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U.S. Bombs Iran's Critical Kharg Island Oil Hub; Iran Vows Retaliation After U.S. Strike On Key Oil Hub; New CNN Report Reveals WH Scramble To Contain Fallout From Iran War; FBI: Attack Was "Targeted Act" Against Jewish Community; Zelenskyy: Russia Provided Extensive Intel Support To Iran; Sources: Pentagon Deploying 2,500 Marines & Sailors To Middle East. Two Terror Attacks Rattle Americans' Sense of Security; U.S. on Alert After Terror Attacks at Synagogue and University; Long Lines at Airports as Govt. Shutdown Continues; Iran Warns it Could Strike More U.S. Assets. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired March 14, 2026 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:34]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, breaking news, President Trump's saying today many countries will be sending warships in conjunction with the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Plus, smoke and flames rising from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. A security official telling CNN it was hit by two drones. And fire breaks out at a UAE oil hub as Iran vows retaliation for a U.S. strike on its critical oil export hub, Kharg Island.

Hello, everyone, and thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You're in the CNN Newsroom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

WHITFIELD: And we begin with the breaking news with the war in Iran. Major fallout in the Middle East today after last night's strikes on Iran's main oil export hub. The U.S. military says it destroyed dozens of mine and missile storage sites on Kharg Island while, quote, "preserving oil infrastructure."

Iran today vowing retaliation after the Kharg Island attack. The country's military warning it will destroy U.S.-linked oil and energy infrastructure in the region if its energy sites are attacked.

A source tells CNN two drones struck the American embassy in Iraq. Video geolocated by CNN shows smoke and flames shooting out of a building near the U.S. compound in the capital of Baghdad. And in the UAE, smoke was seen rising from one of the country's main oil hubs after a reported drone attack there.

I want to go straight now to CNN's Nada Bashir in London. Good to see you, Nada. So how significant are these strikes, especially on Kharg Island? NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this has certainly raised the stakes. Kharg Island has been somewhat left out of the intense bombing campaign that we have seen over the last two weeks. But overnight, as we've heard from the U.S. President Donald Trump, Kharg Island was struck. President Trump has said in his words that every military target on the island was struck, in what he described and characterized as one of the most powerful bombing raids in Middle East history.

Now, Kharg Island is a strip of land just off the coast of Iran. And as you mentioned, it is one of the key oil hubs that handles some 90 percent of Iran's crude exports. So this certainly is significant. Analysts believe that there is -- if there is a continuation of the targeting of Iran's oil and energy infrastructure, for example, that could send oil prices into chaos.

Now, important to note that Iran's oil and energy infrastructure on the island has not been struck, according to U.S. officials. However, President Trump has indicated that that may be the next step if Iran does not allow for vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, if we continue to see continued attacks on vessels attempting to pass through this key shipping route.

And of course, we have heard from the Iranian regime threatening retaliation after these overnight strikes, including targeting any oil and energy infrastructure related to U.S. companies or U.S. assets and interests in the region, if the U.S. and Israel target Iran's energy infrastructure.

Now, we've also heard warnings now from the Iranian regime with regards to the United Arab Emirates. Today, the Iranian military claims that UAE ports and docks were used by the United States to carry out these overnight strikes that we have seen. The UAE has maintained that it is holding a defensive position.

It is not involved in the U.S. and Israel's offensive military campaign. However, Iran has threatened to carry out retaliatory strikes and has warned civilians to stay away from key ports and docks in key UAE cities.

WHITFIELD: And then, Nada, what can you tell us about this strike of the U.S. embassy in Iraq?

BASHIR: We are still getting more information regarding this strike. According to a U.S. security official, it is understood that the U.S. embassy complex was struck by two drones. Now, we have seen video emerging, which CNN has geolocated to a building near the U.S. embassy, which appears to show smoke blowing out of the building and flames.

And, of course, there is concern for the broader security of this embassy complex. We have reached out to U.S. officials for further clarification on what exactly occurred and whether there is any more detail on what may have caused this strike, of course, and the extent of the damage and injuries which, at this stage, are not clear.

