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Jewish Volunteer Ambulances Set on Fire in London; FAA Issues Ground Stop at LaGuardia Airport for Plane Collision; Trump Ultimatum on Strait of Hormuz; War with Iran Continues; TSA Callouts Rising at Some of Busiest U.S. Airports; Israel Expands Strikes On Bridges, Homes In Southern Lebanon; Iran: Hormuz Will Be "Completely Closed" If Power Plants Hit; European Drivers Grapple With Rising Fuel Prices; Recovery Efforts Underway Across Hawaii And Flooding. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired March 23, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. We're beginning with breaking news. London police say they are investigating an apparent arson attack in the city's Golders Green neighborhood as an antisemitic hate crime. This security camera footage, shared with CNN, shows three masked individuals approaching an ambulance belonging to a Jewish volunteer rescue group. They then set it on fire. The neighborhood is home to a large Jewish population.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is at the scene for us now and joins us with the latest. Clare, what can you tell us about what's happening there right now?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Ben. As you can see, I'm standing in front of a police cordon here. They closed the road. It's very calm and quiet. They say that the fire and those explosions that fire brigade talks about, potentially gas canisters in those ambulances, that that was around 1:30 in the morning. We just (INAUDIBLE) control by 3:00 in the morning. So, there is no sign of fire now. But there is -- a fire engine just sparked down the road, and I've seen fire fighters sorts of milling around down there.

What I can tell you is that this is a community that is extremely shocked and shaken by what has happened. Obviously, we are now six months or so out from that attack on a synagogue in Manchester, Ben, the attack on a synagogue in Manchester, which led to extra security they put in place. It's not clear at any one, actually, in place of a synagogue around where those ambulances were parked and set on fire. So, questions, perhaps, could be raised about that.

The people are very upset and very shocked that this was pretty dramatic. They say that, couple residents spoke to CNN, they heard several loud explosions in the early hours of the morning. One said that she felt that smoke actually come into her living room. She was just around the corner. So, pretty dramatic event.

As you say, the police say they are treating it as an antisemitic hate crime. Three suspects are being searched. No arrest has been made as of yet. We also know that local residents in this area have been evacuated. Those explosions did apparently cause, according to the fire department, some windows to break in a block of flats opposite.

So, pretty dramatic events in this suburb of north London here, Golders Green, one of the areas in London, I will say, with the highest concentration of synagogues and Jewish schools, a very large Jewish population here. People are very shocked and very upset here this morning. Ben?

HUNTE: It is still very early in London and has obviously broke overnight. What kind of reaction are you expecting to see over the next few hours?

SEBASTIAN: Well, look, I think we will start to see more officials coming out. I spoke to one gentleman who is running for local council here. So, he obviously wanted to come down, he lived just around the corner, and see what was happening. So, we'll be looking for more official reaction from sort of community leaders who will very likely come down here. It is a close-knit community and obviously an event that will have people, you know, wanting to rally together and come together, given that now the police are calling this or saying they're treating this as an antisemitic hate crime. Ben?

HUNTE: OK. Claire Sebastian, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. We'll come back to you if we need some more later. Thank you.

Another breaking news story that we're following, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ground stop at LaGuardia Airport in New York due to what they're calling an aircraft emergency. This is some video from the scene where the New York City Fire Department says it's responding to a reported incident involving a plane and vehicle on a runway. Videos circulating on social media do show emergency vehicles surrounding an aircraft with its cockpit appearing damaged.

And we now have a recording of the air traffic control audio that took place at the time of the collision. In the recording, an operation's truck contacts the tower, requesting permission to cross a runway, which the tower does clear. Just seconds later, the tower urgently orders the truck to stop.

And we should have Gloria Pazmino with us now. Gloria, can you hear me? Are you there?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Yes, Ben, I can hear you.

HUNTE: Yes. So, what is the latest? What are you seeing where you are?

