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U.S.-Israel War with Iran; U.K. Hosts Virtual Summit on Strait of Hormuz; Day Two of Historic Artemis II Mission around the Moon; Trump Administration Says Its Goals Have Been Consistent; South Korea Taking Steps to Lessen Energy Shocks; Police Release Video from Tiger Woods' Rollover Crash. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired April 02, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN London, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London, where
the time is just after 3:00 in the afternoon.
And the U.S. is making the Strait of Hormuz the rest of the world's problem now. And a virtual summit with roughly 30 countries has just started to
assess the options for opening that strait.
Well, stocks are down and oil is up. But Donald Trump's big speech fails to reassure markets that there is an end game.
And NASA's historic space mission is on track. What the astronauts are up to on the first full day of their journey to the far side of the moon.
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MACFARLANE: Well, in the past couple of hours, a virtual summit to address the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has gotten underway. It's being hosted
by the U.K. which is condemning Iranian recklessness over the shipping route that is critical to global energy supplies. The U.S. is not in
attendance.
The French president is rejecting Donald Trump's call for allies to use military force to unlock the strait as unrealistic. Emmanuel Macron spoke
after president Trump's address the U.S. late on Wednesday, when he said America's objectives in Iran are nearing completion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Go to the strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves.
The hard part is done, so it should be easy.
And in any event, when this conflict is over, the strait will open up naturally. It will just open up naturally. They are going to want to be
able to sell oil, because that's all they have to try and rebuild. It will resume the flowing and the gas prices will rapidly come back down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: OK, Melissa Bell is in Paris with more on that summit. But first, let's go to Matthew Chance with reaction from the region from Doha.
So Matthew, I mean, Gulf countries have been on the front line of Iranian missiles and the economic impact of this war.
What has been the reaction there now, we have heard from president Trump promising at least another two to three more weeks of this?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: You're right. Gulf states in particular have, you know, suffered billions of dollars worth of
losses as a result of the Iran war so far. They're energy dependent; of course, they've been blockaded through the Strait of Hormuz.
Their energy infrastructure installations have been -- have been targeted. And so they're all desperate to get this war ended as soon as possible.
There is a division, though, within the Gulf state countries about those who want to take a much more hard line against the Islamic Republic.
Countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that have been really pounded heavily by Iran over the course of the past month or so,
they want the United States and Israel to degrade as much as possible the missile capability and the drone capability that Iran has.
To try and diminish as much as possible the threat that Iran can pose in the future. The other side of that debate, countries like Qatar -- and I'm
speaking to you from Doha right now, the capital of Qatar -- they are adopting a much more conciliatory line.
They want the war to end as soon as possible, for it to be de-escalated so that business can get back to normal. And they've said they'll deal with
whatever comes afterwards because it's the same neighborhood.
Look, the problem is, is that neither side of that debate are getting what they want because Trump has said that the war will continue for a couple
more weeks, two or three more weeks. And obviously that's significant because, you know, it means that the threat over the region is still very
much looming.
Iran could retaliate. It could escalate further. But you know, at the same time, it's also not going to be enough. Nobody truly expects -- it's not
going to be enough for the Iranian threat, the missile stocks, the production capabilities for drones to be permanently erased.
And so we're left in a situation where, you know, at the end of this conflict, Trump has made it quite clear that, you know, the Strait of
Hormuz, for instance, is likely to be left in Iranian hands.
[10:05:04]
The region could be left with a belligerent Iran that still has a missile capability, even potentially a nuclear capability. And that's a much worse
situation than the region was in before the Iran war began at the end of February, Christina.
MACFARLANE: Melissa, Trump's comments about the strait and about NATO, in particular, are really threatening to upend international security status
quo. Just want to play for our viewers a clip of what he said about NATO again last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So I learned about NATO. NATO won't be there if we ever have the big one.
You know what I mean by the big one?
We ever have the big one. Hopefully we won't. Relationships very good with the big one, better than with NATO.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: So as we've been saying, Melissa, a strong reaction from the French prime minister from Emmanuel Macron overnight.
But what else have we been hearing in terms of European reaction to this?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, from the European point of view, this is Donald Trump really paying the price for
his own unilateralism.
Remember that this was a war that was launched with Israel without any consultation of NATO allies at all. Instead, the refrain over NATO started
getting louder and louder as his frustration grew at the lack of progress.
And once international allies started talking about the Strait of Hormuz, you heard several American administration officials, the president himself
but also Marco Rubio, say to Europeans, well, time to step up.
Except that the rest of the world has stayed absolutely steadfast in its determination not to get into a war, not only that it wasn't consulted on
but that didn't happen to think was a good idea.
