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Cost of U.S.-Iran Conflict Rising; Taiwan Prepares for Possible War with China; CNN Reports on U.K. Race; Zelenskyy Opens Up About Private Life, Post-War Plans; Settlers Besiege Palestinian Homes In Occupied West Bank; Scrutiny Of ICE Tactics Amid Controversial Incidents. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 14, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome. I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. Ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," the cost of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran is rising. A look at the latest energy prices and the toll that the war is taking on U.S. service members stuck at sea. Plus, Taiwan is practicing for the worst-case scenario, war with China. We'll show you how the country is preparing its citizens. And it's an election that's almost too outlandish to be real. Who won the U.K. race between Nigel Farage and Count Binface?

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Hong Kong, this is "CNN Newsroom with Ivan Watson."

WATSON: OK, the U.S. is moving to squeeze Iran economically as the country refuses to budge after five months of war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made this announcement on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country. It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, his warning came after more vessels took fire in the Strait of Hormuz. An oil company based in Abu Dhabi says two of its vessels were attacked Thursday night. The company says there are no injuries and it's still unclear who is behind the attack.

All that is happening amid growing concerns about conditions on a U.S. aircraft carrier deployed near Iran. A U.S. official tells CNN another carrier, the USS George Washington, is headed to the region to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln. The switch is described as previously planned, but it comes after multiple reports of crew members trying to jump overboard from the ship. Family members say sailors and marines are dealing with horrid living conditions on the vessel.

CNN's Pamela Brown visited the ship last month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. CASEY MAHON, CREW MEMBER, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: We've been out here in a very stressful situation, always ready to go, always ready to take an action. And that's wearing on a person. It's a very honest, I think, assessment of it.

And we try to really have ways to vent that. We talked -- you know, we have various behavior therapy groups, right? We have, you know, poll sessions. People can come in and say, this is how I feel. And we just try to really give everybody a chance to vent that feeling and have a chance to say, hey, you know what? This is a tough situation, it's stressful, and I need ways to relieve that stress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, the ship has been deployed for more than 250 days and counting. And according to one U.S. senator, it has broken a modern- day record for sailing without a port call. But U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the situation is not the way it's being portrayed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Completely misrepresented. Listen, we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment. Some deployments are longer than others. And I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: One of those incidents of crew members going overboard reportedly happened last month. CNN's Brian Todd has that story.

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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is new reporting from our colleagues Pamela Brown and Ross Adkin. They cite three U.S. officials saying a sailor on board the aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, went overboard earlier this month.

Two of the officials tell CNN the sailor was quickly rescued and was medically evaluated. Once, officials said the sailor went overboard wearing a life vest and was not injured. The official added that the Navy considered the incident a mental health episode. This incident, which has not been previously reported, adds to growing concerns about the crew of the USS Lincoln.

The news outlets Stars and Stripes and the Navy Times reported this week that there had been multiple attempts by crew members on the Lincoln to jump overboard.

[02:05:00]

Those outlets cited interviews with sailors and families of those on board who described the impacts of a very lengthy deployment. Since the Lincoln left its home port of San Diego last November, it has been deployed for more than 250 days after being redirected to the Middle East to take part in the war with Iran. According to Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, the Lincoln has not made a port call in more than 200 days. That's about six and a half months.

The Navy Times and Stars and Stripes report that about a week ago, around 200 family members of the sailors on board the Lincoln voiced concerns over the sailors' mental health and safety conditions when they met at a town hall meeting in San Diego with acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and other senior officials. The Stars and Stripes reported that during that town hall, one spouse was in tears when she said she had received a message that same day from her husband saying -- quote -- "he hopes he doesn't wake up tomorrow" -- end quote.

Democratic lawmakers are now demanding answers from the Defense Department over all of this. Senator Blumenthal has written a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the acting Navy Secretary relaying what Blumenthal called widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, and deck safety concerns.

In a statement to CNN, the Navy said -- quote -- "We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member's well-being seriously and have religious, medical, and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise" -- end quote. One U.S. official told CNN the Navy's internal tracking of reports of suicidal ideation on the ship had actually gone down in recent months.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: All right. The price of oil is slightly on the rise after prices fell on Thursday. The price of Brent Crude is hovering around $87 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate is more than $81 a barrel.

Iran is feeling the economic pain as a result of the war. A local mayor decided to scrap plans that would have sharply increased the price of petrol for residents. The rate of inflation in Iran has soared over 130 percent over the past year.