PAZMINO (via telephone): So, I just got to an area right outside the airport where we have a pretty decent view of the runway. [02:05:00]

I'm standing right across from the runway of LaGuardia Airport, and I can see just a massive emergency vehicle response. The silence and the light shining across the way right now as they respond to this incident. We know that there is currently a ground stop at LaGuardia Airport. They respond to this aircraft emergency. Now, we know from the New York City Fire Department that a call came in shortly around 11:30 this evening, local time. This is involving a flight with Air Canada that appears to have collided with a vehicle that was on the runway.

Now, according to the air traffic control audio that we have secured, you can hear the moment where the operator is trying to tell the vehicle to stop. Now, we're still just learning preliminary details about exactly what happened, how this happened. So, some the images that we have gotten so far, I believe we have an image of the front of the plane where you can see the nose of the plane. It's just almost completely blown out from the apparent impact.

So, as I look down into the runway from where I'm standing right now, I can see that there's still a very, very active scene, a lot of sirens, emergency vehicles and, of course, there's no other activity on the runway other than this emergency response, there are no planes that are approaching. As I said, there is a ground stop here at LaGuardia Airport.

I also want to tell you just a little bit about the condition. It is late at night here in the East Coast. It's 2:00 in the morning local time. And it had been raining earlier in the evening. We do not know yet whether the weather condition had anything to do with this. But the rain has stopped. So, it's a clear, clear night now. It's so dark. And so, emergency crews working in those conditions.

As I said, a lot of vehicles that have been going up and down the runway, and we can see that they're all concentrated in one area where this collision took place.

We're still waiting to learn more about the condition of the passengers. I understand that this type of airplane usually holds about 70 or so passengers, and we're waiting to hear more about their status.

But, as I said, that video that has been circulating on social media as well as the images showing emergency vehicles surrounding the aircraft and the cockpit appearing to be severely damaged.

The weather was a factor earlier in the day -- in the evening, I should say. There were flight disruptions because of the rain and the fog that was affecting the area. But again, it's still unclear if that was a factor in this collision.

I can tell you a little bit more about where this plane was coming from. It was an Air Canada airplane flight 8646 and it, as I said, usually fits about 76 passengers. The flight took off from Montreal to the International Airport shortly after 10:30 local time and landed here at LaGuardia about an hour later. That's according to flight radar 24 where we've been getting some of the data points about this flight.

So, we're waiting to hear official word from officials here in New York City about the response and about the condition of the passengers. Ben?

HUNTE: OK. That's CNN's Gloria Pazmino. Thank you so much for that. We'll come back to you with more later. Appreciate it.

And now, to what could be a consequential day for the White House. We're just hours away from Donald Trump's Monday deadline threatening to bomb Iran's power plants. That's if the vital Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. And ICE agents are set to head to airports across the U.S. to help with the long security lines.

And now, to the war in Iran and the sounds of explosions heard in several parts of the capital, Tehran. The IDF says it has begun a wide scale wave of strikes targeting the Iranian regime's infrastructure. This comes as Iran's military says it is ready to close the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely. That's if President Donald Trump carries out his ultimatum to -- quote -- "hit and obliterate Iran's power plants if the critical waterway is not fully open to shipping by Monday evening."

[02:09:57]

Meanwhile, just hours ago, at least one Iranian missile carrying a cluster warhead could be seen above Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank. Let's get a live update from CNN's Mike Valerio, who is joining us live from Beijing. Mr. Valerio, we are now over three weeks into this conflict. Are we seeing any signs of this ending any time soon?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ben, I think there's no indication that Iran is going to back down, which is the primary goal of this White House. In fact, quite the opposite.

We're going to start off this hour with new reporting from the IRGC that says, essentially, if our power plants, you know, quoting the statement loosely here, if Iranian power plants are going to be targeted, if you strike electricity, we will strike electricity.

So, the fear, Benny, is that if civilian infrastructure targets that put us into the 21st century and make all of our lives better, we're talking about desalination plants, water facilities, power plants, if those are targeted inside Iran, the Iranian regime, its leadership and military apparatus are now threatening to strike power plants, desalination plants, water facilities around the Gulf, specifically targets that the United States and Israel benefit from, Israel proper targets or targets of U.S. allies in the Gulf infrastructure facilities that all of their population centers use for, again, our 21st century lives. Tehran is saying that it will irreversibly destroy those energy infrastructure targets.

