Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Trump Agrees to a Two-Week Ceasefire with Iran; NASA releases some of 10,000 Photos Taken from Artemis II Crew; "Hacks" Airs its Final Season; Wireless Music Festival Canceled Following Kanye West's Denied Entry to the United Kingdom. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 08, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to all of you watching around the world, I'm Brian Abel at Atlanta. Coming up on "CNN Newsroom."

An 11th hour reprieve, President Trump announces a two-week ceasefire in the war with Iran, just hours before the deadline for his threat to wipe them out.

If it holds, what will Iran's terms mean for the Middle East? We'll hear from an expert.

And after a historic loop around the moon, the Artemis crew is headed home. The crucial next steps in their trek back to Earth.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Brian Abel.

ABEL: And we begin this hour with the breaking news in the war with Iran. President Trump announcing that Tehran has agreed to a two-week ceasefire to allow time for negotiations. Residents of Tehran greeted the news with protests and celebrations.

Some burned U.S. and Israeli flags, while others questioned what either side has achieved in the nearly six-week war. The key to the whole agreement is the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says its military will coordinate passage for ships and oil tankers through the vital waterway.

President Trump claims the U.S. will help with the traffic buildup. And the President spoke to AFP late Tuesday, where he addressed Iran's nuclear capabilities.

He says the country's uranium will be perfectly taken care of, or he wouldn't have made the deal. He also suggested that China help convince Iran to negotiate the temporary ceasefire.

Let's bring in CNN's Julia Benbrook, live this hour in Washington with the latest on the White House. Julia. JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brian, taking a step back, Tuesday started with a very stark message from President Donald Trump. He posted on social media, on his Truth Social site, and he said this in part. He said, a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.

And now, less than 24 hours later, he is saying that he believes that this could be the golden age for the Middle East, a very strong shift in rhetoric. I want to pull up his latest post for you. This came around midnight Eastern, 12:01 to be exact.

And he said, quote, "This is a big day for world peace. Iran wants it to happen, they've had enough. Likewise, so has everyone else.

The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action. Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process.

We'll be loading up with supplies of all kinds and just hanging around in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will, just like we are experiencing in the U.S. This could be the golden age for the Middle East."

Now, that point comes hours after Trump's deadline, his deadline where he had been threatening to target Iranian bridges and infrastructure. Just about less than two hours before that deadline hit, he announced that he had accepted a proposal from Pakistan for this two week ceasefire agreement.

An important part of all of that is the Strait of Hormuz. He wanted to see that reopened. And according to Iran's foreign minister, its military will help coordinate the passage of vessels through that strait during the ceasefire.

Then, of course, in that recent post, Trump said the United States will be assisting with that. There are some questions on how all of that would play out.

I have reached out to the White House for more information there. And then, of course, the question is, what's next?

Pakistan's Prime Minister has invited delegations from the United States and Iran to have in-person talks on Friday. Officials who spoke with CNN said that the United States is preparing for the possibility of those talks and that they would likely include Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Vice President J.D. Vance.

ABEL: Some of the very same people that negotiated ceasefires with Israel and Gaza. Julia Benbrook for us in Washington, D.C. Julia, thank you.

[03:05:01]

We have new reporting from Lebanon now where the health ministry says eight people have been killed and 22 injured in a drone strike. You were just looking here at live pictures a moment ago. It's unclear if the U.S.-Iran ceasefire covers the fighting between Israel and the Iranian proxy Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says it does not. Israel's military has issued new evacuation orders in the meantime for residents of the coastal city of Tyre. The IDF says it's targeting Hezbollah forces in that area.

So, let's head over to CNN's Paula Hancocks live in Abu Dhabi now. And it seems at least in some pockets that the ceasefire has not begun, if it's to happen at all, depending on who is involved and who is not, Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brian, there is a lack of clarity when it comes to Lebanon. What we heard from the Pakistan Prime Minister when he announced this temporary ceasefire was that Lebanon was part of this deal, this temporary two-week ceasefire.