Now, joining me now from Dubai, Colby Connolly is the head of Middle East content and a senior analyst at Energy Intelligence. He's also a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. Thank you for joining.

First, let's get to the state of the Strait of Hormuz right now. By our count, according to marine tracking data, there have only been eight ships that appeared to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The caveat is that some of the ships may have had their transponders turned off. So, it doesn't look like there's an immediate end in sight to the bottleneck. Are alternative options being explored? Are they more important now than ever, in your opinion?

COLBY CONNELLY, HEAD OF MIDDLE EAST CONTENT AND SENIOR ANALYST, ENERGY INTELLIGENCE: Thanks, Ivan. The alternative options are more important now than ever before. As you say, at the same time, none of them are quick fixes. And in the meantime, the ability to transit the Strait remains, you know, fraught. It's very dangerous, but there does remain a willingness among some shippers and producers in the region to continue to get limited exports out and, of course, get tankers in to continue that process where it's possible.

So, that's something that, you know, has kind of emerged in this situation where, on the one hand, the U.S. says the strait is open, Iran says it's closed. The reality is somewhere in the middle of that, but it leans a bit more towards the Iranian position. The risks are clear, and they have been for years now.

Just as you pointed out earlier, there were two more tankers attacked just last night, and that is not pointing to any kind of resolution, it's not pointing to any type of normalization any time soon. And, you know, I think you'll see these attempts continue to be made, though, just because, as I said, none of the bypass routes that would have to take place over land via trucking or the construction of pipelines are available in the short term. These things take months and years to get completed.

WATSON: There has been no shortage of hot air, of threats between Tehran and Washington. I'm wondering what you make of Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury secretary's latest threats about applying measures the likes of which have never been seen in the history of economic isolation of a country. I might point out that, you know, the first U.S. sanctions against Iran go back to 1979 when then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter imposed sanctions on Iran for the hostage-taking at the U.S. embassy there, and the sanctions have pretty much piled on since then.

[02:10:07]

So, what could Washington conceivably do beyond the isolation that it has already imposed on Iran for decades?

CONNELLY: Yes, I mean, that's the point to remember. Iran is very practiced at living under sanctions for decades, as you've said. So, we'll have to wait and see what the White House comes out with in the near term. What they've made clear is the willingness to keep this blockade of Iranian ports in place.

And, you know, it's not something that Iran can withstand forever. As was pointed out, inflation in Iran is up. Loadings at the Kharg Island export terminal, which is where 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports flow from, have effectively stopped in the early weeks of August.

So, there is pressure, to be sure but, you know, in a sense, time is really on nobody's side here even though Iran is a little bit more practiced. But, you know, the world continues to draw down oil inventories in the meantime, and that's a dynamic that cannot continue indefinitely.

WATSON: Can I ask you, how is this being felt where you are in Dubai and in the other Gulf kingdoms that rely so heavily on export of energy supplies? Are they feeling the pressure after these months of conflict economically right now?

CONNELLY: Yes, absolutely. It's being felt around the region in, you know, in different sectors. Of course, you know, the oil sector is not the only one. But that is also why this danger of continued attacks and miscalculation in the strait is so sticky right now. The longer this goes on, the more producing countries in the region need to find a way to get exports out.

Iraq, for instance, is a good example of that. It has got a huge public sector wage bill that is primarily funded by oil revenues. And just a couple days ago, it was revealed that ADNOC here in the UAE is using some of its ships to help get Iraqi crude outside the strait where it's offered in the Gulf of Oman.

So, some of these more creative types of measures are beginning to emerge. And, you know, the longer this goes on, I think we'll see more different types of arrangements take place, probably things that we're not quite thinking of just yet. But it's an unsustainable situation for everybody, as I've said. And so, the need to kind of run the gauntlet and try to get cargos out is going to persist whether there's a resolution or not.

WATSON: All right. Colby Connelly, live from Dubai with Energy Intelligence, thank you very much for speaking with me.

CONNELLY: Thanks, Ivan.

WATSON: We're turning to Taiwan now where the streets have emptied in Taipei as air raid drills were carried out to prepare residents for a potential attack from China. CNN's Will Ripley has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Taiwan's capital, a jarring reminder of how quickly things can change. Every phone gets the same alert: Missile attack. Seek immediate shelter. In less than two minutes, Taipei is silent. This may be a drill, but it doesn't feel like one.