[13:05:10]

But, of course, this comes at a time of heightened concern around the security of U.S. bases, officials, and diplomatic, of course, bases in the region. The Iranian regime has said that the -- in terms of the ongoing military campaign, the Iranian military will continue to target U.S. assets, including not only military assets, but also potentially diplomatic assets in the region.

So real raised concern there, of course, for the entire region over other neighboring nations, which could also come under attack.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nada Bashir in London, thanks so much.

So as the war in Iran enters its third week now, there is new CNN reporting today about President Trump's risky decision to attack the country and the scramble to contain the fallout. CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us now from West Palm Beach, Florida, where the President was spotted earlier today arriving at his golf course.

Julia, take us into the administration's decision-making process, the efforts to contain this fallout now from the conflict.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, as you mentioned, Fred, President Donald Trump, he is back here in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago estate. That's where he monitored those first joint U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran.

And according to new reporting from our colleagues at CNN, prior to those attacks, there was intelligence that showed that the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, as well as other top officials were going to be meeting. And that led the United States and Israel to accelerate their plans to attack in hopes of wiping out the senior leadership of the regime all at once.

Those attacks were successful in killing the supreme leader and dozens of other senior officials. But that creates potentially another issue going forward, as many that the Trump administration had eyed to potentially play a leadership role going forward were also wiped out in those strikes. Trump even has addressed that publicly, telling reporters in the days after those first strikes, "Most of the people we had in mind are dead."

Now, when it comes to the focus on the exit strategy here, what's next? Nearly, roughly, a half a dozen people who are familiar with some of those internal deliberations have expressed that the administration is not much closer to being able to articulate a defined exit strategy. And this, as the conflict grows more and more complicated by the day.

When it comes to timeline, we've heard a variety of predictions from Trump himself. At one point, he said it could last two to three days through the week. Of course, we're past that now. He's recently been saying four to five weeks, four to six weeks, but emphasizing that it will last as long as it needs to, whatever it takes.

And as he spoke with Republican lawmakers last weekend, he said that we've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough. And I had the chance to press him on that, what his baseline is for bringing this conflict to an end. And he said, in part, "When they are not going to be starting the following day to develop a nuclear weapon."

He added that they needed to be able to look at negotiators like Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and confirm that they weren't going to pursue it. Now, 13 American service members have been killed and roughly 140 wounded since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

WHITFIELD: And Julia, you know, the President also commented today about, you know, more on the Strait of Hormuz, actually saying, quote, "many countries," end quote, will send warships to keep it open. Do we have any more details on which countries and when?

BENBROOK: This is something they're watching very closely because, of course, about 20 percent of the world's oil goes through the Strait of Hormuz. So I want to pull up exactly what Trump said today. We do still have a lot of questions on this, but he wrote, quote, "Many countries, especially those that are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships in conjunction with the United States of America to keep the Strait open and safe.

We have already destroyed 100 percent of Iran's military capability, but it's easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along or in the waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are."

He added that he hopes that China, France, South Korea and the U.K. are among those that would be willing to send ships, and added that the United States would continue bombing the shoreline in the meantime. We've reached out the White -- to the White House for more information or clarification on this post.

WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Benbrook, keep us posted. Thank you so much, in Florida.

All right, we're also following breaking news out of Amsterdam, where an explosive device was detonated overnight at a Jewish school. The blast hit an outer wall. No one was hurt.

[13:10:07]

City officials tell CNN that police have images of the person who allegedly set the device off. The city's mayor is calling the blast a, quote, "targeted attack against the Jewish community," end quote. One father says he wears a bulletproof vest when going to the synagogue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL, AMSTERDAM RESIDENT (through translation): My five daughters went to this school. So I wonder now, where is the government? Where is the safety? We have very good police in the neighborhood, which are doing their best for us. But now I'm walking around in a bulletproof vest, you see. I don't dare go to the synagogue without it because of all the tensions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Today's attack appears to be part of a recent wave of anti- Semitic violence in Europe, amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. And that includes Thursday's terror attack on a Michigan synagogue.

