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Connect the World
CNN On Location Throughout Gulf Amid Uptick in Regional Strikes; Iran Attacks Two Foreign Oil Tankers in Iraqi Waters; Fuel Depot on Fire in Bahrain Following Iranian Strikes; U.N. Security Council Demands Iran Stop Attacks on Gulf Nations; Why Trump's Gulf Allies are Resisting Pressure to Join the War; Iranian State TV Reads Statement from Iran's New Supreme Leader. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired March 12, 2026 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: And a live look at the skyline of Doha. One of the Gulf locations, enduring Iranian strikes and the
economic pressure imposed by the near total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. One of the cities where CNN is on the ground around this region.
It is 04:00 p.m. in Qatar, it's 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi from our Middle East programming headquarters here in the UAE. I'm Becky Anderson.
This is "Connect the World". Well, the stock market in New York opens about 30 minutes from now.
And futures indicating a weaker opening following lower markets in both Europe and crucially in Asia, energy security, causing real concerns, a
squeeze on supply, pushing oil higher. More on that half hour from now, when those markets open. Well, we begin in this region, where the war is
rapidly escalating by land and sea.
Two foreign oil tankers in Iraqi waters were set on fire by an Iranian attack killing at least one person. Here in the UAE, a container ship off
the coast was hit by an unknown projectile, damaging a container vessel. That follows projectile attacks that hit three vessels in the Strait of
Hormuz on Wednesday.
And you are seeing a fuel depot on fire in Bahrain in the aftermath of an Iranian strike in the north of that country. Concern over energy supply and
security has sent oil prices once again, past $100 on the barrel. In the past few hours, Israel has instructed its military to expand operations in
Lebanon, saying Hezbollah fired a barrage of missiles towards Israel.
This follows the announcement of a large wave of strikes on Beirut's suburbs. Well, these were the scenes in Lebanon, which says at least eight
people were killed and dozens wounded in a strike early on Thursday. We are covering this story across our region. Paula Hancocks with me here in Abu
Dhabi.
Bijan Hosseini is in Doha. Let's start with you, Paula, first. What more can you tell us about the what are these, this continuous wave of attacks
across this region?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Becky, what we are seeing, and we've been seeing it the past few days, is Tehran is really focusing on energy
infrastructure when it comes specifically to this region. As you mentioned, there are two foreign oil tankers that are currently on fire in Iraqi
waters.
We also know there was a Thai flagged cargo ship just yesterday that had been targeted as well. We understand that Thailand has summoned the Iranian
Ambassador in that country. Bahrain is struggling with this as well, as you mentioned, that there is that fire ongoing at the fuel depot.
Saudi Arabia, for example, there were some 42 drones that were intercepted on the way to the Eastern Province. So, where the oil fields are based.
They also had three missiles intercepted on the way to their main military base, where we know the U.S. military is used before.
So, there is a real focus at this point from Tehran on energy infrastructure itself. Of course, they are continuing with other attacks
here in the UAE. We know that there have been waves of interceptions throughout the day in Dubai. We know over the past 24 hours, two buildings
have been clipped by the debris of drones being intercepted from the skies.
So, there is no sense that this is letting up in any sense, in any -- yeah, in any sense. What we do believe is that the focus is shifting from
military assets, potentially from political centers, which they said they would focus on more to the energy infrastructure.
ANDERSON: Let's bring in Bijan, who is in Doha. What's the picture where you are, Bijan?
BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Yeah. Becky, well, here on the ground, still some shock, some frustration, and continue calls for de-escalation.
We know that the U.N. Security Council just drafted a resolution asking Iran to stop attacking its neighbors.
That will be a welcoming sign from Qatar. They've sent seven identical letters to the U.N. saying that the last 13 days have been an attack on
their sovereignty. We know that Qatar is in a very unique position, as well as Oman. These are two countries that have mediated on behalf of the U.S.
and Iran in the past.