Of course, NATO's -- Donald Trump's gripes with NATO go way back to his first term. The problem with what has been a growing chorus of disapproval
from American officials is that NATO, at its heart, is an idea. It's a concept.
The Article V, that idea of mutual defense, is what Donald Trump has done is turned this question of questioning the mutual defense of NATO into
something of his policy when it comes to the alliance.
And that undermines the whole thing in its very principles, in its very foundations. So there's a great deal of anger here in Europe. Have a listen
to what the French president had to say in response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): This is not a show. We're talking of peace, of war. We're talking about the lives of men
and women. Everyone is paying the consequences. So we have to be serious. When we want to be serious, we don't say each day the opposite of what we
said the day before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: Sometimes he went on to say, it is best not -- just not to say anything at all and I think that is a pretty good indication of just some
of the anger that's being felt here in Europe at the growing frustration of the Americans and the fact that this is now being laid at the door of NATO
allies.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And it's very much falling on deaf ears across the pond. I mean, Donald Trump telling the rest of the world to go it alone, of
course, when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz. We know European leaders are meeting today.
Can they do that?
Can they go it alone?
What options do they have?
BELL: Well, this is a meeting that's taking place with 35 countries that have now joined this coalition of those willing to try and figure out how
to secure international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
What they've been very clear on from the start is that this will only get up and running, whatever form this expedition takes, once the fighting has
ended or at least once the worst of it is done. So again, not in line at all with what Marco Rubio had come to ask G7 allies last week here in
Paris.
The hope was that that determination to see the Strait of Hormuz open would have them side with the Americans on the war. In fact, the backing off, we
understand, of the American administration from anything to do with getting Hormuz up and running again and open, comes from the fact.
That essentially, at the very top of their administration, they've understood that they cannot at once fulfill their goals in Iran and get the
strait reopened, since it is down to the Iranians to decide.
So this international coalition -- and we're expecting this meeting in London to wrap up; it's been held virtually over the course of the last few
hours. It should wrap up soon enough.
The idea of this meeting has been to consider what this force might look like. It would come into effect. It would begin to operate after the worst
of the hostilities were over or after the end of the war.
What we understand from what was discussed at the time of the G7 meeting is that it could involve initially a system of vessels accompanying tankers
through the strait before ultimately having some kind of multinational force there to ensure that this vital shipping lane stays over.
But this is again, something that will happen or begin to take effect only once the worst of the fighting is over and that is entirely up to the
American administration.
MACFARLANE: All right. Melissa Bell there live for us in Paris, Matthew Chance in Doha. Thank you both very much.
And as the energy crisis threatens the global economy, Donald Trump is vowing to send Iran, quote, "back to the stone ages."
Let's head to Tel Aviv. And Jeremy Diamond.
And Jeremy, at this stage, what does the future of this conflict look like?
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And what has been the reaction where you are today?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the last 24 hours have really given us the clearest indication yet that this war is
nowhere close to winding down, between president Trump's speech and the exchange of strikes that we've seen between Iran and Israel.
There really is only room for a continuation and escalation. And really no concrete diplomacy that seems to be at hand.
President Trump last night talking about bombing Iran to the stone ages and vowing that these strikes will continue for at least the next two to three
weeks. And that came as last night we saw Iran fire about five different rounds of ballistic missiles within a two-hour period, as Israelis were
preparing to sit down for the Passover seder.
That was the most intense round of fire that we've seen from Iran in that short period of time, basically since the beginning of this war. And
Israel, for its part, has been firing hundreds of rounds of strikes inside of Iran over the course of the last couple of days.
We also had Hezbollah rocket fire aimed at northern Israel today, dozens of rockets that were aimed at northern Israel. And so you can see just kind of
the intensity of the fire right now for Israeli officials.
You know, hearing that the United States is in this war for the next few weeks, that's obviously a welcome sign, given that the Israeli government
has offered no indication that it's looking to wind down this conflict right now. They still believe they have a number of targets that they can
strike in Iran.
We've heard the reaction from Iranian officials to president Trump's message last night and it also signaled defiance, defiance from Mohammad
Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran's parliament, who would be the kind of negotiator on the other end of the table should those negotiations
eventually take place.
His message was that Iran is locked, loaded and standing tall. He said, bring it on. The Iranian military issuing similar statements of defiance,
vowing more destruction in response to president Trump's message.
MACFARLANE: Jeremy Diamond, with the reality of how this is playing out on the ground there in Tel Aviv, thank you very much.
Well, let's take a look at the U.S. financial markets about 40 minutes into Thursday's session. And stocks are definitely down across the board there.
Investors reacting to increasingly heated rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.
Last night, president Trump repeated his threat to attack Iran's power plants and signaled the U.S. may leave the job of reopening the Strait of
Hormuz to other countries, which he says rely more on the USA on oil shipments from the Gulf.