The Jewish community there is vowing to keep coming together after a driver rammed a truck filled with explosives and opened fire on Temple Israel. They held Shabbat service last night at a nearby location. Law enforcement sources say the assailant had previous links to the militant group Hezbollah, though he was not believed to be a member.

CNN's Brian Abel joining us now from the scene. So, Brian, what more are we learning about how this attack unfolded?

BRIAN ABEL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, good afternoon to you. First, I do want to mention that there is an enhanced security presence that's happened here in the past 24 hours. We've had the Oakland County Sheriff's Office vehicles here present this entire time since the attack.

But they've also added those security cameras you see on the towers here and in the surrounding area as we learn more about not only the suspect and his connections to Lebanon and law enforcement, but also to how this attack unfolded. Let's start there.

The suspect, Ayman Ghazali, according to the FBI, he pulled his truck into a parking lot here at Temple Israel and stayed inside it for more than two hours before he started driving and slamming his vehicle through a doorway, continuing down a hallway, hitting a security guard with his truck in the process.

Inside that truck, a rifle, commercial-grade fireworks and jugs of flammable liquid. Now that truck, it got jammed between hallway walls, trapping Ghazali inside. That is when he started opening fire through the windshield. There was an exchange of gunfire with the security guards that were there.

And at some point, Ghazali fatally shot himself. And also at some point, the engine compartment of that truck started on fire. Ghazali is the sole fatality in this attack, though. First responders, they were treated here, sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation after running in to try to make sure that everybody that was inside got out safe.

There were kids inside, but I do want to talk about what is the FBI saying about Ghazali and potential motives for this. They say that there is no motive that's known right now. But Ghazali, he did not have a previous criminal history. He was not part of any FBI investigation before now, but he was known to law enforcement, according to officials that are briefed on this matter.

Ghazali appeared in federal government databases as having connections to, quote, "known or suspected terrorists" associated with Hezbollah in Lebanon. That is where Ghazali, Fred, had family. And a mayor in a city of Lebanon where that family lived tells us that some family members were killed and injured in an airstrike on March 5th, just a week before this Thursday attack here.

Two of Ghazali's brothers were killed. One of those brothers had two kids who were also killed. Ghazali's parents, as well as those brothers' wives, were injured in that attack.

We've mentioned kids were inside, Fred, at the time. We've also talked about how the Jewish community has had to prepare for potential attacks just like this. Listen to what a rabbi here said about the teacher's actions as this attack happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABBI ARIANNA GORDON, TEMPLE ISRAEL: Not a single teacher froze in face of this crisis. They did exactly what they had been trained to do. They kept every one of our students calm and safe in this moment of horrific danger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: So more than 100 children inside between daycare and schools, more than 600 law enforcement responding, more than 60 of them going to hospitals to be treated for that smoke inhalation. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Brian Abel, keep us posted there, from Michigan. Thanks so much.

All right, still ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE: We saw intelligence shared with us some details, and it was Russian details in these Iranian drones.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:15:05]

WHITFIELD: Our Fareed Zakaria is speaking exclusively with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. What Zelenskyy said about Russia sharing drones and intel with Iran to target U.S. forces.

Plus, up to 2,500 U.S. Marines and sailors now being sent to the Middle East. I'll speak to a former United States Marine Corps Reserve colonel about the rapid response unit being deployed and the role that they could play in this conflict.

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[13:20:15]

WHITFIELD: All right, this just in to CNN. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is exclusively telling our Fareed Zakaria that Russia's assistance to Iran in the war goes much deeper than previously reported. Here's some of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: Do you have intelligence or any information about this report that the Russians are providing Iran with intelligence, specifically providing Iran with intelligence on where American troops are, where American assets are, so that the Iranians can strike and kill Americans?