They're two of the very few countries that are still in open dialog with both sides. So, it's not surprising when we hear from Qatar's Prime
Minister saying that the attacks from Iran have been a sense of betrayal on the country. We know that when attacks began on February 28th here, the
Qatari Prime Minister called them significant, but also called them pre- planned.
It was just a couple of hours after the Israel and U.S. attack on Iran that Iran retaliated against the Gulf countries here. It's also why we know that
these Gulf countries were lobbying against the U.S. to not attack Iran. They had a feeling that it would play out like this, and we're seeing it
play out.
But despite all of that, despite the constant attacks from Iran, the country here, the prime minister still calling for de-escalation. He said
that Iran are their neighbors, and that no matter what happens, the two are intertwined in destiny, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, Bijan, thank you. Bijan is in Doha.
[09:05:00]
The Qataris, of course, involved in the U.N. resolution which passed last night. This was tabled by Bahrain on behalf of the GCC countries, plus
Jordan last night. GCC countries, of course, including Qatar there. This is a Security Council adopted, a resolution adopted by the Security Council
demanding that Iran stop attacks on Gulf nations. See UAE representative had this to say at the U.N. yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMED ABUSHAHAB, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UAE TO THE U.N.: The UAE does not seek escalation, but have no doubt that we will take all necessary
measures to safeguard our sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity and ensure the safety of our citizens and residents in accordance
with international law and the U.N. Charter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The UAE making it very clear where they stand on this.
HANCOCKS: Absolutely. I mean this, this U.N. Security Council Resolution, was important, because what it did, even though it doesn't change anything
on the ground immediately, it gives a clear consensus, an international consensus, that Iran should not be carrying out this retaliation.
Now it didn't touch on what the U.S. and Israel are doing in Iran, but what we saw was Russia and China, the two main allies of Iran, abstaining. They
could have vetoed. They have that power, but they didn't block this resolution. They just abstain. So, it did go through.
But the fact that you had 135 co-sponsors that signed up to this just shows that that there is this consensus. And there's also it's the fact that it
gives this sort of legal blanket, this legal cover --
ANDERSON: Within the bounds of international law.
HANCOCKS: Exactly article 51 of the U.N. Charter. You do have the right to self-defense, and this is what this has given these Gulf nations. They said
they reserve the right to retaliate. They haven't said they will. Of course, they're not going to say that publicly, but now they do have the
legal backing of this resolution. Should they decide that, that something more has to be done.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, both of you. Bijan is in Doha. Paula with me here in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Well, the U.S. Energy Secretary has
repeated the administration's assertion that the disruption to energy prices is short term for a long-term gain. Chris Wright spoke to my
colleague Kate Bolduan.
And explain why the U.S. was not yet able to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS WRIGHT, U.S. SECRETARY OF ENERGY: All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran's ability to wage war and terrorize the
neighborhood. When we can afford some additional assets to move tankers through the Straits of Hormuz, we will do that. That's coming.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: More ships were struck in the strait overnight. Tankers on fire in the port of Oman. Add it all up. Are we in the midst of
a severe global oil crisis, secretary?
WRIGHT: We're in the midst of a significant disruption in the short term to fix the security of energy flow for the long term.
BOLDUAN: Iran just said that the world should be ready for oil at $200 a barrel. You don't agree with Iran on anything, but do you agree that people
need to be prepared for that?
WRIGHT: We're going through short term energy disruption for just huge long-term gain. You're seeing Iran's behavior. They're attacking every
country in the region.
BOLDUAN: Could that in short-term mean $200 a barrel?
WRIGHT: I would say unlikely, but we are focused on the military operation and solving a problem. I'm not going to guess on short term trading that's
based on psychology more than flows of oil. The world is very well supplied with oil right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, it was Chris Wright the U.S. Energy Secretary, the International Energy Agency is pulling no punches at this point. It is
projecting that global oil supply will plunge by 8 million barrels a day this month. CNN's Eleni Giokos, sit here with me in the studio to break
down the implications of that. I mean, some pretty star words from the IEA today.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, and I think it basically contradicts a lot of what we heard from the energy secretary. And we know
he was asked about whether oil is going to hit $200 a barrel. He couldn't definitively say no, and I think that's very telling, about where we are.
