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Head of Iran's Basij Paramilitary Force Killed; Iranians Told Not to Celebrate Annual Festival Because of War; Trump Asks NATO to Help Reopen Strait of Hormuz; How Ukrainian Expertise Can Help Combat Iran's Drones; Cuba's Power System Suffers Nationwide Collapse; Tanker Hit Near Key Oil Port of Fujairah on Gulf of Oman; Delta CEO Says Jet Fuel Costs Have Doubled; Iran War Reducing Area Travel and Tourism Daily by $600 Million Plus. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 17, 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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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm

Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening. And here is what we know on the 18th day of the U.S.-Israeli war

with Iran.

Israel says it has killed Iran's top security official in a targeted strike. Ali Larijani was seen as one of Iran's top decision makers. Iran

has launched new strikes across the Middle East, including in Iraq, where drones targeted the U.S. embassy.

It is also intensifying attacks on regional energy facilities and keeping a strict chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's parliamentary speaker warns the waterway, quote, "cannot be the same as before."

U.S. President Donald Trump, again promising that the war will end soon. But White House officials say the president has rejected Iranian attempts

to open dialogue. Iran denies making that offer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Let me reiterate that Iran has not signaled or requested a ceasefire. This

conflict must end on the condition that it will never be repeated.

When we say we do not want a ceasefire, it is not because we seek to continue the war. It is because this time the war must end in a way that

the enemies never think of repeating the attacks.

I believe they have learned a profound lesson and realized what kind of country they are facing, a country that will not hesitate to defend its own

security and is prepared to continue the war at any cost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the very latest from Tel Aviv. He joins us this hour.

Let's start with Israel's announcement today that Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, has been killed.

Just how significant is this news and what do we know about how it happened?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's no question that it is extremely significant.

The question is, what kind of effect is it going to have on the Iranian regime going forward?

What we do know is that Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, confirmed this morning that Ali Larijani, the senior figure in the Iranian regime,

had been assassinated in an overnight strike conducted by the Israeli military.

Israel, in announcing his death, called him the de facto leader of Iran and said that he had been calling the shots inside of Iran since the supreme

leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in that opening strike that Israel conducted in Iran just over two weeks ago.

An Israeli military official characterizing this as a significant blow to the regime's capabilities and its ability to conduct the war. Here's the

Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISRAEL KATZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): I was just updated by the chief of staff that the secretary of the national security

council Larijani and the head of the Basij, the central repression body of Iran, Soleimani, were eliminated last night.

And joined the head of annihilation program Khamenei and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil in the depths of hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And the -- that was the Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz.

But the question now is, what will the strikes that Israel conducted to kill Ali Larijani actually have the intended effect?

On the one hand, Larijani was very close to the former supreme leader. He was charged by him with suppressing those protests that we saw at the

beginning of this year with lethal force.

He was also in charge of the negotiations with Washington, overseeing those negotiations in many ways, and relations with foreign countries. But he was

also viewed as a relative pragmatist within the Iranian system.

[10:05:04]

A counterweight, in some ways, to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. And now we are seeing that many of those counterweights are gone, including

Larijani.

And several Iran experts have indicated that they believe the killing of Larijani is likely to embolden Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, to give

them more power, especially following the appointment of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is viewed also as a hardliner, perhaps even

more hardline than his father, Becky.

ANDERSON: Israel pressing on with what it calls a widescale wave of attacks in both Tehran, Jeremy, and, indeed, in Beirut.

What's the latest there?

DIAMOND: Yes, that's right. We have watched as the Israeli military has conducted wave after wave of strikes in both the Iranian capital as well as

in the Lebanese capital overnight.

In addition to the strikes that killed Larijani, there was also a strike that killed the commander of Iran's Basij force. That's that paramilitary

arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps that handles internal security.

And so that was also a significant strike. We're also learning just now that the Israeli military has detected expanded preparations by Hezbollah

to launch barrages of rockets toward Israel.

This is notable. It is a warning effectively from the Israeli military that there could be a significant uptick in Hezbollah's firing of rockets on the

state of Israel. We had reported a similar uptick late last week.

And that -- and in that barrage, we saw that Hezbollah fired nearly 200 rockets in a single evening. So we'll see what that brings. The Israeli

military says that it is operating in order to thwart Hezbollah's activities.