We then, though, heard from the Israeli Prime Minister's office that it is not part of it. And we have seen, as you say, some airstrikes in southern Lebanon early on Wednesday which killed eight. We also heard from Hezbollah saying that they carried out 52 attacks yesterday on Israeli forces and firing into Israel and then two today as well.

So, it certainly doesn't appear to be a ceasefire at this point. So, we're looking for clarity on that. When it comes to Iran, though, we did see around the time that all these announcements were coming about the ceasefire a volley of projectiles fired towards Israel, here in the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait.

But since that moment in the early hours of Wednesday, it appears to be holding this ceasefire at this point.

Now, we've had a couple of different reactions from Iran itself. We have heard from the Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, saying that they will cease all operations if attacks against Iran are halted, saying that the military will coordinate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Also talking about this 10-point proposal, saying Washington has accepted the general framework of this proposal that Iran has put forward. Now, from the National Security Council, we have more details on that. It's a more fiery statement claiming victory. I want to play you part of it read out on state television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): Iran has achieved a great victory and forced America to accept its 10-point plan. America is committed to non-aggression, continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of enrichment, lifting of all sanctions, termination of all resolutions of the Security Council and Board of Governors, payment of compensation to Iran, withdrawal of American forces from the region, and secession of war on all fronts, including against the Islamic resistance of Lebanon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, of course, there's always an element of propaganda in this that Iran and the U.S. both want to claim victory. But there are some elements in there that you would not imagine Washington would agree to. But this is where the diplomatic path takes over now.

Pakistan's Prime Minister is saying that he's invited both delegations to Islamabad on April the 10th to start that part of the process.

Now, it has been welcomed around the world, though, this announcement Wednesday. And certainly waking up Wednesday morning in this region, many woke up with a certain amount of relief that the threats we heard from the U.S. President on Tuesday had not been carried out. We have heard statements commending the positive news from Australia, Japan, Iraq, Egypt, Oman, and also the U.N. Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, calling on all parties to comply with their obligations.

So at this point, there are some differences of opinion when it comes to Lebanon. Is there a ceasefire there or not?

There are also, there's evidence that the two sides, the U.S. and Iran, are fairly far apart when it comes to what they are agreeing to and what they are proposing. But what we do know is that there is this two-week temporary ceasefire that has been announced, Brian.

ABEL: Hold back from the brink, temporary, hopefully longer than that. Paula Hancocks for us in Abu Dhabi. Paula, thank you.

Danny Citrinowicz is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies. He's served 25 years in a variety of command position units in Israel Defense Intelligence. Danny, thank you.

Given that background, if you can, just give us the spectrum of what you think it's been like in Iran for its people and its leadership, its military, in the last 24 hours.

[03:10:05]

DANNY CITRINOWICZ, SR. RESEARCHER, INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES, AND FORMER ISRAELI DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL: Well, I think that for Iran, it's a major achievement. Because we have to remember that Iran started the war with one purpose, to survive.

And I think they not only survived, but also they got the acknowledgement of the U.S. administration actually negotiating with them, and soon will send the Vice President of the U.S. to negotiate with them on the future agreement. So I think for them, it's a major achievement.

Now, I'm not underestimating the tremendous work that the IDF and CENTCOM did during this war. But those personal achievements did not accumulate into strategic gains, not toppling the regime, not undermining the regime's ability to launch missiles, and definitely it still has the foreign kill for 60 percent, and now it's actually controlling the U.S. trade.

So the bottom line for the Iranian regime, yes, they suffered, they endured, and in their mind, they won.

ABEL: Israel has, meanwhile, agreed to the ceasefire, as well as the U.S. But sources tell us that Israeli officials have concerns with the ceasefire. What could those concerns be, and what does that tell us about whether they are truly on the same page as the U.S. right now?

CITRINOWICZ: Well, definitely in Israel, there are concerns regarding the agreement. Netanyahu, Prime Minister Netanyahu, was against any agreement with Iran, but he couldn't do anything once President Trump decided to move forward with the ceasefire. Now, for Israel's concern, of course, the situation now is tremendously complicated, because Iran still holds the foreign kill for 60 percent, it still has the missile capacity.

