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Fifth Day of U.S.-Israeli War against Iran; Turkiye States NATO Air Defense Intercepted Iranian Missile; CIA Working to Arm Kurds to Spark Uprising in Iran; Trump Backs No Candidate for New Iranian Leader; Lebanese FM Renews Call for Hezbollah Disarmament; U.S. Lawmakers Vote on War Powers Resolution This Week; Investors React to Ongoing Concerns over Oil; Iranian Diaspora Watches Conflict with Mixed Feelings. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 04, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of the show. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is 7:00 in the

evening.

This is day five of U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran, a war that has upended the region where I am, spilling across borders and seas. And as

we've just learned, into NATO airspace.

Right now, you are looking at live pictures of the skylines of Beirut, the Israel-Lebanon border.

Doha, areas outside of Iran that have seen attacks. Let's get you up to speed where we are right now.

At the Pentagon a bit earlier, the U.S. Defense Secretary said this war is only in the beginning phase. And Pete Hegseth pushed back at the critics of

president Donald Trump. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We've taken control of Iran's airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate.

But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it's front page news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. joint chief of staff also weighing, saying American attacks inside Iran will expand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN, U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We will now begin to expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and

creating additional freedom of maneuver for U.S. forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: At the briefing, Hegseth showed a video of the U.S. sinking a torpedo to sink an Iranian warship in international waters. He says it is

the first time the U.S. has used a torpedo from a submarine for such an action since World War II.

Well, as Iran strikes back across this region, news just within the last few hours that NATO air defenses intercepted a missile heading toward

Turkish airspace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): This video shows the remnants of that missile after it was shot down.

Inside Iran, senior Iranian officials have been meeting virtually to choose a successor to the ayatollah, Ali Khamenei. But there are conflicting

reports about how that process is actually playing out and who's in the running. A three-day mourning ceremony for Khamenei due to start tonight

has been postponed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: There's an awful lot to take in there. Let's see if we can break this down a bit and make it digestible because its complicated. Let's bring

in CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, back with us this hour from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

Let's start with that Iranian missile, intercepted as it was heading into Turkish airspace, Nic, what do we know?

And just explain how significant this event is.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Look, I think everyone in the region is watching to see what Iran fires at.

Does it try to expand and draw in other countries?

So when a missile is intercepted by a NATO partner as it was fired toward Turkish airspace, it raises that worrying question, is Iran trying to draw

in NATO into this conflict?

Because obviously NATO has Article V, which is, an attack on one is an attack on all, calls to respond to help.

So what do we know?

We know that an Iranian missile was detected flying toward Turkish airspace. It had come through Iraqi airspace, Syrian airspace. And then it

was intercepted by NATO as it was flying over southern Turkiye, the area of Hatay.

The missile came down. We're not aware of any casualties; came down in open ground. We are also learning -- and we have to run down these early reports

-- that the potential target was the large U.S. air base in Chile (ph) -- inside of Turkiye or, rather, the airbase -- an airbase called Incirlik

that the U.S. uses or has used a lot in the south of Turkiye.

And if you actually draw a line from Iran through Iraq, through Syria to Hatay, where this was shot down, if you continue that line, i.e. the

missile continuing on its flight path, it looks like it might have been headed toward Incirlik air base. That last bit is conjecture. There is

information that possibly a U.S. warship shot down that missile.

[10:05:00]

But we need to run that information down. But that's what we're having.

And, of course, for Turkiye, it is Iran drawing them in toward the war as well. And we understand that the Turkish foreign minister had a phone call

with his Iranian counterpart to say that they -- that this war between Iran, U.S. and Israel should not expand out. And, of course, that's a

concern that everyone has at the moment -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Nic, its good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

I want to bring in Hamidreza Azizi. He's a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, joining us now.

Before we talk about the U.S.-Israel day five operation attacks on Iran, what do you make of this escalation, a NATO country shooting down a missile

fired, as we understand it, from Iran into Turkish airspace?