But again, a warning that effectively tonight could be a very big night in terms of the kind of fire that we may see from Lebanon aimed at Israel from

Hezbollah, Becky.

ANDERSON: 4:06 there in Tel Aviv, 6:06 here from our Middle East programming headquarters in Abu Dhabi. It is just after 5:30 in the

afternoon in Tehran.

And I want to get you more now on Ali Larijani. The 67-year old had a long association with the Revolutionary Guard Corps. He was known for helping

suppress the protests in Iran in January. Tehran has not yet commented on these Israeli claims of his killing. More now from Nada Bashir.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was just last week that Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, was seen in public at a rally

in Tehran, defying threats against him by Israel and the United States.

Ali Larijani spent decades at the center of power in Iran, a conservative strategist who helped shape the Islamic Republic from within. On Tuesday,

Israel's defense minister claimed Larijani was killed in an Israeli airstrike. His death would remove a veteran operator from the inner circle

of power.

And it comes as Israel intensifies its strikes on Iran, targeting not just military infrastructure but senior figures tied to Iran's leadership. His

death could further harden Iran's response and push both sides deeper into a widening regional conflict.

And it would remove a skilled negotiator who could potentially help end the war. Who replaces him as the top security official could also signal a

hardening of the regime.

Born into one of Iran's most influential political families, dubbed the Iranian Kennedys by "Time" magazine, Larijani was also a mathematician and

philosopher, who wrote books on the enlightenment thinker, Immanuel Kant.

He rose quickly after the 1979 revolution, becoming a trusted figure in the system. He served as speaker of parliament for 12 years, overseeing key

legislation during some of the country's most turbulent periods.

Before that, he held a series of high-profile roles: head of state broadcasting, Iran's top nuclear negotiator and later a senior advisor to

supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In that advisory role, Larijani helped shaped Iran's approach to nuclear diplomacy, including during high-stakes standoffs with the United States.

Often described as a pragmatic conservative, he was seen as a bridge between factions, navigating the space between hardliners and more moderate

voices while remaining firmly loyal to the system.

But his record was also marked by controversy. The United States sanctioned Larijani earlier this year, accusing him of playing a role in the violent

suppression of nationwide protests and of calling for force against demonstrators.

[10:10:00]

Despite shifting political winds, Larijani remained a key figure in Iran's strategic decision making, particularly on national security and foreign

policy. Israel's targeting of Larijani raises new questions about whether this conflict is entering a more dangerous phase -- Nada Bashir, CNN, in

London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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ANDERSON: I'll get you a little bit more on this momentarily but we are getting some breaking news in to CNN.

A senior U.S. intel official has submitted his resignation over the war with Iran. Let me get you straight to Zach Cohen, who is in Washington --

Zach.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. Joe Kent, who is Donald Trump's director of the National Counterterrorism Center,

posting on X today that he has resigned from his post over misgivings related to the Trump administration's reasoning behind starting the

conflict with Iran.

Joe Kent posting his resignation letter to X that says in part, quote, "After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as

director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.

"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation and it is clear that we started this war due

to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."

This is significant on several fronts, Becky. Obviously Joe Kent is a very senior U.S. intelligence official but also a political appointee. That

means that he was chosen specifically for this role by president Donald Trump. And he did have to go through the confirmation process as well.

And separately, this is really the first major resignation that we've seen, citing specifically the Trump administration's war with Iran and that --

and specifically citing this lack of an imminent threat.

And you may remember, Becky, that we've talked a lot about how there's been this debate over whether or not the Trump administration's initial

justification for starting the conflict, which was that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, that has continued to really rage

here in the U.S.

But also internationally as well as the conflict continues. Obviously, Joe Kent here, a senior intelligence official, saying that he believed that

there was no imminent threat to the United States, calling into question the entire decision making process behind this conflict.

ANDERSON: Zach, it's good to have you. Thank you for the context and indeed the significance. More on that story as we get it.

Well, I want to get you back to the news about Israel's claim that Ali Larijani has been killed in an overnight strike in Tehran.

Who was he?

And why is he significant?

