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Iranian Gunboats Fire on Tanker, Second Ship Hit by Projectile; Iran's Military Says Strait Closed Until U.S. Lifts Blockade; Interview with Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA); Energy Agency Warns Europe Could Run Out of Jet Fuel in Just "Weeks"; Trump Directs FDA to Fast- Track Review of Psychedelic Treatment; Trump EO on Psychedelic Drugs Hailed as Victor for Veterans; Liv Golf League to Go on Despite Questions Over Future. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired April 18, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:02:17]

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM, everyone. I am Omar Jimenez in New York.

Jessica Dean has the night off.

We are going to start with more tensions in the Strait of Hormuz as maritime officials say Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker trying to pass through the essential waterway. A second vessel also reported being hit by a projectile of some kind. Keep in mind, 20 percent of the world's oil is shipped through this vital waterway, and Iran says it will again shut down that shipping route for 20 percent of the world's oil flow.

Just yesterday, Tehran declared the Strait completely open, but today it reimposed its restrictions, blaming U.S. "breaches of trust."

Now, this morning, President Trump downplayed this latest diplomatic challenge. But today, CNN crews have spotted top administration officials arriving at The White House.

I want to first go to Islamabad, Pakistan, though, where a second round of U.S. Iranian peace talks are scheduled for next week. CNN's Nic Robertson is there where all eyes are monitoring these reported Iranian attacks on ships in Strait of Hormuz -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, it could be pretty serious. It might just be a sort of minor skirmish. But if anyone was looking for clarity on what Iran means by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which they announced earlier today, there seemed to be a little bit of wiggle room. If you were on the right side of Iran and said the right things to the right people quick enough, maybe you could get through.

But right now, the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is saying any vessel that approaches the Strait of Hormuz will be considered in cahoots with the enemy, and therefore they will be targeted. That's clear and that's what happened to those two ships earlier today, a tanker about 20 miles off the Coast of Oman. That puts it pretty much close to the Strait of Hormuz, hit when two IRGC gunboats pulled up alongside the tanker. The Captain saying he tried to speak to those gunboats on the radio. They didn't respond and they just opened fire. The crew, the ship is safe.

And then two hours later, same area, a container ship, one of those big ships carrying all of those big metal containers, a projectile, unknown projectile fired at it. Some of the containers damaged.

But look, let's take a step back and see what has happened here over the past couple of days. Late Thursday, you get that ceasefire in Lebanon. That's what Iran wanted. The next day, while you've got Pakistani negotiators, high stakes talks there in Tehran, trying to get the Iranians to soften their position, then the Iranians give up something.

They say they are going to open up the Strait of Hormuz, and they wait and see what President Trump says and President Trump said a number of things.

[18:05:01]

But the key thing to them on that was that he continued his blockade and that is where things seem to fall apart on the Iranian side.

You could hear tensions, the hardliners playing against the moderates who they felt had given up too much ground. So here we are today, a day later, the Strait of Hormuz closed, the potential for the talks still in the air, but it does seem what happens and we say this so often, what happens in the coming hours will be so critical.

But perhaps, the Iranians have put the ball back in President Trump's court for him to decide how to respond to their aggression and their blockade. The talks potentially can keep moving forward. He is sounding positive. The Iranians, the day before yesterday were saying things they are inches apart. The Pakistani mediators, they are saying 80 percent of it is done. It is within grasp.

It could happen and if it does, then it is going to be here.

JIMENEZ: All right, Nic Robertson in Islamabad, Pakistan, thank you.

A lot to talk about here. Joining us is Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East negotiator. He is now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Thank you for being here.

I just want to start with look, dozens of Iranian leaders have been killed, including at the time, Iran's Supreme Leader. He is succeeded by his son, who I should mention has not been seen or heard in public since being named the new Supreme Leader.

But how does the U.S. negotiate with Iran's government when there are questions about who is actually leading the country?

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: You know, and thanks for having me, Omar. One of the greatest surprises of the last seven weeks, I think, and again, we are talking about a brutal, repressive, authoritarian regime that tortures, murders, and imprisons its citizens is the degree to which command and control in Iran has become pretty cohesive under the pressure of the U.S. and Israeli military.