HAMIDREZA AZIZI, VISITING FELLOW, GERMAN INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND SECURITY AFFAIRS: Well, the pattern of Iranian escalation would suggest

that, you know, this is something expectable. Iran has already expanded the scope of the war to almost all Gulf countries and also beyond to

Jordan.

So in that context, it might not sound that surprising but, on the other hand, I don't see that fitting into the pattern of current Iranian strategy

because the attacks on the Gulf countries basically pursue two simultaneous objectives.

On the one hand, to increase pressure on the energy market -- and that is not just by closing the Strait of Hormuz but also by, you know, targeting

oil and gas infrastructure in the region so that the prices would increase.

And it would be probably less sustainable for the U.S. and, at the same time, in places like Kuwait, like Qatar, like UAE, the radar systems of

American anti-ballistic systems have been targeted.

And this has been interpreted by some in Iran as providing the ground for further attacks on Israel. Turkiye doesn't fit into that. And then Turkiye

is just too dangerous of a target for Iran to engage with at this moment.

So this brings me to kind of conclude that this might have to do with that very decentralized command structure of Iran, which helps the Islamic

Republic sustain attacks after the death of Khamenei. But that may lead to some uncoordinated decisions and strikes that may jeopardize the Islamic

Republic's own plans as well

ANDERSON: Stand by. I want to bring in my colleague, Zach Cohen, in the States. I just want to get some comment from him on what we know about the

current state of affairs.

You've got some reporting on a CIA plan to spark an uprising in Iran. CNN has learned from multiple sources that the agency is working to arm Kurdish

forces. Several of the groups have released public statements since the beginning of the war, hinting at imminent action.

And a senior Iranian Kurdish official tells us that president Donald Trump has spoken with the leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and

Iranian Kurdish opposition forces expected to take part in this operation in the next coming days.

Is that why?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. This does seem, based on what our sources are telling us, seem to fold into what

president Donald Trump said in that initial video message, when he called on the Iranian people to rise back up and take back their government. Those

are his words.

This plan, though, is providing, in theory, as far as the Trump administration believes, providing some military protection, military

support, potentially diverting government regime forces away, allowing the space for those protesters to once again take the streets.

You may remember, just yesterday, Donald Trump reinforcing that now was not the time for the Iranian people to come back out and take to the streets.

So this does appear to be at least a planning, an effort to help facilitate that, to help set the conditions that would allow that to happen.

Now we've spoken to current former U.S. officials as well as experts who have worked on the Iran issue for years now. And they've all raised

concerns about the viability of this potential plan. Obviously, the CIA's relationship with the Kurds writ large is very complicated and goes back a

long time.

[10:10:00]

There's also the more recent history of the Trump administration's engagement with the Kurds, where many groups were left feeling like they

were abandoned by the Trump administration in places like Syria.

So there is some complexity here. And even if, ultimately, the Trump administration is successful in unifying these groups, there are major

questions as to whether or not that would be enough to even set the conditions for the kind of pseudo regime change that Donald Trump was

initially talking about.

ANDERSON: I want to talk to you and Hamidreza about the Pentagon briefing that we were given just about 1.5 hours ago.

At that briefing -- and very specifically for you, Zach, Pete Hegseth showed this video and we showed this at the beginning of the show, a video

of the U.S. using a torpedo to sink an Iranian warship in international waters. This is the first time, he said, that a torpedo has been used since

the Second World War to sink a ship.

What do you make of this announcement and these pictures that we're looking at now?

COHEN: Yes, Becky, its interesting. On one hand, this appeared to be part of Hegseth's attempt to really reinforce the prowess of the U.S. military

and this idea that the military will continue to hunt down Iranian military assets wherever they are.

It appears that this warship, according to Hegseth, was in international waters when it was sunk by a torpedo. And then calling back to the

reference to World War II was an achievement -- touting the achievement of the U.S. submarine and its operators.

But look I think that there's another element to this, too, which is that this conflict, according to this video and to other, you know, realities

that we're facing, is expanding. And it appears that the U.S. has gone into the Indian Ocean to target Iranian ships that have gone that far away.