Well, for more perspective on all of this, we're joined by Sina Azodi. He directs the Middle East studies program at George Washington University and

wrote the forthcoming book, "Iran and the Bomb: The United States, Iran and the Nuclear Question."

It's good to have you, sir. Today let me first get your reaction to these claims that Ali Larijani has been killed, assassinated, clearly a target

for the Israelis.

Your initial thoughts?

SINA AZODI, DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES PROGRAM, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: It's good to be with you, Becky.

Look, from a practical standpoint, of course, it's a -- it's an achievement for the Israelis. But I'm afraid that it will ultimately lead to a more

hardening of the regime and not the collapse of the regime.

At this point, I'm not even sure if the regime change or regime collapse is the intention of the Israelis. If the news are accurate, which I think they

are, because, as it was in your reporting, Larijani was, yes, it was -- he was a conservative figure.

But he was a conservative figure who had the respect of more moderate and reformist forces, bridged the gaps; at some point, he opposed nuclear

diplomacy and he was one of the most hardliner figures on Iran's nuclear approach in early 2000s.

But ultimately ended up supporting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the U.S. So I think that his role will undermine a political process

to end the war in the region.

ANDERSON: And that was my next question because, if he was a counterweight to the more hardline elements, we know, for example that, before this war,

I mean, he had been here in Abu Dhabi. That was public knowledge. And he had been in other parts of the region.

I just wonder how you assess then the impact of his passing on the direction of this war.

AZODI: Well, again he had close ties with everybody; with the IRGC, with more moderate figures. And he used that influence to -- for not just

military operations but to be -- but to signal Iran's intentions to the outside world. And I think that, again, it's not -- it's not going to

affect Iran's military operations on a tactical level.

[10:15:07]

But his removal would mean that his successor would ultimately -- would most -- more likely to be a hardliner figure. I'm thinking of someone like

Saeed Jalili, who was one of the worst Iranian nuclear negotiators.

And ultimately it will create more difficulty for creating offramps to end the war. Now whether this was Israel's intention, to derail offramps, that

I don't know. But perhaps unintentionally it diminishes the likelihood of ending the war sooner than later.

ANDERSON: I wonder whether the target of Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of Iran's Basij paramilitary force, was a more obvious target for the

Israelis.

Can you just explain why you believe he was targeted?

AZODI: Well, I think the Israeli intentions at this point is to create any -- the senior IRGC and Basij leadership. And ultimately these people are in

charge of domestic security.

If there is a potential, I don't know, ethnic uprising, this will hamper Iran's operations. But I don't think that on a -- on a more general level,

it will affect the regime because they have plenty of people on the bench. They can be quickly replaced as many of these people have been replaced.

But I think removal of Larijani is more significant.

ANDERSON: Both the Americans and Israelis have called, at the beginning of this campaign, on Iranians to rise up against this government. The regime

has now indicated that it will be cracking down during Iranian new year and during the holiday before it.

Opposition leaders like Reza Pahlavi have called for resistance.

Do you believe that there is heightened concern about protests?

I mean, how likely do you believe it is that Iranians will take to the streets amid what are these ferocious attacks at this point?

AZODI: I think it's quite unlikely because, once the bombs start falling from the air, people don't come to the street to bring democracy. They

often take shelter.

But I do think, at the same time, that, naturally, the Islamic Republic is concerned with domestic stability; riots could erupt in the country. We're

seeing that the former -- the son of the former shah has called on Iranians to come to the streets.

Of course, the Islamic Republic is concerned but I don't think that, ultimately, as long as this war continues, people will come to the streets

to demand change because it's just the nature of the war.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

Still to come, president Trump has repeatedly says he doesn't need help in Iran. He is so now asking other countries to step in to secure the Strait

of Hormuz.

But after years spent alienating allies, the question at this point is, will anyone answer his calls?

That is after this.

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[10:20:00]

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ANDERSON: President Trump urging China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview on Sunday, Mr. Trump said that the U.S. would like

to know Beijing's position on that before his planned summit with president Xi Jinping.

And he suggested to reporters on Monday that his trip to China could be delayed by a month or so; supposed to be at the end of this month.

Well, the U.S. president has also appealed to NATO to help secure the strait, warning the alliance faces a, quote, "very bad future" if it fails

to do so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We defend all these countries.

