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Artemis II Crew Heads Home After a Historic Trip to the Moon; Sponsors Back Out Wireless Music Festival Despite Kanye West's Anti- Semitic Remarks. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 07, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Great to be with you. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York, and here's what's ahead here on "CNN Newsroom."

Iran faces a new deadline in the hours ahead after President Trump demands Tehran open up the Strait of Hormuz.

The Artemis II crew now making their trip back home after seeing something that's never been witnessed by the human eye.

And a major music festival in London is losing sponsors after announcing Kanye West would be the headliner.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Let's begin with U.S. President Donald Trump as he warns Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're giving them, we're giving them until tomorrow, 8:00 Eastern time, and after that, they're going to have no bridges, they're going to have no power plants. Stone ages, yeah, stone ages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Iran says that threat is delusional. Sources telling CNN that Israel has approved an updated target list of energy and infrastructure sites in Iran. Here's what President Trump had to say when asked about potential war crimes in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: How would it not be a war crime to strike Iran's bridges and power plants?

TRUMP: Because they killed 45,000 people in the last month, more than that. It could be as much as 60. They kill protesters, they're animals.

REPORTER: If it seems like diplomatic talks aren't picking up, are you willing to hold off on attacking critical infrastructure?

TRUMP: Well, I want to say I don't even want to talk about it.

REPORTER: Are you concerned that your threat to bomb power plants and bridges amounts to war crimes?

TRUMP: No, I hope I don't have to do it.

REPORTER: Are there certain kinds of civilian targets, though, I'm thinking schools or hospitals--

TRUMP: I don't want to tell you that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Yes, some mixed signals coming from the White House.

President Trump also calling a recent 45-day ceasefire proposal a significant step, but not good enough. But an Iranian source says that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous conditions unless the war is permanently stopped. And despite this, President Trump says that there has been progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I can tell you that we have an active, willing participant on the other side. They would like to be able to make a deal.

We have to have a deal that's acceptable to me. And part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and everything else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: All right, so what else does Iran have to say when it comes to the threats coming from the White House? Let's go live to CNN's Paula Hancocks, joining us from Abu Dhabi with that. Hi, Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Polo. Well, we have had plenty of responses from different Iranian officials. You do often see in wars the parallel propaganda battle, and that is certainly very prevalent in this war.

So the Iranian officials we've been hearing from, the head or the spokesperson of the Revolutionary Guard was responding fairly directly to those threats that President Trump had given and to what he was speaking about on Monday. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EBRAHIM ZOLFAQARI, SPOKESPERSON, ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (through translator): The rude rhetoric, arrogance and baseless threats of the delusional U.S. President arising from the deadlock he faces and aimed at justifying the repeated defeats of the U.S. military will have no effect on the continuation of offensive and crushing operations by the fighters of Islam against U.S. and Israeli enemies and will not repair the humiliation of the United States in West Asia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, a senior Iranian security official also tells CNN that Iran has dealt Trump a strategic defeat as far as they are concerned, also saying that it's believed that Trump has lost control of the war as far as Tehran is concerned, saying that Iran wants the war to end but not in the way or on the timeline that Trump is seeking.

Now, there was that proposal for the 45-day ceasefire. We know that Iran had rejected anything that was simply temporary, saying that there is no trust between the U.S. and Iran and they want to make sure that any ceasefire, any end of war is permanent and cannot start again in the future.

[03:04:55]

Now, when it comes to the preparations for this deadline that is fast approaching, the 8:00 p.m. Tuesday Eastern, that Trump said that they would be carrying out threats against power plants and bridges and destroy them, we actually heard from Iran's deputy minister of youth and sports that they were calling for the youth in Iran to form a human chain around power plants.

It's not the first time we have heard calls for children to be involved in the war effort. Amnesty saying that late last month the IRGC also called for children as young as 12 to get involved in the war efforts.

Now, Israel itself we know is skeptical about whether there can be a deal done, but we do understand from two Israeli sources that they have approved an updated list of targets in the energy infrastructure should this not result in a ceasefire, should the deal not go ahead.

This is a contingency plan that Iran has at this point. We have heard from the Israeli side that any deal does have to make sure that the enriched uranium that Iran possesses is handed over and they don't go into a ceasefire keeping hold of that highly enriched uranium.