So, that sort of begs the question as to if power plants are going to be bombed, you know, what does that do to the civilian populace, especially any strands of the populace that were supportive, Benny, of this administration, the White House, trying to remove the regime in Iran?

Amnesty International, for what it's worth, is warning and has been warning for the past couple weeks that putting those targets in the crosshairs could lead to vast, predictable, and devastating civilian harm.

So, it's really a question we're just under a day away, what happens next? Iran doesn't look like it's backing down. And what exactly is going to be targeted?

So, we also have new reporting that the speaker of Iran's parliament is saying that the Strait of Hormuz is not going to be opened until potential flattened power plants, attacked power plants are rebuilt.

And we also want to get to the new reporting. We're seeing damage in residential areas throughout Iran. Let's go to the pictures in Urmia. This is much closer to the border of Iraq and Turkey than it is to any kind of target in Tehran. You see pictures and video that have been released by the Iranian Red Crescent. It appears to be a six or seven- storey building from the middle of the night. Power completely knocked out. Certainly, paramedics and first responders searching for bodies and talking amongst themselves when you watch the video without or with sound, rather, trying to figure out if they can save anybody.

So, the toll from the regime and now, certainly, this war that has been put on their doorsteps now that we enter week four is certainly so crushing, so horrifying to see from this perspective. And it just begs the question of, if this deadline passes without any kind of Iranian response of backing down or any kind of exit ramp, what will be targeted and what will that do to the civilian populace, not just in Iran, but spread around the Gulf, Benny?

HUNTE: Very good and important questions. Mr. Valerio in Beijing, thank so much.

Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely has not helped oil prices to come down. Brent crude, the global benchmark, peaked at over $114 a barrel on Sunday before dropping back down slightly. Right now, it's sitting at about $112. Meanwhile, WTI is also pushing higher, hovering just under $100 a barrel right now as markets do react to that risk of disruption.

Now, to the latest airports in the U.S. TSA callouts are rising as the country enters the sixth week of the partial government shutdown. And some of the busiest airports in the country are definitely feeling the pinch as lines get longer and travelers' patience runs short. The Department of Homeland Security says more than one-third of agents called out from multiple airports on Saturday. That is including major hubs like New York's JFK and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson. Overall, more than 11 percent of TSA staff called out from work on Saturday, and that is the highest percentage nationwide since the partial shutdown began.

U.S. President Donald Trump says immigration and customs enforcement agents will be deployed to assist the understaffed TSA. This comes amid a stalemate in Washington as lawmakers still haven't come to an agreement on funding for the Homeland Security Department.

[02:15:00]

ICE agents will be deployed on Monday to airports all across the country. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens says the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is expecting agents to assist with crowd management. President Trump has put border czar Tom Homan in charge of the operation. And Homan says ICE will continue conducting immigration operations and agents will only help in areas that do not require specialized expertise. Here's what he told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, BORDER CZAR: This is about going -- helping TSA do their mission and get the American public through that airport as quick as they can while adhering to all the security guidelines and the protocols. We're simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don't need their specialized expertise such as, you know, screening through the x-ray machine. Not trained in that? We won't do that. But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non- significant role such as guarding an exit so they can get back to the scanning machine to move people quicker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, is against the idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It's unfortunate that Republicans have decided that they would rather force TSA agents to work without pay, inconvenience millions of Americans all across the country, and now potentially expose them to untrained ICE agents and create chaos at airports throughout the land rather than get ICE agents under control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Well, our Rafael Romo is in Atlanta at the busiest airport in the United States with more on how understaffing is affecting airport traffic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The lines here at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are even worse than Saturday. And part of the reason probably has to do with the fact that only four windows are open. This compared to eight windows that were open on Saturday out of a total of 18. So, that's part of the problem here.