So I think that Israel will demand in any negotiation to take these capabilities out from Iran, and especially the uranium. This is something that you probably will see behind the scenes. The U.S. and Israel are trying to work together to find some sort of a ground, a mutual ground, before the negotiation in Pakistan would start.

But what we are seeing now is not alignment between Washington and Jerusalem. We were aligned all over the war, but what we have now is actually that the U.S. decided, in spite of Israel's claims, to move forward to a ceasefire. So we have to see how this development will influence relations between Jerusalem and Washington.

One other thing that is important to say is that regarding Lebanon, politically Prime Minister Netanyahu cannot agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon. He obligated himself to the dismantling of Hezbollah, and even if he would stop now, politically it would be very bad for him. So this is why he is against stopping the war in Lebanon, and we have to wait and see what will happen when the administration will wake up, and the discussion will occur, because, as the Pakistanis told us, Lebanon is included within the agreement itself.

So we have to wait and see. But for Israel, we have to continue the war against Hezbollah, regardless of what is happening between the U.S. and the Iranian negotiation.

ABEL: Excellent point to consider the political pitfalls with Lebanon. Danny, so much focus has been on the Strait of Hormuz, right? It appeared to be the catalyst for the President's annihilation threat, and the Strait opening was a key part of this ceasefire agreement.

What are you looking for here in the next days and two weeks of the ceasefire to give an indication of how this conflict, and how the passage through the Strait, will go afterwards?

CITRINOWICZ: Well, I'm not the bearer of good news, unfortunately, regarding the Hormuz Strait. We have to remember, actually, the Hormuz Strait, I think, is an indication of how flawed, strategically, the campaign actually was planned.

I know the Straits were open before the war, and now we are struggling to open something that actually was open before the war itself. But even more than that, I think what President Trump did, is actually acknowledge the fact that the Iranians actually control the Straits.

Now, the Iranians have no intention to leave the Straits, and they're actually going to take, using the toll booth on the Strait, they're going to take $2 million for a new tanker that's moving back and forth. So I think in that regard, this is the Hormuz Strait event, it actually highlights how problematic was the campaign from the beginning.

Adding to that, we have to say one other thing, that in two weeks, nothing will occur, in terms that we won't see all the tankers moving back and forth. There will be tankers that will be afraid to come to the area, because nobody knows what happened after two weeks.

So what we have, we have an acknowledgement that the Iranians are controlling the Straits, while not enjoying the economical benefits of opening it, as long as the negotiations continue. So everything actually highlights the fact that it was a problematic campaign from the get-go.

ABEL: All right, Danny Citrinowicz, appreciate your expertise, sir, thank you.

A pivotal role for Pakistan. Why its leading efforts to end the war with Iran? We are live in Islamabad.

Plus, concerns over vulnerabilities to jet fuel supply, as the war disrupts the flow of oil. A closer look at that, ahead.

[03:15:08]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: A key player in the planned ceasefire agreement between Iran and the U.S. is Pakistan. It's already been the setting for recent talks among regional leaders, and now it's getting ready to host negotiations between Iran and the U.S. this Friday. Pakistan has staple relations with both sides, and has positioned itself as a peace broker.

I want to bring in CNN's Sophia Saifi, live from Islamabad. Sophia, give us a sense, if you can, of how significant hosting these talks is for the country.

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN SR. PRODUCER: Brian, incredibly significant. This is being celebrated. The Pakistani leadership is being celebrated.

The fact that the names of Pakistan's powerful field marshal, Asim Munir, as well as the Pakistani Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, were the first names that President Donald Trump took when announcing that ceasefire is very significant.

[03:19:51]

The fact that late last night, at around 12:40 in the night, Pakistan's Prime Minister put out a tweet saying that he's requesting the American President, as well as the Iranians, to extend that two- week deadline to reopen the Straits of Hormuz, and then announcing the ceasefire in a tweet right after President Trump.

