia for if this is in fact true. And I believe it is true, based on the reporting that I've seen, that there should be actions taken against Russia increased sanctions the secondary sanctions that have not yet gone into place. I think those should have been put in place long ago. So, it's disturbing and it puts U.S. service members and frankly, our allies in the region at risk. So, we need to address it.

GIOKOS: All right. Mark Schwartz, thank you so much for that update. Good to have you on the show.

Well, thousands of international flights have been canceled across the Middle East since last weekend amid the conflict. Nations are working to bring their citizens home. That is coming up right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Qatar Airways starts repatriation flights to several European cities today. The airline says its flights are heading to London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Frankfurt, with priority given to families, elderly passengers and those with urgent medical and compassionate travel needs. Commercial flights are still suspended in Qatar. Airspace is closed over several Middle Eastern nations amid the ongoing war with Iran.

[02:45:03]

But countries around the world are working to get stranded travelers home. More evacuation flights are set to take off in the coming days. Now, U.S. officials said Friday that hundreds of Americans had returned on several chartered planes, with more flights planned as security conditions allow.

CNN's Lynda Kinkade has more on the complex process.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A seismic shift in air travel. Dubai's international airport, operating at limited capacity that's slowly increasing, but only at a fraction of normal levels. But across the border in Oman, muscat international airport is packed with passengers, a hub for many repatriation efforts.

The U.K. government is organizing charter flights from Oman. British Airways has added relief flights from there too, as well as Qatar airways, which is operating limited flights from Muscat and Riyadh. An evacuee from Portugal says she waited 17 hours just to board her flight after a grueling trip to the airport.

MARIANA CARVALHO, EVACUEE: I'd say we're overwhelmed. The trip was completely exhausting. I think we've been traveling for 36 hours. The ground transport from the hotel to Oman was really difficult. And then there was a wait at the airport.

KINKADE (voice-over): Flights are trickling out of the region, but there are still risks.

A recent Air France repatriation flight was forced to turn back to the UAE because of missile fire in the area. A similar incident happened on Lufthansa over safety concerns.

CARSTEN SPOHR, CEO, LUFTHANSA: Our captain of the Riyadh flight decided together with our security department, not to fly to Riyadh, but to turn back to Cairo because we believe that the security situation is such that this is the right decision.

KINKADE (voice-over): Some passengers are shelling out large sums of money to escape the region. FlightRadar24 says private jet activity in the Middle East has surged in the past week, accounting for 31 percent of flight operations from Muscat on Wednesday. The high demand causing prices to skyrocket. ALTAY KULA, CEO, JET-VIP: The typical cost for a flight from Dubai to

Istanbul was something around 50,000, and at the moment, we are close to $USD100,000, so we can say that the price has doubled.

KINKADE (voice-over): A travel nightmare as airlines and countries try to accommodate desperate passengers, some willing to pay a high price if it means a ticket home.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Short break. We'll be right back after this. Stick with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:51:30]

HUNTE: Rescue crews are searching for possible survivors after a deadly Russian strike in northern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky says seven people were killed and ten others injured after a missile hit a residential block in Kharkiv overnight. He says some people may still be trapped under the debris and rescue operations are underway. Mr. Zelensky also says Russia has launched more than 500 drones and missiles overnight, targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine.

President Trump is once again suggesting Cuba is next on his administration's agenda, telling CNN the regime, quote, is going to fall pretty soon. He also said he'd put Secretary of State Marco Rubio in charge of the island nation. The U.S. has put intense pressure on Cuba in recent weeks, including an oil embargo which has caused a severe energy shortage.

CNN's Patrick Oppmann has more from Havana.

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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump says that Cuba is, quote, ready to fall. It would seem to be the kind of rehashed bluster we've heard from many U.S. presidents since the Cold War. But now it does feel a little different.

The oil embargo that Donald Trump has put on this island give some credence to his comments to CNN that the government here is hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Every day we see less cars on the road. The blackouts become longer and longer, and people are becoming increasingly desperate as they wonder how their food will last in fridges if there is no more power, how they will earn a living if inflation is out of control and salaries are becoming near to worthless.

And so when Donald Trump says the Cuban government is desperate for a deal as he told CNN's Dana Bash on Friday, perhaps there is some truth in that although the Cuban officials that I spoke to say they will never allow the U.S. to dictate to them ever again and they are willing to resist the Trump administration even willing to take to the streets and fight, if necessary.

All the same, though, this appears to be checkmate as no other governments, not Cuba's allies, Russia or China certainly not Venezuela, following the U.S. attack on that country, or even Mexico following a pressure campaign from the Trump administration are stepping in to send oil, the oil that this economy so desperately needs. So, at the moment, there are rumors and whispers of talks of back channels going on, of deals being struck. But as this crisis goes on, it is taking a far more deeper toll on the Cuban people.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana

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HUNTE: The United States and Ecuador say they've carried out a joint military operation targeting drug trafficking networks. This video from a U.S. Defense Department official shows the strike being carried out. You can see it there.

Officials say helicopters, aircraft, riverboats and drones were utilized to locate and bomb a training camp run by Colombian cartel group, comprised of dissident FARC fighters. The strike took place near the Colombian border and is part of a broader crackdown in Ecuador on organized crime.

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BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Jesse didn't just speak to black folks, he spoke to white folks and Latinos and Asian Americans and the first Americans.

[02:55:04]

He spoke to family farmers and environmentalists. He spoke to gay rights activists when nobody was talking to gay rights activists and blue collar workers. And he gave them the same message that they mattered. That their voices and their votes counted.

He invited them to believe. He invited us to believe in our own power to change America for the better.

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HUNTE: That was former President Barack Obama honoring the late Reverend Jesse Jackson at his memorial service in Chicago on Friday. The joyful, music filled service traced Reverend Jackson's journey from a child of the Jim Crow South through his fight for civil rights, to his role as a political powerhouse in D.C.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden also took to the stage to reflect on Jackson's influence and legacy. Jackson died on February 17th. He was 84 years old.

Tornadoes have torn through parts of the central U.S. Officials say at least eight people were killed and 12 others injured in Michigan and Oklahoma. The U.S. National Weather Service tracked this tornado near Three Rivers, Michigan on Friday. A homeowner filmed it as it moved through union city. The storm spawned a total of seven tornado reports from the Texas panhandle to south central Kansas.

Okay, that's all I got for you for now. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. Eleni Giokos and I will be back after a very quick commercial break. See you in a moment.

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