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CNN International: Oil Prices Rise On Strait Of Hormuz Uncertainty; Russia Hits Kyiv As Ukraine Grapples With Air Defense Shortages; Burnham Exchanged Messages With Person Posing As Trump's Chief Of Staff; New Details In The Death Of Actress Hayden Panettiere. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired August 18, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

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[04:33:11]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oil prices are on the rise as you can see here amid the latest uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. As you see, Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, now trading above $90 a barrel. CNN's senior business reporter David Goldman with more.

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DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: So the Trump administration is out saying that there is significantly more oil coming through the Strait of Hormuz than we had previous believed. And obviously the Trump administration has incentive to say that it wants oil prices to come down and it has been jawboning prices lower for quite some time. That is nothing new.

The data tracking services that Wall Street and investors look to tell us how much is coming through the Strait of Hormuz, they say, well, nothing's really changed. There's only 4 million barrels coming through the Strait of Hormuz every single day. That is significantly lower than the 20 million barrels that we had on a day to day basis before the war.

Now, everyone agrees about 7 million barrels are getting piped outside the Strait of Hormuz and they're being picked up and transported elsewhere. But if you add those two together, we're still only at around 11 or 12 million barrels. Not true. The Trump administration says, it says 9 million barrels are getting through the Strait of Hormuz and that would mean 15 or 16 million barrels per day are getting through. That is significantly closer to the 20 million.

And in fact, they said that we exceeded 20 million about two Sundays ago. So who is right here? I don't know. I don't know that anyone really knows. But here's why it's important. Because if the Trump administration is correct, it gives them significant leverage in their negotiations with Iran.

And right now the market seems to believe the Trump administration, it is down a lot since its peak, which was around $120 a barrel. [04:35:05]

It's now under $90 a barrel. And the low prices have really given the Trump administration the leverage it needs to say we can take our time with Iran and not worry about an economic catastrophe. Here's the thing is, what about the inventories? That's what we've been drawing down in recent months to allow for the lack of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Well, if there's more oil coming through, then that is potentially something that we can continue to rely on for quite some time. All of this is very confusing but potentially good news for the economy if the Trump administration is correct here.

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SANDOVAL: Russia says that it's downed another 180 Ukrainian drones in the Moscow region overnight. And this comes as the Kremlin ramps up ballistic attacks across Ukraine. Kyiv reluctant to specify the number of Patriot interceptor missiles that they currently have left. But CNN has granted or was granted exclusive access to Patriot launchers sitting idle because of this ammunition shortage.

And President Zelenskyy says that the country would need full 5 percent of the U.S. stockpile to survive the winter. Let's go to CNN's Sebastian Shukla now is live from Berlin as he's following developments. Seb, good to see you. What are you learning about this latest round of strikes?

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, good morning, Polo. This latest round of strikes appears to be another very large one according to the Russian Ministry of Defense who are reporting that 791 unmanned aerial vehicles have been fired across different targets around Russia, including those are 180 that you mentioned at the Russian capital.

We don't know yet the full extent of the damage if there, if there is any. But we do know that one of the targets that appears to have been hit here as well is that continued a sustained attack, targeted attacks on the Wildberries, Russia's equivalent of Amazon, who are reporting that their -- one of their facilities also took some damage.

And this is the second wave of such enormous style of attack that we see launched on Russia, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. It follows from that attack on Saturday night, which was over 800. So this is a serious sustained campaign now that the Ukrainians are also able to mount attacks in such large numbers.

But Polo, as you mentioned, there are also reprisals going in the other direction from Moscow. In Kharkiv last night, Russia, Ukraine's second largest city that sits right on the border with Russia. There were 10 people also killed there. And it's highlighting as you mentioned, the acute problem that Ukraine is facing when it comes to its Patriot missile systems.

These missiles, which are used to bring down Russia's ballistic weapons, much harder to do with any other conventional weapon. And why these Patriot missiles are so important are in massive short supply not only for Ukraine, but around the world. And that's largely due to what happened in the Middle East with Iran. And the issue that Ukraine is facing is about resupply because the Americans are the only country in the world who build these weapons.