So there is this idea that, while U.S. forces, according to Hegseth and General Caine, are moving deeper into Iran as this operation evolves, the

conflict itself is widening

ANDERSON: Good to have you, thank you.

A mourning ceremony for Iran's slain supreme leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which was set to begin Wednesday night, has been postponed. The

state-affiliated Fars News Agency reports preparations must first be made for the anticipated presence of millions of people. No updated timeline was

given for when that event will take place.

Well, my guest writes this about ayatollah Ali Khamenei, quote, "The most striking feature of the immediate aftermath of his death has been

continuity. Iranian missiles have continued to fly. Senior officials have struck defiant postures and security forces have moved swiftly to shape the

streets before the streets can shake them.

"That early continuity is not incidental. It reflects Khamenei's handiwork."

Hamidreza, back with us.

And just expand on that, if you will.

AZIZI: Well, it is actually in line with what we were just discussing in terms of the command structure of the Islamic Republic. So the whole

infrastructure, the structure of the Iranian armed forces, was built around this decentralized concept of the so-called Mosaic doctrine, which

envisages like 31.

I mean this is the number of Iranian provinces as well, 31 regional headquarters for the IRGC. And this is contingency for a situation that the

chain of command would be disrupted either as a result of a domestic unrest or an external war.

But, you know, in the initial version, some level of -- some significant level of strategic decisionmaking would still, you know, remain in the

hands of the supreme leader. And that's kind of showed its shortcomings in the 12-day war, when the supreme leader was not accessible.

After the war, they started reconsidering this concept. And now we are in a situation that those provincial commanders of the IRGC have more leeway,

more freedom to decide on when and how they fire missiles, for example.

And this is kind of a rather decentralized coordination framework. This has helped Iran, the Islamic Republic, to sustain the attacks but this has also

some challenges, as we discussed earlier.

ANDERSON: Listen to president Trump on who he would prefer. He says someone from within. Have a listen

[10:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person right?

That could happen. Well, most of the people we had in mind are dead. It would seem to me that somebody from within maybe would be more appropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Who are the main major contenders, Hamidreza?

AZIZI: Well, actually, today there were some names circulating in Iranian semiofficial social media accounts. And there was like four or five names,

including ayatollah Alireza Arafi, who's now one of the three members of the interim leadership council.

Then we have Mojtaba Khamenei, who is reportedly still alive after the strike. So he's the son of ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

And interestingly there was also two names who are affiliated with the so- called reformists and moderate faction. And those were Hassan Rouhani and Hassan Khomeini. So I am a bit skeptical about whether this is correct, you

know, Hassan Rouhani especially being among those names.

But I think the very fact that they are deciding on a person for the supreme leader is another indication that they are thinking in line of

continuity rather than change, because there were people speculating that, you know, there might be some change in the way that the government would

function, yes.

ANDERSON: Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, had for some time put himself forward as a future leader. Let's just have a listen to the very

latest comment on him by president Trump. This was last night. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Reza Pahlavi, is he an option at all in your mind?

TRUMP: I guess he is. Some people like him and we haven't been thinking about too much about that. It would seem to me that somebody from within

might -- maybe would be more appropriate. I've said that.

He looks like a very nice person. But it would seem to me that somebody that's there, that's currently popular, if there is such a person. But we

have people like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: So he's giving the impression that he hasn't really thought much about it., you know, he's not bothered. But then he said a number of times

somebody from the inside.

Do you believe that the American administration, in whatever guise, has been talking to someone or a body of people on the inside like they did

with Venezuela?

We keep hearing the, you know, this is like Venezuela from the Trump administration. They keep using that as an example of what can happen

successfully.

What do you make of whether or not the Trump administration already has somebody in mind but has identified somebody that they are going to heavily

back and help run this country going forward?

AZIZI: Well, already before the war and even during the 12-day war, remember, there were some rumors and also indications even within the

Iranian state media very tastelessly that there have been some contacts, some people reaching out from within the system.

And then some people pointed the finger toward Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Javad Zarif. But then those reports were somehow denied. I am very -- I

remain very skeptical whether at this stage there's any systematic connection between the Trump administration and anyone within the system,

especially in this moment of ambiguity.

