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Iran Partially Closes Hormuz Again; Mass Shooting in Kyiv; Priest D.J. Hosts Dance Tribute to Pope Francis. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 19, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Welcome to CNN Newsroom.

Here's what we have ahead. Iran says it is partially closing the Strait of Hormuz yet again. What impact will this have on negotiations?

And six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kyiv. Why authorities are investigating it as a terrorist act.

And the world's most famous priest D.J. hosts a dance tribute to the pope, the late Pope Francis

Now, we're just days away from the end of a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States, and Iran's top negotiator says they are very far from reaching a peace deal. Maritime authorities say Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, and a container ship was also hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman.

Now, this comes after Iran announced that it would close the key waterway again, blaming the U.S. for, quote, breaches of trust. President Donald Trump says the U.S. will not tolerate blackmail over the strait.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have very good conversations going on. It's working out very well. We got a little cute, as they have been doing for 47 years and nobody ever took them on, we took them on. They have no navy. They have no air force. They have no leaders. They have no nothing. Actually, their leaders are -- it is regime change. You call that enforced regime change.

But we're talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again, you know, as they've been doing for years. And they can't blackmail us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, to help us make sense of all of this, I'm joined by CNN's Leila Gharagozlou. Let's just start by talking about what's happening on the strait. It was closed, it was open. What has taken place over the last 24 hours and is it safe for ships to pass?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes. So, there has been quite a lot of back and forth, as you say, is it open? Is it closed? Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi had posted saying that the strait is open, and CNN estimates about nine vessels made it through the critical waterway.

Yesterday, the IRGC announced that they were, once again, blockading these straits saying that there was a commitment of trust -- there was a breach of commitment, a breach of trust, referring to the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.

Now, yesterday the CENTCOM commander said that they had forced 23 vessels to turn back around and go back to these Iranian ports. The Iranians are citing this as the reason for re blockading the strait.

It's unclear how this will impact the negotiations in Islamabad that we're expecting on Monday. The strait has been a sticking point for the Iranians. They say that they have territorial control over this waterway. It's opening and closing is up to them. Obviously, the Americans don't agree on this.

Now, for now, we have all these ships staying put, trying to figure out whether they should go or not. It's caused quite a lot of confusion and obviously markets have reacted to what's going on in the strait. So, it does remain to be seen what's going to happen in Islamabad.

Now, the Americans haven't confirmed that they're going to be going to Pakistan, so that is also another hurdle that we need to get through. Will they show up? Will the Iranians actually agree to anything and kind of move off of their red line when it comes to the strait?

ABDELAZIZ: And I know you're speaking to people inside Iran as well. What are they telling you? Are they terrified that the ceasefire could collapse, that bombings could resume? What is the mood? What is the sense on the ground?

GHARAGOZLOU: I think there is quite a lot of apprehension when it comes to the ceasefire. Already, I think people have been quite surprised that it has held as long as it has. But whether there's a deal or not, I think people are really, you know, on tender hooks, trying to figure out where they stand.

President Trump has said that if a ceasefire -- if the negotiations fall through, he won't extend the ceasefire. So, we might see another escalation. I think that's causing a lot of concern, a lot of fear amongst ordinary Iranians. And, you know, quite a lot of analysts are saying that it does look like we're heading towards some sort of escalatory move.

Mohammad Baghir Ghalibaf, the Iranian lead negotiator and speaker of parliament, has also said that they're quite far apart in these negotiations, and that it doesn't look like there's an agreement really on the table as of yet.

[03:05:07]

So, this is also causing quite a lot of apprehension for ordinary Iranians.

ABDELAZIZ: And we are just days away from that ceasefire expiring. It is set to expire on Wednesday. These are absolutely trying times, as you mentioned. Leila, thank you so much for breaking that down for us.

For more, we're joined by Peter Sand. He's the chief analyst for Xeneta. It's a company that provides market analysis for the shipping business. He is in Copenhagen. Thank you, first of all, for joining us this morning.

Let's start by breaking down what's taking place in this very important waterway because it was supposed to be open, and then 24 hours later it's closed. We're hearing that a few ships, nine ships, as you heard there from our colleague, may have passed through. But there's two incidences on -- in that passageway as well that have happened in the last 24 hours with some unknown explosive devices and other concerns.