And the other problem that we've noticed is that people are having problems finding the end of the line. Let me try to get to the other side. Thank you very much, sir. Because the line loops around the airport, and many people are coming to the normal area, to the main checkpoint area, and they cannot find it. And so, they have to walk across many areas of the airport to be able to find it. We finally found it. It took us a little while, but it's right there at the very end. Just to give you an idea, that's probably about a quarter of a mile from the main checkpoint area that's in the baggage area. And that's where it begins.

Now, this line right here, that's pre-check. Those are the people who are hopefully going to be processed much faster. But there are lines on the north side of the airport for wheelchairs and there are other lines for general boarding. So, it's a very complex situation here, and people are having issues trying to find their way around. We had an opportunity to talk to a couple of passengers and this is what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: It's bad. But everybody is just dealing with the fallout. I mean, it's going to just take patience and you got to deal with it.

ROMO: Did you know it was going to be this bad?

UNKNOWN: No, I did not. Not at all. I got here an hour early, usually two hours. Got here three hours, and I'm still in this line.

UNKNOWN: We need to pay these people. We need to resolve. They got to come to an agreement even if they just agree in this one issue. That's my saying to the politicians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Now, in addition to feeling frustrated and angry and being afraid of missing a flight, this situation, the long lines, is having a deep impact on people. We earlier saw a lady who was being escorted by Atlanta police seemingly having a panic attack. There was another lady who came to our position and sat down in one of our chairs because she was feeling ill. So, it's a long wait. People are trying to make their flights. And the reality is that as long as there's no agreement in Congress to release funding for TSA, we may see these long lines for many more days.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Larry Sabato is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, and he's joining us now. Thank you so much for being with me, Larry. How are doing?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS AT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, Ben. Doing well.

HUNTE: Good to see you. Let's start with the U.S. government shutdown affecting TSA operations and now reports that ICE agents could be deployed at airports. We're actually expecting it. Politically, how risky is that move? SABATO: It's very risky. You know, the two sides were actually moving toward a potential compromise. They were exchanging ideas, and some senior people had gotten involved.

[02:20:02]

And then President Trump comes up with this. Now, why would it affect whether a compromise can be reached? Because if Democrats decide to go with the compromise now, it will appear that Trump's strategy in work, that they did it because ICE was being deployed to the airports. So, it was very poorly-timed. And, of course, you have to ask, Ben, what could possibly go wrong with ICE agents being thrown into airports with incredibly long lines, people feverish and angry? And we know, frankly, that a certain portion of ICE has been very poorly-trained.

HUNTE: I was reading today about concerns that people have about their phones being checked and social media being checked and immigration status being checked before boarding domestic flights, which is fascinating. Voters are already dealing with long lines and disruption at these airports. If this does drag on, who is most likely to take the political blame here and how does that play into the broader election landscape that we're seeing this year?

SABATO: The Republicans have been running a coordinated program and it has been effective in a sense. To blame the Democrats, claiming that it's the Democrats (INAUDIBLE) go along. But, in fact, if you examine closely the back and forth on this, you can see that, at the very least, you can say it's both sides. And you could also make a good argument that the Republicans simply won't agree to serious limitations on ICE. And ICE is currently the most unpopular branch of the American government, even more than the IRS, incredibly, and we're approaching tax season.

HUNTE: That's how I'd love to see those polling numbers. That's wild. Now, to Iran. We are several weeks on, and we're still talking about it, obviously. How are Americans feeling about the war with Iran and how much of a liability is this now becoming for President Trump?

SABATO: The war with Iran was not popular from day one. The public had not been prepared for it. They don't understand why we're there, what the objectives are, how much pain is going to be associated with this, not just casualties, as serious as that is, but also the pain at the pump. Gas prices are up a dollar a gallon. They're at $4 a gallon. And some analysts are predicting that the prices will go much higher.

Well, the number one problem for Republicans is prices. And that's the objective they have, to reduce prices by the fall. And I don't see how they're going to do it.