We shouldn't forget that, although we have this, you know, leadership council, like interim council, the main power brokers now seem to be two

people with a military security background.

One is Ali Larijani, the secretary of the supreme national security council. And the other one is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the

parliament. None of these guys, you know, seem to be any willing to make any compromise.

And then speaking of the Venezuela side, we have all the complexities within the structure of the Islamic Republic, especially even the fractures

and competitive and competing factions within the IRGC.

So as I said, I remain very skeptical that there is any systematic connection. There may be some connections, you know, down the road but, at

this moment, I remain skeptical

ANDERSON: Hamidreza, good to have you, sir. I know you -- you've forgotten more about Iran than we will ever know, effectively, frankly. And its good

to have you. Thank you very much indeed.

We are following breaking news here on CONNECT THE WORLD. CNN has learned Iran and Hezbollah launched a coordinated attack on Israel. We'll bring you

that after this.

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ANDERSON: Iran has been launching retaliatory attacks on the region. The Israeli military tells CNN that Iran and Hezbollah carried out their first

coordinated attack on Israel. Israel Defense Forces say one missile was launched from Iran and six projectiles, including drones, were launched by

Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel intercepted the Iranian missile in the sky. The attack set off alert systems in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, nearly simultaneously. Nick Paton Walsh

live in Tel Aviv.

You and I spoke last hour when those alarms were going off. I assume you're safe. You're back with us. Just explain what's going on there and, you

know, speak to the wider story as we understand it today.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, an interesting change, it seems, one possibly might argue, the sophistication

of Iran's approach here against Israel.

We've had two separate, combined approaches now where it appears that missiles, both from southern Lebanon, from Hezbollah to the north, have

been launched at about the same time as missiles from much further away inside of Iran. That was two incidents in a small timeframe. No reports at

this stage of injuries as a result of that.

But a sign that maybe when we hear the Pentagon talk about a reduced number of missiles being fired, over 80 percent less than at the start of this

conflict, we may be seeing Iran switching to a slightly more sophisticated approach here.

But at the same time, too, we have heard of the first injuries that Israel's defense force have been talking about and that is, too, as a

result of what seems to be some activity up near the north Israel border to Lebanon.

Now it's on the other side of that that we've been hearing over the past days, increasing number of villages that the IDF have asked or demanded,

frankly, Lebanese civilians leave. That's now extended to everything below the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

And while we are not publicly learning from spokespeople to the IDF that they are moving further inside territorially, they're still talking about

how their forces are widening, intensifying the buffer zone they've created from the five positions they held just inside Lebanon for nearly over a

year now.

It does suggest, given that widening evacuation zone, that we're going to see certainly a widened air campaign, possibly something more on ground

level as well. Unclear at this stage.

But Israel's defense minister Israel Katz, saying that they will disarm Hezbollah and that combined with the ferocity of strikes we've seen in

southern Beirut, is key. He also today, interestingly enough, has added just a detail of some interest here.

Saying that this operation by Israel had been planned for the April to June timeframe, sounds like second quarter of the year, but was brought forward

because of some of the circumstances we've seen.

Now we also know that president Trump talked about how things all happened exceptionally quickly. So an -- interesting to see a growing narrative here

of how this seemed to be an opportunity that was seized upon precipitously.

[10:25:00]

I find it interesting to hear secretary Hegseth earlier talking about how they perceive the Iranians to be acting from a pre-planned playbook and

that those moves, presumably pre-planned for the death of the supreme leader, have now stopped.

And they're now into a different phase, where their command and control is still being targeted. So clearly, tactics changing around here. Clearly

Iran's munitions reducing in the frequency of their use, perhaps in the frequency of their availability as well. We won't know until they reach a

crisis point, perhaps.

But also the U.S. seems switching from standoff weapons that are guided to potentially stand in aircraft as they gain air superiority, something

Israel has been very confident about over the past days. But now Pete Hegseth, in that statement there, that press conference, talking about

something they will fully achieve in a week or so, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. He said very specifically within a week, within a week we will have complete, uncontested airspace and complete control of Iranian

airspace. Death and destruction from the sky all day long. And we are playing for keeps, was the chest thumping from Pete Hegseth just earlier on

today.