And also, quite interestingly, when he was asked about naval escorts, he says, we're not ready for that yet. It will happen at the end of the month.
But hang on, we thought this was hopefully going to end by the end of the month, which obviously isn't the timeline that's realistic.
The IEA says this is the largest disruption of supply ever in the oil markets, and I think we really need to take that seriously.
[09:10:00]
We're talking about 8-million-barrel deficit, despite the fact that they've released a record number of oil from emergency reserves, 400 million
barrels. But again, that was supposed to just sort of inject a little bit of confidence in the market. It's not doing that. Oil prices right now are
high.
And you've got the futures in the U.S. also under pressure, and it's really indicative of the seriousness of this energy shock that's hitting home.
ANDERSON: Let's just remind our viewers what this energy shock looks like around this region.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ANDERSON: Why it is that we have this sort of near halt to oil getting out from this region? And of course, this region is the hub for so much of the
oil that moves around the world.
GIOKOS: And it's not just the oil. So, we've spoken about the Strait of Hormuz. It's 20 percent of oil supply and gas, and 20 percent of gas supply
as well. But it's also downstream products. And I think people haven't been focusing on -- for example, urea, which is a very important input in
fertilizer.
Qatar is one of the biggest producers of urea. We've seen fertilizer prices also increasing, that's going to have a knock-on effect on the agriculture
sector. The things like polymers that you know, produce plastics, for example.
ANDERSON: Helium.
GIOKOS: Helium, which of course, is important for the technology sector, sulfur prices are going up across the board. When I look at what's going on
with not only the futures market, but spot prices, it is unbelievable to see this. And we have to take it seriously, because you've got a supply
disruption that's happening.
And even if this war ends today, the experts that I spoke to said that this isn't going to unwind very quickly. And let's talk about the knock-on
effects from, you know, Pakistan to Bangladesh, people in Nigeria, gas prices in the United States, it's already having an impact at the pump.
ANDERSON: It's really interesting to look at the price of crude.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ANDERSON: And we've been reporting that over the past, what 24 hours, or 12 hours or so, that price did go north of 100. Came back off a little bit.
But it does seem like every time, you know, those who might be able to make a difference and inject some confidence into these markets act, the price
just keeps going higher.
GIOKOS: It does.
ANDERSON: It's certainly not dragging the price lower at this point.
GIOKOS: You've said this to me a few times, you know, over the past week that President Trump and his administration often come in and, you know,
pump break and narrative to try and make things better, then you see a movement in the oil price. But when you look at the fundamentals, and
that's really what we have to focus on, the numbers are showing a very different story.
Also take into consideration six tankers and cargo ships over the last two days have been hit by Iran, and that's really indicative of the seriousness
of Iran's threats. They also said that, and they warned the world. They promised they're going to keep on choking the Strait of Hormuz, but they
also warned that oil prices are going to hit $200 a barrel, and that is what leverage they have.
They have leverage to inflict pain on infrastructure here, which they are doing. Oman and Bahrain depots are on fire. We've seen those images today,
and they're disrupting trade as well.
ANDERSON: And we're looking at some of those images as we speak at present.
GIOKOS: Yes.
ANDERSON: And so, when Chris Wright was asked by our colleague, Kate, you know whether you can see prices going to 200 bucks on the barrel, and he
couldn't answer that. He was right not to answer it. I mean, he doesn't like the idea, you can't answer that question, because nobody can at this
point.
200 bucks on the barrel would be significantly catastrophic for these markets around the world. 150 we've already heard from the CEO of Aramco
would be catastrophic.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ANDERSON: Or who, certainly his line was, catastrophic consequences. Should we see that same story from the CEO of Qatar energy? So, we await to see
what happens next. Eleni, thank you. And you continue to monitor these markets first, which is really important.