And then, do you have any minesweepers?

And they say, well, would it be possible for us not to get involved?

I've been saying it for a long time. This is the greatest thing to come out of this. We spend trillions and trillions of dollars on NATO to defend

other countries. And I always said but, if it ever comes time to defend us, they're not going to be there.

Many of them would not be there and we're going to have to start thinking more wisely in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, senior reporter for CNN Politics, Stephen Collinson, joining me now.

I want to show the various responses to Donald Trump's call here on a graphic as we speak.

Stephen, to many countries, erstwhile staunch U.S. allies, friends of America, Donald Trump has proven to be less than reliable.

I wonder, at this point, is it clear whether the White House is bent on a redo in these relationships or whether it, frankly, doesn't care?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think Donald Trump doesn't really and has never appreciated the help and force

projection that allies give to the United States. He doesn't really necessarily want allies.

I think he wants supplicants, countries that will do exactly what he wants to do when he tells them to do it.

If you look at it from the point of view of these allied nations, they are now being asked to throw their forces into a war which the United States

started, about which they weren't consulted and which many of them oppose.

And many of those leaders are still living under the shadow, the political shadow of the post 9/11 wars, when they did actually come to America's

defense. The only time NATO's principle of mutual self-defense has ever been invoked was after the September 11th attacks in 2001.

Hundreds of allied troops died in Iraq and Afghanistan, contributions and sacrifices which have recently been disparaged by the president.

So I think Trump sees loyalty in personal relationships and in international strategic relationships as a one-way street. And if you tell

people that you don't value them, when you need them, they're probably not going to be there for you.

ANDERSON: I note his chief of staff sitting on his left-hand side in the video that we just saw, Susie Wiles. And I just want to pick you up on that

point of personal relationships for Donald Trump as opposed to the administration's relationships with countries.

And I wonder whether you believe this is a sort of, you know, the way that Donald Trump goes about handling these allies is very peculiarly a Donald

Trump decision.

Or whether you believe those, as we see them here now, including Susie Wiles in pink, whether, you know his administration agrees with his

position.

COLLINSON: Well, I think if you look at the speeches, for example, by Marco Rubio and JD Vance, the vice president, in Europe over the last year

or so, they are seeking to reframe the relationship with European allies.

[10:25:02]

They want them to be more like MAGA. They want them to adopt more -- tougher policies on immigration. So they want them to reflect their

political views.

And they see European states particularly as allies if they share the views of the Trump administration, look at the way in which the administration is

trying to advance populist, right-wing parties, like Reform in the U.K., like the National Rally, the far-right party in France. They have far more

in common with them.

They want to reshape Europe in their own image. And I think that obviously is a real sense of tension for the administration.

The problem, of course, is that European nations and Asian allies are deeply reliant on the United States for their defense. So while they can

not come to Trump's help on this occasion, there are going to be consequences for that.

And that is the reason why the president is talking, hinting very darkly that, if they don't get more help in Iran, some of the guarantees from NATO

could be watered down.

ANDERSON: And if that is the case, what next for the war with Ukraine, of course?

And that is a big issue. Thank you.

Still ahead, could Ukrainian knowhow be the key to countering Iranian drones?

With more countries in the region where I am, in the Middle East, turning to Ukraine for help, I'm going to ask the maker of the drone interceptor

that you see here in action about how Kyiv can help. That is up next.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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ANDERSON (voice-over): Right. Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines.

Israel's defense minister says that Israeli forces killed the Iranian security chief, Ali Larijani, in an overnight strike in Tehran. He was a

close ally of the assassinated supreme leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He helped negotiate the nuclear deal that U.S. president Donald Trump pulled

out of in 2018.

Multiple Middle Eastern countries have been fending off new air attacks from Iran, including Iraq, where drones targeted the U.S. embassy and a

luxury hotel. Video appears to show air defenses shooting down a projectile near the embassy and an explosion was seen nearby.

Well, millions in Cuba remain without power after the national electricity grid there collapsed on Monday. The island nation has been plagued by

blackouts for years.

[10:30:00]

But this nationwide blackout comes after the Trump administration effectively cut off the island's access to foreign oil.