China's military is actively training in the waters and skies around Taiwan, practicing blockades, joint combat operations, and rocket strikes.

RIPLEY: It's surreal to see the busiest intersection in Taipei or at least one of them totally dead. Everybody is pulled over and hunkering down underground or inside.

RIPLEY (voice-over): On top of that, mobile internet slows to a crawl. Sending a text takes several minutes, testing how Taiwan could cope if its communications came under fire.

These are the island's biggest annual military exercises. The major focus this year? Preparing the entire society for what a Chinese attack could really be like.

BEN LEWIS, CO-FOUNDER, PLA TRACKER: It's very likely that in the event of an invasion, China is going to strike critical infrastructure in Taiwan, but also use its cyber capabilities to degrade Taiwan's network connections in an attempt to cause chaos.

RIPLEY (voice-over): PLA Tracker co-founder Ben Lewis traveled from Washington to observe all 10 days of Taiwan's drills.

LEWIS: The United States has a very significant interest in ensuring that Taiwan can stand and fight on its own, to, you know, ensure that there is a deterrent against China that doesn't totally rely on U.S. intervention.

[02:15:05]

RIPLEY (voice-over): And increasingly, many Taiwanese believe they may have to stand alone. One recent survey found less than a quarter of voters here see the United States as a trustworthy ally.

RIPLEY: Do you trust that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China were to attack?

UNKNOWN: Taiwanese also, they need to believe in themselves. Like, no matter if Trump or the USA, they will help us, we still need to have the courage to do some action.

UNKNOWN (through translator): I think not because Trump is the president. He prioritizes his interests. America's interests first. Plus, if you just watch what's going on in Iran, you'll know that the U.S. is not reliable. I also don't think we can rely on the U.S.

RIPLEY (voice-over): A tiny democracy preparing for war with a superpower, a war Taiwan hopes will never come, but is preparing to fight with or without American help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (on camera): This drill comes as Beijing ramps up pressure on Taiwan, taking steps that stop just short of war, sending ships and Coast Guard vessels farther into the Pacific, and increasingly challenging American power in this region.

And now, with the U.S. tied up in Iran with no end in sight, Taiwan is preparing for the possibility it may have to hold out on its own, making these drills and preparing the entire society for a crisis all the more urgent.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

WATSON: OK, it's not often you see a name like Count Binface on a ballot, but he was the main challenger to populist Reform Party leader Nigel Farage. We're live in England to talk about the election results. Plus, Israeli settlers try to force Palestinians out of their West Bank homes. CNN is on the scene.

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[02:20:00]

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WATSON: OK, we have a very local election update. Less than an hour ago came word that firebrand Reform leader Nigel Farage has won back his seat in the British Parliament. This was the view from the Vote Counting Center in the southeastern English town of Clacton. Farage called a by-election after abruptly resigning from Parliament last month. His most prominent challenger was a comedian who goes by Count Binface who, we're told, got more than 9,000 votes. Farage received upwards of 22,000.

Now, CNN European affairs commentator Dominic Thomas comes to us now live from London. Great to see you. Look, we're going to talk, of course, about the notorious Brexiteer Nigel Farage and his election victory, but can you start by helping out some of us who aren't as familiar with British politics and explain the peculiarity of a guy wearing a trash can on his head winning thousands of votes?

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes. So, Count Binface has been around for a while. He tends to run in a lot of these contested, highly visible elections to sort of make a mockery of the system. He did this with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and this particular case with Nigel Farage, who was the elected member for the constituency of Clacton, stepped down because he has been subjected to an investigation in the Parliament for a questionable receipt of financial gifts. And so, none of the mainstream parties participated in this.

I think the deep irony, of course, is that Nigel Farage is trying to spin the narrative that here he is being persecuted in this context and Count Binface is actually also appealing to disaffected voters to say that this entire electoral process has been turned into a mockery and, in that regard, he is there to exemplify just how absurd this whole process has been, Ivan.

WATSON: So, can you explain Farage's kind of broader strategy, and will he potentially still face an investigation for these corruption allegations?