We will get to the U.S. markets on the open in about 15 minutes from now, and as we speak, those markets are off. Look, they're not off
significantly. They're down by about three quarters of 1 percent at the moment. Again, you know, oft times you look at these markets, just as Eleni
was saying, you look at the oil markets, and you wonder why it is that they are, to a degree holding up when the fundamentals are telling a very
different story.
Anyway, we'll get back there in about 15 minutes time for that open. We are working our sources here in this region to better understand the strategy
that Gulf states are adopting. My colleagues Abbas Al Lawati and Mostafa Salem have just published this piece.
Why Trump's Gulf allies are resisting pressure to join the Iran war. And in it, they explore the calculus of countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE as
they weigh up the fact that the U.S. can pull its fighter jets and aircraft carriers out of this region, while they will always these countries, of
course, be neighbors of Iran.
And they write, even as the conflict rattles global markets and Gulf economies, regional governments remain reluctant to enter a war that they
do not control, wary of being drawn into confrontation whose consequences they may have to manage long after outside powers move on.
[09:15:00]
And you can find the excellent peaks on CNN's Digital platforms. And a reminder that I will share this link and almost insightful analysis from
this show and the other hours of programming that I'm anchoring on my social Instagram and X @beckycnn.
We are learning more about an airstrike on an Iranian school that state media said killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers. Sources briefed on
initial findings of an investigation said the U.S. military likely hit the school accidentally due to outdated intelligence.
Our sources say the strike in Minab likely occurred while the U.S. military was conducting strikes on neighboring Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
facility. Now U.S. Central Command and the Defense Intelligence Agency declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
My colleague, CNN's Jennifer Hansler joining me now. This is now what a week and a half under after that incident. It happened on, if not the first
day over the first weekend. We are now in day 13. What more are you learning about this investigation, Jenni?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well Becky, according to two sources who have been briefed on the preliminary findings of that
ongoing investigation. They are told that CENTCOM used this outdated intel from the Defense Intelligence Agency to compile its strike list for
targeting that IRGC base.
Now, imagery back in 2013 showed that the school and the base were once part of one compound. However, three years later, in 2016 images showed
that there was a fence constructed between the school and the IRGC base. And then fast forward to December 2025 there were images of people playing
walking around what may be a school yard of that school.
So, the fact that they used this outdated intelligence for this strike really led to this absolutely damning and catastrophic mistake, as they are
calling it, that led to the deaths, according to Iranian state media, of upwards of 175 civilians. Now there has been no U.S. claim of culpability
at this point in time, despite images from the scene appearing to show a Tomahawk missile that is a U.S. missile that hit that school.
President Trump has been asked repeatedly over the course of several days if it was the U.S. that did this strike, and he has obfuscated. He has
sought to seek and push blame on Iran. Take a listen to some of what he said over the past couple days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: No, in my opinion, and based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran. We think it was done by
Iran. Because they're very inaccurate, you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.
I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by, you know, is sold and used by other countries. Numerous
other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right. I'm just going to -- I'm going to interrupt our programming here because we have got the first statement now from the new
supreme leader in Iran. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOJTABA KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN: And reopen it if the war is stopped. Also, he addressed those people who lost members of the family and
they had expressed his condolences and empathy to those families who bear damages to their private properties.
And also said that we will take revenge of the blood of your martyrs and atrocities happened to your children. In other parts of this message,
Khamenei said that addressed neighboring countries, that the relations of the Islamic Republic with the 15 countries of the neighboring countries
will be warm and close.
And also, in relation to the establishing the military and economical centers in those countries, he mentioned that these bases should end in
their countries, as we had given clear warning, we also believe that we emphasize -- friendship between us and the neighboring countries, but we
have to continue removing these bases from the neighboring countries.
[09:20:00]
The message of the Islamic Republic leader is as follow. The message of the Islamic Republic leader is as follows. Reciting verses in Arabic. In the
beginning I would like to condolence our holy imam for the martyrdom of our great leader, Khamenei. And also ask support for the people of Iran and
this war.