So, just break it down for me. How do you explain this to shipping companies? Is it safe and who needs to pass through the strait right now?

PETER SAND, CHIEF ANALYST, ZENETA: During a wartime that's raging at the moment, communication is of little use to assess maritime risk, at least the communication coming from the involved parties. And I guess that's why we see this flip-flopping uncertainty that really puts elevated risk to the decisions that ship owners and operators need to make in that area, because they may just put their crew, their ship, and their cargo at high risk if they choose to trust in any of the communication coming out of Tehran or Washington these days, I'm afraid.

But -- so uncertainty is here, there and everywhere, and I guess we're back to where we were earlier this week prior to the opening, closing, opening, not that was announced on Friday. So, that's the same currently.

ABDELAZIZ: So, you're saying communication from the warring factions, the people behind the conflict, is just unreliable and we can't rely on it as the shipping industry as those who want to pass through the strait. So, where do they get their information?

SAND: Well, they need to see real, tangible change what shipping companies to a large extent have done right now. Let me give you an example of container shipping. They have basically rerouted a lot of cargo that used to go via the Strait of Hormuz, getting essential goods and pharmaceuticals and food into the 150 million people in the Gulf region.

So, from that perspective, a lot of activity have already been done by the logistics professionals, but obviously also from the world outside, the 8 billion in need of the hydrocarbons coming out, we need a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

And, of course, that was what we had in place earlier on before the crisis happened. So, it would only be a real trustworthy ceasefire that could reopen the strait again before we once again see transits normalizing.

ABDELAZIZ: And you wrote the underlying disruption, longer transit times, lower schedule reliability, and the continued closure has not changed. What has changed is that carriers have found workarounds on certain trades over the past seven weeks. What do you mean? What are those workarounds? And are they permanent?

SAND: Those workarounds are, you can say, semi-permanent, as they have established now. So, we see food and pharmaceuticals and other essential goods now move over bonded land bridges, so goods coming from the Red Sea Port of Jeddah, across Saudi Arabia, but also just outside the Strait of Hormuz from Karzakan, from Sohar and then trucked across.

But, obviously, these are chokepoints even more severe than the Strait of Hormuz. And we see ripple effects also from all of that activity going on, that the prices also on shipping costs is up by 30, 40 percent also on trade lanes not related to the epicenter around the Strait of Hormuz right now on the trans pact into the U.S., for instance, rates are up by 40 percent since the start of the crisis. So, all of those effects, it will take a long time for those also to unwind at the fortunate event. Then we get, say, at the other end of this crisis with peace once against reigning (ph).

ABDELAZIZ: And you're speaking, of course, to those in the shipping industry. What do they need right now? What would their message to the White House be, for example?

SAND: They need trustworthy certainty in order to assess the risk real before they can start moving ships across the Strait of Hormuz again.

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So, that kind of uncertainty they need to bring back.

They don't need more weaponization of trade from either of the parties, which is basically what's been going on since the start of it. So, please allow for maritime trade and global trade to do its magic and do not interfere with international waterways or weaponizing trades. That's what we need, safe passage, free navigation.

ABDELAZIZ: A conflict that is weaponizing trade. Thank you so much, Peter, for breaking that down for us. Thank you.

France says one of its soldiers serving in the United Nations peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon has been killed. French President Emmanuel Macron says Hezbollah is likely responsible for Saturday's deadly attack. Three other soldiers were also wounded. The U.N. says its patrol was cleaning up explosives on a village road when it came under fire. Now, Hezbollah has denied involvement, but Lebanon's prime minister has condemned the attack and ordered an immediate investigation.

Long lines of cars navigate the wreckage and rubble in Lebanon. People uprooted by the war are trying to return home during a ten-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. We can see vehicles passing over a makeshift crossing there at the site of the Qasmiyeh Bridge in Southern Lebanon. It was bombed by Israeli forces shortly before the ceasefire. The roads are congested with people anxious to see what is left of their homes.

More than a million people in Lebanon have been displaced in this latest conflict with Israel. The damage is catastrophic in some of the southern suburbs of Beirut. Households and livelihoods have largely been reduced to rubble as the smell of death hangs in the air. But some people say this is still home, and they plan to rebuild it.