ANDERSON: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the British capital today, where he is set to meet with King Charles this hour. He

touched down in London earlier. He'll also hold meetings with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the NATO chief, Mark Rutte.

Zelenskyy and Starmer are set to unveil a new military partnership aimed at boosting defensive capability against drone attacks. The U.K. will also

fund a new AI center of excellence in Kyiv.

Well, many countries here in the Gulf region and beyond considering what lessons can be learned from Ukraine's expertise in drone warfare. Stanislav

Gryshyn joins us now live from Kyiv. He's the co-founder of General Cherry, which is a top Ukrainian manufacturer of interceptor drones.

And it's good to have you tonight. I want to begin with the current situation in the region where I am. I'm in the UAE. Countries across this

region have been hit repeatedly over the past 2.5 weeks by Iranian missiles and drones.

I understand some of these countries are asking your firm directly for your help and expertise.

What are those conversations?

What do they look like and what kind of knowledge can you offer them?

STANISLAV GRYSHYN, CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, GENERAL CHERRY: Thank you for your invitation. It's a

great pleasure to be presented here.

I mean, it's pretty difficult and tricky to command anything like the strategic or political layer. But what I can say, that we truly appreciate

all the efforts done by our government.

And what I can say by heart is that that Ukrainian interceptors are like real battle-proven technology in the modern war. And yes, that's true, that

actually we have like very real requests from many countries, from companies, both public and private, and even far away from Gulf region.

Yes.

ANDERSON: Yes. Let's get into the detail about the kinds of technology that you've developed. I mean, I'm looking at some video here. And this is

a look at your so-called bullet interceptor drone. Tell us how that works and how effective that can be against the Iranians' Shahed drones.

GRYSHYN: I mean, this is the drone interceptor. It's pretty much effective. It's very scalable. And, yes, I want to emphasize that all of

the technologies are really battle proven.

I mean, the essence of the technology is that -- that it actually can be controlled by operators and just destroy the Shahed or any wing-type drone

in the air and just to intercept them.

And that was request by Ukrainian government, by Ukrainian army, by the very real militaries. And what I can say that all of the technologies are

really battle proven and battle tested.

So we actually paid the very high price for this kind of technology. And yes, as far as many countries now witness the threat of the Shahed. So this

is actually the key. This is the answer how to react to this kind of threats.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: OK. You've clearly had an awful lot of experience in the four years fighting your own brutal war against Russia. This is how you've

developed so much knowledge about drone warfare. And this is what your president told my colleague, Fareed Zakaria, in a -- an interview recently.

Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We understand what does it mean at the very beginning of the war, when you are under big, massive attacks.

We remember this.

And I said that we, with Americans, we are partners. We are ready to help Americans and we are ready to help also Middle East allies. So we are ready

to help to save the lives of civilians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Yes.

I think people will say, you know, doesn't Ukraine have enough to take care of on its own home front?

But clearly, you know, your know-how, your intel in how to confront these, encounter these drones is so important. Just walk us through the costs

involved in the kind of equipment that you are selling and that could be -- and certainly very likely to be -- very useful to the multi-layered air

defenses that we see here, for example, in the UAE.

GRYSHYN: Yes. I can say that, like actually there are reasons for this technology being battle proven. I mean, we inputted very much speed of

innovation. We received very much constant battlefield feedback. And, of course, we input very high and huge commitment.

[10:35:00]

So actually all of the technologies are built and improved together with the militaries. As I say, to be in one room with the militaries and test

and like really receive expertise from real combat conditions.

I mean, we're not talking just about the technology, not just about the drone but very much about the tactics, about experience. And this, like,

this is gained by, very much by very high price.

And I guess for us, it's also a great challenge not to stay local but to be global, to be better proven, not just in one war but like in many warfares

across the globe. And I think this would be a crime to stay local at this period of time because --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: It's good to have you.

GRYSHYN: -- like on different position would like receive very much expertise for the team as well.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us tonight.

That's a story out of Kyiv tonight, which has a real knockon effect here and connections to what is going on in this part of the world.