ZELENY: First of all, Russia gave drones already, these Shaheds. They are using Iranian licenses, you know, that they built and produced a lot of drones. They gave them. I have 100 percent facts that they -- that Iranian regime used against American bases and against our Middle East -- in Middle East, I mean, and Middle East neighbors of Iran. They used these drones.

We saw intelligence shared with us some details, and it was Russian details in these Iranian drones. This is the first. And the second point is, my intelligence told me next that they think that they share information, intelligence with Iranian regime. They helped them.

And also they told -- my intelligence told me that they said, if Europe and United States can help Ukraine with intelligence in this war, it means that Russia can help Iranian regime. This is their point of view on this. So it's a fact, and you see that it's not a big secret.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, with us now is Retired U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Colonel Mark Cancian. He's a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Colonel Cancian, great to see you.

COL. MARK CANCIAN (RET.), SENIOR ADVISER WITH CSIS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAM: Thanks for having me on the show.

WHITFIELD: Do you think it's likely that Russia provided extensive intelligence on the U.S. to Iran?

CANCIAN: I think there's no question that they did that. Iran helped Russia in the past with drones and drone technology. I think this was Russia's way of paying them back in a covert way so that it wasn't obvious what they were doing, maybe avoid some retaliation. But the Iranians were able to strike particular targets like radars. And for that, they may well have had some help from the Russians.

WHITFIELD: Should that have been presumed? Do you believe that was a miscalculation on the U.S.'s part that Russia may potentially get involved here in this way?

CANCIAN: Well, I think that the United States took a variety of precautions against Iranian retaliation. That was a given. And I think the United States put the defenses in place for a variety of possibilities, including that the Russians would help.

WHITFIELD: President Trump is now encouraging other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Do you think that will happen? CANCIAN: Well, it would be great if there were a multinational force that opened the straits, but I think that's a stretch. Many countries don't want to get involved in this war. They don't see it as their war. They're not comfortable with it.

So it's not clear that they will actively participate. They might provide some help, maybe outside of the straits. But I think that in the straits, operations are going to have to be mostly, if not entirely, the U.S.

WHITFIELD: Do you think U.S. Navy assets by way of escorts, perhaps, or otherwise, is a viable solution in the strait?

CANCIAN: Well, it's certainly possible. The Navy has done this before. They did it in the 1980s. Escorting convoys is part of their job, always has been. The straits, though, are narrow, and it would be something of a shooting gallery. So getting through is a combat operation.

It would require strikes on the mainland. It would require air defenses. It would require aircraft overhead, as well as a naval force.

[13:25:01]

WHITFIELD: So sources are telling CNN that the U.S. is sending a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East. That would amount to about 2,500 U.S. Marines and sailors, is our understanding. How would you see them potentially being utilized and why?

CANCIAN: Well, there are 2,500 Marines in the 31st MEU, as you said. The first set of targets would be islands. The Marine Corps is configured to do that. The United States has air and naval dominance.

So landing Marines on some of the islands in the straits would be very possible. They might reinforce Oman. It has some islands on the southern part of the straits. A stretch target would be Kharg Island. We heard about how important that was to Iran.

It's a small island. It's off the coast. It could be isolated. But to get there, the Marines would have to traverse both the straits and then the Persian Gulf with the Iranians shooting at them.

WHITFIELD: And then -- OK, I was just about to ask you, then landing on those islands, as you put it, then what would -- how would they be utilized? You just said, you know, potentially shooting by Iranians. So now we're talking about hand-to-hand, you know, combat?

CANCIAN: Well, landing on the islands in the straits, they would likely put in air defense units and ground attack missiles to sort of put an umbrella over the straits, protect ships against strikes by Iranian missiles and drones. Kharg Island, of course, would be seized as a bargaining chip for negotiations.

WHITFIELD: All right, Colonel Cancian, so glad to have you. Thank you so much. CANCIAN: Thanks for having me on the program.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, growing concerns over threats to the homeland after two terror attacks just this week. Authorities say the attackers in both incidents had ties to extremist groups, but in different ways. I'll speak to an expert on extremism and radicalization about concerns surrounding potential threats.