Now, also we have heard from Israel, the Israeli military has actually issued a warning to people in Iran saying for the next 12 hours do not take the train. They have issued this warning against the entire train system within Iran. It is a warning though that was put on X on social media and it's worth pointing out that there is an internet block in Iran, so it's uncertain how many people would have actually heard that warning, Polo.

SANDOVAL: And now we wait to see if that deadline stands. Paula Hancocks, as always, thank you for your reporting.

And in the last hour we did have a chance to speak to Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at London School of Economics, on the signals that President Trump is sending to the international community. Here's what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAWAZ GERGES, PROF. OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Well, I think it's impossible to really read President Trump's mind. But it's very apparent that President Trump seems to have lost, really, control of reality.

He's out of control, especially in the world. The world is really on edge waiting to see what President's decision will decide in the next 24 hours.

But I think there's also consensus in the world that President Trump's rhetoric has become more blatant and more brazen. And it's a sign of desperation, threatening to return Iran back to the Stone Ages. So we have to wait and see.

But if you ask me what my reading, and I could be wrong, I think the odds are against a diplomatic solution, a diplomatic breakthrough. Because President Trump is offering Iran either surrender, submit to his demands, or basically bombing Iran back to the Stone Ages.

And the reality is the question, the big question facing the United States and Israel the morning after Tuesday, today at 8:00 p.m. U.S. time.

So let's say that President Trump orders the American military to bomb, to carbo-bomb Iran's civilian infrastructures, including factories and universities and water plants and energy. And Iran still does not submit. Iran still does not surrender.

So what will President Trump do? Will President Trump again authorize the military to use a tactical nuclear weapon? So in a way, what the point I'm trying to say is that President Trump finds himself in a strategic box. Really, he entrapped himself.

And he is desperate to get out, but he cannot really find an off-ramp out of this really war of choice. Illegal, of course, and illegitimate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: President Trump says that free traffic of oil must be part of any potential deal with Iran. And despite this, oil prices, they are still pretty high as the President doubles down on his threat to strike Iran in infrastructure and energy facilities.

You see Brent crude, which is the global benchmark, is currently at about $111, about 1.4 percent. The WTI hovering at around close to 115, all of this amidst some of those mixed signals on the war and those renewed threats from President Trump.

What does all this mean? Let's head over to CNN's Eleni Giokos, who is tracking the very latest out of Dubai. So as we wait to see what the next few hours will bring, Eleni, what are markets doing?

[03:10:01]

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so Asian markets are mixed right now, but this is definitely a holding pattern because there's major uncertainty. Are we headed towards a path of escalation where President Trump makes good on his threat to strike power plants as well as bridges in Iran, where he said he can do it in a matter of hours? Or are we going to see some kind of miracle diplomatic off-ramp in the next day?

So that's the big question. In terms of U.S. futures all pointing down.

And then, of course, the biggest pressure point, I think, for the global economy is what's happening in the oil markets. And that's because of the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump making it very clear in a social media post on Sunday that he's talking about the deadline in tandem with opening up the Strait of Hormuz.

And that's because WTI prices are trading at a premium to Brent crude prices, which is the international benchmark. Now, this is very rare, I have to say, Polo.

Seeing the U.S. benchmark trading above Brent crude, it doesn't happen often. And that just goes to show there's a scramble for available barrels of oil globally because you're seeing prices rising dramatically.

I also want to bring attention to what's happening in the Strait. Now, only 5 percent of the traffic we normally see through the Strait is actually happening since the start of the war. We're in day 38.

And it's interesting to see that Qatari LNG tankers that were stuck off the coast of Qatar attempted to pass the Strait since Sunday. They then do an abrupt stop, they turn around. We don't know why they turned around.

But what we do know is that Iran has been allowing what they call friendly nations to transit through the Strait, and it's countries like Turkey, Pakistan, India. And now we know there's an exemption for Iraq as well.

It's also said there's a Tehran toll booth, toll level of around $2 million to pass through the Strait. And they usually pass through Iranian territorial waters.

This all while we're waiting for a resolution at the U.N. Security Council that has been written up by Bahrain, backed by the United Arab Emirates. And then importantly, using language like taking any defensive means necessary to transit through the Strait.