The Iranians prepped for this, and they layered their decision making. So yes, a lot of senior clerics and key Iranian leaders, Ali Khamenei himself, the man who succeeded Khomeini in 1989 and more than any other individual, is responsible for the sort of death to Israel, death to the United States ideology and the policies that have gone along with that.

But I think the Iranians are capable of making decisions. The question is whether or not the red lines that the Trump administration has and Tehran has are reconcilable and the more we argue over the Straits, the greater the chance there is of some kinetic escalation down there. The only thing that's going to fix this, Omar, only two options here.

You get an agreement that is somewhat similar, maybe it is the JCPOA- plus or you go back to escalation and you've got two tracks. The question is which one is going to come first.

JIMENEZ: And you know, you talked about sort of the focus on the Strait of Hormuz. Obviously, that has been the focus as of late. That's where Iran seems to have leverage on the global economy and that's what the United States has been trying to mitigate, naval blockade included. But the overarching goal is obviously to try to get to some sort of large scale agreement here.

Are you optimistic that the U.S.-Iranian talks will happen this next week and be productive? As I think many hope, but whether they will happen, I think is also still a question.

MILLER: Yes I mean, look, nobody ever lost money betting against Arab- Israeli or U.S.-Iranian negotiations. They tend to have two speeds, right? Slow and slower.

I do think, however, that both the administration and the regime in Tehran are looking for a way out. I don't think there is any doubt about that fact. But the problem I have is you can't do this stuff on the back of a cocktail napkin. You can't do it on a cell phone, and you can't do it through intermediaries.

You had one face-to-face session, which may have been trilateral and bilateral, with the Vice President. Twenty-one hours may seem like a long time, not when it comes to these negotiations, it is not, so until we actually see negotiations happening, it strikes me we are a long way away from the kind of agreement, even a three-page framework agreement is going to have to have some detail, and that is going to require Americans and Iranians sitting across the table from one another, trying to figure out what to do about the Straits, what to do about enrichment, what to do about ballistic missiles, what to do about frozen Iranian assets -- all of these things need to be joined.

And right now, there doesn't appear to be much traction in the negotiating track. JIMENEZ: And both sides really seem to be dug down at this point. I mean, again, look, these things are fluid. Things can change. But to this point, what we've seen is, is the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, as we understand, U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports.

Do you believe the U.S. would consider lifting its blockade in order for Iran to reopen the Strait or, I just wonder how you assess sort of the pieces that each side seems to be employing right now and the implications of easing in any direction on those positions.

[18:10:12 ]

MILLER: I mean, Iran has got a big concession on President Trump. They forced him to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu did not want a 10-day ceasefire, which started April 17th. It expires next Monday. That's a big concession, and trump has enormous leverage over an Israeli Prime Minister who is up for re-election, probably when the government goes to term in October, maybe, sometime before.

I just think when the Iranians say they've opened the Straits, what that means is -- and they've made it very clear. Number one, only commercial vessels. Number two, in prescribed transit lanes. And number three, every tanker needs to seek the approval of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. That's what opening the Straits means. So no doubt the President under those circumstances, is not going to remove the blockade.

But that -- you know, demonstrating who is going to win or lose on the Straits is going to take us farther and farther away from what has to happen. The only thing that's going to end this war, if it is going to end, is an agreement on -- an Iranian nuclear agreement that is plus or minus the one that Obama negotiated in 2015, and the one President Trump walked out of in 2018. That's what is on the table.

JIMENEZ: Yes, the one he heavily criticized when he first came into office and tore up and that may be where we end up now.

You know, I remember -- again, you correct me if I am wrong here, but based on one of your previous appearances, I believe you said that you believed Iran had the greater leverage in diplomatic negotiations at that point. I believe that was about a week or so ago.

Do you still believe that to be the case now? Where do you assess sort of the sides starting this potential process here?

MILLER: I mean, I know it is politically inconvenient in Washington to admit, but if the war ended tomorrow, Omar, think about winners and losers. The Iranian regime survived. It has become harder lined, the highly enriched uranium they still have; the ballistic missiles are not totally destroyed. They are digging out their silos in anticipation of another round and they have deployed geography in a terrifying way.