THOMAS: So, I think there are a couple of things going on there. So, on the one hand, he was subjected to this investigation. So, by stepping down, he interrupted that. And rather than the public scrutiny being on this questionable receipt of funds, he has developed this narrative, one could argue, from a well-used playbook by President Trump and across the channel in France by Marine Le Pen, that they are being persecuted by the mainstream parties and by the political establishment here, and that has been his particular strategy. When now he has been re-elected, the parliamentary investigation will

open again, probably as early as Monday, and there's a strong likelihood that those funds and the receipt will -- the conclusion will be that he broke the protocol on receiving gifts by not declaring them, which means he will be recalled, and there will have to be another election in which Nigel Farage will stand again and, in the meantime, continue to spin that narrative.

The question going into that next by-election, should there be one, when he will face on that occasion, all the mainstream political parties, it would be a test as to whether or not this narrative has worked or whether voters are ultimately disillusioned with this particular process and the shenanigans that are unfolding in front of us, Ivan.

WATSON: Well, you know, Dominic, on the face of it, how would you assess it? Does Farage emerge from this stronger politically?

[02:25:01]

Has this succeeded in distracting the electorate from the corruption allegations?

THOMAS: Yes, I think that what we have learned is that the voters are not interested in corruption allegations. Nigel Farage, the irony of all of this, of course, the architect of Brexit that has caused so much disruption to the British economy, to the broader global connections of the U.K with the European Union, continues to have an interpretation of the current political situations and an ability to draw on the same arguments that immigration represents arguably the number one threat to the future of the U.K., of greatness and so on, and that these voters are economically left behind and disaffected.

And, therefore, as with President Trump and with other far-right leaders that have been elected in recent years or done very well in elections, we know not to underestimate these candidates. But that broader narrative and that context of disaffection and of people being left behind in the British context continues to have a significant appeal. And I think that moving forward, particularly with the possibility of there being a general election, he should not be underestimated in any way, shape or form, Ivan.

WATSON: All right. Words of warning from Dominic Thomas, live in London. Thank you very much for your analysis.

THOMAS: Thank you.

WATSON: OK. Now to the power struggle within the Democratic Party that's between progressives and moderates. The left has netted some prominent wins in recent primaries. But in Wisconsin, the establishment roared back this week with a moderate securing the Democratic nomination for governor. And since then, calls for unity within the party are growing louder.

Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic nominee for Georgia governor, asked former U.S. president -- vice president, rather, Kamala Harris, about the ideological direction of the party and what voters are saying about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FORMER DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR U.S. PRESIDENT: What is the future of the Democratic Party? Where is it headed? Because I think it's too early to tell, based on just a collection of recent elections. But I will say that I think that what we are seeing is, again, there is a -- there is almost a rebellion against status quo because it has not been working for a lot of people for a long time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: OK. A critical deadline passes as rescue teams in Columbia search for earthquake victims. Just ahead, we'll update you on the devastation and the emergency operations. Plus, we'll hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about his plans for when the war with Russia ends. That's next on "CNN Newsroom." Stay with CNN.

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[02:32:29]

IVAN WATSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

Emergency rescue teams in Colombia are still searching for survivors of Monday's earthquake. At least 281 people have died. The president says 379 people remain missing. Aid agencies warned the chances of finding survivors dropped sharply after 72 hours.

The government is only accepting help from just a few countries that have certifications, and that includes the U.S., El Salvador, Ecuador and Israel. A group of rescuers from Mexico is ready to go help, but they haven't been approved. However, Mexico did send more than 19 tons of aid to Colombia.

For information on how you can help the earthquake victims in Colombia, go to CNN.com/impact. Impact Your World will add vetted organizations as they begin operations on the ground.

To the U.K. now, a train derailment in southern England has injured 18 people, two seriously. The accident happened 45 miles south of London, about 150 people were on board when the last three carriages of the train left the tracks and tumbled onto their sides. Emergency services say 10 fire engines and rescue units responded to the scene. It's not immediately clear what caused the accident, but inspectors are on site. Several train services were canceled or running at slower speeds because of heat reaching 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or 35 degree Celsius in the U.K.

OK. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country could stop all Russian ballistic missiles if it had only 10 percent of Patriot interceptors from U.S. stocks. We brought you part one of his interview with CNN on Wednesday, and now in part two, he's opening up about his private life and his plans for after the war. Here he is speaking with CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We heard an impassioned plea from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine for urgent not only more interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems. The only thing, really that can take down Russian ballistic missile attacks that have been causing devastation in Ukraine's cities over the last weeks, but also, too, for the license to be able to manufacture those devices here in Ukraine.