For President Trump, it's a pressure point. For the global economy, it's a pressure point. Because this is the largest disruption of energy in history, per lo.

SANDOVAL: And then we heard from President Trump on Monday as he posed that what many would call an unrealistic idea for the United States to be the one to toll vessels on the Strait of Hormuz. So Eleni, as always, thank you so much for that report.

And still ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," the Artemis II crew getting a close-up view of the moon. Sights that human beings have never seen before. Stay with us.

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[03:15:00]

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SANDOVAL: Before Artemis II astronauts, they are headed back to Earth after traveling the farthest from Earth than any human has ever gone and also seeing sights that no human has ever been able to see.

They completed a lunar flyby on Monday, circling around the far side of the moon and taking pictures of its previously unseen surface. They also experienced an hour-long solar eclipse, giving them a brilliant look at the sun's outer atmosphere and the glow from Earth. They also endured an expected communications blackout, losing contact with Earth for about 40 minutes.

Astronaut Victor Glover describing what those moments were like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR GLOVER, ARTEMIS II PILOT: I said a little prayer, but then I had to keep rolling. I was actually recording scientific observations of the far side of the moon.

And that is actually the time when we were the farthest and the closest to the moon. And so we were really able to make some of our most detailed observations of the far side of the moon up close. And so we were busy up here working really hard.

And I must say, it was actually quite nice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: As the astronauts started their return trajectory, they received a call from President Donald Trump, who congratulated them and also even invited them to the White House. Though the President previously recommended slashing NASA's budget, on Monday he told the crew that the U.S. would invest more in its space program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP (on the phone): Your mission paves the way for America's return to the lunar surface very soon. We're going all out. We're doing everything we can.

We'll plant our flag once again, and this time we won't just leave footprints. We'll establish a permanent presence on the moon, and we'll push on to Mars. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Thumbs up, said astronaut Glover in moments after setting that distance record. The crew, they shared an emotional moment in space as they requested to name a crater on the moon after the late wife of Mission Commander Reid Wiseman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY HANSEN, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: So at certain times of the moon's transit around Earth, you can, we will be able to see this from Earth. And so we lost a loved one. Her name was Carol, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie.

And if you want to find this one, you look at Gloucester, and it's just to the northwest of that, at the same latitude as home, and it's a bright spot on the moon. And we would like to call her Carol.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: What a moment that was. Carol Wiseman, she was a nurse in a newborn intensive care unit. She died in 2020 at the age of 46 after battling cancer. She left behind her husband and her two daughters, Ellie and Catherine.

[03:20:03]

Now the crew embraced and hugged after the dedication, and also a moment of silence was observed back on Earth at Mission Control. The astronauts also named another crater, Integrity, for their Orion spacecraft.

And earlier I spoke to CNN aerospace analyst Miles O'Brien. I asked him about the scientific takeaways from Monday's lunar flyby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AEROSPACE ANALYST: This was an opportunity to see the moon with human eyes, unaided, in a way that humans haven't quite seen it before.

We have seen the far side of the moon, though, through various observatories and satellites. So there weren't any outright surprises. There was more of a sense of a little bit more nuance, a sense of adding a little bit of texture, a little bit of color, which is all part of the big tapestry that is science.

It's important to remember that this, above and beyond that, is a test mission to test out the rocket, the spacecraft, and its systems. And so far it's done pretty well, with the big notable exception being the toilet system, which is an important thing to get right.

SANDOVAL: Hence, this is a test flight. I was absolutely glued to the Mission Control feed all of Monday, and I was particularly excited when I saw that iPhone photo that was snapped by Mission Commander Wiseman, perhaps because maybe it offered us a preview of what I hope will be an eventual lunar photo dump when we get all that material that was taken. We're showing viewers that shot that was taken from inside that dark cockpit.

I'm wondering just what you expect, what we should all expect to see when some of the images that were gathered by the crew during that flyby, what do you hope will eventually stand out when we see that material?

O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure something's going to take our breath away, Polo. A few generations ago, 1968, Apollo 8, they went around the moon and there's this big blue orb rising. It was the first Earthrise captured by humans in a capsule. And in many ways it changed life on Earth here.