They can now, even if the Straits are opened and you resolve this, the Iranians have demonstrated they can close the Straits of Hormuz anytime that they want. That was never the case, and it is now. Trump administration has cards as well. Huge military. And they have stuff that the Iranians want.

The real question in the end, Omar, is whose capacity to absorb pain? Who has got the higher or lower threshold to absorb pain? The Trump administration or the IRGC running the country in Tehran? And that question is only going to be answered, I am afraid, in the days and weeks ahead.

JIMENEZ: Yes, we will see. In the meantime, I see Michigan down on your bookshelf back there. Congrats on the basketball national championship.

MILLER: Go Blue! Yes! Absolutely.

JIMENEZ: But that's another conversation for another time. Aaron David Miller, appreciate the time.

MILLER: Thanks, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Still ahead for us, Republicans in Congress failed to pass a long term extension of a key surveillance program that The White House says is necessary to protect United States troops. We will talk to a Democrat who is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, next.

Plus, President Trump gives the greenlight to open up research into the use of psychedelic drugs for treating things like PTSD and veterans. We are going to talk to an advocate who has been pushing for this for years and was there at The White House.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:18:26]

JIMENEZ: The path to a peace deal between the United States and Iran is looking a bit less clear with just three days remaining in the current ceasefire. And tonight, Iran's Revolutionary Guard again shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to target any vessel, ignoring warnings. The critical waterway has become the central focus of efforts to end the war.

I want to bring in Democratic Congressman John Garamendi of California. He is a senior member on the Armed Services and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.

Congressman, I just want your take on where do you see things as they stand tonight? Do you believe there is a pathway to a deal or an extension of the ceasefire?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): There certainly is, but we ought to really take a look in the last -- at the end of February, there was not a war going on in that area. Ships were passing in and out and there was not a crisis.

Trump started this war, and the result of it is, Iran used its leverage to close the Strait. And I don't believe they are going to give up that leverage until they get what they want and they have made demands that are much, much greater than the demands that were in place during the negotiations prior to Trump starting this war.

So it is going to be difficult and there are certain things that we really do want to get on the line, and that is okay, we are going to end Iran's nuclear ambitions, period. We are going to end it.

And secondly, we are going to make sure that the Straits are open, that there's a free passage in and out, that's going to be difficult. It is a very, very difficult situation.

Back at the end of February, this was not a problem at all. We were in negotiations to get ahold of that nuclear material, but here we are today. It is going to be a difficult thing.

[18:20:09]

One thing that we need to do, and that's what Mr. Miller was talking about, and this needs to be seasoned negotiators, not the Vice President flying in and using whatever rhetoric he wants to use, probably inflaming the situation.

We need to sit down with senior negotiators issue by issue and take them one at a time and get this thing underway in a serious negotiations. It is extremely important.

JIMENEZ: I was just going to say, you know, with all the criticism -- there has been a lot of criticism, obviously, of how the trump administration and how the United States entered into this war and this conflict, but you know, the fact remains at this point, the U.S. is in it, and now it is a way of trying to figure out how to get out of it in a way that clearly both sides feel is agreeable. And U.S. Central Command Chief Admiral Brad Cooper says the military is prepared to sustain the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz for as long as necessary.

And my question is, at what cost does this come with so many of our resources focused in the Middle East? How are you looking at that?

GARAMENDI: It is a very, very serious problem. First of all, the U.S. military is awesome. It is extremely deadly and it is very, very good. It is using extraordinary, exquisite precision munitions and the arsenal, the magazines are seriously depleted.

And so we have -- this war has created a problem for the U.S. military around the world. We are seeing munitions from all around the world being transferred from the Pacific, from other areas and from Ukraine into this fight in the Middle East, in Iran and that puts at risk the Americans' ability to project power in other parts of the world and it certainly is a major problem for Ukraine.

JIMENEZ: And you actually questioned -- I don't mean to jump in, but you actually were questioning military leaders on how they will be able to get troops to keep up with the current pace of operations, because the operational pace has been so significant as of late. Were you satisfied that there is a plan? GARAMENDI: No, there is not a plan. There is not a plan on how to replenish our munitions and also, a plan on how to deal with the different nature of war. The Iranian drones are extremely effective. They've taken out one of our major radar facilities and a couple of others, and they have obviously taken out planes on the ground.