It is significant. They are saying that there will be Islamabad talks here on Friday. There is an expectation that the U.S. Vice President, J.D. Vance might be arriving here in Islamabad to meet an Iranian delegation.

That is incredibly significant because the last time there was a U.S. President's visit in Pakistan was back in 2009. Pakistan has considered itself in the doldrums of the entirety of diplomacy when it comes to Pakistan's prominence in the world of diplomacy, and that has completely changed. The fact that just a couple of years ago, Pakistani Prime Ministers had to wait to just get a phone call from U.S. Presidents, that's completely changed.

Pakistan is now acting as a bridge. It's got a great relationship. Its leadership has a great relationship with President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump has called Pakistan's field marshal one of his favorite field marshals. He's called Pakistan's Prime Minister a great guy. At the same time, Pakistan has the second largest Shia population in the world.

It's got strong ties with neighboring Iran. Pakistan also had a lot to lose if things had gone pear-shaped with this conflict. It could not have had a contentious western border.

It also had a defense deal in place with the Saudis. So there were incredible concerns as late as last night that if the Saudis were pulled into a conflict with Iran, then the Pakistanis, as a domino effect, might have to be pulled in as well.

So a lot of joy, a lot of celebration, and a lot of pride as how this has unfolded. Brian?

ABEL: Yes, and so far away from back in 2011 when Osama bin Laden was killed there, and that relationship was frayed. Now it seems we are in a very different place. Sophia Saifi, thank you so much for your report, I appreciate it.

President Trump's ceasefire announcement is also making waves in the markets. Global oil prices plummeted following the news with both Brent and U.S. crude sinking as low as $95 a barrel earlier. But fiscal Brent crude remains high, reportedly hitting a new price record at $144 a barrel.

Asia-Pacific markets rebounded, and U.S. stocks surged in after-hours trading with gains across the Dow, the Nasdaq, and the S&P 500.

For more on all of this, let's bring in CNN's Eleni Giokos live from Dubai. And Eleni, what are you looking at right now in terms of the reaction to this ceasefire?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, it's incredible to see just green across our screens right now. You've got the U.S. futures looking phenomenally strong. You've got European markets opening on the front foot as well, on the back of a strong performance in Asian stock markets as well.

But when I look at what's happening on Brent crude, I mean, that's just plummeting. It's around down 13.5 percent. It's sitting at $94.60 a barrel. And this is really indicative of the fact that there was a geopolitical premium that was attached to the futures market.

But you're right to say the physical price of oil is still elevated at around $140 a barrel. WTI down around 15 percent, which is at $96 a barrel, that's the U.S. benchmark.

I mean, there's obviously hope. There's elation about what this two- week ceasefire could bring, perhaps a wider diplomatic off-ramp opportunity between the United States and Iran. But it is subject to what happens in the Strait of Hormuz.

And I want to give you a sense of where the Iranians stand on this. Foreign Minister Abbas Arragchi posting this on X saying, "For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible via coordination with Iran's armed forces and with due consideration of technical limitations."

And by the way, right now, there is still coordination with Iran's armed forces for any safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. It seems that Iran is not giving up its bargaining chip in terms of having de facto control of the Strait.

President Trump posting this on social media, the United States of America will be helping with traffic build-up in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action. Big money will be made.

Now, you know, he's floated the idea about the United States, as well as Iran, controlling the Strait of Hormuz. Of course, this is an international maritime important choke point and waterway for the whole world. No one should technically have control.

But there's also reports from Iranian state media, and they're saying that Oman and Iran are working on some kind of mechanism that will include a trophy of sorts. Now, Iran has been charging up to $2 million per vessel to pass through the Strait.

[03:25:00]

I've also been monitoring what's happening in the Strait right now. No real movement yet. And I just spoke to a source, and they say to me, who will go first? Who will be the first to take this route? Everyone is watching to see if it's going to be a country that's friendly with Iran.

What are the rules of engagement? Are we going to see direct communication with Iran in terms of safe passage? But this is a critical moment. Could we start seeing increased volume in this waterway that accounts for 20 percent of the world's oil?