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JAMILA BASSAM, DISPLACED IN LEBANON: We will rebuild with our own hands. We're not afraid. Even if it takes us ten years to repair, it doesn't matter to me. My house in the village is also gone, but we'll repair it too and it'll come back better than it was. What matters is that we live with pride and dignity, not to be ruled by anyone.

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ABDELAZIZ: Now traffic is bumper to bumper as you can see there along the highway in the coastal town of Sidon. Civilians are trying to return to their villages in Southern Lebanon. Now, both the Israeli and Lebanese armies have warned residents against returning. The ceasefire remains very fragile with both sides already accusing the other of violating the agreement.

Now, a mass shooting in Kyiv is being investigated as a terrorist act, but the motive is still unclear. Officials say at least 6 people are dead, and 15 others wounded after a man went on a shooting rampage on the street Saturday. He then barricaded himself in this supermarket and took a number of people hostage. Police negotiators tried to speak with him for about 40 minutes before he was killed in a gunfight.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the attacker also tried to burn down his apartment.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: It's known that the attempt to set an apartment on fire before going out onto the street with a weapon. He had passed criminal convictions. He lived in the Donetsk region for a long time and was born in Russia. Everything that could be known about him is being established and why he did what he did. Every detail must be checked.

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ABDELAZIZ: Now, mass shootings are very rare in Ukraine. This was the first since Russia launched its full scale invasion in 2022.

An airport in Spain has become a sanctuary for resting aircraft. Still ahead, why the remote facility became an airplane parking lot during the war in Iran.

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ABDELAZIZ: The war in Iran is taking a heavy toll on the aviation industry. It's so severe that a Spanish airport has become a parking lot for planes grounded during the conflict.

CNN's Pau Mosquera has the story.

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PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): One runway, several large hangers and even a terminal.

This is the Teruel Airport located more than 200 kilometers east of the city of Madrid. Now, this is not your typical airport. Here, there are no crowds, no boarding calls, and no Duty Free panic. Actually, here, business takes off when planes stop flying.

OCTAVIO LOPEZ, PRESIDENT, TERUEL AIRPORT CONSORTIUM: We can call it an aircraft parking facility, and we can also call it the most important industrial airport in Europe. At Teruel Airport, services, such as maintenance, storage, recycling, and even painting, come together, full comprehensive aircraft maintenance.

MOSQUERA: This aeronautical center owned by a consortium involving the government of Aragon and the City Council of Teruel, its spans an area of 550 hectares, about 2.1 square miles in office space to park up to 400 aircraft. Currently, there are 90 aircraft, a quarter of which belong to the Qatar Airways fleet and have been parked here due to the war in Iran.

ALEJANDRO IBRAHIM, CEO, TERUEL AIRPORT: They have come, as you know, from the Persian Gulf, well, because they want to be in a safer place, such as Turuel Airport and to be based in Europe, which also allows them to use flight routes that are operational and commercially valuable.

MOSQUERA: Since opening in 2013, this airport has not only proven its value as an aircraft maintenance and repair hub but also as a refuge in difficult times.

IBRAHIM: During the pandemic, we had up to 140 aircraft apart here.

MOSQUERA: How long do airplanes typically remain on the ground here.

IBRAHIM: It depends. Some aircraft come for painting and stay around 10 or 11 days. If they come for maintenance, it depends on the maintenance program. It can range from a week to a couple of months or even three months, or you may have a long-term parking if the client decides the aircraft won't be used for the time being and will be kept as a backup.

We have a record of a Boeing 747 that had stayed parked at the airport for seven years, but the aircraft was restored, returned to service and flew to the United States to join a cargo airline.

MOSQUERA: In the case of aircraft that are no longer being used because of the conflict in the Middle East, it is still unclear how long they will stay or whether more will arrive.

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As Ibrahim points out, like birds, these aircraft are designed to fly. And the hope is that before long, they will be back in the air.

Pau Mosquera, CNN, Teruel, Spain.

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ABDELAZIZ: Progressive leaders from around the world gathered in Barcelona to rally support for the global left and counter the policies of the far right. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hosted the first meeting of the, quote, In Defense of Democracy Summit. The presidents of Brazil and Mexico attended as well as some U.S. Democratic Party politicians. They exchanged ideas on tackling inequality, regulating social media, and implementing reforestation projects.