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WHITFIELD: Two terror attacks hundreds of miles apart are rattling Americans' sense of security. Sources say the suspect in the Detroit area synagogue and preschool attack is a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen who reportedly lost family members in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon and had connections to members of Hezbollah. And then there was another attack, this one in Virginia, claiming the life of this man.

Virginia authorities released a photo of Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah. He is a 36-year-old ROTC instructor who was killed when a convicted ISIS supporter opened fire at Old Dominion University. CNN's Leigh Waldman has the latest on both incidents.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As snow falls on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, officials are sending a clear message.

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): This is not a political moment. This is not a political debate. This is targeting babies who are Jewish. That's anti-Semitism at its absolute worst.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who was born in Lebanon and became a U.S. citizen in 2016. Officials say he drove his vehicle filled with explosives into the synagogue with a rifle. Ghazali died at the scene. At the time, more than 100 children aged five and younger were attending school at the synagogue, according to Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

WHITMER: We must lower the rhetoric in this state and in this country, especially at this moment where we have seen such a rise in anti-Semitism and more attacks on the Jewish community.

WALDMAN (voice-over): At least 30 law enforcement officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, authorities said, and a security guard who helped stop the attack was hit by the suspect's vehicle and is expected to be OK.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, authorities say two Old Dominion University students were hurt and one person was killed when a former Virginia National Guardsman and convicted ISIS supporter began shooting on campus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The brave ROTC members in that room subdued him. And if not for them, I'm not sure, you know, what else he may have done.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The gunman, who was identified by the FBI as 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was killed at the scene.

I'm Leigh Waldman reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Lee Waldman, thank you so much. Joining me right now to talk more about these developments is Cynthia Miller- Idriss. She's the director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University. She's also the author of the book "Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right." Cynthia, great to see you.

CYNTHIA MILLER-IDRISS, AUTHOR, "HATE IN THE HOMELAND: THE NEW GLOBAL FAR RIGHT" AND DIR. POLARIZATION AND EXTREMISM RESEARCH AND INNOVATION LAB, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: So, these two apparent terror incidents don't appear to be directly connected, but there may be some correlations or parallels, right?

MILLER-IDRISS: Absolutely. I mean, we are seeing rising risks of terror attacks, especially anti-Semitic attacks across the world. We saw the Bondi Beach. We had two attacks in the Netherlands just in the last 24 hours. We're, you know, these attacks, we've had several attacks on synagogues and houses of worship. And this is just an escalation.

The second attack in Old Dominion was, you know, unrelated but similar kinds of trajectories in terms of a disgruntled, angry veteran who had a previous -- you know, was arrested and imprisoned previously for trying to provide material support to ISIS. So, you know, we're not doing a very good job on the prevention side here. And the risks are much, much higher as the weeks go by and people continue to circulate and believe propaganda.

[13:35:00]

WHITFIELD: And with those rising risks, I mean, how concerned should Americans be?

MILLER-IDRISS: I think Americans -- I mean, the whole point of terrorism is to terrify people, right? And to get them to change their habits and what they do. And we don't want to be, you know, cowed by that. We don't want people to change the way they live their lives. At the same time, I think people have to be alert about large crowds, about the spaces they're in. We have to take every measure we can in terms of the security of vulnerable places, synagogues and houses of worship, while not letting the terrorists win and making us stay home and afraid.

WALSH: With that Detroit area, you know, attack at the synagogue and school, the suspect was born in Lebanon, entered the U.S. in 2011 on a visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and obtained a citizenship in 2016. And authorities are investigating reports that he told people that he had multiple family members killed in a recent Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. So, what are your thoughts here on the possible direct line between the Iran war and this attack?

MILLER-IDRISS: Well, this is very similar to what we saw in the wake of the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas. That -- and then the backlash -- you know, the war essentially in Gaza, is that we see rising anti-Semitism when people believe a false propaganda trope that ordinary Jews are somehow responsible for the actions of the state of Israel.