The second part of my speech is that with the great nation of Iran, first, they should -- I should describe my position and also the position of the
Assembly of Experts. I said, Mojtaba Khamenei through the Islamic -- I learned. For me sitting in a position which was the place of the Khamenei
and also great Khamenei is a very difficult thing to do.
After 60 years of fighting for God, they appear, not only the present times, but in the history of the rulers of this country, they appear, which
was the result of relying on God. What I noticed was a mountain of power, and they had made a fist of their sound hand. Those people who are aware of
their personality, there is a lot to say about their personality.
I will talk about this matter further later, but sitting in the leadership chair is very difficult and can only is possible and is only possible with
the support of God and you, dear noble people. I want to emphasize on one point, and that point is that the great leader involved the people in all
aspects, in all sides of the society, which he did and relied on people.
He also believed this from the bottom of his heart. In the past few days that the country was without a leader and without a general commander was
difficult. At the end, we noticed that Iran stood strongly and surprised the enemy. It was you people who led the country and kept the guaranteed
the power of the country.
The ayah, the verse which has been written on the top of this speech is that it's not -- It's one of the verses that says that no power stays in
power unless it's approved by God.
[09:25:00]
The reason I use this holy verse is that doesn't mean that I am at the level of the martyr leader, let alone I would be considered higher than
him. The reason I mentioned this verse is that to portray or reflect your great nation of Iran, your great presence, you should know that if your
power doesn't appear in a battlefield, which is actually you're serving the country.
It won't be useful. In order to put this into practice, first of all, we rely and believe in God and rely on our martyred leader, which is a remedy,
a great remedy, which guarantees the resolution of money problems which -- secondly, there should be unity among different levels and different
communities of the society.
This means that we should refrain from things that we don't agree on, the resilience you showed on the days of war, which has been effective in the
cultural, political and security areas, is very important that it should be implemented. One of the leadership duties and other authorities is that
this should be conveyed to the public on the ceremonies of the Quds Day of 1404.
I want to reiterate that this relationship should be kept strongly. And thanks God, this is the usual habit of Iranians that on these special days,
which is very difficult for some people in the country, it should be amplified strongly. You should -- if we observe and respect these values,
your path will be clear, and we will prevail over the enemy in this war.
The third part of my speech is that I would like to thank our fighters and our warriors that in the country's current situation, that our country is
which has been subject to aggression of the enemy, they have created obstacles for the enemy, and they have prevented the enemy to stop.
They have stopped the enemy to cause any problem for the country and break our country into parts which has made the enemy to regret. And also, we
should use the closure of the Hormuz's Strait in our fight against the enemy. And one of the most of the things that -- one of the things which is
very vulnerable, also I thank the resistance front.
[09:30:00]
I consider them as my best friends and the fact of the resistance, which is inseparable value of our Islamic revolution. Each part of this front, they
stop the Zionist activities, as we noticed, as we saw, they don't leave the Gaza people alone, and they have come after the Islamic Republic and Iraqi
resistance is following the same path.
And I also want to say about those people who bear damages in these days of war, those who had casualties and facilities and they were injured, and
those whose houses and workplace were damaged and destroyed. I want to express my sympathy with the family members of the martyrs.
This is based on my -- this is also that my father who lost his partner, who his wife, and also his sister who served his family a lifetime, and
also who lost his young child, and also my wife who was martyred. But what makes it easy for me to bear this pain is that I will support those who are
patient.
Patience is a healer. Secondly, this, I gave this assurance to people that we will not forget. We will revenge on the blood of your martyrs. This
revenge is not only for our martyred leader. It's actually for those who are martyred by the enemy. This revenge -- we will take a full revenge
until then.
And also, we were more sensitive for the revenge of our children, as the enemy attack the Shajareh Tayyebeh Minab school. The victims of this
incident, they should receive the necessary help, as far as the current situation allows, compensation should be paid to the victims for their
losses as a result of this attack.
Two final points, is for those authorities who would implement these borders and carry out these services. We will ask for compensation from the
enemy. If we can't get compensation from the enemy, we will destroy their properties, as much as they have destroyed ours.