ABEL: So many questions yet to be answered. Eleni Giokos for us in Dubai. Eleni, thank you. The war has disrupted the flow of energy around the globe, and it has

also exposed vulnerabilities in jet fuel security. Here's what the head of the International Air Transport Association said on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIE WALSH, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION: There is a lot of data around the use of jet fuel. Things that struck me is that although we have strategic reserves of crude, we don't appear to have any strategic reserves of jet fuel. I think this data will help to encourage governments, or I'd like to think it will help to encourage governments to have greater energy security around a critical issue like the availability of jet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Europe is among the most vulnerable, with 25 to 30 percent of its jet fuel demand originating from the Persian Gulf. Potential alternative suppliers, such as India and China, are also facing issues as 84 percent of the crude passing through the Strait of Hormuz heads to Asian markets. This limiting global availability of oil needed for jet fuel refining.

Still to come for us, Iran says it has achieved a great victory and forced the U.S. to accept a 10-point plan. What that proposal consists of, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Brian Abel. Let's check today's top stories.

President Trump says the U.S. and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Tehran says its military will coordinate passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The White House calls the agreement a victory for the U.S., saying it's achieved or exceeded its core military objectives in 38 days.

Iranian state media reports that all military units have been instructed to stop firing. Still, some missiles were exploding over Israel and Gulf States as the ceasefire was taking effect. Iran says the U.S. has accepted its 10-point plan, which includes pulling combat forces from bases in the region and lifting sanctions against Tehran.

Iranian state-affiliated media reports that Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz. The two countries plan to charge transit fees for vessels passing through the vital waterway during this two-week ceasefire. The report says the funds will be set aside for reconstruction.

While the White House has not detailed what Iran's 10-point proposal consists of, Iran's Supreme National Security Council laid out key parts of the plan. CNN's Matthew Chance has more from Doha.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: There are a couple of statements. There's a very short one from the Iranian foreign ministry, foreign minister, basically saying, you know, look, we're going to observe a ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz on the basis that there will be negotiations with the United States and our 10-point plan, that Iranian 10-point plan, will be accepted as the basis for those negotiations.

But it doesn't go any further than that. The second document, the one apparently President Trump seems to be objecting to, is the one that's been sent to us by the Supreme National Security Council of Iran. That's Iran's highest military body.

And that's a lot more aggressive and it goes into a lot more detail about what that 10-point plan to end the war from Iran actually involves. And it includes things like this regulating passage to the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Iran.

So basically making sure that Iran still can exercise control over that strategic waterway through which 20 percent of the world's oil passes to end the war against the axis of resistance. So that's a reference to Iran's proxies and perhaps Israel stopping its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, but also other proxies in the region as well.

The third point it mentions is the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from bases across the Middle East region. That's obviously a big ask, unlikely to be accepted, but nevertheless it is one of the points in that 10-point Iranian plan, according to this Supreme National Security Council document that was sent to us, by the way, by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The fourth point that I identified here, a compensation payment that Iran is demanding. That's war reparations for the damage that have been incurred throughout this five or six-week U.S. and Israeli military campaign, which has caused massive destruction, I expect.

And finally the lifting of sanctions, all sanctions and the unfreezing of assets. That would obviously be a major boon for the Iranians. The document also goes on to talk about how negotiations to find a final agreement, a final end to the conflict, a cessation of hostilities, will be carried out in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, over the next 15 days, and they'll start on Friday.

So again, a much more detailed document from that supreme military body in Iran, compared to what we saw from the Foreign Minister that just sort of spelt out the raw, the bare bones of a ceasefire agreement.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: And the conflict in the Middle East has severely disrupted supply chains, including vital aid deliveries. Dubai, humanitarian in the UAE, is one of the biggest aid hubs in the world, it plays a big part in getting aid to Gaza, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.

Now the UAE accounts for more than 45 percent of international assistance, or about $3 billion to Gaza. The World Health Organization is a key member of the Dubai hub.