Where did they get the information for that? Well, they've got it from Russia. So there is a serious inability of the American military to deal with the drones. We have known for the last three years that drones were going to be used in the next war, but we did nothing. The Department of Defense did not move forward to effectively take the information that was available from Ukraine on how to deal with drones and implant that into our military strategies.

Our defense strategies are based on missiles of various kinds and yes, we are very successful with that, but not dealing with drones. So we've got a major problem. Our exquisite munitions are seriously depleted and we do not have an effective defense against drones. We have not taken the information that was readily available from Ukraine and built that into our military system.

And as we look at the upcoming budget that the Defense Department has put forward, it is a half a trillion dollars of new money. We are spending a trillion dollars now. Trump wants to spend another half a trillion dollars $500 billion. For what?

We do not have any information from the Department of Defense about where that money will be spent. Some of it probably to replenish our arsenals. But are we going to move with a mechanism to deal with drones? It doesn't appear that there is anything.

JIMENEZ: Drone defense, yes, I was just going to say the drone defense, obviously, it is something that the Ukrainians have even, advised Middle East leaders on how to deal with that as well. And I know that's something that the U.S. military has been investing in and trying to work through as well.

But I just want to ask on one thing before we go, because Congress Friday passed a short-term extension of the warrantless surveillance program known as FISA, which sometimes can ensnare American citizens after Republican leaders failed to secure a longer term extension. Senator Lindsey Graham this week said the ongoing DHS shutdown and failing to pass FISA was a "cocktail for another 9/11." I just wonder, how do you respond to that?

GARAMENDI: Well, I is quite possible for us to solve this problem. It is a negotiation.

[18:25:02]

Perhaps likely around negotiations, the negotiations between those who want to have an open opportunity for the American government to surveil on American citizens and those of us that are very, very concerned about our civil liberties and to not be surveilled by our own government, there is an answer here and what it amounts to is that, if in the process of gathering information from foreign entities about conversations within the United States to American citizens, there is a mechanism that can be used and it is called for FISA to go to a judge and say, hey, we've got something here that requires our attention. We want a warrant to continue to surveil the American citizen. That's all that is holding this thing back up is the necessity, in my view, the necessity that American citizens be protected from unlimited surveillance by the American government against them.

And instead of having that unlimited that, it be limited by the necessity, if there is something that is of concern here, that the FISA folks go to a judge and say, hey, we've got a problem here. We want to surveil. We want to do this for the next 90 days or for the next year. That's possible. That's not a big deal, but that's protecting each and every one of us from unlimited surveillance by the American government against Americans.

JIMENEZ: Well, it sounds like it is a debate that will come. For now, it doesn't seem -- you've got a short term extension here, but it seems, that I would get ready for that down the road.

Congressman John Garamendi, really appreciate you taking the time. Thanks for being here.

GARAMENDI: Sure. Thank you.

JIMENEZ: All right, still to come, you may want to have a backup plan in place if you're traveling to Europe. We will explain how the war with Iran is now threatening to cancel flights across the Atlantic, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:31:21]

JIMENEZ: The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which, as we mentioned, is the gateway for a fifth of the world's oil, is raising serious concerns for aviation companies. For example, they're now calling on governments to come up with a Plan B in case they start running out of jet fuel. The International Energy Agency says Europe could see shortages within weeks. CNN's Richard Quest explains how airlines may have to start making some tough choices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR & EDITOR-AT-LARGE: It's being called a sobering warning that European airports and aviation fuel supplies could be only a few weeks from running out, whether that's four or six weeks. Nobody really wants to say. But the reality is that airlines are pretty soon going to have to start making decisions. Which flights are they going to prioritize?

If their fuel suppliers say, look, we've only got so much fuel, we can't supply everybody, then we'll start to see what's already happened with some airlines like United in the United States, which has announced a 5 percent cut in its flying program. It is stopping the least profitable routes, which is what you would expect. In Europe at the moment, they're still talking about changing

aircraft, retiring fleets, maybe cutting back certain routes. But if this goes on much longer and the supplies continue to dwindle, then the real choice will have to be made. Do we fly that one? Do we fly that one? Or do we cancel that one?