We have -- we are neighbor to 15 neighboring countries. We have had good relationship with all these 15 neighboring countries but the enemy, since,
for many years, they established military and economical bases in these countries in their own interests, and some of these military bases were
targeted, as we had warned already, without aggression on these countries we only target at these military bases.
[09:35:00]
From now on, we will continue. We will have to continue and do so. Although we need to keep the relationship, friendly relationship between us and the
neighboring countries, we have to continue doing so. They have to make it clear. I'm asking that they should clear those military bases as soon as
possible, because by now, they have realized that creating a peace in the region is only a lie by America.
Those forces, those countries, that -- I want to repeat that the Islamic Republic government, without causing any problem in the region, will try to
create a warm and friendly relationship with neighboring countries. In the second part of my speech, I want to say a few words about our martyred
leader.
With leaving they left a big scar in the heart of their supporters. On the 10th day of Ramadan, he was reciting Quran, and our leader was an innocent
person and bear difficulties. Many people did not appreciate your presence. I hope, if you have a great position and place in Heavens.
We promise. We make a promise to keep this flag standing, which is the true flag of the resistance to keep this standing. Those who have -- those
people who have taken part with their presences in this quest and also, we so we thank. I hope all the Muslims and all the whole nation would be
blessed at the present time.
And at the end, I would like to ask -- in this holy times and sacred times to help us become victorious in this war over the enemy. Seyed Mojtaba
Hosseini -- of this fund.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, this is the first that we have heard from the New Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, a statement read on state media, we did not see
Mojtaba Khamenei.
[09:40:00]
He said though, in part, we believe in friendship with our neighbors and only target military bases, those attacks will continue until those bases
are removed or closed, and we should continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as a tool to pressure the enemy. And he talked about -- we spoke about the
supreme leader, his father, his death, he said, leaves a scar on his supporters.
Worth remembering, we are yet to see the new Supreme Leader. A source familiar with the situation told CNN he has sustained a fractured foot and
other minor injuries on the first day of the U.S. and Iran bombardment campaign. Look, that speech went on for some time.
Jasmine el-Gamal, Founder and CEO of the Averos Strategies and Former Middle East Advisor at the U.S. Department of Defense, has been listening
in from London. So, what did you make? Firstly, what are your key takeaways from the first time, of course, that we've heard from this New Supreme
Leader, Khamenei Jr., as some may be calling him, the son of the Former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
JASMINE EL-GAMAL, FOUNDER AND CEO OF AVEROS STRATEGIES: Thank you, Becky. You know, just a couple of days ago, you and I were talking about whether
the appointment of Khamenei, the younger son, was an act of defiance, potentially, by the Iranians.
And I think what we just saw today in that speech was certainly defiance, a show of strength, a show of unity. He mentioned, Strait of the Iranian
people acknowledged their losses, mentioned his own losses, his own family's losses, and his wife and other family members, so trying to
connect with the Iranian people who've lost loved ones, and saying, but patience is a healer.
And then he went on to talk to an external audience, talking about the Gulf states, how Iran wants relations with the Gulf neighbors. They've always
had good relations, but warning them that the presence of these American military bases on their territories is going to continue to be a problem
with them.
He mentioned something that has been sort of a sore point for the Gulf recently, which is saying the Americans, their presence is not safety for
you. They don't care about you. So why do you want to have these bases? Implying that question, why do you want to continue having those bases on
your territory?
So really giving us a sense that they are going to continue this fight? He said, we promise to keep this flag standing, which is the true flag of the
resistance, and thanking the resistance, the proxies around the region, for what they've been doing as well. So those are just some of the key points I
think that are worth mentioning.
ANDERSON: Yeah -- very good. And let's just remind our viewers, this was not a video message, even this was a statement by read out on state media.
He spoke to the deaths of his father, his mother, his wife and others. And he spoke and said, I coped through this with as he described it, patience.
Patience is a healer, he said. And he said, we will and I paraphrase here revenge, the blood of all martyrs, especially our children. He spoke very
specifically to the attack on the school at the beginning of this war that killed 175 people, and many of those were children. That was a direct
message along with other messages.