There are contracts out in other different countries to build them, but you do not just turn, flick a switch and hundreds of these missiles start being produced. It's a laborious process. And the Europeans are the ones who have been kind of working as an intermediary here to find these Patriot missile systems and interceptors for Ukraine.

There is a NATO mechanism known as PURL, which procures them. The Europeans effectively pool cash. They go to the Americans, say we want to buy X hundreds of Patriot missiles and then they deliver them to Ukraine. But the issue is about supply and are the Americans able to build them fast enough to meet demand.

And I know that we're only in the middle of August, but given the supply chains and the logistics involved here, it is becoming pretty crucial for the Ukrainians to get an idea and get these missiles in this in their arsenals because winter is coming and we know that we can expect at least a sustained and heavy bombardment on their critical infrastructure from Russia in those depths of winter. And it will be severe if they are not able to protect themselves from these aerial attacks. Polo.

SANDOVAL: Guys, the Ukrainian president said time and time again, without those missile defense systems, it will be yet another very difficult winter for Ukraine. Sebastian Shukla, thank you so much for your reporting.

[04:40:05]

CNN has learned that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham briefly exchanged messages with somebody who was impersonating Donald Trump's chief of staff. POLITICO first reported that incident on Monday and said that the British Embassy in Washington voiced some concerns to the White House. And a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN that Burnham quickly ended the conversation after he became suspicious that he was not actually communicating with the real Susie Wiles. Here's CNN's Nic Robertson to break down what happened.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, this does appear to be the first high profile phishing attempt against the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The messages purported to come from President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, only it wasn't her sending the messages.

Now we understand, CNN understands that there were no important communications by Burnham and of course as Prime Minister and he's probably been pranked before in the past, you know, as a, perhaps as an MP or when he was mayor of Manchester. But this will be the first time he's likely been put in this sort of a

position when he has sensitive secret national security information at his fingertips. So for the Prime Minister, this perhaps was a potentially dangerous moment. But he, we're told, became suspicious pretty quickly, shut this messaging conversation down, informed his officials.

Now White House officials are telling CNN that Susie Wiles phone was not hacked or the hacking of her phone was not involved in this communication. But if you go back to 2025, May that year, a U.S. law enforcement investigation was launched by because around about that time Wiles, or prior to that time, Wiles, had informed colleagues at the White House that she believed her phone and her content list had been hacked, leading to efforts to impersonate her.

So it brings into question now when it's happening to the British Prime Minister and the communication getting through to him and the messages apparently being exchanged, albeit shut down very quickly, it does raise that question of why was this type of pranking, phishing able to get through to the most sensitive of senior political leadership in the U.K., namely the Prime Minister.

Now Burnham's been a politician for some time and he's got a lot of experience dealing with political and sensitive issues. But it does flag, if you will, just how potentially easy it appears for somebody sophisticated enough to be able to impersonate, it appears trying to impersonate the White House chief of staff to actually be able to begin some kind of conversation.

So protection, better protection from phishing for the British Prime Minister and of course, therefore better protection from the potential exposure of national security to details. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

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SANDOVAL: We have an update on the way emergency responders are saying that they were unable to revive actress Hayden Panettiere. Well, we're learning about her sudden death when we return.

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[04:46:45]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. We are hearing from the people who were close to actress Hayden Panettaire who died on Sunday at 36 years old. Wladimir Klitschko, her former partner and the father of their 11- year-old daughter, has just released a statement along with this sweet picture of the family. He wrote, it reads in part, she built an incredible career through immense talents while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the places -- with a place that she had in our lives. To our daughter, Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.

Panetierre's official cause of death is still yet to be determined following an autopsy, CNN's Randi Kaye with more on the investigation. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAYDEN PANETTIERE, ACTRESS: I'm still working on myself all the time. I had a great therapist and I'm better healthier than I've been in a long time.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That was Hayden Panettiere on CBS in May this year. Now, just a few months later, plans for her funeral are underway. The Golden Globe nominated actress was found in cardiac arrest inside a residence in Greenville, South Carolina Sunday afternoon. According to the Greenville county coroner's office, efforts to resuscitate her failed. The coroner says an autopsy showed no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death, but the investigation is ongoing.