Well, Brent crude is surging more than 7 percent today, now at around $108 a barrel. U.S. -- and U.S. benchmark WTI also heading sharply higher, $111
barrel. Isfandiyar Batmanghelidj is the CEO of Bourse & Bazaar and he posted this on X.
"The reason markets are behaving this way is not because they don't know how to price the threat Iran poses to the global trade. It's because they
don't know how to account for the reality that the U.S. government is the main source of volatility and risk. No leadership, no guardrails."
And he joins me here now.
It's a great post at that moment. And it is, of course, Trump, the Trump administration's inconsistent messaging that has really thrown markets into
a loop here but also U.S. allies across the board.
I just want to play our viewers first a clip from Donald Trump's comments last night on the Strait of Hormuz before we get to the question. Let's
take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So to those countries that can't get fuel, many of which refuse to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves, I have
a suggestion.
Number one, buy oil from the United States of America. We have plenty. We have so much.
And number two, build up some delayed courage. Should have done it before, should have done it with us as we asked. Go to the strait and just take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Yes, I mean, Britain are hosting this summit today; whether that's due to delayed courage or not, you know, is TBC.
But how much realistically do you think they stand a chance of securing the strait without being pulled into this war with Iran, which is what they
have stated from the beginning they did not want?
ESFANDYAR BATMANGHELIDJ, CEO, BOURSE & BAZAAR FOUNDATION: I think the deliberations that are happening around some kind of multinational force to
secure the strait is mainly a preparation for the day after a ceasefire.
I think U.S. allies have realized that, after statements like Trump gave last night, that they really can't count on the U.S. to take the issue of
free movement of vessels through the strait seriously. And there really isn't a way of opening the strait while the war is ongoing.
[10:15:00]
The threat that Iran can project across the strait will continue. And they have the incentive to continue to harass maritime shipping so long as they
continue to be attacked during the war.
But really, what we're looking at is a question around when a ceasefire comes together. And hopefully Trump is actually interested in winding down
this war, although I agree with Jeremy that it isn't imminent and we have these weeks to still play out.
At that point, then, you know, some new security architecture is going to be needed that doesn't depend on the U.S.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And in the meantime, of course, Iran is charging ships to pass through the strait, this toll booth system.
Just how beneficial is that going to be in, who knows, short to long term for Iran's economy?
BATMANGHELIDJ: I don't think it's really beneficial for the economy in the context of the damage that's being done by the U.S. airstrikes.
So just this past week, another round of airstrikes; in this case, Israeli targeting the most important steel facilities in the country, the largest
steel manufacturing facility in the Middle East.
A couple of days ago, Netanyahu was boasting about taking 70 percent of Iran's steel production offline. I mean, that's really critical damage. So
what revenues they might be earning through the strait, I think that is a - - it's an ad hoc way for Iran to demonstrate its, quote-unquote, "control."
It's also a way to try and provide some flexibility or some openings for other countries where Iran is trying to maintain a bilateral relationship
that's constructive. But the economic benefits really don't outweigh the costs of this war.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And in targeting these aluminum, these steel sites, of course, there will be reciprocal attacks as well.
And, you know, with commodities so very much in the crosshairs potentially in the coming weeks, how much is that going to be impacting like global
prices in that school (ph)?
BATMANGHELIDJ: If Trump is indeed trying to wind down this war in the coming weeks, he is doing it in the most potentially destructive and
damaging way possible. And what I mean by that is that, up until now, the war has mainly been a disruption around the flow of goods from the Persian
Gulf to global markets, including energy products.
But a wide range of goods, where we are today, as the war widens and as Trump, using this language of, you know, kind of absurd language of putting
Iran back in the stone age, seems to endorse the idea of widening targets to civilian infrastructure, industrial facilities, where we know that Iran
will respond with tit-for-tat attacks.
And this has already been a pattern ever since. Basically, the South Pars attack, more than 10 days ago, after which Iran struck the LNG facility in
Qatar.
What we're seeing now is a destruction of the actual facilities that produce the goods on which the world economy depends. And this means that
the scars of the war will be much more profound.
And the disruptions for global markets will last not just for months but potentially in some respects for years, given the difficulty of rebuilding
a lot of this broken infrastructure.
MACFARLANE: And just finally, I'm just interested, given, you know, talking about Iran's current situation, its path to economic recovery, I
mean, if the war were to stop at this stage, how do you view the -- where Iran are at, how badly they have been destroyed, diminished in terms of a
recovery at this stage?
BATMANGHELIDJ: The Iranian state and the Iranian economy has been significantly damaged by this war, I mean Iran, by Middle Eastern
standards, was a prosperous and functional country.