U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio appears to be backtracking his statements over why the U.S. attacked Iran. It comes after president Donald

Trump's statements that he may have, quote, "forced Israel's hand." Listen to the difference in messaging from secretary Rubio, just 24 hours apart.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack

against American forces. And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher

casualties.

I told you this had to happen anyway. The president made a decision and the decision he made was that Iran was not going to be allowed to hide behind

its ballistic missile program, that Iran was not going to be allowed to hide behind its ability to conduct these attacks. That decision had been

made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: There is clear daylight between those two statements.

Still to come, Republicans have largely supported president Trump's decision to take military action in Iran but there are also some prominent

conservatives who don't. We'll take a closer look at that.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

ANDERSON: All right. Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi

in the UAE.

On Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate will vote as soon as today on a war powers resolution that requires president Donald Trump to gain congressional

approval to continue his military campaign in Iran.

[10:30:05]

Now the House is expected to vote on a similar measure on Thursday. Many Democrats opposed president Donald Trump's unilateral decision to launch a

major attack on Iran. They believe he's exceeded the boundaries of executive authority and questioned the Trump administration's long-term

strategy for Iran.

Well, while Republicans have shown broad support for the president, the strikes in Iran have stirred up more infighting within MAGA and widened the

divide within that movement. Some argue it goes against president Trump's America First campaign promises.

Have a listen as some fairly well-known prominent conservatives balk at the idea of president Trump's military action in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being a conservative or being a Trump supporter or being part of MAGA does not mean you have to accept another Middle East war

without questions. And anybody who tells you that can suck it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not happy about the whole thing. I don't think this was in America's interest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The public doesn't support it and its terrible for the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, president Trump, facing a lot of pressure certainly over his military campaign in Iran, here's more reaction from House Republicans

who held a news conference a short time ago in support of Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BRIAN MAST (R-FL), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: I don't think this fits the narrative of my Democrat colleagues but it has to be

said, because its the continual question.

President Trump had the authority to conduct this very limited operation under Article II and the War Powers Resolution Act. He's working to get the

job done.

The limited scope of the operation, destroy every single piece of Iranian military hardware that has been used to reach out and touch the United

States of America, our forces in the region and our allies or that could be used.

Why?

Because they have proven that they are an imminent threat and they will use it every single chance that they get.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Let's bring in CNN global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier.

I'm really interested in this war powers resolution. There's a vote as soon as today in the U.S. Senate and then we've got a House vote expected on a

similar measure on Thursday.

What's the point of this?

And is it is it going to pass?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think the point is for the Democrats to show to both Democratic voters and independent voters, who are

largely against this war on Iran, that they've tried to do something, even if it doesn't pass, because they don't have the majority.

You might have some Republicans across the aisle but --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Kimberly, can I ask you just to pick up your microphone and stick it on?

Because I'm not hearing you as well as we might.

Have you got a microphone on there?

Has it disappeared?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: We'll let you get sorted if needs be.

Let's get a GOP lawmaker. Some of them are refusing to call Trump's actions against Iran of war. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't call this a war as much as I'd call it a conflict that should be very short and sweet, if you can put it that way.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you acknowledge that this is a war right now?

JOHNSON: I think its an operation.

(CROSSTALK)

RAJU: The people -- U.S. service members are getting killed right now.

JOHNSON: Its a dangerous operation and an important one and we had to act because there was an imminent threat. But there's not a declaration of war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: That was Mike Johnson, of course, the House Speaker. I think I've got you back. Thanks for doing that. I didn't want to miss -- our

viewers to miss what you -- what your analysis was there. Just so to carry on.

DOZIER: Yes. So from the Democratic perspective, they can see the polls. The large amounts of Democratic voters and independent voters are not in

favor of this invasion. They don't see an end game or the end game that they see is that there could be a lot of blowback from the remnants of an

Iranian regime.