CNN's Becky Anderson took a tour to see just how much impact the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran has on its ability to deliver life-saving supplies.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT BALNCHARD, HEAD, WHO HUB FOR GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES LOGISTICS: So what we have here today is 57 metric tons of medicines, valued at about $1.8 million, that are intended for Gaza.

[03:35:06]

This has everything from antibiotics, anticoagulants, medicines that are going to be needed to treat diabetes and hypertension.

BECKY ANDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, CNN ABU DHABI: This is the World Health Organization's hub at Dubai Humanitarian, the largest aid center in the world. From here, supplies can reach two-thirds of the global population within hours. On a normal day, this is a lifeline for millions of people in need.

BLANCHARD: On a normal day, we would see 100 metric tons of medicines moving in and out of the hub to reach those in need in response to health emergencies all around the world.

ANDERSON: On a normal day?

BLANCHARD: On a normal day.

ANDERSON: Things aren't normal at present. We're in the middle of this conflict. We've seen, certainly in the early days, the suspension of flights.

And you are facing real supply issues at present. Is that why we see nothing in here?

BLANCHARD: Well, that's certainly part of the reason.

ANDERSON (voice-over): The U.S.-Israel war with Iran is now choking global supply lines, forcing aid supplies to slow down or stop completely. With shipping squeezed through the Strait of Hormuz, airspace disrupted and ports targeted by Iranian attacks, getting life-saving aid out of the UAE has become increasingly difficult.

BLANCHARD: It's almost a perfect storm. It's going to cost more to deliver supplies. It's going to take longer to deliver those supplies.

And we're doing it under a period where we're constrained financially.

ANDERSON: To explain exactly what's in here, you can see it says, Egypt in transit to Palestine Authority. This is Gaza's WHO. And this pallet, for example, what's in there?

BLANCHARD: It's in Viscatin. So this would be for hypertension, for example.

There's other pallets that would contain antibiotics. It's a real mix of what you have here. It's a tremendous number of line-item medicines.

ANDERSON: I'm just looking here. We've got Kenya. We've got Sudan up here.

BLANCHARD: We have Zambia, cholera.

ANDERSON: So we've got here trauma and emergency surgery kits.

BLANCHARD: We have external fixators here. These are used to secure and mobilize the bones after a fracture or a break.

What you have here are general surgery instruments for dressing. So perhaps after a burn or a serious injury, the surgeons can use these immediately to render care.

ANDERSON (voice-over): As the conflict rolls on and supply routes remain compromised, getting critical shipments like these out means constantly adapting. One solution for the WHO's current emergency efforts in Lebanon, a land corridor via Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.

A shipment successfully reached the Emaznah crossing just as the WHO warned me that some hospitals in Lebanon had just two weeks of supplies left. That crossing is now closed, cutting off aid to the million people displaced in Lebanon.

ANDERSON: It's not just the WHO. There are dozens of aid agencies moving medical supplies, equipment and food from here at Dubai Humanitarian.

ANDERSON (voice-over): The World Food Program is also rerouting shipments. They say costs and transit times for freight out of Dubai are up 30 percent since the crisis began.

MARWA AWAD, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: We're looking at one of the most complex humanitarian detours since the Middle East crisis began. 400 metric tons of nutritional aid from the World Food Program are being loaded by the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot from the warehouse in Dubai Humanitarian. 20 trucks will set off from the UAE to Saudi Arabia and all the way to Turkey and Turkmenistan where they finally enter Afghanistan.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Throughout this conflict, Dubai Humanitarian has kept operating but at a fraction of its capacity. In January, aid reached 25 countries. By March, that number down to just nine.

Despite the logistical challenges, this shipment will be flown out of the UAE today, bound for Al Arish in Egypt from where it will enter Gaza. A 72-hour trip for a consignment which could be the difference between life and death.

Becky Anderson, CNN, Dubai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is in Hungary at this hour, stumping for Hungary's embattled far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban. So why the show of support now? I'll discuss with my next guest after the break.

[03:40:05]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: The Trump administration is preparing for potential in-person negotiations with Iran and U.S. officials say Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to attend. Vance is currently visiting Hungary. Sources say a stop could be added to his trip if the timing was right.