That plea direct to the White House, who responded, a White House official essentially saying their priority was U.S. stocks and those of partners and allies, but also said they had to protect the future security of U.S. technology, and that nothing in terms of co- production had been decided or guaranteed for Ukraine.

[02:35:10]

Really not what they want to hear in Kyiv, a city where months ago, people would walk calmly through air raid sirens. But now, because of the chronic lack, possible absence of those interceptors, they rush for subways or shelter. But still, after our interview with President Zelenskyy, I had a moment to talk to him about his emotions, his desires for that moment, distant as it seems, when the war indeed ends.

Here's what he had to say.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Thanks so much. No, I had too many meetings today with the soldiers and they will have, after the interview, the second military cabinet.

WALSH: You have said in the past that when this war is over you just want to sit on the beach and drink beer.

ZELENSKYY: Yes.

WALSH: Is that still your abiding feeling, or do you know that there'd be more work to do afterwards?

ZELENSKYY: No, I want really. I need some time with my family and with the city.

WALSH: I mean, that's a key question, because this must be for you physically, incredibly exhausting, to deal with the loss, the pressure. You say every morning phone calls about Patriot interceptors and lives depend upon. How you handle that particular stress, and do you get to talk to your kids every day or --

ZELENSKYY: Every day, but sometimes by phone, of course. Not every day I can see them, but, I mean this -- I'm very happy to --

WALSH: What did you say to them?

ZELENSKYY: To them? Morning. How are you? How are things? Yes. And they tell me what the dreams they had.

WALSH: You miss them?

ZELENSKYY: I miss, of course. Of course, miss. And of course, I always say how I love them, and it's like you -- you know, you physically need to hug them. You need to understand that it's like big support. Big energy support.

WALSH: Thank you, Mr. President. I have one last question.

ZELENSKYY: Yes.

WALSH: What is that?

ZELENSKYY: This elephant?

WALSH: The elephant with the cold. What is it? You know?

ZELENSKYY: This is where a historic building is, you know.

WALSH: Sure.

ZELENSKYY: Thank you very much.

WALSH: Thank you, sir.

ZELENSKYY: You gave me some moment to relax.

WALSH: Please have it removed. Time on the beach at some point.

ZELENSKYY: After the war. After the war.

WALSH: You worry you might get trapped in a political world of Ukraine after the war?

ZELENSKYY: Nobody can take my seat. Right. I will fight for this. I need it.

WALSH: Thank you. Take care. Thank you so much.

WALSH: And the idea of it all being over, as I say, is still distant. But that emotion of what people would like to get back to, I think something every Ukrainian can indeed identify. But at the same time, Zelenskyy's directly to the United States, born here, of an absolute crisis for Ukrainians nightly.

We're hearing rumors that potentially there could be ballistic attacks this night, the following nights, and Ukrainians will be racing to shelters when that happens. This is born of a global lack of Patriot interceptor missiles, essentially spawned from the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran and what happened in the Gulf states around them, their use of them afterwards. An acute crisis felt worse here and accounted in lost lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WATSON: All right, let's go to the Middle East now. The U.N. warns new attacks on Gaza risk hurting more civilians, especially with humanitarian efforts underway across the enclave. A spokesperson says several airstrikes have been reported since Wednesday, including one near a hospital. Land mines also remain a threat.

Aid groups have been providing emergency shelters, food and other necessities to thousands of households. But the U.N. warns that long- term supplies require more funding and approvals. The U.N. human rights office says the situation in the occupied west bank is, quote, beyond a boiling point, as Palestinian communities increasingly come under attack.

In the town of Qusra, authorities say some 15 Palestinians, some of them children, were trapped in their homes in a, quote, "state of terror". That's after settlers cut off electricity and water and blocked nearby roads.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond visited the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The view from this Palestinian home is the same from every angle. Israeli settlers everywhere you look. For days now, they've set up camp and surrounded three homes on this hilltop in the occupied West Bank in a bid to force the residents out and take over.

They've cut water and power lines and have tried to stop anyone from approaching. All of this is illegal and yet this is what happened when Palestinian residents first called the Israeli military.

[02:40:05]

The soldiers joined the settlers in prayer.

LOUI RIDI, PALESTINIAN AMERICAN: They start hugging the settlers and they start praying with the settlers and absolutely did nothing to protect my brother and his son.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Loui Ridi owns one of those houses. A Palestinian American, he's watched all of this unfold from Ohio.