Let me get you away from here to Cuba now, where millions of people are in the dark right now, after the island's power system suffered a nationwide

collapse on Monday. Watch as dozens of Cubans gathered to protest in the streets with their pots and pans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): You can hear them more than you can see them because Cuba's been plagued, of course, for blackouts for years. But this

nationwide outage comes after the Trump administration effectively cut off the island's access to foreign oil that Cuba relies on for electricity

generation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: For more now, let's get you to CNN's Patrick Oppmann, who joins us from Havana.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hi, there. And as you said, Cubans are certainly used to blackouts. But what's concerning about this is

a nationwide power outage.

We don't know what the reserves of Cuba's oil are at this point. The government has said -- government officials have said that they only got

oil, you know, about three months ago and have not had any since then.

So it really is a concern about whether or not they can get the power back on at all. At this point, pockets of electricity have been restored across

small areas of the island. Most of Havana, where I am, is out. There's no power here.

So you know, we're lucky enough to have generators and some fuel stored. But otherwise, people are just waiting for the power to come back on. The

longer that goes on, fuel for generator -- generators runs out. Batteries die.

And then people's food begins to spoil as the days go on. So right now, it's an inconvenience, one that Cubans know all too well. But, of course,

concern is, as the days go on, as they very well could, this becomes something much more desperate, perhaps even a humanitarian crisis.

ANDERSON: Which very much begs the question, with Trump's threats to the country, what, if any, are the long-term plans for Cuba at this point?

I mean people are, you know, as you as you report, coping on a daily basis. They're pretty resilient.

What's kind of long term view at this point?

OPPMANN: People are incredibly resilient. But there are limits to everything. And there are limits to Cubans' patience. We've seen people out

protesting over the weekend. We actually saw people trying to burn down the Communist Party headquarters in a small town.

The government, of course, has cracked down very hard on that kind -- of that kind of protest and that kind of what they call vandalism. So there is

concern here this is going to get out of control.

People need to have power. They need to have water, which you don't when the power is out here, which is so often out with the old blackout with the

ailing infrastructure collapsing more and more.

So the Trump administration has called on the government to open up, open up economically. There were some reforms announced last night but not as

dramatic reforms, certainly as many in the Cuban exile community would like to see.

We also know from "The New York Times" and "The Miami Herald" that the Trump administration is trying to push top leadership, like Cuban president

Miguel Diaz-Canel, from power.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Patrick. Thank you. At 10:30 in the morning, it's not -- no need for the lights, at least at that time of the

day. It's good to have you on a generator, at least, providing us with reports. Thank you.

We invite you to check out more of CNN's coverage of the crisis in Cuba. Patrick Oppmann wrote this piece for our digital platforms. He highlights

some of the politics surrounding Cuba.

[10:40:00]

Including president Trump's belief that Cuban exiles will soon be able to return to their homeland. Well worth a read there, CNN Digital.

Well, up next, what the CEO of one of the world's busiest airports, Dubai International, tells me about how he and the staff at the airport are

responding to Iranian attacks.

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ANDERSON: Well, a tough new warning for Iranians from Tehran. They are being told not to celebrate an ancient and very important festival.

The Chaharshanbe Suri celebrates the end of winter and heralds the arrival of spring. There's feasting and you'll see people jumping over small

bonfires as an act of renewal. But probably not tonight. Tehran is saying no to any celebrations, pointing to what it calls public safety. Critics

charge it's all about controlling any potential for more dissent.

Well, since the start of the war, the Iranian government has shut down internet access across the country. And it's just announced the arrest of a

Starlink user. Some voices from Iran have managed to get through. One of my CNN producers takes us through some of the messages coming from on the

ground in Iran. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Internet is weak. Please speak about the internet. It's nearly totally shut off. Things are not good here.

This was a text message sent to me after Starlink and private network prices skyrocketed due to the war with the U.S. and Israel. The prices have

far exceeded the average Iranian's monthly salary.

And despite the high price, there's little guarantee of consistent connection. CNN spoke to Iranians about the internet crackdown. We won't

disclose their identity for their safety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I mean, the price is insane. There's no guarantee of it working and staying connected. Everything is

done in the dark. People who have the money can connect to the internet. But most people don't have the money and cannot connect or take that risk.

GHARAGOZLOU: Even with the private networks, the government still has control over their connectivity. NetBlocks, which monitors internet use,

has shown a further decline in the already minuscule internet use in Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): All the people who are selling the VPNs, the VPNs are connected to the Islamic Republic's VPNs. So whenever

they want, they can allow them to connect and when not to connect.