And we still have all those Americans in harm's way in the Gulf. So while this war powers resolution might not pass, at least they've demonstrated

that they are trying to hold the line in terms of congressional authority and trying to trim the president's power.

ANDERSON: Yes, it's February (ph); the midterms are a long way away. And even if Democrats and independents don't like this, I mean, in the end, it

is not foreign -- the foreign file for most Americans, the -- what matters most to them when they turn up to cast their vote, is it?

I mean, in the end this is a president who had a mandate on the economy.

[10:35:00]

On affordability, on immigration; didn't have a mandate for endless wars, didn't have a mandate for a lot of foreign action.

So is it, in the end, going to matter that much?

DOZIER: Look, you're right. Americans do not go into the polls with foreign policy in mind. This will matter to them if it drags out, affects

oil prices for an extended period of time -- therefore gas at the tank as its already started to do in the short term -- and if there are casualties

and if there's no easy exit by the fall.

If it looks like we've somehow stumbled into a long-term engagement with the Iranian military, which is likely, then that's when people start to pay

attention, when it affects their daily lives.

ANDERSON: There have been lots of questions about the end game here, the fact that there is no plan. Some lawmakers have said this is an operation

or a war based on lies, no imminent threat.

What's your sense of how the Trump administration is going to deal with this criticism?

DOZIER: I think they're just going to drive on with what they see as the success of the mission. You heard the Hegseth press conference this

morning, where it was very patriotic, beating the war drums, saying, you know, he said, we're winning.

Until there is something that shows to the contrary from their base, it looks like they're permanently decimating the Iranian military and

defanging it that way.

What they're not taking into account, though, is that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the regime writ large has a succession plan,

has a plan also to stop the conventional fighting and switch to an unconventional war to make various Gulf allies of the U.S. pay and also to

target various people in -- various Western targets in the region.

And already we've had a couple of Israeli diplomats who've had to evacuate the UAE because there was a plot against them.

ANDERSON: Yes. Let's be quite clear, though, from this perspective, I have to say, ridding the regime of its ability to project power through its

ballistic missile program and its drone program, ridding them of that, here the perception is, will make a much, much calmer region going forward.

So in that, president Trump has the support of these Gulf nations, at least in principle. They've been hit. And it's been painful here. But at least,

in principle, this was action that officially they said, look, we're looking for a diplomatic off ramp on this.

But nobody, nobody is going to feel like this region hasn't been done a favor if indeed that ballistic missile program is decimated. Good to have

you. Thank you.

All right, next up, from this region to beyond the Middle East, war is affecting the supply of energy around the world. We're going to take a look

at the economic impact after this.

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[10:40:00]

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAINE: Our partners are answering the call to defend themselves right alongside us. Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are

all defending their people with their own combat capability, with precision and restraint.

Jordanian air defense crews recently intercepted a cluster of Iranian one- way attack drones headed to Amman. Bahrain's air defense forces shot down an inbound drone approaching Manama's maritime infrastructure, protecting

both their population and critical shipping lanes.

Saudi Patriot batteries stopped a salvo of ballistic missiles aimed at energy facilities near Dhahran. The UAE neutralized multiple drones

targeting Abu Dhabi's industrial zone, demonstrating speed and precision.

In Qatar, Qatari fighters for the first time have shot down two Iranian bombers that were en route to their location.

Together, these nations are helping to defend themselves and project power as required against the enemy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States there, praising America's partners, including the country where I am, the

United Arab Emirates. And they have been enduring a lot across this region. They say they; us.

Let's take another look at the U.S. stocks at this point, which opened in the past hour. We've had two pretty rocky sessions but this is the trading

day for Wednesday, March the 4th. And these markets out of the gate and on the up.

That is the picture there after president Trump said insurance and guarantees would be provided for ships traveling through the Persian Gulf.

The Middle East conflict has sent the price of oil soaring in the past couple of days. This is how we've got oil prices as we speak.

WTI 74 and change; Brent crude trading just before 78. Eleni Giokos is with us now.

So you and I spoke at this time yesterday, a very different-looking picture. Although those oil prices, of course, continue to be high.