The U.S. Vice President is expected to speak in the coming hours in Budapest as he throws his support behind Hungary's far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose grip on power is facing its biggest test in years. Vance encouraged Hungarians to ignore pressure from Europe and outside forces even as he stumps for Orban.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I see the way they look down at, they scoff at European and American peoples who want job security and control of migration. And most of all, I see that those who hate Europe the most, who hate its borders, its energy independence, the people who hate its Christian heritage, they hate one man above all others and his name is Viktor Orban, and if they hate him, it means he's on your side.

VIKTOR ORBAN, HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We can thank President Donald Trump. He was the one who put an end to the power of the global elite ruling in the name of ideologies and announced the era of strong nations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Now last hour I spoke with Zoya Sheftalovich, Chief E.U. Correspondent for Politico and host of Politico's "Brussels Playbook" podcast. And I asked her, what is it about Viktor Orban and his 16- year rule of Hungary that has President Trump wanting to tip the scales in his favor?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH, CHIEF E.U. CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO, AND PODCAST HOST, POLITICO'S "BRUSSELS PLAYBOOK": Certainly Viktor Orban is one of Trump's top backers in the E.U.

He has been supportive of the MAGA movement. He has stumped for Trump himself. So the feeling is mutual. Orban, he is a right-wing populist politician. He backs the same sorts

of principles that Trump does. So he's all about traditional family values.

[03:45:05]

He professes himself a Christian. So they align on their values. They're both anti-immigration and have policies in place that aim to crack down on immigration.

And Orban is also taking this role of kind of the E.U.'s least strong Ukraine backer. He tends to be seen as the strongest Putin supporter within the E.U. So there are a lot of similarities and there's a lot on which Trump and Orban agree.

ABEL: And help us understand, if you can Zoya, why it is that Orban now faces such a difficult political battle this time around?

SHEFTALOVICH: He's been in power for a long time. As you said earlier, he's been in power for 16 years. And this is probably the closest he has come to a very difficult election. So the polling shows that he's roughly 10 points behind going into this Sunday ballot.

His opponent is Peter Maguire, who is this center-right politician. He's currently a member of European Parliament. So there's definitely a sense that Orban has some catching up to do.

That said, the electoral system in Hungary is built in such a way as to really favor the incumbent, to favor Orban. And we've done some reporting showing the ways in which that has happened. So there's been gerrymandering, redistricting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Emmy award-winning comedy series Hacks returns Thursday for its final season. Coming up, we hear from the stars of the show as they reflect on their five-year journey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: The resolution's a little bit different 50 years later, huh? NASA has released some of the 10,000 photos taken by the crew of Artemis II during their trip around the moon. This incredible image shows an Earth set, what appears to be the Earth setting behind the surface of the moon. The crew is now heading home and CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on their return trip.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SR. U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a crew that is on its way back to Earth. The Artemis II crew and the Orion capsule have left the lunar sphere of influence. Now they're being pulled back to Earth by the Earth's gravity.

And they're preparing over the next couple of days for re-entry, which is obviously the most critical, the most dangerous part of this mission that is left for them to conclude.

The capsule will be entering the Earth's atmosphere through extreme conditions, temperatures of more than 5000 degrees, going at intense speeds. Obviously, this is a very intense moment for this capsule and for this crew and for this mission overall.

And preparations are well underway to bring that crew back home. The Navy ship that will be out off the coast of San Diego, bringing these astronauts back to land, departed out into the waters today, preparing for all of the people and teams that are necessary to get that capsule and those astronauts out of the water and brought back to be checked out in San Diego before they return here to Johnson Space Center.

So very critical moments in the days ahead. And the crew is continuing to do other tests and configurations inside the capsule. And then they will spend the day before the return here to Earth reconfiguring that capsule so that all of the seats are prepared once again so that they can be ready for that re-entry, which is expected to happen Friday evening, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, daylight hours.