It helped gave rise to the environmental movement, for example, and really took people aback and made people think about where we are in the solar system and our little place that we share.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And as Artemis astronauts made history on Monday, going farther into space than any human in history, they got a special wake- up call from a legendary astronaut, Jim Lovell. He was one of the first astronauts to orbit the moon aboard Apollo 8 and eventually led the Apollo 13 crew back to Earth after a disaster in space.

Lovell died last year at the age of 97. Before his death, he recorded this message for Artemis.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JIM LOVELL, GEMINI VII, GEMINI XII, APOLLO 8, AND APOLLO 13 ASTRONAUT: Hello, Artemis II. This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood.

I'm proud to pass that torch on to you as you swing around the moon and play the groundwork for missions to Mars for the benefit of all. It's a historic day, and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view.

So, Ray, Victor, and Christina, and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you, good luck and Godspeed to all of us here on the good Earth.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Still ahead, the war with Iran also taking a huge toll on Lebanon. We'll be taking a look at how centuries-old Christian communities are having to deal with the Israeli bombardment.

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[03:25:00]

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, and these are today's top stories.

Before Artemis II crew members are headed back to Earth after their history-making flight around the moon earlier on Monday. The Orion spacecraft reached the farthest distance from the Earth ever traveled, and its crew surveyed and photographed parts of the moon that humans have never seen before. The mission is expected to end on Friday with a splashdown in the Pacific.

President Trump says that the entire country of Iran could be taken out if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Trump doubled down on his threats to hit Iran's bridges and power plants and said that he is not worried on potentially committing a war crime in Iran by doing so. Tehran has warned that the consequences of those attacks will be felt throughout the region.

Iran's foreign ministry has a very pointed message for the U.S. A spokesperson is urging the American people to hold their government accountable for "crimes committed in their name." He also says threats and ultimatums against Tehran are no way for the U.S. to negotiate.

Well the war with Iran is taking a toll on Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah. The Israeli military ordering the evacuation of dozens of villages in the south as it looks to create a so-called buffer zone from Hezbollah attacks. Lebanon's health ministry reporting nearly 1500 people have been killed since March II, and that includes 130 children.

[03:30:00]

Israel says 11 of its soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon. And the fighting has not kept the region's Christian communities from practicing their faith, as CNN's Nada Bashir reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Easter mass in Tyre.

For a moment, as the church bells ring, the roar of Israeli fighter jets overhead is drowned out. Awoken on Sunday by the news of yet more airstrikes on the southern Lebanese city, these Christian families have not been deterred, gathering not only in worship but in defiance.

BASHIR: You can see the church here is still full of people for Easter Sunday, despite the evacuation orders, despite the nearby bombings that are taking place. The Christian community here is still staying put.

BASHIR (voice-over): Located south of the Litani River, Tyre has been engulfed by an Israeli military assault with the purported aim of ridding the region of Iran-backed Hezbollah forces. The U.N. says more than a million people, around 20 percent of Lebanon's entire population, have now been displaced across the country. Homes in the south either destroyed or left empty.

Karen Farhat fled her home in Qanaa with her family. Neighboring buildings said to have been destroyed by Israeli strikes. The threats of an Israeli advance into Tyre, and even a potential military occupation of the south, has left their future here uncertain.

KAREN FARHAT, DISPLACED FROM QANAA, SOUTHERN LEBANON (through translator): If that were to happen, then that's it. We would have to escape and flee our land. We as adults could manage, but these are children.

BASHIR (voice-over): Others refuse to entertain the thought.

MARWAN AL-JOUNI, RESIDENT OF TYRE, LEBANON (through translator): I am a son of Tyre. It's impossible for me to leave Tyre no matter what happens. I am Tyre, and I will stay holding on to this place forever, until my last breath.

BASHIR (voice-over): But as this community, like so many in the south, puts its trust in faith, there is also a growing call for the world to stand with the people of Lebanon. Archbishop Georges Iskander says this is about protecting innocent lives and the history of this ancient city.

GEORGES ISKANDER, ARCHBISHOP, MELKITE GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I don't think the world should just stand by watching this tragedy unfold. The international community is one family. They should intervene to protect the innocent who are unable to defend themselves.