GHARAGOZLOU: The Iranian government has also begun heavily cracking down on those circumventing the internet shutdown, slowing down internet access

and increasing arrests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The situation is beyond arrest. They've made it clear that, if your ideology doesn't match theirs, this is

no longer going to result in just arrests and fighting. It will result in death.

GHARAGOZLOU: In the meantime, Iranians continue trying to reach those on the outside and making their voices heard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We're back after this quick break. Stay with us.

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[10:45:00]

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ANDERSON: Iranian attacks continue across the region where I am here in the Gulf, including where I am, very specifically, here in the UAE.

Iranian state media reporting an explosion has ripped through a ship in a port in the Emirate of Sharjah. That comes hours after a tanker was hit off

the coast of the Emirate of Fujairah, according to U.K. maritime trackers, the first such strike in and around the Strait of Hormuz in five days.

And in southern Iraq, an oilfield is -- also came under attack Monday. No casualties thankfully reported there.

In Baghdad overnight, drones and rockets were fired at the U.S. embassy. According to Reuters, an air defense system shot down two drones while a

third hit inside the embassy compound.

Well, amid these strikes, U.S. president Trump says he hadn't expected Iran to hit other Gulf states.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Look what happened in the last two weeks. They weren't supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East. Those missiles were

set to go after them. So they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs, has also been targeted repeatedly by Tehran, certainly the area

around it. In 2025, Dubai moved more than 95 million passengers.

Today, the CEO of Dubai Airport, Paul Griffiths, tells me they've moved about a million passengers since the war with Iran began, with traffic

recovering to around 45 percent of normal levels.

Well, last hour, if you were watching, you'll have heard my exclusive interview with him in Dubai, where I asked him how he is meeting the

enormous challenges of this moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL GRIFFITHS, CEO, DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Yes, they have been incredibly challenging.

But I have to say, the government, the armed forces, the broader aviation sector, our customers, our staff and all of our stakeholders have responded

absolutely magnificently.

I don't think there's a place on the entire planet where everyone has pulled together so strongly to keep the entire wheels of the city moving,

the airport operational and everything as normal as we can possibly make it for our customers.

Because, at the end of the day, an airport exists to provide a means of mobility to the industry and to its customers and to make them as safe and

secure as possible. And in these challenging times, none of that has escaped every single member of the team, who have been absolutely

magnificent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, in true Dubai fashion, the airports have huge plans for expansion. I asked him if, given what's going on at present, if those

expansion plans are now on hold. This is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFITHS: Absolutely not. We are still confident in the aviation industry. We're confident in Dubai's place in that industry.

And if you look at all of the things that we've had to deal with over the last 20 years or so, we have bounced back and taken the opportunity to

continue the growth and influence on global aviation that we always have done in the past. So, no; onward and upward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And we talked a lot about safety and security in that interview.

[10:50:10]

If you didn't catch the first part of it last hour, then you'll find it on CNN's digital and social platforms, particularly online. And we'll get that

on as soon as this show is finished.

Well, the head of one of America's biggest airlines says the cost of jet fuel has nearly doubled and that people should expect airfares to rise.

Delta's CEO says the company has already had to raise prices several times over the past couple of weeks. He says Delta's costs have shot up $400

million as the Middle East conflict rages.

Well, for more on the challenges facing the wider tourism and hospitality sectors, let's speak to Sebastien Bazin. He's the group chairman and CEO of

the hospitality firm Accor and he joins us now from Dubai.

And as I understand it, you've flown into Dubai, where your company spans several hospitality brands. It's good to have you, sir. Those brands, of

course, include the Fairmont, which we all remember, on the first day of this war, was hit by a Shahed drone in The Palm Dubai.

it was a real moment of shock that kicked off a repeated Iranian strategy of hitting civilian and commercial targets here and across the Gulf. So

first, just give us your position on how this war is impacting both your operations and the region more broadly.

SEBASTIEN BAZIN, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, ACCOR: Well, it's certainly challenging for us. It's been a booming region for the last 10 years. And it's been

kind of actually halted for the last 10 days, which we all understand.