And the infrastructure that's being damaged now, including even medical facilities that are being targeted, will take years to rebuild. And that's
a very profound challenge for Iranian society, ultimately.
But the irony here, really a perverse irony is that this war is not degrading Iran's military capability in a way that fundamentally changes
the reality of the security landscape in the region.
And so the concern I have is that it's very likely, given how this war might wrap up in the next few weeks, that, because there hasn't been a
fundamental change in the conditions, the threat perceptions between the U.S. and Iran, that we might end up in another war in six months' time.
Creating a pattern that started with the June war last year, continued in this conflict and then may continue again.
MACFARLANE: Gosh, it's a sobering thought, isn't it?
Yes. We appreciate you breaking it down for us. It's really great analysis. Thank you.
BATMANGHELIDJ: Thanks for having me.
MACFARLANE: OK, still to come, the crew of the Artemis II is one step closer to their voyage to the moon. We have an update live from the Kennedy
Space Center just ahead
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MACFARLANE: Nearly 70,000 kilometers from the Earth, the crew of the Artemis II is back to bed this hour. But already today they completed an
important maneuver that sets them up for a key milestone of their mission, what's known as the translunar injection burn, that will put them on the
right path toward the moon.
It's expected to happen at about 8 pm Eastern. CNN U.S. national correspondent Randi Kaye joins us live from the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida.
So just give us a quick update on how things have been going up to this point, because I have heard that there were a couple of minor hiccups in
the opening hours of this mission.
RANDI KAYE, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there were a couple of minor issues, including a toilet issue. But they were able to get that up
and working, so that is good. So the hygiene bay is in full use, we understand. But they have had real successes up there so far.
What they're doing right now is working in that Orion capsule, which humans have not been inside before. And so they're making sure that it's safe to
go into deep space and to go to the moon. So they're checking the navigation, the communication, the life support systems.
And they also did what's called a perigee burn that would raise the orbit of the Orion capsule and put it just one step closer to tracking toward the
moon. And later today, as you mentioned, they'll do that translunar injection or TLI.
And that will really set them on the path of this figure eight trajectory that they'll do, where they circle the Earth and they orbit the moon and
then eventually will make their way home.
But they really want to make sure all is well before they commit to going to the moon. We did see some video of them tinkering about up there in the
Orion capsule and Mission Control says that they are safe, they are secure and they are in good spirits.
We also heard from Commander Reid Wiseman, who has said that they forgot how beautiful the Earth is and they're really enjoying the view.
But just to give you an idea of what this looks like as we look ahead on this mission, day one is when they're orbiting the Earth. Day two through
day five, they will be en route to the moon, once they do this translunar injection, if it does go as planned.
And day six is the really big day. This is the historic flyby of the moon. This is where they will be further from Earth than any other human being,
possibly as much as 250,000 miles away from Earth, according to NASA.
The International Space Station is just 250 miles away, so that should give you some perspective on how far away they are going to be.
And, of course, they're also hoping to get a view of the far side of the moon. It should be lit up for them. So they're going to get, they hope, a
beautiful wide angle view of the far side of the moon as well.
And just quickly, a couple of memorabilia that they are bringing with them on this flight, fabric from the Wright flier and some soil samples from
moon trees as well. So, so far, all is a go.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And it's so inspiring, isn't it?
I can't wait to see some of those images as they come in a couple of days. Randi, thank you so much.
And above us right now, those four astronauts now en route to the first flyby of the moon in 50 years.
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Well, earlier, Keith Cowing, the editor of NASAWatch, explained more about the spacecraft they're in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH COWING, EDITOR, NASAWATCH.COM: Want to make sure that this is the same spacecraft that, when we do send crews to the moon, they'll go in on
this rocket. So you need to test it out. And it's just like Apollo. They -- you do one thing, then another, then you get ready for the big thing and
you go do it.
And you want to have confidence in the vehicle that it's going to do what you want it to do when you need it to do it because this is a free return.
So that pretty much will come back on their own.
But you want to be certain that, if they have to do some contingencies, there's a scenario where they have to do something else, the buttons will
make the things happen. But what we're going to see is, well, we've been on the far side of the moon, not the dark side. That's the Pink Floyd album.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is indeed. Every time I heard someone say the dark side of the moon yesterday, I immediately thought Pink Floyd. So I'm glad
we're on the same page.
COWING: We're going to go to the far side of the moon but we're going to actually, because of the launch date, we'll actually see an eclipse, which
is very cool. And as you go around there, we'll actually be further-- these four or five people -- will be further from Earth than any humans have ever
been.
All right. That in and of itself -- then it comes swooping back, looking at the Earth and the fiery reentry, which has a few people worried -- not me -
- and then come back and have their parade.
And then the trick is, where do you go from up?