And this is what he saw on Wednesday, Israeli military trying and ultimately failing to remove the settlers from the area.

Hours later, we drive up the hill to see if anything has changed.

DIAMOND: So these are actually the three homes that have been besieged by these settlers for four days now. We're going to try and climb up this hill and see if we can get past the settlers who are blocking the area.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The settlers are still there and so are two Israeli soldiers who order us to stop and turn off our vehicle.

The soldier tells me this is now a closed military area and that we're interfering with military activity.

DIAMOND (translated): Why are we interfering and not them? I don't understand.

SOLDIER (translated): You can contact the military spokesperson. This is a closed military area.

DIAMOND (voice-over): An IDF spokesperson said the order does apply to the settlers but it's clearly not being enforced.

DIAMOND: They're telling us that it's a closed military zone that we're not allowed to be here but at the same time, we're seeing multiple Israeli settlers who are here, who are not being made to leave and who are continuing to block the access to these homes.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Down the hill, we call Loui's brother, Qusai, who's been staying in his home.

DIAMOND: Qusai, this is the closest we're able to get to your home, unfortunately. How are you doing? Do you still have supplies?

DIAMOND (voice-over): "The food I have is going to run out in two to three days. Beyond that, I have no food, nothing," he says. "But at the same time, even if I run out of food, I will not leave the house."

DIAMOND: So do you have any hope that these settlers are actually going to be kicked out of this area?

DIAMOND (voice-over): "Honestly, from what I saw today, the settlers were monstrous," he explains. "They even attacked the Israeli army, forcing them to fire sound grenades and tear gas. They have their eyes set on the house and this hilltop. They want to take it."

The Israeli military says it is stepping up its efforts to rout the settlers, deploying an infantry battalion to the area to, quote, "protect the residents and maintain security."

But Qusai's fears aren't abstract. In recent weeks, settlers in this area have set fire to a mosque and besieged this home.

DIAMOND: This right here is why those families are afraid to leave their home. You can see Israeli settlers on the rooftop of this house here. Three weeks ago, Palestinians were living in that house but it's been taken over by Israeli settlers.

DIAMOND (voice-over): With a messianic flag now flying above it, these settlers want their presence known from one hilltop to the next.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Qusra, the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: The Trump administrations crackdown on immigration is under new scrutiny. Controversial tactics are back in the spotlight after several recent incidents and reports. New details, straight ahead.

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[02:47:59]

WATSON: The U.S. federal judge overseeing the Jeffrey Epstein document case is demanding answers from the Justice Department and threatening serious consequences if he doesn't get them. On Thursday, Judge Emmet Sullivan said he wants to know why the DOJ hasn't released some records from investigations into Epstein. The judge told DOJ lawyers he would hold contempt proceedings and refer them to the bar for discipline, a move that could ruin their careers.

This is all part of a lawsuit filed by journalist Katie Phang against now Attorney General Todd Blanche. It aims to force the release of some documents and to lift some redactions. Fang discussed the suit with CNN's Jake Tapper

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE PHANG, ATTORNEY: I don't want people to be improperly exposed. That is not what the DOJ -- well, that's what the DOJ said today, but that's not the case. What I want is the DOJ to follow the law.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Right.

PHANG: Nothing more, nothing less. And what we have seen time and time again is this active concealment and cover up by this DOJ to not release this information. I also want the files that Todd Blanche continues to sit on --

TAPPER: Like three million of them, right?

PHANG: Yes. He claims that they're duplicative. He claims that they're not responsive. And yet what we heard today, even from Judge Sullivan, is I don't believe you, DOJ. You have to show your work.

And once again today there was no actual proof provided by Todd Blanche.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: According to data reviewed by CNN, U.S. immigration agents detained more than 46,000 people in July, setting a new high under the second Trump administration. Videos show agents use of aggressive tactics are raising even more questions, along with scrutiny of the agency.

CNN's Jason Carroll has the details and a warning. His report contains disturbing images.

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ICE AGENT: You need to stop following us.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A tense exchange between ICE agents and a woman in Virginia.

ICE AGENT: You almost ran us over.

CAROLINA MOLINA, VIRGINIA RESIDENT: I didn't almost run you over.

ICE AGENT: You almost ran us over. Stop playing.

MOLINA: You are full of (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!