And so, whether he's mad at the State of Israel for those deaths of a family member or not, in ways that inspire him to commit mass violence, there is absolutely no rational explanation why anyone would connect ordinary Jews, and particularly children, preschool and elementary school, as in any way being responsible.

So, that is actually a preventable propaganda trope. We can point that out, that it's manipulative and people will recognize it and reject it, but only if you get to them before they believe it. And we're just not really doing any investment on the prevention side in this country.

WHITFIELD: Then at the Old Dominion University in Virginia, a situation, the shooter is identified as a former Virginia National Guard member who has served prison time for attempting to aid the Islamic militant group a decade ago. Back in 2016, he tried to get weapons to pull off what he wanted to be, an attack in the name of ISIS, and donate money to ISIS. He serves time, gets out in December of 2024.

I mean, did authorities, in your view, kind of drop the ball by not monitoring him closer, in other words, or even coming to a realization that being in prison does not necessarily mean becoming de- radicalized?

MILLER-IDRISS: Exactly, especially in the U.S. I mean, France, the U.K., there are actual prison de-radicalization programs. Even there, we've had instances where actors have enacted terrorist attacks after being released, after being certified as having been de-radicalized. So, even the best de-radicalization programs that exist, there's no guarantee that they work. We don't really have enough training or expertise in all cases among probation officers who can certify that someone has been effectively de-radicalized, and the evidence is very thin about how to initiate that.

So, I think one of the things we have to be wary of as we see rising domestic violence extremism and people going to prison for this is that they are going to get out. These are not long sentences, and we do need ways for communities to be more alert, aware, and prepared when people in their lives start exhibiting warning signs.

WHITFIELD: All right. we'll leave it there for now. Cynthia Miller- Edriss, thank you so much.

MILLER-IDRISS: Thanks, Fred. WHITFIELD: All right. Up next, long lines at TSA checkpoints across the country as the partial U.S. government shutdown drags on. We'll go live to Ronald Reagan, Washington National Airport, as lawmakers still cannot break that stalemate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Delays loom as more than 60,000 TSA employees miss their first full paychecks. This is happening as the spring travel season is ramping up. DHS funding lapsed last month amid a standoff between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill over ICE funding.

This week we saw hours-long waits at security checkpoints at airports in New Orleans, Houston. Travelers are being encouraged to check TSA wait times before trying to travel.

CNN's Camila DeChalus is at Reagan National Airport. Camila, so what does it look like there? Because it was pretty nasty yesterday, right?

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Fred. I just spent the last few hours just at this airport. And what you see is relatively short lines at the security checkpoint. But what you don't see is just how much of an emotional and financial toll this has taken on hundreds of TSA workers here. I've spent the last few hours talking to them, and they've essentially told me that they're really fed up about what is going on and just how much of a dire situation, financial situation, this has really put themselves in because of everything in the gridlock going on on Capitol Hill.

[13:45:00]

I even talked to one that talks about how that they're even considering putting in their two-week notice because they just simply don't like feeling like they're collateral damage. The fact that they are now withholding their financial paycheck, and they're just saying that they're not left with a lot of options. They've told me how they're even considering taking out loans because they still have rent that's due and other bills.

But it really has to stress the fact that all across the country we're seeing significant delays at airports, even though it's calm here. That is not the case of how disrupted it has been in several airports across the country, and that it was really because a lot of TSA workers are feeling the burden of this partial government shutdown, and they're really asking this question about how this is going to end and when they can get the back pay.

Now, one of the things that we're hearing is that lawmakers on Capitol Hill say that they're taking in these concerns, but a lot of TSA workers here say that they're simply going to start calling out, and they're not going to show up to work because they just cannot take just how much of a financial and emotional toll this has taken on them. And really, if we see the short-term impact going on at these airports, but the longer-term impact of this is whether this is going to cause several federal employees under the Department of Homeland Security and even in this agency alone having to force to quit, because a lot of them just tell me the fact that it's not just this partial government shutdown. It's the fact that they've had partial government shutdowns going on for these last three -- like six, eight, nine months, about three, and they're just saying that this toll is really significant, and a lot of people just don't understand what is going on and how this is going to impact airports across the country.