And that's what I'm hoping NASA has a plan in place that they'll say, and we're just going to keep running with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: So how exactly does the Artemis II take the astronauts on their historic journey around the moon?
CNN's Tom Foreman breaks down the incredible hardware and engineering involved.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is life like for the Orion crew right now?
Well, I can tell you it is busy and it's really interesting. Let's get rid of the service module for a moment here, although it will stay with the
crew capsule for almost the entire mission.
I just want to talk about the crew capsule now though and give you a sense of what they're dealing with.
First of all, this is a big capsule, 23,000 pounds at liftoff, more than 11 feet tall, 16 feet wide. So that's big. And the interior is bigger than
anything NASA has put up in space since the space shuttle.
But this is all a relative thing. If you were to come inside here, you would say, well, they have a lot to get in here, too. All four people have
to live here. They have to have places to be strapped in or sit.
They have communications equipment, they have control equipment, they have emergency supplies, medical supplies, food, water, waste facilities,
exercise equipment, even some things for entertainment.
So yes, it's a lot to get into this space is as spacious as it is. If you look at this NASA video, you can get a sense of what it would really be
like inside. Although I should point out, you're not stuck to one space. Remember, in microgravity, they can use all of this space to do what they
want to do.
Still, it's four people in this space for 10 days. That's not a whole lot of room. And they have to all work in concert to make it work properly. And
interestingly enough, that includes sleeping at the same time.
Yes, that's right. At the same time, they will all strap in for the night, close their eyes and they will sleep and dream as they drift through the
cosmos from the Earth all the way up to this historic return to the moon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Fascinating. Love that.
Now the Trump administration is asking for patience over the war with Iran, insisting that military goals are being met. Ahead, we get the perspective
from an expert on international security policy.
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MACFARLANE (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Christina Macfarlane. Here are your headlines this hour.
President Trump is threatening to bomb Iran back to the stone age if it doesn't agree to a deal to end the war. He delivered a primetime address to
the American people Wednesday, claiming the U.S. was very close to achieving its objectives but without providing a clear timeline to end the
war.
After reports of an attack in a military installation in the central Iranian province of Isfahan, video geolocated by CNN shows large explosions
and smoke in the area. Some of Iran's stocks of highly enriched uranium are thought to be held in Isfahan, which has repeatedly come under attack by
the U.S.
The crew of the Artemis II is asleep this hour, ahead of a crucial moment in their mission. Earlier today, they successfully completed what's known
as a perigee raise burn to adjust the Orion spacecraft's orbital path.
It's a stepping stone to prepare for the translunar injection burn, which will send the Orion on its way to the moon. That's scheduled to happen
about 8 pm Eastern today.
MACFARLANE: And the U.S. president used a nationwide address last night to say the war could end soon, saying military operations were nearing
completion. But first he promised more strikes on Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are going to finish the job and we're going to finish it very fast. We're getting very close.
Everyone is talking about it. And tonight, I'm pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion.
We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, public opinion about the war is not on the president's side. This CNN poll, which was released prior to his address last night,
shows just one-third of those polled approve of his handling of the war. Let's bring in CNN chief U.S. national affairs correspondent, Jeff Zeleny.
So Jeff, if this was a bid to reassure the American public of the need for this war, it kind of didn't work. It was really a lot of empty bluster with
no mention, of course, of an exit plan.
When we consider these dire polling numbers, just how great a domestic problem is this becoming for the problem for the president?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Christina, there is no doubt that this is a dire political challenge for
this White House. It's why he was giving the speech in the first place.
It sounded as though he was still making the rationale for why the U.S. joined Israel in striking Iran. Of course, that started about five weeks
ago.
So the sheer fact that the White House found it necessary for the president to come out and give a prime time address, effectively reading aloud many
of his social media posts that he's made over the last five weeks.
Really, they're trying to make a case to a bigger primetime audience here in the U.S. shows that the White House is worried that they have not broken
through.
But let's look at a couple more polling numbers here. That really makes the point of what the president's challenge is. You mentioned the approval
rating there but look at this.
Does the president have a clear plan for how to end this?
Well, 67 percent of respondents say no, he does not. Only a third do. So that's -- certainly is one of the challenges for him. But also this is also
something that's hanging over the challenge of the president.
When asked if Americans believe that this is a long-term war, look at this.
Is a long-term military conflict likely? 63 percent say yes. So it's unclear if the president did anything last evening to shore this up.
Yes, politically, he's looking for an offramp. But militarily, he talked about the stone ages, as you said, and said that, about three more weeks of
fighting is necessary. So unclear if he moved the needle last night or not. But the fact that he was giving the speech shows that they know it's a huge
problem.