But the war is dragging on. And from the very beginning, President Trump said it would be a very quick war. In fact, he wanted in the first hour or two. But we're still there in the third week. We don't see any indication that the war will be ending soon. And we see a lot of indications that problems are developing and it is getting out of control, which is what critics said it would from the beginning. HUNTE: We are seeing gas prices climb sharply, as you said there, and we're seeing huge knock-on effects for inflation and the cost of living. This is a big election year. Surely, this is going to have a wide impact almost immediately. Why are we not seeing people protesting? Why are we not seeing people complaining about this? People just seem to be putting up with it, which is a bit weird.

SABATO: Well, it has just started. You know, again, we're just in the third week of the war and prices are going up. But they're hearing Trump and others, particularly on the Republican side, say, this is very temporary, the prices will be coming down soon. Well, you add another month or two, and if the prices haven't come down, and a lot of analysts think the prices won't come down, at least not very quickly, then I think you will see a stronger public reaction. Already, we're seeing Trump voters come right out publicly to T.V. reporters and say, I voted for him three times, and I'm sorry I did it.

HUNTE: I mean, that does make sense. If you voted for lower prices of eggs and now you're paying more for your eggs, then what's going on? There is also attention here on Iran. Military experts warn that airstrikes alone may not achieve objectives that they set. But the public is strongly opposed to sending ground troops. So, how boxed in does that now leave the White House?

SABATO: One wonders if President Trump is really going to pay attention to public opinion on this. He has ignored it in so many other circumstances. But support for putting ground troops in, in some surveys, is in the single digits. I mean, a large majority of voters in all the party categories are opposed to this because they know it means increased casualties and a longer war.

HUNTE: OK. Well, we'll leave it there for now. Larry Sabato, thank you. As always, we appreciate your insights. Absolutely love them. Thank you.

SABATO: Thank you, Ben.

[02:25:00]

HUNTE: We'll have more coverage on the conflict in the Middle East after a quick break. Coming up, Israel expands strikes on Hezbollah targets along a crucial river in Southern Lebanon. Look at that. See you in moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Israel is accelerating the demolition of homes and bridges along the Litani River in Southern Lebanon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

HUNTE: The IDF says two key bridges over the strategic waterway have already been destroyed. Israel says it aims to sever Hezbollah's weapon and supply lines near Israel's northern border. But Lebanon's president is accusing Israel of preparing for a ground invasion and pursuing Israeli expansion into Lebanese territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Israeli bombardment is taking a heavy human toll on the Lebanese people. So far, the fighting has taken more than a thousand lives, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The conflict has also displaced over one million people across Lebanon and cut off critical food and medical supply routes to civilians in the south.

Joining us now to discuss the latest developments is Miri Eisin.

[02:30:00]

She's a retired IDF colonel and senior fellow with the International Institute for Counterterrorism, and joins us live from Tel Aviv, Israel. Thank you so much for being with me.

I'll get straight into it. Israel says it's speeding up demolitions along the southern border and targeting bridges in what many see as a major escalation. So why are they doing this now?

MIRI EISIN, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES (RET.): They're doing it as part of the campaign to stop Hezbollah. You quoted before a President Aoun, but I would also quote the prime minister, Nawaf Salam, who yesterday as the prime minister of Lebanon, accused Hezbollah of being the one who's bringing about the destruction of Lebanon. Hezbollah is a terror army inside the country, Lebanon. Lebanon itself has not been able, with its Lebanese army, to dismantle it in any way.

What Israel is trying to do right now is to protect people who live inside Israel. Hezbollah joined in on March 2nd with the Islamic terror regime, and they've been firing every minute into Israel. I have friends up north who live right next to the border. They're inside Israel. Zero alert time, drones, missiles, rockets, IEDs. That's what Hezbollah has been using in the last three weeks against us.

HUNTE: But Israel is using increasingly aggressive rhetoric, and we are seeing heavier strikes in Lebanon. Is that in Israel's interest and how does it avoid making an already severe humanitarian crisis even worse?

EISIN: I'm going to ask, what do you do then with Hezbollah, this terror army that is established and entrenched inside all of Lebanon, not just southern Lebanon? These are Lebanese. Then these Lebanese, these Hezbollah chose to go with the Islamic terror regime of Iran.