But would you believe it?

These are -- these U.S. stock markets out of the gate and up they go.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean usually the markets know things before they actually happen. So they're clearly pricing

in something very different to what we're talking about over the last few days.

And they're clearly pricing in a much shorter conflict scenario. You know, the Strait of Hormuz opening up potentially because of insurance

guarantees; potential U.S. Navy escorting some of these vessels. The people that I've been speaking to, the experts, they're saying its unlikely to go

back to the volumes that we see normally of $20 million.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: So words of reassurance ahead of the markets opening then, which is a bit of a kind of Trump administration playbook, can help.

GIOKOS: Yes. So Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent actually came out. He was talking up the energy markets and he said we were very different scenario

to what we saw when Russia invaded Ukraine. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: In terms of the energy dominance that president Trump has put forward during this administration, we're in a

very, very different position than when the Russians invaded Ukraine.

We are at an all-time high in production, both for oil and natural gas. We are an exporter to the rest of the world and U.S. LNG continues to flow

around the world. So this is a very different ball game than in February of '22.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Then he started to talk down the impact on the region. Quite interestingly, he said the region is actually not on fire. Those were his

words.

And we've been talking about all the energy infrastructure that has been targeted. And you were talking about all the interceptions that we've

experienced just in the past few days.

Also important that the U.S. State Department has said to all U.S. citizens that they should leave the Middle East. So it doesn't square up with the

fundamentals that we're seeing. But it's interesting that investors are really looking through this and they're looking at what will happen in the

next few weeks.

The numbers are telling us right now something different. And we've spoken about this LNG facility in Qatar. They stopped production today. Qatar

Energy announcing force majeure on all the contracts to all the buyers.

So we're talking about 20 percent of LNG out of the global market. That is definitely going to have an impact. Iraq stopping production. We've seen

some of the targets across the region as well. We don't know how much capacity is going to be taken out.

But clearly investors are saying there's enough oil and gas to go around despite these disruptions.

[10:45:00]

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: And for that reason, prices are off.

GIOKOS: Let's see tomorrow.

ANDERSON: By about 10 percent -- tomorrow is another day.

GIOKOS: Yes.

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Eleni. Thank you very much indeed.

We've been talking about the wider impact of the energy, roiling energy markets across the board and not least comments from Scott Bessent, priming

the markets this morning.

Well, the Spanish prime minister is responding to U.S. president Donald Trump's threat to end trade with Spain because of Pedro Sanchez's

opposition to U.S. strikes on Iran. This is the prime minister earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): What we do know is Iran war will not lead to a fairer international order, nor will it

lead to higher wages, better public services or a healthier environment.

In fact, what we can foresee at the moment is more economic uncertainty, rises in oil prices and also in gas prices. That is why we in Spain are

against this disaster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, meanwhile, France deploying fighter jets over the skies of the UAE to protect its military bases here. France has been critical to the

-- of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, with president Emmanuel Macron saying the operation took place, quote, "outside the framework of

international law, which we cannot approve."

Meantime, Americans stranded in this region are pretty much having to scramble to find a way home if they can. President Trump, talking to

reporters at the White House late yesterday, say -- says that there was no evacuation plan in place because these strikes, he said, happened so

quickly.

Well, the U.S. has closed its embassy in Beirut in Lebanon until further notice. It's the third U.S. embassy to shut its doors as the war in this

region widens. U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and in Kuwait have also closed indefinitely. CNN spoke to a former U.S. House lawmaker, Jason

Altmire, who himself is stranded in Dubai.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON ALTMIRE (D), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Trying to get a commercial flight out since that time has been impossible. You get -- if you can get

through to the airlines at all, which is a challenge, then you get booked on a flight; it gets canceled. And then you go through the same process

again. We've done that three times.

But getting out on a commercial aircraft does not appear to be something in Dubai that is possible now. So this has to be. I know there's thousands of

Americans that are in the same position right here in Dubai. And the only way this is going to happen is if the government intervenes and evacuates

people out of a very, very unsafe zone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. has been advising its citizens to leave the Middle East as soon as possible. Some say there are no flights and no clear

instructions on how to exit. We are hearing that time and again.