And then, passengers will be left with Hobson's choice. Take it or leave it. It's pretty much like the airlines are doing when it comes to fuel.

Richard Quest, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Something to monitor in the coming weeks for sure.

Also new tonight, some mystery beeping forced the United plane to divert from its destination today. Authorities were nervous a potential bomb was on board. Flight 2902 from Chicago O'Hare was heading to New York LaGuardia Airport when it had to land in Pittsburgh. And the pilots described a persistent beeping to air traffic control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, we got an issue up here. We're getting a sequential beeping suspected item on board. We're going to have to start treating this as a potential bomb. We're going to have to go ahead and start diversion and stuff to get things settled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Not what you want to hear over the airwaves there. The FBI confirmed all passengers and crew evacuated while federal bomb techs responded. United says the Allegheny County Police Bomb Squad also swept the plane, finding, quote, negative results, but a scare nonetheless.

All right, coming up, President Trump signs an executive order to ramp up research on psychedelics as treatment for mental health conditions. Ahead, we're going to hear from someone who was in the Oval Office when it happened about what this means for veterans. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:38:57]

JIMENEZ: News tonight, President Trump signs an executive order to speed up research into using psychedelics to treat mental illness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ibogaine, because it's so important, and experienced an 80 to 90 percent reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month. Can I have some, please? I'll take it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Now, the drug the President joked about is ibogaine. It's a hallucinogen made from a shrub found in Africa. It's also illegal here in the U.S., currently in a category where regulators say it has no medical use and a high potential for abuse. But today's federal action is being hailed by medical psychedelic advocates as a victory, especially for veterans struggling with mental health conditions.

I want to bring in Bryan Hubbard. He's one of those advocates and joins us now. He's the CEO for Americans for Ibogaine, a nonprofit pushing to advance public understanding and responsible medical access to ibogaine to treat addiction, trauma, and other mental health conditions.

Thank you for taking the time.

You were in the Oval Office as the President signed the executive order.

[18:40:00]

What did that mean for your work and for your movement?

BRYAN HUBBARD, CEO, AMERICANS FOR IBOGAINE: Well, this is one of those very unique unity opportunities, which has the capacity to improve the human condition at scale. And the most important takeaway is that federal prohibition of psychedelic medicine in America is over. The President's actions today open up an accelerated pathway for the application of new drugs, which have the capacity to deliver breakthrough therapeutic results broadly, but in particular around psychedelic assisted treatment.

There are a host of medications that have usually been associated with the counterculture of the late '60s, known as psychedelics, that have shown tremendous breakthrough therapeutic potential for a variety of mental health conditions, including substance dependency. In the case of ibogaine, which is the most powerful psychedelic of all, it has been known for 60 years that it is a powerful interrupter of physiological substance dependency.

In particular, opioid dependency, alcoholism, as well as meth addiction, a dependency for which there is no known medical treatment.

In 2018, U.S. special operators started traveling to Mexico as the last stop before the funeral home to receive ibogaine treatment for the symptoms of war exposure, post-traumatic stress, moral injury and symptoms of traumatic brain injury, which expressed themselves through treatment resistant depression, treatment resistant anxiety, and a host of pharmacological substance dependencies curated through the application of synthetic drugs exclusively offered through the Veterans Administration.

As thousands of special operators and veterans have received this treatment, it has been discovered that ibogaine has a dramatic neuro- regenerative impact on the brain itself, which has based implications for how we treat degenerative conditions of the brain that disabled millions globally. I believe today was a similar movement for America and the world.

JIMENEZ: And -- and I just wanted to ask that, and -- and to be clear, you know, it's not like this executive order all of a sudden makes this -- this legal. It's -- it's aimed to encourage the expanded research toward potential broader treatments, especially in the mental health category. And -- and I just wonder, from your perspective and from the work that -- that -- that you do, if this is eventually approved and becomes, you know, more mainstream in the United States, who is this treatment for? I mean, is the idea that anyone would be able to be prescribed this? How -- how are you envisioning, you know, sort of the -- the perfect world of this?