We are peaceful people. As you can see, we do not have weapons. We don't have fighters.

BASHIR (voice-over): Across the south, many Christian villages have so far been spared the worst of Israel's aerial assault. But here in Tyre, communities live side by side. You don't have to go far to feel the full impact of this war.

CNN obtained permission from Hezbollah to report in these areas.

BASHIR: This building was completely destroyed in an Israeli airstrike just 24 hours ago. This was a nine-story building, now completely turned to rubble. And of course, the Israeli military says it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, but we can see around us the residential buildings, the homes, the shops, the hospital, just meters away.

A reminder that there are simply no safe spaces for many of these families who are coming under almost daily bombardment now.

BASHIR (voice-over): Remnants of people's lives lay scattered on the ground. Children's toys, clothing. This area is largely empty now.

Those who stay say they have no choice.

JAWAD AL-SALEEM, TYRE, LEBANON RESIDENT (through translator): If you want to leave, you need money. You need lots of things.

My family is here, but we can't leave. This is our land, we can't leave it behind. BASHIR (voice-over): The connection people here feel to this city, to

their land, is hard to overstate. These church bells have been ringing in Tyre for centuries, with standing walls and even a three-year Israeli occupation in the 1980s.

But with no end in sight to this latest conflict, the future of this historic city and its people lies uncertain.

Nada Bashir, CNN, in Tyre, southern Lebanon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance heading to Hungary to stay ahead of the country's critical election. He's expected to hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose grip on power is facing a big test in Sunday's vote. Vance's visit is being viewed inside that country as an attempt to boost Orban, who has already received a strong endorsement from President Trump.

On the way, some major brands are cutting ties with the popular U.K. music festival over their announcement that Kanye West will be the headliner. We'll dive into the controversy and the backlash.

[03:35:06]

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SANDOVAL: And welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, and these are your current business headlines.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is warning that the war with Iran could bring an economic skunk, he said to the party.

[03:40:07]

In an annual letter to stockholders, Dimon highlighted the sturdiness of the U.S. economy, but he also warned that the conflict may lead to persistent inflation and also higher interest rates that could sink the U.S. economy into a recession.

Tech giant Samsung Electronics, estimating its first quarter profits, have soared to a record high of $37.9 billion, and that represents an annual increase of about 755 percent and was driven partly by the strong chip sales, which are crucial for AI.

Trump administration officials say that U.S. taxpayers may receive bigger refunds this filing season thanks to a new tax measure in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. According to the IRS, refunds on average have been running about 11 percent higher than last year as of the end of March, but not all taxpayers are eligible due to income limits and other restrictions.

By the way, you still have a little over a week to file your taxes.

Well, several big-name brands are currently pulling their sponsorships from a major London music festival after a controversial headlining performer was announced. CNN Business and Economics reporter Anna Cooban with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Kanye West is set to headline a major music festival in London and now sponsors are backing out. The rapper, who goes by the name of Ye, is set to headline all three days of the Wireless Festival in London this summer. The announcement prompted outrage over Ye's repeated anti-Semitic remarks, including a song he released last year called "Heil Hitler."

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the booking of Ye, quote, "deeply concerning" in a statement shared with CNN, noting, quote, "his previous anti-Semitic remarks and celebration of Nazism." The criticism also comes amid broader concerns about rising anti-Semitism in the U.K.

While Pepsi did not give a reason for pulling out of the festival, the decision came just days after Ye was announced as the headliner. Pepsi was the main sponsor of the event, which was advertised as Pepsi Presents Wireless.

Diageo told CNN, quote, "We have informed the organizers of our concerns, and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival." Ye apologized for his anti-Semitic remarks earlier this year and said his bipolar disorder contributed to a manic episode. CNN has reached out to Wireless and other partners for comment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Anna Cooban for that story.

A marble slurry dumping yard in India is proving to be quite the hit with tourists, but experts are warning they may actually be harmful to human health. Located in western India, the area has been compared to Switzerland by visiting tourists, but experts are saying that the slurry by-product produced during the marble stone cutting could possibly impact humans or even have ecological consequences for nearby soil and groundwater.

I appreciate you joining me, I'm Polo Sandoval. Have a wonderful day. We'll leave you now with "World Sport."

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[03:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)