Right now, for Israel, it's about moving away this capability of this terror regime and this terror army to fire into Israel. So, yes, it's absolutely an enlarging of the campaign, but it's against very specific targets. I know it's happening in Lebanon, and that means that we are attacking in Lebanon.

But the targets that Israel is attacking are absolutely Hezbollah terror targets. You're going after that Hezbollah army. And as I said before, right now inside Lebanon, the clear voices are blaming Hezbollah. And when we talk about the dislocated, the displaced, the people moving, and my heart goes out to every single one of them.

We're trying to save lives and to destroy that terror capability. And that will give an opening for Lebanon hand in hand with that fist, and it's a fist. Israel has been trying with this Lebanese government to reach out and have some kind of dialogue.

There are new voices there that are very important to hear, not just about the war and the destruction, but about the possibility for dialogue to go forward between Lebanon and Israel. And, again, Hezbollah, Lebanese chose Iran. This is what the Lebanese government president, prime minister, to talk with them as well.

HUNTE: Lebanon's government has moved against Hezbollah's military activity, and there is growing pressure for disarmament. Could Israel's actions actually make that harder to achieve, though?

EISIN: It's a very delicate balance, isn't it, Ben, if you don't destroy the capabilities, I'm not talking about destroying Lebanon at all. I'm talking about Hezbollah's terror capabilities. If I put down the list of missiles of drones they fired in the last three weeks, a 300-kilometer length missile, of course, made by Iran, supplied by Iran.

Iran in the last year since the ceasefire was signed between Israel and Lebanon, again, to stop Hezbollah and the Lebanese armed forces were supposed to have disarmed Hezbollah. Look at what they're firing at Israel. They still have an enormous arsenal.

So, you're right. It is a delicate balance. But I want to think that for the better and the future of Lebanon, for both the defense inside Israel against Hezbollah, not against Lebanon. If you do not attack those arsenals, those capabilities, the missiles, the drones, the IEDs, the ATMs, these are all different military terms that are being fired into Israel.

Then you are not going to be able to arrive at any kind of resolution with Lebanon. It will still be in Lebanon, fester in Lebanon. It'll tear Lebanon apart. So, it isn't either or. It's both.

HUNTE: After the exhaustion of the Gaza war, how much support is there in Israel for a campaign in Lebanon that could become long and costly, too?

EISIN: Ben, I mean, it's like the question that every single person I know asked themselves. And I talk with you right now from my house and you can see my bookshelves behind me. And in the last three weeks, I've been a wanderer because the Iranian missiles that are being fired at Israel, you know, the different types, the ones that have gotten through, as you all know, are either cluster bombs, which are very difficult to intercept, or the ton and a half warheads like the one that struck day before yesterday at night in a city down south.

And I say that because this is not a normal life. [02:35:00]

Our abnormal life means that inside Israel, kids are not at school. Nobody likes school, right? But remote learning is even worse. If your kids are not in school and that's at every single age, it's very difficult for parents to be able to work if at all. You want to know where your shelter is.

So, you're absolutely right. You can't do this forever. But what's amazing to me inside Israel that has been very critical of our government and still is of a lot of different things. We have enormous backing for this action against the Islamic regime and against Hezbollah, because when you border next to it, you go, you can't live like this every single day.

We're on the other side of the border with enormous respect to the Lebanese government. They have within them an arsenal of a terror army, which is larger than most militaries in the world, that the Islamic regime of Iran fires cluster bombs at Israel, and nobody really cares.

So, we sit here and we hope there's still a lot of support. Yes, it's eroding, but that's because we're tired and it's hard, but we're still in it.

HUNTE: It is very, very hard. It's very difficult indeed.

Okay, Miri Eisin, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much for your perspective. We appreciate it. Live from Tel Aviv. Thank you.

EISIN: Thank you.

HUNTE: In our next hour, well get the perspective from inside Lebanon.