HUBBARD: Psychedelic medicine is very powerful. And as things stand, conventional synthetic pharmacology, for instance, antidepressants. Antidepressants are the most prescribed medications in the United States. Only 30 percent of individuals have a positive response to SSRIs and other conventional therapies. The advancement of psychedelic medicine in America is about the improvement of treatment outcomes, whether that be through treatment resistant depression, anxiety, or any number of substance dependencies.

This executive order accelerates the research track. It accelerates the approval track. And as it comes to access, the most dramatic aspect of the President's executive order pertains to a directive that the FDA and the DEA appropriately apply the federal (INAUDIBLE) track. What does that mean?

It means that after a medication has cleared phase one safety trials, which can usually occur within one year from the time a trial is approved, that an individual can receive that treatment from a willing prescriber and willing manufacturer who would make it available to that person. This (INAUDIBLE) ...

JIMENEZ: And just, Bryan, just before we go, I -- I just want to ask you this because we're -- we're running out of time here. I just want to ask you this one quick thing, because -- because psychedelics reportedly have had some serious safety concerns in some cases where some research has shown it -- it can be linked to heart risks and is currently classified as a scheduled one substance, though we will see how that -- that changes. How do you reconcile those who think that this just isn't safe?

HUBBARD: Well, what decades of observational field studies demonstrate is that first and foremost, it is safe, but safe if administered in a clinically controlled medical setting. This is not something that you can buy out of the drugstore. It's not something that's a supplement. You have to perceive this in a clinically controlled medical setting with a qualified medical professional who understands risks, in particular with Ibogaine when it comes to heart risk. It has the propensity to prolong the time in between heartbeats, and if you take too much of it, it will stop your heart. That risk is safely eliminated when it's co-administered with magnesium.

[18:45:00]

The cardiac safety profile for Ibogaine is comparable to other, ironically, antiarrhythmic medications which do the same thing by way of prolonging the space between heartbeats. It is imperative that medical clinicians be properly trained, understand how to administer, and if that occurs, it can be safely done.

JIMENEZ: Yes, and I just want to double check, neither of us are doctors, so in that situation, you know, check with your doctor always, see what they're advising, especially if we go years down the road and -- and this becomes more of a reality. Bryan Hubbard, I really appreciate you taking the time. Thanks for being here.

HUBBARD: Thank you for your time, sir.

JIMENEZ: All right. Now, coming up for us and for you all later this weekend, find Eva Longoria exploring the lavender fields of Provence and the world-famous wineries of Bordeaux in the CNN Original Series, "Eva Longoria: Searching for France." Two new episodes airing tomorrow night starting at 9 P.M. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HELENE: Ratatouille was done with the vegetables from the home garden, you know, so very humble dish.

EVA LONGORIA, CNN HOST, "EVA LONGORIA: SEARCHING FOR FRANCE": It smells like Herbes de Provence with garlic. But I love how you've given each vegetable its own time to join the party.

HELENE: Yes, exactly.

LONGORIA: And that ...

HELENE: That's the key. The good balance, huh?

LONGORIA: Yes, the balance.

HELENE: It's an equation of balance, yes.

LONGORIA: The balance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONGORIA (voice over): Helene (ph) may be keen to cook me a simple provincial (ph) country dish, but she could never just throw this into a bowl with a hunk of bread.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LONGORIA: Oh, my. Look at that. This is gorgeous. Look at these.

HELENE: These are so beautiful, huh?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONGORIA (voice over): Helene's using fresh zucchini flowers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HELENE: Voila.

LONGORIA: All the way to the top, and then ...

HELENE: And then you close. That's it. And we will put (ph) them a little bit in the oven, and that's done. Sometimes it's better to cook with instinct than with technique.

LONGORIA: Why do you think there's so much technique in French cuisine? I mean, it's associated with technique.

HELENE: Because they are done by men. And men, they always want to demonstrate something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: Tune in for two new episodes of "Eva Longoria: Searching for France" that airs tomorrow night at 9 P.M. Eastern and Pacific on CNN and next day on the CNN app. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:43]

JIMENEZ: Liv Golf, the controversial team-based league, says it will continue for the rest of the year. That is despite multiple reports indicating its future is in doubt. Now, the league is backed by Saudi Arabia's public investment fund, and the fallout from the war between the United States and Iran has taken a toll on Saudi Arabia through attacks by Iran on Saudi energy infrastructure. Also, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has sent oil prices on a rollercoaster ride.