Panettiere's father released a statement describing his daughter as an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her.

PANETTIERE: It's amazing what you can do with special effects these days, huh?

KAYE (voice-over): Hayden Panettiere's TV and movie career spanned more than three decades. She was perhaps best known for the TV series "Heroes," in which she played indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennett.

PANETTIERE: The thought of living forever and never being able to die is kind of a scary thing.

KAYE (voice-over): In "Nashville," a young country music star.

PANETTIERE: From the door, Charlie.

KAYE (voice-over): Panettiere's movie roles included the "Scream" franchise and "Remember the Titans," "Bring it On," "All or Nothing" and "I love you Beth Cooper."

PANETTIERE: You still love me.

KAYE (voice-over): Her stardom took a back seat to her own personal struggles, addiction, loss and depression. In her recent memoir, "This Is Me A Reckoning," she opened up about all of it.

PANETTIERE: I decided to write it because there was so much stigma. I really wanted to share with the world that they don't have to be afraid that they can live their truth, that they can be imperfect.

KAYE (voice-over): Panettiere told people magazine in 2022 that doctors told her that her liver was, quote, going to give out when she was hospitalized with jaundice. On her book tour in recent months, she discussed her postpartum depression. She'd had a baby girl with her former partner, a Ukrainian professional boxer.

PANETTIERE: There I am with this beautiful, healthy, beautiful baby girl and this very fortunate life, and I could not for the life of me be happy. I was so depressed and I just couldn't find my way out.

[04:50:00]

KAYE (voice-over): Her daughter, now 11, lives with her father.

PANETTIERE: I'm so blessed to have a great relationship with her. I'm on FaceTime with her all the time. She's calling Mommy more and more.

KAYE (voice-over): Panettiere's younger brother, Jansen, died in 2023 at just 28 years old from an enlarged heart. After that, she took a break from acting.

PANETTIERE: Heartbreaking doesn't even begin to cover it. Losing him and realizing how much of life I was going to have to go through alone and without him. When I always saw him as being there, he was my best friend. And like when he first died, I just remember screaming, I don't want to live in a world where he doesn't exist.

KAYE (voice-over): Over the years, Panettiere advocated for mental health awareness and animal rights, and in 2022 launched a relief fund for medical supplies for Ukrainians following Russia's invasion. She was also known for supporting environmental issues, saying she wanted to leave the world a better place in her brother's name. Hayden Panettiere was just 36. Randi Kaye,. CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And we'll be back with more.

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[04:55:10]

SANDOVAL: We have some new video of what Mexican media outlets say were previously unseen images of the moments following the 2016 capture of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. There are really some extraordinary images of the man that Forbes estimated to be worth a billion dollars at one point seen here years ago, shown bathing in a sink while an officer watches over him.

Another portion of the video showing what appears to be an interrogation. Guzman had already escaped two times from Mexican prisons before his arrest 10 years ago. He's currently serving a life sentence plus 30 years at Colorado's supermax prison. CNN has not independently verified where or when that footage was recorded.

Ferrari has just set a new record for the most expensive new car ever sold at auction. The bespoke model of the company's first fully electric vehicle was sold for $40 million. That's 36 times the original estimate of the 1.1 million, according to the auction company, RM Sotheby's.

The high bid comes just months after Ferrari's share price tumbled more than 8 percent when it unveiled this car in May. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Ferrari Foundation, which supports educational initiatives. And finally, we want to leave you with this pretty cool new time lapse

video. It's giving us a look at the track for this weekend's Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, DC. President Trump planned the event as part of the country's 250th birthday celebrations.

It's the first ever IndyCar street race in the nation's capital, with the course, as you see here, passing along some of the most iconic landmarks and memorials, including the Washington Monument.

Thank you so much for watching. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Our coverage continues with CNN Headline Express in a moment.

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