So we should have spectacular views of this Artemis II team returning back to Earth.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Houston, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: HBO Max's "Hacks" returns this week for one last season. CNN's Elex Michaelson recently got a chance to sit down with the stars of the award-winning comedy show for a hilarious and at times emotional conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN SMART, ACTOR, "HACKS": In my opinion, there's never been a relationship like this in a movie or a T.V. show.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): "Hacks" is back. For its fifth and final season on HBO Max, it shares a parent company with CNN.

MICHAELSON: How are you processing the end of the show?

HANNAH EINBINDER, ACTOR, "HACKS": Gosh, every day. I mean, I do.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): In "Hacks," Jean Smart plays Debra Vance, an aging comedian fighting to stay relevant. Debra gets help from a young writer named Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder, a stand-up comic in her first ever acting role.

MICHAELSON: What's the biggest thing that you, Jean, learned from Hannah over the course of the last five seasons?

SMART: She actually retaught me some important acting lessons.

EINBINDER: What?

MICHAELSON: Really?

SMART: No, it's true.

EINBINDER: How is that possible?

SMART: No. She's so, and I hate to overuse this phrase, but it's true, she's so in the moment. And sometimes you've been doing it for a long time, you get a little lazy.

EINBINDER: I never told her that.

MICHAELSON: What is the biggest thing that Jean taught you, Hannah?

EINBINDER: God, I mean, it's not an exaggeration to say everything I know.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): "Hacks" has won 12 primetime Emmys so far, including a supporting actress trophy for Einbinder, and four best lead actress wins for Smart.

EINBINDER: Looking into her eyes is the education, you know what I mean?

MICHAELSON (voice-over): We end with some rapid-fire questions inspired by "Hacks."

MICHAELSON: Who's your favorite comedian of all time?

SMART: Dillard.

EINBINDER: Wow. I would say Steve Martin.

MICHAELSON: What is the best concert you've ever been to?

SMART: Harry Styles.

EINBINDER: Really?

SMART: He puts on an amazing show.

EINBINDER: Wow. I just would think that in your entire life they would have.

SMART: I don't go to concerts that often. I did go to the Beatles though.

MICHAELSON: You went to the Beatles?

EINBINDER: This is what I'm saying.

MICHAELSON: You went to the Beatles?

EINBINDER: She's saying Harry Styles.

SMART: Wait.

EINBINDER: I'm like, this is my point.

SMART: Wait. They stood there and played like this and shook their hair. It's not like they were like running the breadth of the stage and doing all sorts of cool stuff.

MICHAELSON: So the major breaking news of this is that Jean Smart is--

SMART: Harry Styles is better than the Beatles.

EINBINDER: I know I did not say that. You said it.

[03:55:08]

You put on a bad show.

MICHAELSON: And lastly, Debra is obsessed with legacy. What do you think is the legacy of "Hacks"?

EINBINDER: I think the legacy of "Hacks" is Jean Smart. I was there sometimes, but like I don't really care about that. And no one else does.

MICHAELSON: What do you think we all can learn about love from Debra and Ava from that relationship?

SMART: That it's resilient.

EINBINDER: Wow. Say that. It's so true.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Elex Michaelson, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Great conversation.

One of the U.K.'s biggest music festivals has been canceled after British officials blocked headliner Kanye West from entering the country. Now the artist who goes by Ye these days was banned from entry over his past anti-Semitic comments and for celebrating Nazism in his music and in merchandise sales.

Now Jewish groups are criticizing the Wireless Festival organizers for inviting West to headline in the first place. Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the government stands firmly with the Jewish community and will continue to fight anti-Semitism. In a statement, West said that he would, quote, "have to show change through my actions."

Some Londoners are offering mixed reactions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNKNOWN: I think it's a negative thing for all artists, because I think if you start to limit artists based on what they say, you kind of create a bit of a censorship that I think actually is damaging for future art.

UNKNOWN: Britain isn't going to let someone who is associated with Nazism and talks freely about Hitler. That just was never going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Thank you for joining us, I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta. "Early Start" with Erica Hill and Becky Anderson starts after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)