Onwards, Israel is bracing for a new wave of Iranian strikes. This as southern Israel is reeling after devastating weekend attacks left dozens wounded. The latest just ahead. See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Welcome back.

We're now less than 24 hours away from President Trump's new deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

[02:40:00]

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump threatened to, quote, "obliterate Iran's power plant if the waterway is not fully reopened within 48 hours." The ultimatum over the critical shipping lane is drawing mixed political reactions here in the U.S., as lawmakers and administration officials debate the implications of that deadline. And, of course, what may come next.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the White House is keeping all of its options open.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: As President Trump always does, he's leaving all options on the -- on the table. We had a very successful bombing campaign against the military installations at Kharg Island, the nexus for all the Iranian oil supply. You know what could happen with Kharg Island? We'll see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The IDF says it has intercepted approximately 92 percent of the ballistic missiles that Iran has fired at the country since the war began. Still, just this weekend, Iranian missiles hit two southern cities, injuring dozens.

CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Oren Liebermann has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: We have seen multiple sirens warning of incoming missiles throughout the day on Sunday, as Iran has kept up waves of ballistic missile fire towards Israel. And we have seen the impacts of those on the ground. On Sunday morning, in Central Israel, in Tel Aviv, we saw what appears to be a cluster warhead. According to the Israeli military, with multiple reports of impacts around Tel Aviv, including one that hit in Habima Square, one of the main squares, which right underneath there is one of the main shelters in the city of Tel Aviv. A number of other impact sites reported in that area.

Meanwhile, on the northern border, there was an impact that sent two cars up in flames. One person killed inside of those cars. At first, the Israeli military said that was fire from Lebanon, but now the military examining whether that was in fact friendly fire that killed one person in that vehicle.

Meanwhile, looking back at Saturday night and the overall weekend, two major strikes in southern Israel, one in the city of Dimona, where more than 30 people were injured and taken to the hospital, according to Israels emergency response service. And then the largest strike we have seen from a single missile in terms of casualties is in the city of Arad, also in southern Israel, where at least 84 people were taken to hospital, at least ten in serious condition, according to Israel's emergency response service, Magen David Adom.

Israel's military, in a briefing on Sunday, stressed that they are intercepting more than 90 percent -- 92 percent, in fact, of incoming ballistic missiles. But the system is not perfect, and we have seen that over and over again with missiles getting through, the military says those ballistic missiles that struck in Arad and Dimona, they had launched interceptors at those. So, they are investigating what happened there, that the missiles were still able to get through.

Meanwhile, where is this war going with President Donald Trump giving Iran a timeline for opening up the Strait of Hormuz? It seems there is intensification on its way, which is exactly what Israels defense minister said would happen this week.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Asia is reacting to the widening conflict in the Middle East. Let's take a quick look at the markets there. Yes, you are seeing all Asian markets sharply lower, with South Korea leading losses there as oil spikes. And of course, investors run away from that risk.

Drivers in Europe are feeling the pinch of rising fuel prices, and European nations are rolling out measures to try to reduce that pain.

CNN's Lynda Kinkade reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Out of service and limits on fuel. Getting gas is testing patients in Slovenia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yesterday, we had a problem because we were waiting more than 20 minutes in a queue in other cities, and we were able to tank only 30 liters for diesel.

KINKADE (voice-over): Over the weekend, many gas stations were closed as the country struggles with a widespread fuel shortage, the government imposing fuel caps of 50 liters for private vehicles until further notice. Some stations allowing even less, stockpiling due to the war in the Middle East, has been blamed, as well as foreigners entering the country to buy gas.

Slovenia's prime minister says the army will now help deliver fuel throughout the country.

In Spain, there's some relief from high gas prices. The government imposing temporary measures to lower fuel costs, which could reduce petrol prices by about 30 cents a liter. Spain is cutting the value added tax on fuel from 21 to 10 percent to soften the blow to consumers, with some people saying every little bit helps.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it's that much either, because petrol prices have been increasing a lot and this is something at least, and I think that's great.