But I sense that was a direct message to the U.S. President, an investigation, of course, ongoing, into that incident and whether indeed it
was a U.S. Tomahawk which took that school out, Jasmine.
EL-GAMAL: That's right. He mentioned the school bombing. He said they will receive the necessary help. They should be compensated for their losses,
and if they are not compensated for their losses, meaning the families of the victims, then we will target facilities that belong to the enemy as
well.
He said we will continue to target those military bases. He wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. He basically, Becky, I think this is a
reaffirmation of the fact that, far from responding to Donald Trump's call for unconditional surrender, that this is a reaffirmation and an insistence
on the fact that they are going to continue fighting.
They are going to continue resisting. They will not give those Gulf States any reprieve as long as they have those U.S. military bases on their soil.
[09:45:00]
He mentioned Quds Day, which is the upcoming, I believe, on Sunday, of course, which is a sort of celebration that was enacted after the first
Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 after he came to power, reaffirming the Iranian support for the resistance for Palestine, for Jerusalem, which was Al-Quds.
So, he mentioned that again, and sort of framed his speech within that of resistance, I suppose.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
EL-GAMAL: So, you know, interesting to see how the American President will respond now, because this was certainly an escalation, not just verbally
and not just a direct message to the to the U.S. President, but a threat of continued action as well.
ANDERSON: Yeah. Echoes to a degree, of what we've heard in the past 24 hours of the Iranian demands as set out by the president. But as you say,
very specifically, speaking to this region, close those bases down, or they will continue to be attacked, and the Strait of Hormuz Iran will continue
to use as a tool, as he described it, against the enemy.
Let's bring in our Chief International Security Correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh. Nick, you were also listening in, what did you take away from that
first speech by the New Supreme Leader?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: To put the content aside for one moment. I think the obvious thing that bears
worth repeating is that Iran clearly failed to meet the moment here the regime in terms of providing the proof of life and health the Mojtaba
Khamenei is well and in charge.
There's no evidence here that he is incapable of governing, but this was a moment where people needed to see him in good health on camera talking. We
didn't hear his voice and we didn't see his face as part of this at all. Instead, we have what state media appears to say is a hand written message.
But ultimately, that may be explained by the security concerns around his presence, but still, overriding all of that, ultimately, is to say to the
adversary, to the United States, that Mojtaba Khamenei, the one man who Trump said he didn't want to be in charge, is in fact, alive and in charge.
The content of the speech seems, I think, to focus around two elements, both of which suggest a strategy, and both of which suggest perhaps a
leadership slightly divorced from the reality of what they're really facing here. Firstly, the notion that the Strait of Hormuz can be used as
leverage.
Ultimately, it seems, if you read through the lines here, to get Gulf nations who have been under attack from Iran to tell the Americans to get
out of their bases. That's a pretty far-fetched idea. I can't imagine any Gulf nation thinking now is the time to kick the Americans out when they
have found themselves on the receiving end of often indiscriminate Iranian drain attacks that persist until this morning.
So, I think that's possibly a miscalculation, even if it does resemble something like a strategy. On the other hand, too, the idea that Iran is
owed reparations, what has just happened, far-fetched, frankly, at this point. And an interesting idea, maybe they're looking towards frozen cash
somewhere, held under sanctions to be released back, unclear.
But I think it's been most important to read through the text there and see a lot of what you would expect, boilerplate language. He talked about the
loss of his father, seeing his father's body.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
WALSH: But nothing within there that seemed to me to be a startling departure in Iran regime's known policy, and a massive failure to meet the
moment in terms of showing the world that this long awaited new supreme leader was up to the job.
ANDERSON: Yeah. A statement read on state media, effectively. We didn't see the man himself. To both of you, thank you very much indeed for joining us.
We are going to take a very short break, and we will be right back.