MACFARLANE: Definitely. And as we've been reporting this hour, Jeff, I mean, European allies meeting to discuss the possibility of forming a
coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz while also doubling down on their intention not to get involved in this war.
[10:35:00]
And what's clear is that U.S. isolation over this is deepening.
But does that really matter?
The president certainly doesn't seem to think so.
ZELENY: Well, he certainly is acting nonplused by it, not bothered by it. But the reality is, I think it -- the European leaders must have been
breathing at least a bit of a sigh of relief that the president did not call last evening for a withdrawal of NATO.
But he -- but even without saying that, the idea of the U.S., what the president -- what this president has done to the U.S.' commitment to
European allies is quite extraordinary.
NATO has been hollowed out under this president. I remember well, from the first term, so many threats of the U.S. is going to pull out. I'm going to
pull out of NATO, which, of course, would also take an act of Congress. He did not repeat that last night.
But he may as well have, because the bottom line is that it's very uncertain, I guess, to say the least, that the U.S. will have the back of
European allies here. So what the -- what this has done for our relationships with the U.S. allies is extraordinary. There's no doubt.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And with just, what, seven months now to go until the midterms?
We'll wait to see how these polling numbers play out. Jeff Zeleny, appreciate it for now. Thank you.
ZELENY: Sure. You're welcome.
MACFARLANE: And from Trump on down, the administration maintains that its goals have been clear. Here's the Secretary of Defense on what the U.S. is
aiming for and what it is happy to leave to others.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Core objectives from this podium, from day one, from me, from the chairman, from the president, from the vice
president, from, secretary Rubio and others have been clear.
Their entire missile program, defense industrial base and production ability to build and Navy and power projection. So those -- and then, of
course, wrapping it all is Iran's never going to have a nuclear weapon. So those have been very clear.
This Strait of Hormuz issue, which we've set the conditions for success. And we will make sure Iran knows that very clearly is not just the United
States of America problem set.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: For more on this, we're joined now by Colin Clarke, the director of policy and research at The Soufan Group, a global intelligence
and security consultancy.
Thank you for joining us. So look, to be fair to Donald Trump and to Pete Hegseth, they focus on objectives that the Joint Chiefs chairman did talk
about at the start of the war. Let's just take a listen to General Caine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN, U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: First, the Joint Force continues to destroy Iran's ballistic missile and UAS capabilities.
We remain focused on interdicting and destroying the logistical and supply chains that feed these programs.
And this remains a truly joint effort, prosecuted around the clock from air, land, sea, space and cyberspace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: However clearly those objectives are explained, Gulf states, at the very least, can attest to the fact that Iran's missile capabilities
still exist.
I mean, how degraded do they need to be in order to call this a success?
COLIN P. CLARKE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE SOUFAN CENTER: Yes. Great point. The Gulf allies are really bearing the brunt of this conflict. And Israel
is as well.
Look, they've got to be degraded to a far greater extent than they are right now. And so the fact that the Iranians are able to continue to launch
missiles, more of which are getting through because of a degraded interceptors and missile defense, is highly troubling.
Look, at the end of the day, war is politics by other means. And so if the military strategy is completely divorced from the political strategy, to
the extent that there is a political strategy, the United States is going to come out on the losing end of this, no matter how brilliantly the
military performs.
MACFARLANE: And how significant is it if the U.S. leaves Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz?
As you know, Donald Trump and Hegseth have indicated they are willing to do.
CLARKE: It would be a disaster. The Iranians would essentially set up a toll booth in one of the world's busiest waterways and they would then gain
all of that revenue from taxing ships that go through. They'd ultimately have veto power over, you know, what kind of ships could enter or leave.
So if that's one of the byproducts of this war, it's a major loss on the part of the United States. Secretary of war Hegseth said we were setting
the conditions for success in the Strait of Hormuz.
What are those conditions, giving power over to the Iranians?
Look, I think they're in over their head at this point -- the political leadership, that is. And unless they figure out some kind of an end game
here with the Strait of Hormuz, at the end of the day, the United States can talk about any numbers or percentages they want with destroyed missile
launchers and Iranian infrastructure to build weapons.
But geopolitically, this is going to end up being a disaster.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And there are wider implications, of course, beyond simply this war with Iran. I just want to play a clip from the Chinese
foreign ministry on the Strait of Hormuz issue.
[10:40:00]
Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED DOGHMAN, DISPLACED FROM LEBANON (through translator): Our impression after a month of war is that nothing has changed. It's the same.
The situation remains unchanged.
For how long?
It is unknown. Things are getting worse. I mean, there are no signs yet for us to relax or get a glimmer of light to see hope ahead because of the
situation we are in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Clearly, Colin, that is not the right sound bite. That is a sound bite from Lebanon.