Meanwhile, the head of Liv Golf told employees that the league is moving forward as planned, which includes this weekend's tournament in Mexico and next month's event at the Trump National Golf Club outside Washington. But I want to bring in Sports Illustrated senior golf writer Bob Harig, who joins me now. Bob is also the author of the upcoming book, "Tiger v. Jack: Golf's Great Debate," to be released on May 5th, and we will have to talk about that at some point.

But Bob, I want to stick with Liv Golf right now, because just flatly, do you see Liv Golf still being around, let's say, 2027?

BOB HARIG, SENIOR GOLD WRITER, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Yes, that's the great question at this time. I mean, it's certainly possible.

JIMENEZ: Yes.

HARIG: You know, I think they spent the last couple of days regrouping in the wake of this news that you just highlighted. And, you know, the PIF is a -- is a trillion-dollar fund. And while there have been billions, estimates say $5 billion spent on Liv Golf and its existence, I mean, really, that's still a pittance for the PIF. If they want to continue, they can. It's -- it appears that they are basically pulling back on this and -- and sort of asking Liv Golf to -- to go on their own, to try to make this work without their subsidies, which have been massive, obviously.

So, is that possible? Certainly. And now they've got the rest of the year, basically, to try to -- figure it out.

JIMENEZ: Yes. You know, it -- I wonder sort of the situations here. Like, if Liv Golf does end up folding, the golfers on the circuit may not necessarily be welcomed back to the PGA immediately with open arms. I mean, what is the dynamic there between -- between the players, between the leagues, and -- and the ability to sort of jump back and forth between the two?

HARIG: Right. Yes, that's -- that's tricky. I mean, there have been a couple of players already. Brooks Koepka, the biggest name, who -- who left Liv Golf at the end of last year. And the PGA Tour did welcome him back, but with some restrictions. Like, he's not allowed to play in this week's signature event at Hilton Head. He's -- he had to pay a fine. He's not going to be able to take part in the PGA Tour equity program for five years. But they did bring him back.

Patrick Reed will be able to come back next year. My sense is that they will not let them come right back. That they will -- they will stick to their rules, sort of -- as -- out of deference to the players who didn't go, you know? The ones who followed their rules or -- or didn't -- didn't make the lead.

So, as much as they've -- I'm sure -- love to have some of those guys back, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau in particular, my sense is they'll have some penalty to pay. It might not be a smooth path -- path back immediately.

JIMENEZ: You know, there was a time when Liv Golf and the PGA were supposed to merge.

[18:55:02]

There was plenty of controversy around that. That didn't end up happening. And, you know, one of the possibilities you sort of -- you sort of mentioned, hey, if -- if -- if one revenue stream goes away of subsidy-based, maybe Liv Golf finds new partners.

But I think the overarching question is, is there even a market for more than one golf league in the U.S. across the world? What is that assessment there?

HARIG: Yes, that's another tough one. I mean, golf is a niche sport. You know, it -- it has a smaller audience than -- than our -- than -- than the big team sports that we have. And so, then when you divide that up even more, it makes it even more difficult. I mean, the PGA Tour, you know, has a demographic that -- that suits it very well. It's usually more upscale. They -- they -- they cater to golfers and people who drive nice cars and medical supplies. And when you divide that up a little bit, it -- it's probably not that easy.

And Liv's original goal was to be additive. And yet in some cases they've not been. They've gone up against the PGA Tour. They've -- they've -- they've made -- made it harder. They've made the golf fan have to choose. And I'm just not sure that that method is -- is -- is very viable. And we've seen it with their, you know, TV ratings have not been great. They've been great in international markets like Australia. And just a few weeks ago in South Africa it was huge. But that's not capturing a U.S. audience, which is probably what they need the most.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Yes. Bob Harig, appreciate the time and perspective. Thanks for being here.

HARIG: Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

JIMENEZ: (INAUDIBLE) we'll be right back.

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