And it's very critical for our core. And we're going to be there for a long, long time. And still betting on the region. I came because I wanted

to see my team. I wanted to sit with the government officials, which I've done in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

And I'm privileged. I've seen people, I've seen agility, I've seen resilience. I've seen a lot of coordination. And I think what I was waiting

for, which is an enormous dialogue between public and private sector. So it's challenging.

But we have the agility, adaptability. And you know, I was going through storms almost twice a year in many regions. And this is in those times that

you need to show your strength and your ability to, again, share views. So I'm a -- I'm not pessimistic but I needed to be next to the team.

ANDERSON: Got it. We saw the Al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad targeted last night. I do want our viewers to see this video as Iran has threatened to

hit hotels housing U.S. service members and officials.

What's your assessment of the level of a threat or the threat of staying in a hotel across this region right now?

BAZIN: Well, it's the first thing we're looking after, Becky, is really the safety of the visitors, safety of the residents, safety of the staff

and, of course, the residents of those countries.

So we're first looking after those living here. Then the travel, of course. We ran today at 10 percent to 20 percent occupancy. It looks pretty good.

You're going to be surprised.

Eid (ph), the three or four days' vacation after Eid (ph) over the next weekend looks pretty promising, both on food and beverage and the

restaurants and the hotels of Accor in this region. So there's an element of hope for us.

And again, it's -- I've been here in Dubai for the last 48 hours. It is safe and the government are doing everything in their power to actually

welcome back guests in the near future. So I'm here to stay.

ANDERSON: The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates this conflict has already cost the tourism sector in the Middle East at least $600 million a

day.

Just how disruptive has this been to your company and what, if anything, can you do feasibly right now to stem that bleeding?

I mean you know, what is the long-term impact at this point?

BAZIN: Well, short-term impact is the next 10 days, the next three weeks to come. We need to adapt the cost and we need to be agile on making sure

they get, when you have restaurants being empty, just adapt your workforce, talk to them. Don't be in denial.

Medium to short-term, there's nothing much to worry because I don't know if any other places in the world who can match what the UAE offering, both in

terms of entertainment, culture, shopping, resorts.

So its people have very short memories when it comes to travel. I've been in that seat as chair back over the last 13 years. And everybody has been

always very surprised of the resiliency (INAUDIBLE).

I would make a big bet that UAE is going to be back on the map as early as after the summer season. So we should have a very good quarter the last

quarter of the year. Again, we need to adapt first. We need to make sure we have the right action and the right measures.

But I'm not bearish at all on this region; actually, the opposite. I think we should, in many ways, I'll -- you'd be surprised. It is in those times

that I guess we should be backing the authorities and probably develop further in terms of offering an experience.

ANDERSON:

Yes.

BAZIN: This is a time where we can take --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: And Sebastien --

BAZIN: We have to be --

ANDERSON: -- you and I both know as residents here that the Gulf is resilient. Top UAE adviser Anwar Gargash wrote yesterday, and I quote him

here.

"The treacherous Iranian aggression will not break us.

[10:55:00]

"For with every assault, we return to our normal lives, as we are a people of building and construction."

You heard the Dubai Airport CEO tell me that expansion plans are still on.

What's your prognosis as to how quickly this region can recover?

Clearly none of us have an answer to how long this is going to last.

But you're confident of a recovery from what has been a significant downturn, correct?

BAZIN: I am more than confident for one reason. I'm not in denial. I've seen what I've seen over the last 48 hours. They have adapted very well to

the current circumstances, extremely well, and better than many others.

You know, Becky, you know that better than I do, this region has the five things I need. And I'm wishing in any countries in which we operate, you

have leadership, you have vision, you have a plan, you have capacity to act and you have talent.

If you have those five things, on the one hand, just be thankful. And they have it all over the GCC, in all the countries in which we operate. And

hopefully they need me, as a private sector, to coordinate and basically adapt and act together. And they're welcoming that acting together, which

is what I'm looking for.

ANDERSON: Sebastien Bazin is the CEO of Accor.

Sir, it's good to see you. It's good to hear from you. And thank you very much indeed for your time during what are extremely trying times, of

course. Thank you, sir.

That is it from CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. "ONE WORLD" is up next.

[11:00:00

END