Well, coming up, Iran has a ruling system like nowhere else in the world. We're going to explain how it works to select its next leader.

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ANDERSON: Well, Israel says it has launched its 10th wave of strikes against Iran, targeting what it says are command centers used by Iran's

internal security forces and a militia force that operates under Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.

[10:50:07]

Now, the death toll in Iran, now over 1,000, according to one human rights group. And the U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, is warning this is

just the beginning. He says in the next phase, U.S. and Iranian forces are aiming to take complete control of Iranian skies.

Sources tell CNN that the CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces in order to spark a popular uprising in Iran, adding to fears that this could turn into

a protracted conflict, with separate groups fighting for power.

Well, outside of Iran. Iranian communities are watching the war unfold with deeply mixed emotions. While some have celebrated the fall of the

ayatollah, Ali Khamenei, there remain huge concerns about the future of the country as it stands now and going forward.

The Los Angeles area is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. CNN's Gonzalo Alvarado talked to people there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GONZALO ALVARADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm on the west side of Los Angeles, also known as Westwood's Persian Square, where it is believed that hundreds

of thousands of Iranians, of Iranian descent work and live in this area.

We spoke to a few of them who have shared with us mixed opinions about the war with Iran.

What is your position about the war with Iran at this moment?

ROOZBEH FARAHANIPOUR, IRANIAN AMERICAN: That's a very mixed emotion for me. Of course, I cannot hide. I get excited and happy that the Khamenei get

eliminated. That was a big news and the big achievement for the movement and for international community.

But at the same time, I feel like we need to learn from this story (ph). That's the experience that we had in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya; we

don't want to repeat those experiences.

ALVARADO: What type of Iran would you like to see after this?

FARAHANIPOUR: Iran is one of the few countries in the Persian Gulf region which the Iranian people pro-West (ph). They are allied with our American

values versus the government.

Most of their -- our allies in the region, the government, they are friendly with us but the people know. So if we can trust the people, I'm

sure the people there are the destiny that's going to be best for American and international community as well.

ALVARADO: You used to have family in (INAUDIBLE) in Iran?

FARAHANIPOUR: I have an extended family and I have lots of friends.

ALVARADO: Would you consider going back to Iran with a change of regime?

FARAHANIPOUR: If that was 10 years ago?

Yes, for sure. Now I don't have anything except I want to -- maybe I'm going to go visit as a tourist for a short period of time and come back.

ALVARADO: And how is this war affecting your family since you're not from Iran?

ZAINAB REDA, LEBANESE AMERICAN: I'm Lebanese but I'm Muslim. Us Muslims, we're one people. We don't look at it like that country by country. Its

like other people in Gaza we hurt, the people in Iran we hurt, people in Lebanon; if you're Muslim, we're sad for you. I mean, all humanity but even

more so because we're Muslim.

ALVARADO: People who are against this war, they're saying that this war has the potential to become a regional war that's going to bring a, you

know, massive deaths, catastrophic damages to infrastructure. Now in living in your country, this is also -- you're also experiencing the

negative impacts of this war.

REDA: Of course, yes. There's bombing going on right now. And I have a friend there that's experiencing issues, letting me know that she's going

to ride it out until we're safe. But in that area, you're never really, truly safe.

ALVARADO: President Trump says that it might take around four weeks, this war.

REDA: Yes.

ALVARADO: Is that -- what's your take on that?

REDA: I think there -- Trump never wants to stop a war. I think he wants to have wars until the end of time.

FARAHANIPOUR: In this war, the U.S. won the war after the first bomb dropped on the Khamenei base. When he killed the Khamenei, he should

declare the victory and de-escalate the war and leave the region.

ALVARADO: If there's people against it and in favor of this war, there's something that there -- they share in common, which is they hopeful that

peace and democracy arrives promptly at this region in the Middle East -- Gonzalo Alvarado, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson from our Middle East program headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. Stay with CNN. My

colleagues with "ONE WORLD" up next.

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