WHITFIELD: Right, right. Camila, a lot of those TSA workers saying that without a paycheck, they can't pay for gas to get to work. They can't pay for child care while they're at work. So, that helps define that financial strain that you were talking about. All right. Camila DeChalus, thank you so much.

All right. Coming up, a new warning today from Iran that it could attack more U.S. assets across the Middle East if strikes do not stop. And this comes as the head of the United Nations says to, quote, "stop the fighting."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Increased security across Los Angeles ahead of tomorrow's highly anticipated Academy Awards. Earlier this week, the FBI reportedly sent a memo to local law enforcement that Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack. The LA Times is reporting that federal and local agencies are working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force to prevent any security incident. Officials told them that the warning was cautionary and that no credible threats have been made against the Oscars.

So, this year's Oscars is shaping up to be a showdown between the films "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners." Both movies share pointed commentaries on racial inequality and American values. The horror fantasy "Sinners" is nominated for a record-breaking 16 awards with the Citizen Resistance feature "One Battle After Another" has 13.

CNN's Omar Jimenez sat down with "Sinners" breakout star Miles Caton to talk about crafting the film's hit songs and his path to Hollywood.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MILES CATON, ACTOR/SINGER, ""SINNERS"": I never could have anticipated the reaction and the response that the film would have.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles Caton is the breakout star of ""Sinners"," the most nominated movie in Oscar's history. He's 21 now.

JIMENEZ: Your voice is deeper than mine. JIMENEZ (voice-over): But he remembers being 18 when he started having conversations about what became his first movie role ever. And once he got the part, preparation started with a playlist from writer and director Ryan Coogler.

CATON: He sent me an essential blues playlist.

JIMENEZ: Must have been a good playlist.

CATON: Yes, it was great. It was great. It had the greats on there, Charlie Patton, Buddy Guy, B.B. King.

JIMENEZ: Yes.

CATON: So, I just started to listen to that for the first couple of weeks. I started learning how to play guitar, resonator guitar, which is specific to, you know, the film and Mississippi.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): He started building under the direction of Ludwig Goransson, the Grammy and Oscar winning musician who scored the movie.

CATON: When I connected with Ludwig and he taught me, I lied to you on the guitar, actually. Maybe a week or two before we shot that scene, he brought me into the studio one day and he played me the song. And I was just like, this is gas.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

JIMENEZ: I think about the I lied to you scene. Is that how you imagined it?

CATON: The way it was written out, I thought it was going to be like maybe like ghosts flying around or something like that. Just seeing that come to life off the page, it was mind blowing, bro.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Caton also co-wrote this song.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

JIMENEZ (voice-over): With Grammy nominated artist Alice Smith. It plays during the closing moments of the movie.

ALICE SMITH, SINGER/VOCALIST, ""SINNERS"": After the movie where you're like, can't breathe. And then it's like -- it was amazing how perfectly it was where it was.

JIMENEZ: Did you have uncertainty or in doubt during this process?

CATON: Yes, yes, yes. I definitely felt the pressure, but like I always just kept telling myself to just like lock in, know that you're here for a reason. Just getting to work with an incredible cast, like people I grew up watching, Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo. Yes. I think from all of them, I just kind of got to stay sharp.

[13:55:00] For some people, it might be easy to feel like you made it or like you did it. But you got to stay locked in and striving forward.

JIMENEZ: Well, the theme of this interview, stay locked in.

CATON: You got it. Yes, sir. Lock in.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Omar Jimenez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much, Omar. And it is the final act of awards season and all eyes will be on that beloved statue. But with declining viewership and competition for audiences, will the Oscars win in 2026? "Hollywood and the Oscars Still Golden?" Watch on the CNN app.

All right. Coming up at the top of the hour of what was supposed to be a quick military campaign against Iran is turning into something far bigger. Now, Iran is striking back. Global oil is disrupted and the war is widening. A look at where things went wrong.

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