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[09:50:00]
ANDERSON: Well, we've been in breaking coverage all hour with the very latest what the supreme leader in Iran has just said in his sort of first
statement. Let's call it that. CNN's Oren Liebermann joining us now live from Tel Aviv. Oren, what did you make of what we heard out of Tehran?
We certainly didn't see the new supreme leader. Didn't even hear his voice at this stage, but we heard a statement read out on state TV.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, I think from Israel's perspective, Mojtaba Khamenei remains a target. That was true in the strike
that likely injured him, according to his legs, some of the reports we've seen, and he will continue to be a target.
Israel's political leadership has made that clear, this is for them a continuation of the Ayatollah that they absolutely opposed, and that's part
of the reason behind this war was to topple the Ayatollah's regime. So, he remains a target. We have seen and the Gulf has certainly learned the
asymmetrical warfare that Iran is able to carry out.
Israel isn't nearly as concerned about that, because the incoming ballistic missiles, even those the cluster warheads, are largely intercepted. Yes,
certainly some of them have gotten through. But from Israel's perspective, this war is still on. It is still hot, and whether Mojtaba Khamenei is seen
or heard or not seen or heard, he remains very much a target for Israel.
ANDERSON: Oren, I just want to read out a tweet by Ali Larijani, who is the Chief of National Security. Trump, has said, quote, we can take apart
Iran's electric capacity within one hour, but we have not done it. And he said, and I quote here, let's bring this up on the screen.
What if they do that, the whole region will go dark in less than half an hour, and darkness provides ample opportunity to hunt down U.S. servicemen
running for safety. I just wanted to alert our viewers to that in this sort of back and forth between the U.S. President and oft times, Ali Larijani
holding nothing back in his response, very specifically to posts that the U.S. President makes.
And as we consider that and consider what we have just heard, at least dictated by a presenter on state media from the new supreme leader in Iran.
Oren, I do want to understand what we know about this call for expanding operations in Lebanon.
LIEBERMANN: This appears to be very much the growing specter of a large- scale Israeli ground operation, perhaps a ground invasion into Lebanon. The question not if, but when, and that's becoming increasingly apparent from
the statements we're seeing from Israel's leadership.
After there was a large barrage from Hezbollah, the Iran backed proxy in Lebanon, fired into northern and central Israel last night. Israel's
Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said today that it had been on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah according to the ceasefire agreement of 2024
but Israel has never had any faith that they had the ability to do that.
So, Katz said, we will take the territory and do it ourselves. We have already seen Israeli ground forces push farther into Lebanon, still just a
couple of kilometers within the border, but they have seized more territory, conducted ground raids and commando raids, but they have called
up more than 100,000 reservists and just deployed an additional brigade to the north.
So, this very much seems to raise the possibility, what looks like an increasing possibility, of a major Israeli ground up into Lebanon to try to
deal with Hezbollah, as Hezbollah has shown that it can keep firing and it can very much keep fighting.
ANDERSON: And just briefly, I've got about 60 seconds, just tell us about the attacks in Israel that prompted these air strikes in Lebanon. The most
recent air strikes in Lebanon.
LIEBERMANN: This is by far the largest barrage we have seen, certainly since the start of the war 13 days ago, but it's the largest barrage we've
seen from Hezbollah in well over a year. According to the Israeli military, more than 200 rockets and drones. One had a direct hit or hit right near a
building in Central Israel, not Northern Israel.
[09:55:00]
So, Hezbollah retains power. They can keep fighting back, and just as Israel has been preparing for a major op, it seems so has Hezbollah, which
is why that conflict is intensifying, even if most of the world is looking at Iran in the Gulf.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, sir. Thank you. And that will close out this hour, but we continue, of course, next hour. And before I leave you for a
very short break, let's see how U.S. stocks are getting on just about 30 minutes after the open on Wall Street and all three indices lower.
Let's have a look at the oil prices, if we can. This is the U.S. benchmark, WTI, up first for you, and then the global benchmark on Brent, both those
oil markets trading higher today. No real surprise. We are seeing these markets lower. We will do more on what is going on these energy markets,
and just how concerned investors are and are increasingly becoming, after this.
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