Now, Mr. Sanchez said time is running out for nationalistic far right political parties.

You're seeing President Trump there flanked by Health Secretary RFK Jr. and podcast host Joe Rogan signing a new executive order aimed at accelerating research into psychedelic drugs as mental health treatments. The president also pledged $50 million in federal funding for research into the hallucinogen, ibogaine, a drug he appeared eager to try on Saturday.

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TRUMP: 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.

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ABDELAZIZ: President Trump later said that he is too busy to be depressed. Early research into ibogaine shows the compound found in an African plant may alter neural pathways. While some side effects do persist, the drug has been used to treat depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms in veterans as well as curb opioid cravings.

But experts are concerned that the administration could bypass industry benchmarks, potentially putting patients at risk.

Pope Leo XIV is currently in Angola. This is the third stop on his four nation tour of Africa. The pontiff is set to celebrate mass there in just a couple of hours from now. He says his trip is about encouraging the continent's growing Catholic population and about, quote, peace building with people of all faiths.

Now, the first American pontiff also says he is not trying to debate Donald Trump. CNN's Christopher Lamb explains.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: He directly referenced President Trump and the criticism, the extraordinary criticism that has been leveled against the pope from the president. This is some of what he had to tell us.

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POPE LEO XIV: The first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself. Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.

Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting. And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAMB: It was interesting that Pope Leo referenced there a speech he gave in Bamenda, Cameroon, where he said the world was being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.

Now, many did interpret that as applicable to leaders around the world, including the president. It was read through the lens of the criticisms that Leo has been facing. But the pope trying to say there that, you know, it's wrong to interpret his speeches in Cameroon and in Africa as responses to President Trump.

I think what's going on here is that the pope is simply saying he doesn't want to engage in a tit-for-tat back and forth with President Trump. And he did actually make that point on the way out from Rome to Algeria, the first country he visited in Africa when he came to the back of the plane again to talk to journalists.

So, Leo, I think trying to dampen down this extraordinary back and forth that's been going on between the first American Pope and the U.S. president.

ABDELAZIZ: Tuesday marks one year since the death of Pope Francis. The first ever Latin American Pontiff was celebrated for being the people's pope. On Saturday, thousands gathered in his hometown to honor his legacy with an electronic music show.

CNN's Cecilia Dominguez has the details for us.

CECILIA DOMINGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Argentina remembers Pope Francis one year after his passing, but not in a conventional way. Padre Guilherme, the viral Portuguese D.J. and priest, he's hosting this electronic music show in tribute to Pope Francis through music, lights and emotion.

[03:25:03]

Thousands have come together to celebrate his legacy.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I admire him, because he wants to draw people to Catholicism using this kind of music to attract people, to bring people in, because I loved it. I loved the idea and I heard him speaking when they asked him what he would've preferred to be, a D.J. or a priest. He said, no, I'm a D.J. because I was a priest. That's why.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOMINGUEZ: It's more than just a concert. It's music with a message in a free event, open to all, drawing thousands across generations and led by a priest who has built a global following by mixing electronic music with faith.

Tonight, that formula turns a tribute into a shared live experience.

Cecilia Dominguez, CNN, Buenos Aires.

ABDELAZIZ: Things got rowdy for a second year in a row when an elderly D.J. collective led a rave in Cologne, Germany.

The senior women's group known as Forever Fresh returned to the C.O. Pop Musical Festival on Friday to prove you're never too old to get out on the dance floor. The project formed in 2025 when festival organizers set out to recruit older women for a D.J. workshop. Now, a year later, the show's success has grown way beyond the festival, inviting music fans of all ages to rethink D.J. culture.

The festival says the performance is not a gimmick but a statement of visibility, participation, and true diversity.

A life jacket worn by a passenger of the ill-fated ship, The Titanic, has sold at auction for more than $900,000. The British Auction House says it is the only Titanic life preserver ever to go under the hammer. First Class Passenger Laura Francatelli wore it while boarding a lifeboat as the so-called unsinkable liner went down in the Atlantic in 1912.

Thank you so much for joining us here. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Quest's World of Wonder is next. And then it's Kim Brunhuber with the news at the top of the hour for you,

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(QUEST'S WORLD OF WONDER) [04:00:00]