But the point from the Chinese foreign ministry is that they are gaining ground on this issue because the U.S. has given up their high ground that
the West might hold, you know, over this, in terms of giving China an in here to benefit from this.
CLARKE: Look, I think there's two clear winners right now from this conflict and it's Beijing and Moscow. You know, the Russians stand to gain
from oil revenues geopolitically.
You know, when we talk about great power competition, both of these countries have now watched their chief rival, the United States, struggle
to defeat a near-peer-- not a peer but a near-peer in the Iranians, a so- called middle power.
And I think they're learning a lot and they're, you know, distilling these lessons learned for a future potential conflict with the United States.
So you know, when you rack and stack pros and cons of what's gone on for the last five weeks, there's very few pros that the United States can point
to that are going to be enduring, right?
Because even those gains where, you know, we've beaten back the Iranian missile capability, they can rebuild those. They can also do that with the
help of the Russians and the Chinese. And so, you know, on balance, to be fair, this has not gone the way that Washington has expected.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And we've heard president Trump saying, you know, they are intent on pursuing still a ceasefire deal of some sort. But it's
uncertain how much the Iranians will want to talk, given they have been burned, I think, twice before in the past, during negotiations with the
Americans.
And what do you think is going to be their calculus at this moment, heading into any discussion of some deal?
CLARKE: I think the Iranians are going to hold out. I mean, look, they win simply by not losing. They feel that they have leverage and momentum, even
though they've taken a tremendous beating. And they're going to solidify control over the regime.
We're going to be left with hardliners, you know, running that government. And I think we still haven't dealt with, you know, the issue of the nuclear
problem.
So again, there's so many open-ended questions on the back end of this conflict, whenever it winds down, that the United States will still have to
deal with, we'll be feeling the effects of this war for many years to come. I have no doubt about that.
MACFARLANE: All right, Colin Clarke, we appreciate your analysis on this. Still plenty more to come, of course, in the weeks to come. But for now,
thank you.
And still to come, we'll take a closer look at how the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has taken a devastating toll on Lebanese civilians
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: Israel's push to expand its military operations inside southern Lebanon has come at a high cost as civilians suffer losses. Listen
to one Lebanese man who was forced to flee his home as he reflects on the growing humanitarian crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOGHMAN (through translator): Our impression after a month of war is that nothing has changed. It's the same. The situation remains unchanged.
For how long?
It is unknown. Things are getting worse. I mean, there are no signs yet for us to relax or get a glimmer of light to see hope ahead because of the
situation we are in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, the Lebanese government says, since March 2nd, fighting has led to at least 1,300 deaths, displaced more than a million people,
wounded thousands and destroyed infrastructure across Lebanon.
Last hour, I spoke with the director general for the International Organization for Migration about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in
Lebanon. Amy Pope is on the ground in Beirut and has had a closeup view of the dire conditions. Here's a part of our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY POPE, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: In fact, only about 10 percent of the displaced people are in shelters right
now.
Now part of that is because of capacity but also it's because people want to stay close to where they can find jobs or where they have jobs; because,
of course, if they can't work, the impact of this crisis becomes even worse.
So right here in Beirut, there's a tremendous need for support. We see people being absorbed in the community and with families. And, of course,
many people are forced onto the streets or in their cars or makeshift or informal ways of getting by.
That's the real concern. And, of course, the longer the conflict continues, the more that strain will be felt.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And to your point, I think there's currently something like around one-fifth of Lebanon's population displaced, all within a
matter of just weeks.
On Tuesday, you'll have seen Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said Israel planned to occupy the entire south of Lebanon up to the Litani
River, which, of course, is home to, I think, some 600,000 people.
How alarming is that to you?
And what would that spell?
POPE: Well, that is extremely alarming for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is that it creates tension in communities. Many people have
already hosted Syrians for many, many years now, hosting a wave of displaced from the south.
The longer that goes, the more resources are strained, the more tensions are fueled and particularly in a country where the balance between
communities is so important. When that is destabilized, it leads to increasing community tensions and it leads to increasing risk of violence.
Now on top of that, we have migrant communities who are likewise displaced. This is often an untold story of a conflict like this. I'm sitting in a
community center right now where migrants are able to find some food.
People who worked and lived in houses and once their -- the house is destroyed, they have nowhere to go. And so communities like this are
standing up and trying to provide services. But the strain is real.
MACFARLANE: Yes, because, of course, there were already displaced people inside Lebanon before this conflict started.
Look, Israel Katz also said on Tuesday that Lebanese homes close to the border with Israel will be demolished in accordance with the Rafah model in
Gaza. Those were his words.
With these attacks, we're seeing, you know, civilian infrastructure, health care workers, paramedics and facilities.