KINKADE (voice-over): Austria is expected to cut its fuel tax by about 5 cents a liter in April, but one man says he has his own plan to deal with rising fuel costs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's good to have a bike and it's much healthier, too.

[02:45:00]

The fuel prices don't affect me at all.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Pope Leo has condemned the war in the Middle East, calling the conflict a scandal to humanity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, CATHOLIC CHURCH: I continue to follow with dismay the situation in the Middle East, as well as in any other regions of the world, torn apart by war and violence. We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people who are innocent victims of these conflicts. What wounds them wounds the whole humanity. The death and suffering caused by these wars are a scandal for the entire human family and a cry before God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Pope Leo made those comments during his weekly prayer at the Vatican, as the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran enters its fourth week.

Just ahead, historic flooding forces mass evacuations in Hawaii. We'll update you on that situation next. See you in a minute.

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HUNTE: Recovery efforts are underway across Hawaii following severe rainfall from the Kona storm. The governor said on Sunday that the immediate threat has passed, but some areas on the island are still experiencing flooding and there is still a threat of flash flooding in some parts.

Videos do show the damage left behind. Look at that. Crews are now working to assess damage and clear the debris. Hawaii's governor estimates storm damage of at least $1 billion following the worst flooding in 20 years.

Temperatures are not cooling off any time soon for parts of the U.S.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest on this rare March heat wave.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Dozens of monthly record highs have been set over the last few days, but it's still not yet done. Every single one of these dots represent an area that had their March record high set at least once. Some of these areas broke that record again the very next day.

[02:50:03]

But the heat is not yet over. Take Las Vegas, for example. Look at the next seven days. Now the March record was 93. We've already hit that, but we could hit it yet again, every single one of the next three days before dropping back, at least a little bit as we head into the latter half of the week. Although even then, we're still looking at a lot of daily record temperatures that could be broken, certainly well above what the average is this time of year.

But it's not just in the Southwest. You've got a lot of the southern tier of the U.S. That's really going to start to see their heating ramping up towards the back end of the week.

So, we take, for example, Atlanta. High on Monday of 77 degrees. They drop back a little bit Tuesday and Wednesday before rebounding. Once we get back into Thursday. Cincinnati very similar a little bit on the cool end for the front part of the week. But once we get to Thursday and Friday, those temperatures bounce right back up again.

Raleigh, Lexington, Washington, D.C. all going to go through a similar pattern where it's a little bit cool to start off the week as that cold front moves through, and then we start to see the temperatures jump right back up again Thursday and Friday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: A one-ton meteor was spotted in the skies over southeast Texas on Saturday. Here's the view from Houston. According to NASA, the meteor became visible 49 miles above a town northwest of the city. As you can see, it was captured on video by multiple onlookers. NASA says the celestial rock also triggered a sonic boom before breaking up into smaller pieces.

Fireworks and firebombs light up the streets of Albania's capital. Still ahead, why months of political tensions are now burning hotter. See you in a moment.

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[02:55:36]

HUNTE: You're looking at protesters shooting fireworks and throwing petrol bombs in Albania's capital. Their target, the prime minister's office building. Police tried to quell demonstrations in Toronto on Sunday by spraying protesters with water cannons. Protests like these have been happening for several months. They follow corruption allegations against Albania's deputy prime minister. Demonstrators are calling on the Albanian government to resign.

Paris elected a new mayor on Sunday, socialist candidate Emmanuel Gregoire. In Sunday's election, Gregoire easily beat his conservative opponent, further securing leftist control of the French capital. During his victory speech, the newly elected mayor condemned right wing rhetoric, claiming his city will never be run by conservatives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL GREGOIRE, PARIS MAYOR-ELECT: Because everything in the soul of our capital rejects the idea of a diminished Paris, the idea of a Paris that picks between its inhabitants. That message is clear, Paris is not and will never be a far-right city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: After the election was called, Gregoire rode his bike to city hall, where the outgoing mayor handed him the keys to the city. Socialists have maintained control of the French capital for 25 years.

All right. That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team this hour. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. I'll be right back after this break. See you in a moment.

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