ICE AGENT: Stop playing.

[02:50:01]

MOLINA: You are full of (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!

CARROLL (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security now describes her as an anti-ICE agitator they accused of trying to weaponize her car against their agents.

But the woman in question, Carolina Molina, says her dash cam video shows what really happened.

The incident took place on Monday. That's when Molina says she saw agents handcuff two Latino men and escort them to an unmarked car. She rolled down her window and shouted insults at the officers.

MOLINA: You're a ho! You're (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up!

CARROLL (voice-over): Molina says she turned around and tried to drive away. And that's when she says ICE agents blocked her in with their cars and an agent drew his weapon. Part of that confrontation captured on her dashcam.

ICE AGENT: I will arrest you. Keep it up.

MOLINA: I'm a legal citizen.

CARROLL (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security giving a much different account of what happened, saying in part, "While ICE was conducting targeted immigration enforcement in Falls Church, Virginia, an anti-ICE agitator began to drive her car in circles around our ICE officers and then attempted to harm officers by weaponizing her vehicle against them, all in an attempt to help illegal aliens get away. Fearing for their safety, ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop of the driver."

RYAN SCHWANK, FORMER ASSISTANT CHIEF COUNSEL FOR ICE: When I hear this story is that this is exactly one of the scenarios that we trained the officers to address at the Academy.

CARROLL (voice-over): Ryan Schwank spent four years working at ICE as an assistant chief counsel.

SCHWANK: We trained them in what we call broking vehicle stops on how to deal with agitators or individuals who show up and yell insults or slurs at the officers. What we taught them when I was there is those people had every right to do that. These officers were agitated and upset, and they took it out on this individual. CARROLL (voice-over): This latest incident coming in the wake of

other controversial ICE encounters, some of them deadly.

Last month, ICE agents accused a man of weaponizing his vehicle during a targeted traffic stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Surveillance video obtained by WGAL showed officers had boxed in the SUV. An agent fired a shot as the vehicle drove away. Law enforcement experts criticize how ICE responded.

The incident occurred just days before an ICE agent fatally shot a 52- year-old man during a car stop in Houston. Less than a week later, another ICE agent killed a 25-year-old man during a vehicle stop in Maine. Neither of those victims was the intended target of ICE operations.

In a report released last month, the ACLU reviewed more than 1,200 incidents of immigration enforcement in 2025 across eight states, identifying 432 incidents involving misconduct by agents, 418 incidents were people who were pushed, shoved, tackled, or pinned, 128 involved threatened force, including brandishing weapons, 82 involved agents using their cars, such as boxing in or hitting other people's cars.

Adding to concerns over ICE tactics comes word ICE has approved a plan to spend millions on electric shock gloves.

TOM HOMAN, BORDER CZAR: It's another device that, you know, to help someone be compliant with or not. You know, you just can't go from zero to 100, right? And first thing you go for is lethal force.

CARROLL (voice-over): Critics worry the devices will be misused.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: All right. Stay with CNN. We will be right back.

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[02:55:53]

WATSON: Astronomers say they have made a discovery that could reveal more about one of our universe's greatest mysteries. It's a barely visible trail of stars. Located in a galaxy roughly 115 million light years from Earth. Scientists say as the cluster loses stars, the remnants form a long, narrow stream. Astronomers have found dozens of stellar streams within the Milky Way. But this is the first stream detected outside of our galaxy.

The finalists for this year's ocean photographer of the year have just been announced. These images are a few of the thousands submitted by marine photographers who captured shots below and above the ocean surface. The competition is divided into categories including wildlife, fine art and conservation. There is a new category this year titled "Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds", which organizers say focuses on the ocean's smallest creatures. The winners will be announced next month.

And look, if you had one shot or one opportunity to walk a mile or two in Eminem's shoes, that will be up for grabs soon. More than 100 pairs of sneakers from his personal collection, signed by the rapper, are being auctioned. The proceeds will benefit the Marshall Mathers Foundation, named after his real name, his charity supports at-risk youth in Detroit and surrounding communities. The auction includes a pair of Nike Air Jordans named for Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITCH KABA, POP CULTURE SPECIALIST, JULIEN'S AUCTIONS: This is the Air Jordan 3 Slim Shady model, which was designed specifically for Eminem to be used during his halftime performance at Super Bowl LVI. He performed on stage with Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Much cooler shoes than mine.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. Stay right here. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a minute.

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