How much are you seeing Israel deploying the same tactics in Lebanon here as they did in Gaza?
POPE: Well, the fundamental destruction of infrastructure is certainly very similar and that's very worrisome.
As you pointed out, just 15 months ago, there had been a wave of displacement from the south. The last time there were hostilities in the
south, many of those people had never gone home, simply because their home had been destroyed.
Now we're seeing the all-out destruction of homes, the all-out destruction of infrastructure. The likelihood that people can go home is more and more
slim.
And that means that this -- the strain on existing communities, the strain on resources, the escalating tension, all of that is going to become more
acute long after the hostilities themselves end. That's what's really worrisome. It's the day after.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE (voice-over): All right. Let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now.
South Korea's president is urging the country's parliament to pass more than $17 billion in funding to fend off what he calls the worst energy
security threat. The nation gets about 70 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East.
[10:50:00]
Seoul has already put a cap on fuel prices.
The United States has lifted its sanctions on Venezuela's acting leader, Delcy Rodriguez. They had been imposed by president Trump during his first
term in 2018. Rodriguez welcomed the move and urged the U.S. to lift economic sanctions on the country as a whole.
A federal judge has delayed Luigi Mangione's federal trial by about a month but rejected his lawyer's request to push it to 2027. Jury selection is now
set for early October. Mangione had pleaded not guilty to second degree murder and other charges in connection with the 2024 shooting death of
United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson.
We will have much more for you here on CONNECT THE WORLD after this quick break. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: This just in to CNN. Officials in Florida have released the police body camera video of Tiger Woods' arrest. The golf legend was
charged with driving under the influence after his rollover crash last week.
Woods has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents. Woods' next court appearance is scheduled for May 5th after he waived his arraignment.
Isabel Rosales is joining us now.
And Isabel, I guess this is the video we're seeing on our screens here. Walk us through it.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes. CNN, by the way, is reviewing several videos that were released by the Martin County Sheriff's
Office. This first video that we have up as we're reviewing the rest of the videos, this is from our CNN affiliate WPBF.
And it shows the moments right after the crash. We can see Tiger Woods wearing a blue polo. He is down on one knee near the crash scene incident
and he appears calm and coherent. And if we can toss to the video, I want to -- I want you to hear that interaction that he had with that first
responder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(INAUDIBLE)
TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: -- my phone. And all of a sudden, boom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to just take a look. I go in and just like, take -- is this, is this comfortable for you?
WOODS: Yes, yes. It's not bad.
Yes, I'm cool. Totally cool.
(INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't you have the camera on your phone?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't feel anything out of the (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're still going to have our medic come and check you out.
All right?
WOODS: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Disregard that. (INAUDIBLE).
All right.
WOODS: Yes. All set.
Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's OK. I just checked for anything on his back. I didn't feel anything.
(OFF MIKE COMMENTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, that's him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm right here.
(OFF MIKE COMMENTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who hit him?
ROSALES (voice-over): And, this is just the first video. Numerous videos that, again, we are looking through. But we do know from an arrest
affidavit and other court documents here that eventually he would end up doing a breathalyzer, blowing triple zeros, meaning that he had no alcohol
at all in his system.
But he did end up failing field sobriety tests and refusing a urine test. And as they were arresting him for a DUI, driving under the influence, and
searching him, they found two white pills in his front pocket that would turn out to be prescription hydrocodone.
That's a prescription opioid used to treat chronic pain. Now this is a criminal traffic case where Woods has entered a plea through his attorney
of not guilty and is also demanding a jury trial. And most recently, just yesterday.
[10:55:00]
A judge agreed to and gave permission for Woods to travel out of the country to receive inpatient treatment.
I also want to leave you with this. Tiger Woods, in a statement, said that he is committed to healing. He said in part this.
"I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus
on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery."
And, of course, we know that the Masters tournament here in Augusta, Georgia, is coming up here in a few days. The website now has been updated
as of yesterday morning to state that he is no longer playing in that -- in that tournament. He is listed under past champions not playing.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And added to that, too, of course, he said today he's declining the U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy role in 2027 as well. So this having
real implications there. Isabel, appreciate it. Thank you.
And for today's "Parting Shots," a journey around the world like no other. Egyptian traveler Omar Nok said he wants to circle the globe without ever
boarding a plane. The no-fly rule is Omar's bid to experience the world more deeply.
Since setting off in October, the 31-year old has made it from Egypt to the Caribbean. It's unclear how the current Middle East crisis will impact
Omar's journey further down the line. But he says he's hopeful he can complete his challenge.
You can track his progress live on the travel app, Polarsteps. And if you want to know more about Omar's quest, visit cnn.com.
That is it for this edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks so much for joining us and stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up after the break
[11:00:00]
END
